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The A-164 Wipeout is a ground attack and Close Air Support jet used exclusively by NATO forces in ArmA 3.

Overview[]

  • Role:
    • Close air support
« The A-164 Wipeout is a single-seat aircraft used for close air support and air interdiction. The life-cycle of its predecessor, the A-10, ended in 2030 and the need for replacement grew more important with the rising tension in the Pacific. A limited development budget did not allow for a fresh start, instead the concept of the A-10 was improved with better shape, engines and armaments. Wipeout is armed with a 30 mm seven-barrel Minigun, Falchion-22 short range air-to-air missiles, Macer air-to-ground missiles, unguided Shrieker rockets (HE and AP variants) and GBU-12 laser guided bombs.
Field Manual
»

Design[]

The Wipeout is a twin turbofan-engined, ground attack jet that uses a cantilever low-wing monoplane wing design with a wide chord. It is meant to be used exclusively for ground attack and close air support.

Arma3-Wipeout-Loadout

A-164 pylon configuration

Armament
By default, the Wipeout is armed with a 30 mm Gatling cannon that is loaded with 1,000 rounds of high-explosive (HE) ammunition.

The Wipeout has ten pylons that support dynamic loadouts.

  • Most of the pylons (4-7, 9-10) are capable of being fitted with the following munitions:
    • Falchion-22 (1×)
    • ASRAAM (1×)
    • Scalpel (1×)
    • Scalpel (3×)
    • Macer (1×)
    • Macer (3×)
    • Shrieker HE (7×)
    • Shrieker AP (7×)
    • DAR (12×)
    • DAGR (12×)
    • GBU-12 (1×)
    • MK-82 (1×)
    • BL778 (1x)
    • CBU-85 (1×)
  • The two outermost wing pylons (1-2) are only able to fit the following:
    • Falchion-22 (1×)
    • ASRAAM (1×)
    • Scalpel (1×)
    • Scalpel (3×)
    • Shrieker HE (7×)
    • Shrieker AP (7×)
    • DAR (12×)
    • DAGR (12×)
    • GBU-12 (1×)
    • MK-82 (1×)
    • BL778 (1×)
  • The two centre pylons on each wing (3, 8) are able to carry the same munitions as the outermost pylons (1-2), but can also be fitted with either of the following two:
    • Macer (1×)
    • CBU-85 (1×)
Arma3-Screenshot-45

Blazing away with the 30 mm Gatling. While it isn't capable of penetrating through tank armour, it is devastating against most ground vehicles and infantry.

A targeting pod with a laser marker can be used to provide self-designation capability when used in conjunction with most of the Wipeout's guided munitions. It also provides a Continuously Calculated Impact Point (CCIP) marker for laser-guided bombs and the 30 mm Gatling cannon.

Mobility
When paired against its CSAT counterpart, the Wipeout has a slower stall speed, which combined with its usage of decelerons enables it to perform better in low altitude flight, valuable for when performing Close Air Support and conducting recon with the targeting pod.

However, when compared to its CSAT counterpart it takes twice as long for the Wipeout to reach its top speed due to being the heavier aircraft of the two. Furthermore, it will bleed this speed rapidly in turns and if ambushed by faster and higher flying jets, the Wipeout will struggle to flee or be able to conduct defensive/offensive manoeuvres.

Notable Traits
The Wipeout can carry more air-to-ground munitions than any other CAS-capable aircraft which allows it to remain in the air for extended periods of time before having to return to rearm. Likewise, the 30 mm Gatling cannon is ideal for attacking squads of infantry or convoys of soft-skinned or lightly-armoured vehicles (though it will not penetrate the armour of tanks).

Arma3-wipeout-03

No matter the altitude, the Wipeout remains vulnerable to all kinds of anti-air defences.

Drawbacks
Since the Wipeout is designed exclusively for CAS and short-range interdiction missions, employing it for SEAD missions or air superiority is ill-advised. Ideally, faster and higher flying (and SEAD-capable) Black Wasps should be used to clear the way for the Wipeout first.

This is because electronically, the Wipeout possesses no stealthy attributes and can be detected at full ranges both on active radar and via infrared/visual sensors. It also lacks an active radar of its own and forces the pilot to rely on the targeting pod's visual/infrared camera in order to locate and identify both air and ground targets, leaving it exposed to vehicles which aren't projecting radar or heat emissions.

As a consequence, heavy AA systems and air superiority fighters will pick off the Wipeout long before the pilot can get close enough to retaliate unless they fly nap-of-the-earth. However, this in turn limits the Wipeout's ability to carry out CAS missions and leaves it more vulnerable to smaller static AA/MANPADs or mobile air defence vehicles.

In essence, the Wipeout will stand no chance of surviving in a contested airspace without an escort, and will remain as a sitting duck against modern air defences.

Crew Capacity
The Wipeout only contains a single seat for the pilot. It is unable to transport any passengers.

Protection[]

The Wipeout has a base armour value of 80.

Hull[]

The jet's hull can withstand 640 points of damage. Will result in a total loss if the hull's "health" is depleted.

Engines[]

Both engines can take a maximum of 248 points of damage before they begin failing. The engines incur a 350% increased damage penalty from high-explosive (HE) type munitions.

Destroying the engines will not result in a total loss, though 60% of damage is still transferred onto the Wipeout's "health" pool. It can however, potentially cause it to blow up if the hull's integrity is already at critical.

If damaged: Decreases thrust output and can prevent the Wipeout from attaining its top speed.
If destroyed: Total engine failure; jet will lose its ability to maintain power completely.

Instruments[]

The Wipeout's flight instruments, Head Mounted Display (HMD) and Multi-Functional Displays (MFD) can take up to 280 points of damage before failure. All instruments take 400% increased damage from HE-type munitions.

If damaged: Causes periodic flickering of MFD screens and the pilot's HMD. Instruments remain fully functional.
If destroyed: Both the MFD and HMD will be disabled. Instruments will malfunction and do not provide proper readings.

Fuel tanks[]

The Wipeout's twin fuel tanks are shielded by an additional layer of armour which can withstand up to 640 points of damage.

However, the fuel tanks themselves can only take 240 points of damage before rupturing. The armour plating takes 300% additional damage from HE-type munitions, while the tanks will incur a 400% damage penalty instead. At least 50% of incoming damage will be shared with the Wipeout's "health" pool.

If damaged: Gradual fuel leaking; will lose up to a maximum of 50% of the Wipeout's remaining fuel supply.
If destroyed: Rapidly depletes entire fuel supply over the course of several seconds.

Control surfaces[]

The Wipeout's control surfaces consist of six components:

  • Ailerons (left/right)
  • Elevators (left/right)
  • Rudders (left/right)

Aside from the ailerons, every other component can withstand up to 192 points of damage before failure. Only the ailerons can survive a mere 160 points of damage, though all components take 200% increased damage from HE-type munitions.

Losing specific control surfaces (i.e. rudders) can hamper the jet's handling and agility; based on the severity of the damage and number of components lost. If all parts are destroyed, the Wipeout will take a severe hit to its in-flight stability.

Sensors[]

The Wipeout uses an array of sensors optimised exclusively for close air support:

Sensor type Max range (Air/Ground) Min range (Air/Ground) Affected by environment? Target max speed (km/h) Azimuth coverage (°) Elevation coverage (°) Friendly identification range (m)
Anti-Radiation A: 8,000 m
G: 8,000 m
A: 8,000 m
G: 8,000 m
Nothing 1e+10 km/h 90° 90° 12,000 m
Infrared A: 5,000 m
G: 4,000 m
A: 500 m
G: 500 m
Fog (0.005%) 360 km/h 50° 37° 2,000 m
Laser A: 6,000 m
G: 6,000 m
A: 6,000 m
G: 6,000 m
Nothing 1e+10 km/h 180° 180° 0 m
NV A: 6,000 m
G: 6,000 m
A: 6,000 m
G: 6,000 m
Nothing 1e+10 km/h 180° 180° 0 m
Passive A: 16,000 m
G: 16,000 m
A: 16,000 m
G: 16,000 m
Nothing 1e+10 km/h 360° 360° 12,000 m
Visual A: 4,000 m
G: 3,000 m
A: 500 m
G: 500 m
Fog/Light (6%) 360 km/h 50° 37° 2,000 m

Anti-Radiation Sensor[]

The Wipeout's Anti-Radiation Sensor is forward-facing only. It is represented by the green cone on the SENSORS panel.

Infrared Sensor[]

The Wipeout's IR Sensor is located in the targeting pod (represented by the orange cone on the SENSORS panel). Although it is technically affected by heavy fog, the range reduction effect is so miniscule (-0.25 metre reduction) that it will be barely noticeable.

Laser Sensor[]

The Wipeout's Laser Sensor is forward-facing only. Any designated targets will become visible on the Wipeout's SENSORS panel only when the jet is (mostly) facing in the direction of the laser spot.

NV Sensor[]

The Wipeout's NV Sensor is forward-facing only. Any IR grenades on the ground will only become visible on the SENSORS panel when the Wipeout is (mostly) facing in the direction of the grenade.

Passive Radar[]

The Wipeout's Passive Radar can detect Active Radar threats in any direction (regardless of the jet's facing direction).

Visual Sensor[]

The Wipeout's Visual Sensor is located in the targeting pod (represented by the orange cone on the SENSORS panel). The Visual Sensor can be affected by heavy fog and can lose up to 6% of its range depending on its thickness. The Visual Sensor becomes completely blind at nighttime and very low-light conditions.

Armament[]

NOTE: Only the weapons used on the default loadout for the Wipeout are listed here. For full details on ordnance that can be mounted on the Wipeout, refer to the dynamic loadouts article.

Gatling Cannon 30 mm[]

Arma3-vehicleweapons-a164wipeout-gatlingcannon30mm
Base damage value Aerodynamic friction Initial velocity (m/s) Penetration depth (mm)
180 -0.00036 1,120 84

30 mm Gatling cannon. Fires HE-based ammunition useful for direct air-to-ground fire support.

It can attain a fire rate of up to ~ 750 rounds per minute and has a muzzle velocity of 1,120 m/s. Accuracy-wise, it has a dispersion of 0.0044 rad. The shells themselves have a blast radius of 3 metres and can (partially) penetrate up to a depth of 84 millimetres.

Target Lead Indication is provided on the pilot's Heads Up Display (HUD). Landing hits can be accomplished by aligning the crosshair directly on the HUD's circle.

Macer[]

Arma3-vehicleweapons-a164wipeout-macer
Main article: Dynamic loadouts#Macer

Air-to-ground infrared-guided missile.

Relies on the Wipeout's IR Sensor to function.

GBU-12[]

Arma3-vehicleweapons-a164wipeout-gbu12
Main article: Dynamic loadouts#GBU-12

Laser-guided bomb. Relies on the Wipeout's Laser Sensor to function.

Predicted Impact Point assistance is provided for "aiming" with the GBU-12s if no laser guidance is available.

Falchion-22[]

Arma3-vehicleweapons-a164wipeout-falchion22
Main article: Dynamic loadouts#Falchion-22

Short range infrared-guided air-to-air missile.

Relies on the Wipeout's IR Sensor to function.

Shrieker AP[]

Arma3-vehicleweapons-a164wipeout-shriekerap
Main article: Dynamic loadouts#Shrieker AP

Unguided anti-vehicle rockets. Shrieker APs are fired with an initial velocity of 44 m/s and can reach speeds of up to 590 m/s in-flight.

Shrieker HE[]

Arma3-vehicleweapons-a164wipeout-shriekerhe
Main article: Dynamic loadouts#Shrieker HE

Unguided anti-personnel rockets.

Shrieker HEs are launched with an initial velocity of 44 m/s and can reach speeds of up to 590 m/s in-flight.

Trivia[]

  • As stated in its Field Manual entry, the Wipeout is directly based on the real-world "A-10 Thunderbolt II" attack jet then-designed by Fairchild Republic which is now owned by M7 Aerospace, itself a subsidiary of the U.S.-based division of Elbit Systems (with support for the A-10 having since been taken over by Northrop Grumman).
    • Although it is based on the A-10, it uses a slightly darker grey paint scheme that is reminiscent of early production models of the Lockheed Martin "YF-22 Raptor".
    • Its engines are also modelled with more acutely shaped inlets in an attempt to give the Wipeout a stealthy profile similar to that of the UH-80.[1] However, this does not actually give the Wipeout stealth attributes against radar detection in-game (unlike the Ghost Hawk).
  • The Wipeout was not originally available in ArmA 3 at launch. It would not become available until the release of the main campaign's third episode as part of Game Update 1.14.[2]
  • When the Wipeout was initially added, its flight model would cause the plane's nose to constantly drop. This prevented the pilot from being able to maintain a level altitude unless they kept manually adjusting pitch to counter the dropping. This would eventually be fixed after the release of Game Update 1.16.[3]
  • Prior to Game Update 1.50, the cursor on both the player's UI (in third person) and the Wipeout's HUD did not match the actual point of impact for Shrieker rockets.[4] Until the patch's release, this would cause the rockets to strike well below the indicated PoI.

Gallery[]

Video[]

References[]

  1. Bohemia Interactive a.s., 2023, #Arma3 #LegendaryAssets #12 - A-164 Wipeout "We were in need of a NATO ground attack aircraft for the sandbox, so we created the A-164 with "stealth" aesthetics which are also used on other aircraft (e.g. drones, helicopters)." - @IvanBuchta 1/3, 2 February, viewed 25 March 2023, <https://twitter.com/ArmaPlatform/status/1620819141367316482>.
  2. van 't Land, J.J. 2014, SPOTREP #00021, Arma 3, viewed 14 September 2017, <https://dev.arma3.com/post/spotrep-00021>.
  3. van 't Land, J.J. 2014, SPOTREP #00023, Arma 3, viewed 13 October 2023, <https://dev.arma3.com/post/spotrep-00023>.
  4. van 't Land, J.J. 2015, SPOTREP #00047, Arma 3, viewed 9 September 2023, <https://dev.arma3.com/post/spotrep-00047>.

External links[]

See also[]

Aircraft of comparable role and configuration[]

Vehicles of ArmA 3
Wheeled AFV-4 GorgonAMV-7 MarshallHatchbackHEMTTHunterIfritKartMB 4WDMSE-3 MaridOffroadProwlerQilinRhino MGS (UP) • StriderSUVTempestTractorTruckQuadbikeUGV StomperVanZamak (MRL)
Tracked 2S9 SochorAWC NyxBTR-K KamyshCRV-6e BobcatED-1D Mini UGV (ED-1E) • IFV-6a CheetahIFV-6c PantherFV-720 MoraM2A1 Slammer (A4 UP) • M4 ScorcherM5 SandstormMBT-52 KumaT-100 Varsuk (X Futura) • T-140 Angara (T-140K) • ZSU-39 Tigris
Rotor-wing AH-9 PawneeAH-99 BlackfootAR-2 DarterCH-49 MohawkCH-67 HuronDemining DroneMH-9 Hummingbird (M900) • Mi-48 KajmanMi-290 TaruMQ-12 FalconPO-30 OrcaUH-80 Ghost HawkUtility DroneWY-55 Hellcat
Fixed-wing A-143 BuzzardA-149 GryphonA-164 WipeoutCaesar BTTF/A-181 Black Wasp IIKH-3A FenghuangMQ-4A GreyhawkTo-199 NeophronTo-201 ShikraUCAV SentinelV-44X BlackfishY-32 Xi'an
Aquatic Assault BoatMotorboatRHIBSpeedboatSDVWater Scooter
(Parenthesis) denote variants.
Karts DLC | Helicopters DLC | Apex DLC | Jets DLC | Laws of War DLC | Tanks DLC | Contact DLC
Arma3-factionicon-nato NATO - Vehicles (ArmA 3)
Wheeled AMV-7 MarshallHEMTTHunterProwlerQuadbikeRhino MGS (UP) • UGV Stomper
Tracked CRV-6e BobcatED-1D Pelter (ED-1E Roller) • IFV-6a CheetahIFV-6c PantherM2A1 Slammer (A4 UP) • M4 ScorcherM5 Sandstorm
Rotor-wing AH-9 PawneeAH-99 BlackfootAL-6 PelicanAR-2 DarterCH-67 HuronMH-9 HummingbirdMQ-12 FalconUH-80 Ghost Hawk
Fixed-wing A-164 WipeoutF/A-181 Black Wasp IIMQ-4A GreyhawkUCAV SentinelV-44X Blackfish
Aquatic Assault Boat (Rescue) • Speedboat MinigunSDV
(Parenthesis) denote variants.
Helicopters DLC | Apex DLC | Jets DLC | Laws of War DLC | Tanks DLC | Contact DLC
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