I haven't tested this, but I have to wonder if ASW planes could also be coordinated to divert flak for a friendly CV/Hybrid that is looking to strike.
I believe the flak is split between all the aerial targets in range, so a 10 flak situation could be turned into 2 flak/squad if 4 Battleships coordinated their ASW with the CV/Hybrid strike timing.
That's not quite correct.
There are three AA Damage Types:
Instant:
On Priority Sector activation, ALL enemies squads in the area (range and side of ship activated) recieve % current health damage. 5% current health from DD activation, and 3.5% from CA/BB/CV.
Continuous:
This is the guaranteed damage that appears in small ticks over time. This effects ALL enemies squadrons at full value. It's delivered every 2/7ths of a second (unless hasted by Priority Sector).
Flak:
Flak clouds are spawned at a rate of 1 location/2 seconds per "Shell Explosion" listed in port. This number is hard capped, so a ship with 8 Shell Explosions only makes 8 flak bubbles per 2 seconds. If there are 2 enemy squadrons in range, the flak is divided among them both to cause 4 flak bubbles to be assigned to each squadron. If planes touch a flak bubble, they get damaged normally (because they hit flak).
Instant and Continuous Damage magically effects all targets available at full value. So if there were 2 CV players and 2 Hybrids with planes attacking a single ship, all 4 player squadrons would receive AA at full rate (hence "magically" <3)
Flak is different, though. It's capped and can be overwhelmed, although AA and Flak from multiple ships can all be happening at once to a single squadron.
AA Spotting works differently then "Gunfire Bloom".
If you shoot your guns, your Surface Detection increases out to your Maximum Firing Range. It stays that way for 20 seconds of not shooting, or until you are in a position where nobody can see you. After one or the other happens, your Surface Detection drops back to the normal size.
If you shoot your AA, your Aerial Detection increases out to your Maximum AA Range. It stay that way for 2 seconds (yes, only 2) after you stop shooting your AA guns, or until you are in a position where nobody can see you. After one of the other happens, your Aerial Detection drops back to the normal size.
I spent some time trying to come up with something.
So, the one edge case I can think of is a DD which is NOT Surface Detected and has the AA on. Some ASW planes fly over and trigger the AA. While the AA is on, the DD's Aerial Detection increases to the Maximum AA Range.
If a submarine is at Periscope Depth nearby, a Submarine can spot surface ships using their "Aerial Detection" radius. The "Aerial Detection" blooming out could allow an unspotted Destroyer to then be seen briefly by the Periscope Depth Submarine.
This is why I recommend "Jousting" with Rocket Planes. You use your AA briefly by triggering Priority Sector for the Instant Damage, and let the AA guns shoot for half a second or so, then cut AA back off. The rocket planes fly far enough away that they lose sight before they can turn around and come back in.
Remember that there is a "Rendering Delay", meaning that once and enemy ship is spotted it still takes a short amount of time before the server says, "Yes, you can render the ship now". If that ship stops using AA immediately, then they're lit only briefly.
So there's a silly saying I use, which is "Priority Sector is O. P." Basically, you can use Priority Sector for a quick pop-shot where you are lit super briefly because of rendering delay eating up most of the 2 second Aerial Detection bloom. You activate it with "O", and then immediately hit "P" to turn your AA back off.
Check out what it looks like, below:
devtrackers.gg