Question about radar
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Spotlight commands A1 B4 centered in azimuth on cursor which is the exact same thing as picking those values manually with the OSB. The only difference is the auto acquire when you release designate. You still have to direct it with antenna elevation control in the vertical. I rarely think about absolute radar field of regard in angle. As Cantoo above says altitude coverage at cursor range is what I’m thinking 99% of the time.
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You need to think in terms of scan volume - Az and altitude. Which means you bar scan factors. If you know relatively where your bogey is in altitude you may even be able to reduce your bar scan to two and still put him in the volume - and your lock (if you can get one) will come that much quicker.
The volume size at range is again, dependent on where your cursors are - and as I and Cantoo have pointed out that’s what you need to pay attention to. Narrow scan/fewer bars -> faster locks.
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Sometimes the plane is simply not going to show up, even if your range and scan parameters are dead on (i.e. with labels on you SEE a jet dead ahead at 18nm range, 20k and you are pointing right at him, Ra
nge 20, scan is 18-26, and nothing is on radar). No jamming chevrons, nothing. Happens quite a bit. Only way (for me) to get a lock is to get withing 10nm, go to DF mode, and lock manually using the cross. -
I was just about to ask, if ACM / dogfight radar modes offer any benefit here. Is it limited to 10nm?
I think I’ve seen it go out to 20nm but the only way I can find to recreate that is to acquire the lock in RWS/TWS and switch to ACM… or, acquire the lock <10nm and they accelerate away from you >10nm.
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I was just about to ask, if ACM / dogfight radar modes offer any benefit here. Is it limited to 10nm?
I think I’ve seen it go out to 20nm but the only way I can find to recreate that is to acquire the lock in RWS/TWS and switch to ACM… or, acquire the lock <10nm and they accelerate away from you >10nm.
Hope someone can give a definitive answer as these are not stealth fighters we are trying to lock.
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I can not give a definitive answer, but I can say this, learn about all the different tools you have available in your tool kit, and how to use them. If you are trying to acquire a target at an extremely high closure rate reduce range on the FCR with him as he closes, and be ready to aggressively move your antennae tilt to maintain vertical scan at his estimated altitude as the vertical scan narrows greatly as FCR range is reduced. I’ve found the best way to practice is to get in Dogfight Match play with overwhelming odds against you and practice practice practice!
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+1. You have to learn to use what you have (ALL of your sensors) and to use it effectively.
I can also echo that in some cases - quite a few, really - jamming can just plain defeat you and you are not going to burn through - and that will depend on the scenario. If you are inside of ~10 miles you should be using your eyes anyway (and your AIM-9s if you have any), and the ACM radar modes are optimized to augment your eyes…and that is part of the foregoing “learning to use it effectively” statement.
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No idea about the RL radar physics or fighter doctrine … but in BMS the right play here is probably
a) switch to TWS and soft-lock your wingman at 15nm … if the bandit lights up behind him, you can quickly TMS-right to switch the lock to him
b) burn to intercept, partial-lead pursuit … then at 10nm switch to dgft mode and TMS-up to try to acquire the bogey with boresight
c) curse the radar and turn it off, turn HMCS on, BORE submode … hold cursor-enable while pointing at the bad guy … hit uncage and see if the sidewinder can track him better than the radar can … lol
d) last but not least, don’t shoot unless it’s a solid tone on the bad guy, and not likely to track your wingman
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…very easy way to shoot your wingman down by “mistake”, especially in the presence of jamming…will also cloud his SA by spiking his RWR and giving him the thought that he is about to be engaged by someone that isn’t actually a bogey - which could make him pull a stupid maneuver and give the real bogey a shot opportunity. Very bad idea…and would never be done like that in RL.
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…very easy way to shoot your wingman down by “mistake”, especially in the presence of jamming…will also cloud his SA by spiking his RWR and giving him the thought that he is about to be engaged by someone that isn’t actually a bogey - which could make him pull a stupid maneuver and give the real bogey a shot opportunity. Very bad idea…and would never be done like that in RL.
Certainly true … but if we feel we’re working around BMS quirks vs RL tactics/maneuvers, then maybe special rules of engagement apply?
Maybe depends on how dire the situation is …
But yeah … master arm => SIM and call out “raygun”
I don’t even like watching MP videos were people fly around in loose/trail formations with master arm ON and sidewinders armed. It feels like waving a gun around in a room full of friends…
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Beaming contacts disappearing, even at 20NM is something that I also have sometimes (they usually show up again later).
Not being able to lock at 20NM is in this situation not that bad as you’re not supposed to fire Fox-3s into furballs anyway unless your wingman is really about to die if you don’t get the bandit off his tail immediately. I had that situation a few times and even STT doesn’t prevent your AMRAAM to lock something it’s not supposed to.
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Certainly true … but if we feel we’re working around BMS quirks vs RL tactics/maneuvers, then maybe special rules of engagement apply?
Maybe depends on how dire the situation is …
But yeah … master arm => SIM and call out “raygun”
I don’t even like watching MP videos were people fly around in loose/trail formations with master arm ON and sidewinders armed. It feels like waving a gun around in a room full of friends…
I recall a RL incident related to me where some guys were doing Training ACM over the Gulf in F-4s and someone made such a mistake…and actually shot their playmate down. The guys that ended up in the water never knew what hit them, and they thought the jet simply came apart on them - which is the beauty of taking a close in, no lock shot…but you simply don’t do that if you don’t have a clear line of fire. Period. And as you observe, you don’t fly around with Master Arm hot until and unless all ROE are met and there is a clear intent to fire.
When the shooters got to the ready room after the splashed guys the apologies were profuse - “no, seriously…we shot you down. Sorry about that.”