MK 48 vs akula

[Berserker]

What is it with the mk48 and akukla subs?? No matter what i try the torp will go right past the akula or lose aquisition then go another direction..I have seen this in the chase mode...Is the akula resistant/invulnerable/invisible to mk 48's...Just what the hell is going on???

[Pisces]

Is that with show truth on or off? In show truth off a contact may not be where the real object is.

[Kapitan]

make sure your not firing on your shadow contact depending which sensor towed bow ect will depend if you get a mirror, tbh I think that's what your firing at if show truth is off.

[Nexus7]

But if he says the torpedo aquired...

[Kapitan]

in the weapon station look at the torpedo as it gets near the submarine you should see two lines bearing out like a cone, well when the submarine is in those lines click pre enable then click enable again it should then lock but it must be inside the cone.

[Pisces]

Also, the target needs to be within the torpedo depth limits: ceiling and floor. (which is most likely incorrectly set by the autocrew) If it is above or below it, the torpedo wouldn't detonate and just keep dancing around it until it looses track.

[Oberon]

That's assuming it didn't track on a noisemaker, the ADCAP isn't invulnerable to them.

Basically I'd run through this checklist:

1) Be sure of your solution, if you have a contact on the towed array then make a course turn of about 45 degrees and watch the contacts on the waterfall. One bearing will change and the other will stay the same, the one that's stayed the same is your contact.

2) Get all available information on your contact, obviously you know it's an Akula, so that'll help you put in the TPK, and firm up the Target Motion Analysis. If you're doing that manually then the only real advise I can offer is screwing with it until the dots are lined up down the center of the line. I usually leave that to the autocrew on anything other than the 688i which I can just about remember how to do from playing Fast Attack.

3) Set the Mk48 to passive mode, and check the ceiling and depth limits, and keep the torpedo wire-guided for as long as you are able to. If he fires one back at you and you have to go evasive, then switch the torpedo to active and cut the wire, otherwise wait until the torpedo is fairly close to the target and then switch it to active. It should aqquire and then home in...and then probably miss. But no problem, by now your target will be panicking and making lots of noise which will only serve to give you a better idea where he is. Turn the torpedo around and take another run at it, eventually it should hit. If it doesn't then your TMA was likely off by a significant amount.

4) Do not cut the wire if the torpedo is pointing anywhere in your direction. Another lesson learnt from playing Fast Attack when I cut the wire on an ADCAP whilst attempting to sink a Kilo, unfortunately the torpedo was pointed back at me, and when the wire cut it went after the bigger and noisier target and thus I managed to kill myself with my own torpedo...

Keep practicing, TMA is a sod, but a good solution makes all the difference. Akulas are slippery customers, and they have a nasty sting in their tails, I can't remember off hand if they carry Skhvals, I know the Victors do, believe me, getting smacked by a Skhval is something you don't forget in a hurry. The Stallion can be a nasty surprise too when it plops into the water above you, even nastier if nuclear release has been authorised (thank god DW doesn't model the nuclear depth charges for the Stallion), but I think in time you'll nail your first Akula.

Happy Hunting.

[Kapitan]

Akula does carry skvhal if I remember right tubes 1-4 and externals personally on my load out I'd carry two in the external tubes along with two or three stallions, I will say this Oberon is right about akulas being slippery customers if your playing against someone who is very competent with the Akula chances are even in a sea wolf he will find you before you find him, the best thing about American submarines in Dw is you have a history display the Russians don't and that does give you an advantage.

What I used to do in mp is plop a couple of stallions out a fair distance those who figured out my tactics knew if they stay put they could win, but most sub drivers would flank dive and turn this giving themselves away so I could track and fire on them.

In the ra mod I think you can load a nuke stallion thus but don't use it don't forget the akula is quiet under 4 knots it also dives to 500+ meters not only that it does out run a 688 a lot of people choose sea wolf because they believe it's quiet and fast the true quiet one is the kilo now there's a track and trail job.

If you want to really screw the akulas day up come in head on to it the how and hull arrays are unlikely to find you and the towed array doesn't cover the front end.

Keep sea wolf to below 8 knots come from below the Akula preferably below the layer, keep sharp too. Chances are once you launch he will snapshot launch too there is no out running a skvhal only hope you have is to out turn it as they can't turn and are not wide guided they are a straight run torpedo and a range of 6 miles, don't be fooled though the Akula does have a big bite a 65cm can ruin your day it's almost like a mk48.

Personally once you find and track him put a range circle of 7 miles around him that way your out of skvhal range it also gives you around 3 minuets to scoot if he fires back.

Do not get close do your work from 7 miles or more and use your subs sonar history it will give you a better handle on him.

[Oberon]

Yeah, getting close when the enemy has access to a Skhval is a bad way to die. I had a Victor III fire one at me once, he must have had a good solution on me because it nailed me true, but I was pretty close to him, trying to get the perfect solution before I opened fire.
My sonarman got as far as "Conn; Sonar: Torpedo in..." and the Skhval smashed into me.

[Kapitan]

a horrible way to die............................ in the game of course, skhval gives of a lot of noise so I tend not to use them, might as well just smack a bear over the A$$ with a banjo you would probably come out with a better result.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Kapitan

a horrible way to die............................ in the game of course, skhval gives of a lot of noise so I tend not to use them, might as well just smack a bear over the A$$ with a banjo you would probably come out with a better result.

You know what scares the bejesus out of me, and I'm sure many NATO submariners...Skhval 2. The normal Skhval is ok if the enemy doesn't have that good a solution on you, or if it's shot from far enough away that you can move. It's like a World War II torpedo, it can only run in straight lines.

Skhval 2, as I'm sure you know...can be steered...

[Kapitan]

Yes it can and it has a greater range too, but of corse they are expensive and the Russians won't be buying to many of them they are focusing on new ships and submarines weaponry come second so slightly good news.

On the other side of it the Germans have been toying with this idea for the last 20years or so I wonder if they got anything operational yet.