Brain freeze when getting jammed, need help with BVR tactics.
-
I haven’t found a spot in the manual with how to deal with getting jammed. I do see how to do my own jamming, but I’m not sure what I should have done just now.
I was on a DEAD mission, first mission of the easy campaign. I got smoked as soon as I encountered the enemy (go ahead and laugh). AWACS called multiple hostile groups ahead of me. I caught 2 pairs on radar ahead of me, one about 25 miles out. Both sets were jamming me. They kept jamming as range closed. I kept pushing in thinking if I got closer I could cut through the jamming and get a AAMRAM on them. I got a lock warning from them, turned defensive and found myself smoked a second later. I never cut through the jamming.
I THINK I should have aborted at a certain point, probably much much earlier than I did, but this was the first time I encountered it.
Reviewing on TACVIEW shows both groups, as well as some 29s coming up behind were all looking to pounce on me and my wingman. I probably should have turned tail and ran.Questions:
**1. Assuming it was one pair of 23’s jamming me, should I have turned?
-
Was the jamming worse because 2 pairs, maybe 3 pairs were jamming me?
-
Campaign wise, how should I have proceeded? Should I have ran all the way home, requested help, or moved further south in safer territory?
-
What are the campaign repercussions for say “heck no” and going home?"**
-
-
@mustangs6551 said in Brain freeze when getting jammed, need help with BVR tactics.:
**1. Assuming it was one pair of 23’s jamming me, should I have turned?
Was the jamming worse because 2 pairs, maybe 3 pairs were jamming me? Campaign wise, how should I have proceeded? Should I have ran all the way home, requested help, or moved further south in safer territory? What are the campaign repercussions for say “heck no” and going home?"**
-
Regardless of whether it’s Mig-23/29’s or Su-27’s, IF You do not have the upper hand, turn back toward friendly territory. There is ALWAYS Safety in Numbers and in BMS, 2 v [Anything] (other than 2v1) is a risk of getting shot down.
-
The fact that there is extra aircraft jamming really does not have any affect on engagements. What does help is “narrowing your radar beam” and putting a concentrated energy on the target.
-
Again: THere is Safety in Numbers, so do not try to fight alone. The AI works pretty well at attacking when given a chance. But AWACS does not always send help, so you will need to turn toward friendlies.
-
The only repercussions is that you have more aircraft for future missions when you turn and run. If you look at the ATO, you will probably notice that other missions for the same target are being generated, so you’ll have many opportunities.
-
Just a recommendation: Join a Virtual Fighter Squadron and learn from others. It’s the best way to learn this game.
-
-
@JollyFE
So could STT mode be effective against jammer?
Again that is, as you mentioned, a very unwise thing to do numbers wise. -
@mustangs6551 try FCR Spotlight mode (hold TMS up). It narrows the beam to 10 degrees and concentrates the energy on the target. Make sure antenna elevation is correctly set for the target altitude.
-
@bbostjan Yes, STT mode is an option (or spotlight) but just take into account the 2nd aircraft. So either accept that risk of going 1v2 or command your wingman to attack the 2nd aircraft just to keep it occupied.
-
Jamming is a false friend that you have to be wary of. It can be useful, but if it’s not used properly, your jamming becomes an aid to your opponents, which you just demonstrated in your first post… and especially if you want to be offensive, because it is by definition a means of defence.
You need to keep a few figures in mind (the figures given are for F16 vs F16 engagements, so with another aircraft this may vary, but only slightly). For two aircraft face to face, with a negligible difference in altitude:
- if the jamming is maintained (band I only) by both aircraft, the jamming will be mutually pierced in the 12 nauticals zone. Depending on the altitude, avoidance will be difficult and mutual destruction could be the result. So don’t do it.
- you could pierce your opponent’s jamming in the 20 to 22 nautical zone if you cut your jamming while he hasn’t cut his and hasn’t fired. You can’t be too high up to avoid his missile, which he will fire 1 or 2 seconds before you do,
- but the most important thing to remember is that if the opposing aircraft fires, then its ECM is no longer effective forwards. So there are only advantages to cut your ECM in the 30 nauticals zone, especially if you want to engage two opponents. The two newbies on the other side (or the AI, it’s the same thing) will both be firing at a sufficiently long range for you to be able to engage them both.
If you don’t want to cut (everyone has their phobias), one option is to cranck while jamming. You’ll be offering your flank, and the opponent will be able to pierce your jamming and shoot (in fact, you might as well cut, it’s more rational). After that, everything else is a question of avoiding his missiles, but that’s another chapter in the book.
It’s worth noting that in ECM combat, you often have to do things that are, at first glance, counter-intuitive to what you’re used to do in non-ECM combat. (First, cut off the ECM is counter-intuitive )
For example, without ECM: the higher (and faster) I am, the further I can shoot, but I reduce my evasive capacity (less reactive aircraft, less air friction for the opposing missile). With the ECM, I can’t shoot far, so why stay high? Medium altitude is more suitable, since it will be easier for me to avoid a missile fired from closer range. And if my opponent, out of habit, has stayed high, he’ll find it harder to avoid.You’ve got all the ingredients to become an ace in ECM combat.
-
Thank you all for these comments.
-
@mustangs6551 one thing you can do to penetrate the enemy jamming from a bit further away is press TMS up continually with the FCR as SOI. That will focus the radar energy into a spotlight that will help see you targets further away and with will burn through jamming from further away.
Still as other have said, play it safe and retreat if you need to. -
@NitroViper yep that’s a good advice
-