I'm fairly sure the AI used to change enemy landed aircraft's loadouts on occasions in response to perceived threats/attack opportunities.

Does this still happen does any one know.

I'm trying an idea of reinforcing front line bases with aircraft part way thru a scenario but they seem to just sit in the new bases and not get used and I'm working on how to rectify this.

Don

It should still be happening, yes.  I'll admit I've never had a complete understanding of how the AI decides if planes are already tasked and therefore cannot have its loadout changed.

I might fiddle in some small scenarios

For anyone interested in this (AI changing aircraft loadouts to suit threats) here is a small scenario I've been playing with.

It's written with SE 2021.006 ( a version 6 SE) so I think it can be played with any GE 2020.008 or newer (but I can be wrong )

HCDB2 170909 database and 2003 medc battleset

I use the 'see all' command ctrl-alt-s so I can look at landed enemy aircraft loadouts using f5 'ready' key. Play as Red side. At game start most aircraft air in ferry loadout. You can speed things up by using the auto run ctrl-alt-z key and time compression. Send out a few attacking planes now and again.

A very interesting thing which seems to always happen is that the distant base sends out scalp land attack loadouts against the tankers, but of course they just 'get stuck' because they can't fire. There are also interesting occurrences of planes with short range AAW missiles only going after planes when long range AAW equiped planes are available, unnecessary carnage .

Plenty of food for thought.

AircraftManagement.zip

Just in my personally modified DB Mirage 2000 have ground attack enabled 30mm DEFA guns.

In the POLARIS 21 scenario they try to gun the  Charles de Gaulle CSG with very bad outcomes!!! (Clearly I've disabled now that capability in my personal DB).