Eh, I don't ever use flares. ECMS work way better in my opinion. Actually, they're easier to use. Flares require timing. (Good timing at that with latency issues.)
Back to OP, if anything, explosives should be removed from AS to make it seem "fair" to all the low level vehicle users. If we did it my way, people would need to level their vehicles up in conquest before they could start getting kills in TS and AS.
Update to my OP after playing AS.
GET RID OF HEATSEEKERS.
Fed up of being locked all the time, takes no skill at all the kill with them, Jets shouldn't be easy to use in my opinion, should have to learn to play well with them.
Oh well I guess I can only imagine how good it would be with just cannons