Insurgency Sandstorm: A Commander’s Guide To Fire Support

Fire Support consists of Available Support which is wither provided by The Station for The Security Forces, or, for The Insurgents, The Outpost. Fire Support Options are different between the two factions, accurately depicting the technology of each Faction. The Security Forces use more modern and legitimate military hardware such as Artillery, Planes, and Helicopters while The Insurgents have to make do with older surplus soviet military hardware and Improvised weapons such as weaponized civilian technology.

In-Game, Fire Support is called in with the binoculars, and different Options are selected by using the Fire Control Selector Key/Button. The Fire Support itself takes time to arrive into the AO and after use, The Station/Outpost takes a minute to prepare another Fire Support Option mainly due to balancing issues while the Fire Support Option itself has limited uses and a cooldown after usage to both add realism and balance the playing field.

The contents of this guide will follow the format:

> (Fire Support Type)

• Description: (A brief description of what the Fire Support does)
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• Deploy: (Deploy time of the Fire Support from station/outpost confirmation of said Fire Support)
• Active Duration: (Duration of the Volley Fire until first impact / amount of time it takes before the Fire Support Entity engages/activates its ability/abilities)
• Effect Duration: (Duration of the Fire Support’s effect over the targeted area)
• Range: (The Range of the Fire Support AOE, sometimes being a circle or a line)
• Notes: (General personal observations of the author that may prove useful)

The Security Forces, despite having less Fire Support options, have three very potent and very powerful Fire Support options, mainly the Helicopter Fire Support options, and the Autocannon Strafe, more infamously known as the A10 “Warthog” Strafe

> Smoke Artillery

• Description: Smoke Artillery is exactly what it is, a barrage of Artillery rounds that have the effect of a smokescreen cover over the designated target area, used to block lines of sight from enemy view such as wide open areas, or even open-top walled areas for possible surprise attacks to cause chaos to the defending/attacking opposing forces
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• Deploy: ~30 Seconds after Confirmation
• Active Duration: ~15 Seconds of Volley Fire
• Effect Duration: ~45 Seconds of Smokescreen
• Range: ~40ft / 12 Meter diameter from Target location
• Notes: Very consistent relation of the original Target location and general Area of Effect being the centre point of the effected area

> Explosive Artillery

• Description: It’s exactly what it is on the tin, so to say, Explosive Artillery sends a barrage of Artillery rounds that are used for area denial on a large scale as explosive rounds are hurled onto the targeted area of the battlefield, sent in several volleys which gives a very slight opening for allies/enemies to cross the targeted area safely without being blown to bits if they’re/you’re fast enough. Needless to say, get to cover and make sure you or your allies are safe from the barrage.
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• Deploy: ~30 Seconds after Confirmation
• Active Duration: ~10 Seconds of Groups of Volley Fire
• Effect Duration: Instantaneous
• Range: ~20ft / 6 Meter diameter from Target Location
• Notes: Inconsistent relation of the original Target Location and Area of Effect, normally with the centre of the AoE being slightly left or right of the original Target Area, but still hitting it.

> A-10 Thunderbolt Autocannon Strafe (AKA, Warlock)

• Description: The infamous A10 Autocannon Strafe is known across the world for its efficiency and effectiveness on the battlefield, with it’s distinctive “BRRRRRRT” being known for striking fear into whoever’s unlucky enough to be in the A10’s strafe line, with the A10 itself firing 30mm “GAU-8” armor-piercing depleted uranium, high explosive incendiary rounds at the targeted area. In Layman’s Terms, if you’re targeted and hit, you’re dead before you even hit the ground. Due to the quick deploy time of the A10 Strafe, it’s best used in situations that require an area to be cleared quickly.
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• Deploy: ~13 Seconds after Confirmation
• Active Duration: ~2 Seconds of Explosive Gunfire
• Effect Duration: Instantaneous
• Range: ~45ft / 13.7 Meters in a Straight Line
• Notes: Keep in mind that the A10’s Strafe line is dependent on your / the commander’s orientation to the target, being directly on the commander’s targeted horizontal Line of Sight

> Minigun Helicopter (AKA, Cleric)

• Description: The Minigun Helicopter, an HH-60 Pave Hawk Combat Helicopter fitted with two M134 six-barrel “Minigun” rotary machine guns with a high rate of fire chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO, is basically just an AI controlled aerial vehicle which seeks out and eliminates enemies in the immediate AO. Cleric attacks from above and engages any enemies in his sight, able to take out many enemies in quick succession, good for helping to hold points from attacks, keeping allies safe and OpFors at bay.
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• Deploy: ~30 Seconds to get to the AO from Confirmation
• Active Duration: ~40 Seconds of OpFor seeking/eliminating, then leaving AO
• Effect Duration: Instantaneous
• Range: Roams the general Targeted Area for OpFors
• Notes: All Cleric does is roam around the Target Area and eliminates enemies. Keep in mind that Cleric can be shot down with enough firepower such as a Recoilless Rifles, Anti-Tank Weapons, or Rocket Propelled Grenades.

> Gunship Helicopter (AKA, Assassin)

• Description: The AH-64 Apache Gunship, much like the Minigun Helicopter, is an AI controlled aerial vehicle armed with a 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 chain gun as its main gun, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. She seeks and eliminates enemies but unlike her brother, she initially launches a rocket barrage at the immediate targeted area when she arrives, and after the barrage is finished, she then seeks and eliminates enemies using her chain gun before leaving the AO, not staying around as long as her brother.
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• Deploy: ~30 Seconds to get to the AO from Confirmation
• Active Duration: ~35 Seconds of OpFor seeking/eliminating, then leaving AO
• Effect Duration: Instantaneous
• Range: Roams the general Targeted Area for OpFors
• Notes: Much like her brother, she roams around the Target Area and eliminates enemies and she can also be shot down with enough firepower.

The Insurgents have more Fire Support options overall, but the options aren’t as relatively potent as the Security Fire Support Options, but still are very good at clearing/dispersing/eliminating OpFors in unconventional, yet effective methods which don’t need to adhere to the Geneva Suggestion.

> Smoke Mortar Bombardments

• Description: Smoke Mortar Bombardments are as advertised, a Bombardment of Shells that have the effect of a smokescreen on the designated Target Area and compared to the Security’s Artillery, it’s deployed faster and stays around for longer so it’s more useful for shock attacks and general cover against open areas, much like what the Security have, but better.
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• Deploy: ~25 Seconds after Confirmation
• Active Duration: ~15 Seconds of Constant Fire
• Effect Duration: ~1 Minute of Smokescreen
• Range: ~40ft / 12 Meter diameter from Target location
• Notes: Less consistent relation of Target Location and Area Effect compared to Security counterpart.

> Explosive Mortar Bombardments

• Description: Also faster to deploy than it’s Security counterpart, the Explosive Shell Bombardment is used in a similar fashion to the Security’s Artillery and since it’s faster to deploy, it can be used to also clear out encamped OpFors and destroy Gunner Vehicles that may be blocking a road or guarding an objective while also being able to destroy Cache objectives if they’re unprotected from aerial attacks.
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• Deploy: ~25 Seconds after Confirmation
• Active Duration: ~35 Seconds of Constant Fire
• Effect Duration: Instantaneous
• Range: ~25ft / 7.6 Meter diameter from Target Location
• Notes: Inconsistent relation of Target Location and Area Effect, less accurate and more random compared to its Security counterpart.

> Chemical Smoke Mortar Bombardments

• Description: Chemical Mortar Shelling might be considered a war crime, but it’s very effective at area denial, painfully killing everyone trapped in it but, the biggest fault with it is that if the OpFors remembered to bring their Gas Masks, it’s basically just as effective as a Smoke Shell Bombardment which is still something but not as much of a deal if they had forgotten to bring Gas Masks. Good for both denying and clearing areas or at least, making a smokescreen for attack and defence.
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• Deploy: ~25 Seconds after Confirmation
• Active Duration: ~17 Seconds of Constant Fire
• Effect Duration: ~1 Minute of Gas
• Range: ~30ft / 9 Meter diameter from Target location
• Notes: Inconsistent relation of Target Location and Area Effect, but more accurate than normal Smoke Bombardment

> Rocket Barrage

• Description: Rocket Barrages are as the name implies, with volleys of rockets being shot over to, and around the Target Area, possibly using questionably acquired Katyusha Rocket Launchers mounted onto the back of trucks, being launched from outpost. The Barrage is a great Area Denial tool as it’s effective range is extremely wide, good for attacking a large area and forcing anyone unlucky enough to be in the area to go indoors, else they get blown to kingdom come.
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• Deploy: ~25 Seconds after Confirmation
• Active Duration: ~45 Seconds of Continuous Fire
• Effect Duration: Instantaneous
• Range: ~50ft / 15 Meter diameter from Target location
• Notes: Very wide range of effect, so target it as far away from you and your allies as you possibly can, best used against wide open areas or areas with minimal aerial cover to maximise effectiveness

> Bomber Drones

• Description: Bomber Drones are (possibly improvised) UAV drones sent into the AO which drop very powerful explosives onto the targeted area, in a line from the sight of the commander to the targeted area, being very accurate and effective in areas such as streets to clear a way.
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• Deploy: ~20 Seconds after Confirmation
• Active Duration: ~1 Second of Dropped Explosives
• Effect Duration: Instantaneous
• Range: ~20ft / 6 Meters in a Straight Line
• Notes: Keep in mind that being even in the general area is a death wish, always be behind cover and ensure that your teammates are notified of the drones coming in.

> Explosive Drone

• Description: The Explosive Drone is basically just a powerful explosive charge / IED strapped onto a DJI Phantom Drone and is sent into the AO’s Targeted Location and waits or looks for OpFors and when it finds a / several targets, it detonates with a decent effective explosive range. The biggest fault with it is the loud buzzing it produces, giving away its location and besides that, it’s able to be shot down when in flight or idle in the air, detonating when it hits the ground, which could be tactically advantageous if used by a skilled tactician to get to un-targetable places/areas.
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• Deploy: ~10 Seconds to get to the AO from Confirmation
• Active Duration: ~15 Seconds of OpFor seeking/eliminating, then leaving AO
• Effect Duration: Instantaneous
• Range: ~20ft / 6 Meters
• Notes: It’s best used like an aerial tripmine, blocking off choke points or even for for Cache destruction if it’s targetable.

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Thanks to BX_N3S for his great guide, all credit to his effort. you can also read the original guide from Steam Community. enjoy the game.