Aviation classes

Aviation in Modern Warships is an integral part of the game and has a significant impact on the outcome of a battle. Proper use of aircraft can help bring you and your team closer to victory. The aviation class includes: helicopters, fighters, attack aircraft, drones, and bombers.

Helicopters

Helicopters are the most common aviation class in the game. They can be launched from almost any ship: corvette, frigate, destroyer, cruiser, aircraft carrier, assault aircraft carrier, assault landing ship, battleship, ekranoplan (among ekranoplans, only RF Bartini A-2000-7 has a helicopter), and submarines (among submarines, only Pan Spatial Bartini and RF Strazh have helicopters).

The helicopter’s role is reconnaissance and surprise attacks from the enemy’s rear.

Helicopters are capable of detecting submarines while they are submerged.

The game features unique helicopters, such as:

• Z-6B — has no weapons, but possesses extremely high maneuverability and is designed for reconnaissance; its reserve is 6 units.
• Cyclone (only on Pan Spatial Redrum, Pan Spatial Bartini),
• Campocter Strazh (only on RF Strazh),
• Remora-X (only on FS Blue Shark) — these have no weapons, but designate a target for the ship; the ship then launches missiles at the target selected by the helicopter.
• Pan Spatial Guntaur (only on Pan Spatial Hexeres) — has weapons and also designates targets for the ship to fire upon.
  

Helicopter tactics:

• Almost all helicopters in the game have an aviation reserve of 2 units or more, so the first launch can be used for reconnaissance, especially if there are no aircraft carriers.
• A tournament example: the whole team launches helicopters and flies to one flank, then deals as much damage as possible to a single enemy, potentially destroying them. This gives the team an advantage.
• Helicopters can also be used to finish off enemies with low health.

Helicopters are a good aviation class, but they must be used wisely and not relied upon too heavily.

Fighters

Fighters are a class designed for air combat, but more often serve as the team’s “eyes.” Fighters are armed with air-to-air missiles, a machine gun, or laser weapons and operate exclusively against enemy aircraft. However, there is one fighter in the game capable of dealing significant damage to ships — MiG-35D Fulcrum-F, which is equipped with FAB-500 bombs under both wings; their total damage is approximately 92,000.

The fighter’s role is to shoot down enemy aircraft and provide reconnaissance data to allied teams.

Fighter tactics

• At the beginning of a battle, fighters can be used to detect the enemy team, making them appear on the minimap and revealing enemy health bars to allies.
• Fighters can also be used to intercept high-priority targets, such as bombers.

Fighters are a support class that helps keep enemies detected and assists in destroying enemy aviation.

Striker Fighters

Striker Fighters are one of the most important aviation classes and form the core damage output of aircraft carriers and assault aircraft carriers. They are highly versatile units that, depending on the model, can perform nearly any role: destroying ships, engaging enemy aircraft, attacking submerged submarines, bombing, and conducting reconnaissance.

The main role of a striker fighter is to deal massive damage to enemy ships, increasing the chances of victory; provide reconnaissance; and, depending on the model, destroy enemy aviation and submerged submarines.

Not all striker fighters can detect submerged submarines. The exception is PSF-01, which can detect underwater submarines and attack them using Manta missiles. These missiles have a surface + underwater target type.

Striker Fighter tactics:

• Use the “Carousel” (also known as “Piano”) tactic with striker fighters, drones, and, if possible, bombers. This tactic involves rapidly switching between units to deliver instant burst damage from two or three aviation units in quick succession.
• Some striker fighters use low-damage, high-volume missile salvos to bait enemy countermeasures, allowing heavier weapons to strike afterward.

Striker Fighters are a universal aviation class capable of both offense and airspace control. They can prevent enemy ships from approaching allied units or your aircraft carrier.

Drones

Drones are a versatile class that, like attack aircraft, can perform various roles depending on the model: destroying ships, engaging enemy aviation, gathering reconnaissance data, bombing, and destroying submerged submarines.

The role of a drone is to help deal as much damage as possible by combining it with other aviation classes; gather reconnaissance; and, depending on the model, destroy enemy aviation and submerged submarines.

• As with attack aircraft, not all drones can detect submerged submarines, except KUS-FS, Aksungur, and Jiutian, which also have missiles for attacking submerged submarines.

Drone tactics:

• As mentioned, drones are best used with the “Carousel/Piano” tactic together with attack aircraft or bombers to deal maximum burst damage.

Drones are a universal class that serves as excellent damage support. They can also be used independently to deal damage without combining them with attack aircraft or bombers.

Bombers

Bombers are the most powerful aviation class, designed to deal massive damage to the enemy in a single sortie.

The role of a bomber is to deal huge damage to the enemy and, depending on the model, destroy enemy aviation and submerged submarines.

• As with attack aircraft, not all bombers can detect submerged submarines, except Nimrod MRA4, P-1, Swordfish MPA Global 6000, Tu-142M3M Bear-F, P-8, KBX, B-2A Spirit, Dark Star, and Xian H10, which are equipped with missiles and torpedoes to attack submerged submarines.

Some bombers can damage aircraft using air-to-air missiles or onboard air defense systems.

• Air-to-air missiles: Nimrod MPA4
• Air defense systems: B-52H Stratofortress, Tu-95MS Bear-H, Tu-142M3M Bear-F, Tu-22M3M

Bomber tactics:

• Bombers are often used at the very start of a battle, which is effective on small and open maps like Storm, allowing allies to finish off damaged enemies.
• On other maps, it is better to save the bomber and deploy it at the right moment: to finish an enemy ship hiding behind cover, to provide team support, or to execute a “Carousel” combo.

Bombers are the strongest and most important aviation class and can change the course of the game. Their main goal is to deal the maximum possible damage on the first—and hopefully not the last—use during the match.