Couple ideas

[Sarin]

Couple new aircraft, possibly when the bases are expanded so there can be more hangars...

1. AWACS. Large radar, large fuel supply, no weaponry.
2. Fuel tanker. Capable of mid-air refuelling or your aircraft, possibly not for antimatter (no idea how could AM be transferred in the air).
3. Gunship. Loads of weapons, but slow, capable of dropping 6-8 soldiers and troop support-you can designate an area on tactical map and it will be sprayed with heavy machinegun and rocket fire...just watch out for civilians in target area. Also capable of totally demolishing a crashed UFO in case you don't want to bother with mission.

Associated with this, patrol routes, aircraft grouping.

Particle beam defenses, both base and offbase.

More late game explosive weaponry. I miss capability of long range indirect fire, and RL just don't cut it against armored aliens. Either give me plasma warheads, or some totally new freakish weapon.

[Hertzila]

1. I think this would be good. Extra sensor in the air or two never hurts. Though the radar range should be big, as otherwise the normal craft do good enough job.
2. Not sure how doable in the case of any aircraft, not just AM-powered. I'm under the impression that IFR (In-Flight Refueling) requires specifically designed aircraft from both sides.
3. In general I'd hope strafing runs would become an option for softening up aliens that don't happen to enjoy the luxury of ceiling. Heck, the TR-20 was designed for this and I doubt it would be hard to do with SHIVA.

Patrol routes: With automatic refueling and restocking, this would be FANTASTIC!
I have a faint memory that this is WIP but I'm not sure.
Aircraft grouping: Would ease up sending fighters to cover dropships nicely. Doing it manually is a bit of a pain.

IIRC, offbase beam weaponry won't happen. Not sure about base particle beams.

Would AM warheads solve your ammunition problem? Though I think this would be an overkill when plasma warheads are around.

[Kildor]

AWAX is very nice idea, but there are planned UAVs, don't know about they features and exact planes.

[Kildor]

AWAX is very nice idea, but there are planned UAVs, don't know about they features and exact planes.

[Sarin]

looking forward to AM rocket warheads...even plasma rockets would be good, pity they aren't in yet....

As for IFR, most modern fighters have provisions for it, and I doubt that would change in the future.

[LuckyLindy]

Plasma Rockets would be a great idea.

The problem is AWACs a/c is that they tend to operate far from a base.  Any alien a/c would knock it out before back up fighters could protect it unless our fighter a/c had a protrol mode.

[Quester]

COming from a historical standpoint, normally you only use IN refueling if you have total control of the air.  In AI, we do not.  Kinda makes the idea of it rather risky to begin with.  Though, I do like the idea of both AM warheands and plasma warheads.  I belive I suggested before the thought of at least a plasma warhead.  I see you suckas!  BOOOM!  (Incert manical evil laugh.) 

Though, honestly, I like the idea of an AC-130 type aircraft over head in either the tactical run, or, the touch down phase of a mission.  My thought there would be for it to be loaded with several SHIVA's, a 105mm and 2 40mm bofors cannons.  Basically, enough bang to make the aliens go Holy S*&^!  And enough firepower to put the hurt on them as needed.  However, due to fuel as well as enemy aircraft support could be avalible for short periods of time or not at all.  And, it would make the tactical team more intresting if you had one tropper armed with a radio and a laser designator. 

The thought there is use the designator on the turn before to mark the airstrike, next turn, air strike from the gunship hits, turn three, mop up survivors.  Or, we could use the Stileto as a CAS (Close Air Support) system.  Load it up with the T-20's rockets and bring the pain, as well as a nose mounted SHIVA.  It would honestly give life to the fighter after you have reserached out the new and better gear and ease up on the AM problem, when you are dismataling enemy harvesters for thier weapons and gear and fuel.

Now, I did have a thought, and I am not sure this has been brought up before, but, what about using heat-sinks or silicon based ceramic trauma plates over the chest and back to counter act plasma fire?  This would be an addition to the tier 1 body armour we already use in game.  And, trauma plates are already in use in most modern militaries as well as police forces.  somethign like this I see as a way to either slow down the shot or to prevent complete or partial pentration of the round into the torso of the trooper.  Well, I think that is all for tonight, and, yes, as you can all see I am still alive.  Night all.

[Quester]

Also, what about the capablity to deply either a UAV or a VTOL-type fighting vehicle onto the battle site.  The craft would have to be deployed from a larger dropship, but, with the Firebird model I think it could be doable to code a modual onto the crew compartment that opens up to launch the crafter, that, or it rolls out of the sides like a UVG, then it launches.  To my mind it would carry a chin mounted las-designator, and a chaingun.  On the wingpylons we would have one fo two diffrent type of armaments, a Hydra-type rocket pod, or a Hellfire type las guided missile.  Personally, I would prefer the Hydra-type with the amount of EW that is on the ground. 

Now, as for research, I think that the first variant should be built with off the shelf tech, like most of the early stuff that is current avalible.  For later craft, like the fighters, the research should dictate what is avalible, as well as what the craft can and should be armed with.  You are not goign to stick AM missiles on an early version, too heavy and such.  Not to mention, a chin mounted plasma cannon, forget it, you would melt your nose and electronics and sighting mechanisms off. 

[geever]

No air-support on battlescape planned.

-geever

[Quester]

Well crap.  There goes my land, call in airsupport, and blast to hell tactic. 

Did some lookign though on the interwebs though and found somethign, intrestign that would fit with the UAV and UVG thing though, a survallence aircrafted called the Global Hawk.  Something like this could be used to recon the battlescape before touch down and give a first turn location of all bugs that have exited the downed or landed craft.  But, I think the downside would be that it would be a one time use per mission.

[LuckyLindy]

I would definitely like to see the inclusion of the planned heavy platforms.  But, I think that their deployment should only be from the deploying aircraft, not prepositioned like some maps have the soldiers.  However, we should remember that these operations are more like SWAT, SEAL or Delta incursions, not platoon or company warfare.  Small unit tactics prevail in this guerilla type warfare.

[Quester]

Any chance of seeing ablative/reactive armour for your troops and UVG's?  The thought there is addition plating hat goes over what is there and is expended when the soldier is hit. 

Got the idea when studying some of the old Soviet armours on thier tanks and was wonderign how hard it would be to come up with somethign for troops and would it fit with our time frame?