Radar Modes and Threat Warning System
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Hello,
Any help with these questions would be greatly appreciated!
TWS Radar Mode
In TWS radar mode, do we have to wait until the missile goes autonomous or “Pitbull” before firing the next AIM-120 or can you just TMS right and keep firing all 6 slammers?
Threat Warning System
When you see a threat on the RWR, does it mean that we have been soft locked or just that a radar beam is pointed at you? In other words, do I automatically assume the enemy knows where I am when I see that RWR light up?
If RWR does not gauge distance, how do you know what mode to search in? For example, you detect a Mig 29 behind you and make a 180 turn to put your nose on the target. How do we know whether to search in “Missile Override Mode” or “DogFight Mode” if you have no idea how far it is?
Thank you!
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…. TWS Radar Mode
In TWS radar mode, do we have to wait until the missile goes autonomous or “Pitbull” before firing the next AIM-120 or can you just TMS right and keep firing all 6 slammers?
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You need to read up on the FCR modes and track files. Basically, in TWS as long as the track file exists, you do not need to maintain a lock/bugged target to provide in-flight updates to the missile. You can support up to ?four missiles at a time and maintain up to ?13 track files.
… When you see a threat on the RWR, does it mean that we have been soft locked or just that a radar beam is pointed at you? In other words, do I automatically assume the enemy knows where I am when I see that RWR light up? …
As I understand it, you can detect a radar much further away than it can resolve you. However, if he shows up on my RWR, I assume he knows I’m there. If he’s AI, it’s near certain, as AI are more-or-less omniscient.
…. If RWR does not gauge distance, how do you know what mode to search in? For example, you detect a Mig 29 behind you and make a 180 turn to put your nose on the target. How do we know whether to search in “Missile Override Mode” or “DogFight Mode” if you have no idea how far it is?
Thank you!
MRM and Dogfight are not ‘search modes’. However, I think in the spirit of your question …. Dogfight mode when visual and/or inside of ~5 - 10 miles. The radar beam is too narrow to effectively use RWS/TWS in close.
And the RWR DOES gauge distance of a sort. Inside the inner ring means in lethal range. Know the approx lethal range and you can make some guesses about whether he’s ‘close’ or ‘far’.
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You can shoot AMRAAM at as many track files as the radar can maintain up to the limit which is I believe 4 in BMS. TWS can support that. SAM should but we only get 1 and 2 target capability in BMS.
Good rule of thumb is:
1. If you don’t know how far the bandit is behind you RUN AND KEEP RUNNING! Turning around to check could be the last thing you do.
2. Get a friend (wingman, AWACS) to investigate.
3. Scan near to far, maybe visual-> ACM 30x20 -> CRM 10 -> 20 -> 40 etc. -
Threat Warning System
When you see a threat on the RWR, does it mean that we have been soft locked or just that a radar beam is pointed at you? I
Just that a radar beam is painting you.
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…. You can support up to ?four missiles at a time and maintain up to ?13 track files…
…. as many track files as the radar can maintain up to the limit which is I believe 4 in BMS. …
We’re both wrong, I guess:
@BMS:
Missile datalink has been fixed to allow you to support up to six missiles in flight. These may be fired on up to two targets (TTS) or up to six targets (TWS). You can get A/F pole and time remaining data for all six missiles if you have six in flight and provided that their intended targets are still present on the FCR as track files.
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The radar is able to track 10 targets simultaneously. Since the radar does not pause on the track files while scanning, the track’s positions are extrapolated in between updates (when the radar detects them again). If a target is not updated, i.e., detected in 13 seconds, the radar will dump the track file until the target is detected again. …
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Correct me you more experienced Falconeers if i’m wrong, but i think you’re only being soft locked when you hear a bleeping noise (referred to as RWR tone in tactical reference, tacref for short) once, or i’d describe it as a one off bleep and you can find out the different tones each SAM/aircrafts’ FCR make in tactical reference. Basically when you hear a that tone for just a second (approx) you’re being soft locked (known as nails) which means they’re tracking you and you’ll know what aircraft or SAM it is by the type of noise (over time you’ll get used to and remember what each tone is) by checking out the RWR tones in tacref. But if you hear it constantly then you’re being hard locked, or spiked. This could mean they’ve launched on you, or its imminent.
I’m not 100% on this so i’d like someone more experienced to confirm i’m right, cheers.
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Paint, detected in search, and soft locked are three nearly indistinguishable RWR indications for the target. If you have a RWR indication it is (next to?) impossible to tell if his radar is heard but he doesn’t see you, he sees you in search, or he has you soft locked. It could be any. I’d have to test but I don’t think there is even the slightest audible difference as F-16 to F-16 from 100nm goes from no RWR, to RWR but he doesn’t see you, to he sees you, to soft locked. Maybe you hear slightly faster chirps on SAM/TWS.
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Hello,
Any help with these questions would be greatly appreciated!
TWS Radar Mode
In TWS radar mode, do we have to wait until the missile goes autonomous or “Pitbull” before firing the next AIM-120 or can you just TMS right and keep firing all 6 slammers?
Threat Warning System
When you see a threat on the RWR, does it mean that we have been soft locked or just that a radar beam is pointed at you? In other words, do I automatically assume the enemy knows where I am when I see that RWR light up?
If RWR does not gauge distance, how do you know what mode to search in? For example, you detect a Mig 29 behind you and make a 180 turn to put your nose on the target. How do we know whether to search in “Missile Override Mode” or “DogFight Mode” if you have no idea how far it is?
Thank you!
You can ripple fire up to 6 slammers as fast as you can manipulate the TMS and pickle switches of your HOTAS while your plane’s radar is in TWS mode (and HMCS). If you are fast enough, you can have 6 slammers in the air assigned to six different targets before the first one fired has hit its target. How many of the slammers will actually hit their assigned target will depend on type, speed, range, aspect, etc. to the bandits (100% hits occurs quite often if all or most shots are within F-pole range). Sidenote, you can also ripple fire the slammers while in BORE mode and you shoot them (preferably WVR) via the HUD “mad dog” at six different targets.
Bandit (or friendly) symbol(s) will appear in the RWR display for all modes of bogey’s radar while its emitting. Just watch (and listen) for the changes to the symbol to reflect the different radar modes. More dope on RWR found here:
Important clarification, the first appearance of a chirping ‘M’ symbol in the RWR means the seeker head of an ARH missile fired at your plane has gone active (i.e. “pitbull”), and is not necessarily when the missile was launched at your plane.f1