F-16 radar range
-
What’s the radar range of the F-16’s radar? I ask because there are several times where I’m asked to engage targets 60-80 miles out, but they never start showing up on my scope until they’re about 50 miles away. I’ve tried narrowing the radar beam to the bullseye location that I’m given, and still can’t pick them up until they’re closer. Do I just need to wait for them to get closer or is there anything I can do to find those targets?
-
160nm but it is a very narrow beam… the other thing is you need to set the elevation of where to focus the beam… if you know they are 60-80nm set your radar to 80nm and then set the altitude of the bandits on your radar with its elevation…
You may have the beam focused at the wrong spot… it is not all seeing. it has a limited focus area
-
Yeah, the way I’ve been doing it is if the AWACS says “Engage bandits bullseye 120 50 miles”, I slew my cursor so that the bullseye markings are at “120 50”. I can ask for “Vector to Threat” and they’ll give me altitude, so I can adjust my radar elevation to be sure I’m scanning within that range. One thing I can try to do is do a one bar scan to really focus the radar beam. Normally when the contacts show up (usually right around 50nm), the contacts are really close to where I had my cursor, so I feel like I’m scanning in the right area. I might have to do some isolated testing in a TE and see what sort of results I get.
-
It depend of the aircraft in front of you. Not 160nm, even a Sentry cannot be seen at this range.
BTW, most of the opfor aircraft have a too small rcs in Falcon. -
the expected contact range of the blk52+ (-edit-)radar is about 70nm
that of the blk 50 and maybe blk52 is about is around the 50nm mark that u got the contacts.So not only it depends on the the aircraft in front of you, but also on the a/c you are flying
The ECRs of the aircraft are shown in the tac ref in BMS -
+1 What amraam said
I would also take a gander that the orientation of the aircraft relative to your radar beam has a lot to do with tracking. IE An aircraft traveling at perpendicular to your beam (90 or 270 deg) will reflect back a lot more radar energy from its basic flight surfaces (vertical stab, fuselage, etc) versus the same aircraft pointed directly at the emitting radar beam. Same concept visually. A viper is a lot harder to see with the naked eye when he is pointed right at you and is closing from a few miles out.
-
you vs a block 52+ or you in a block 52+? Then, what is in front?
The range depend of your radar and of the RCS of the opponent aircraft.
Because Block 52+ have a apg-68 v9 in Falcon, it have a little more range than other F-16 for the radar.In the case of you are a F-16 block 52+ and you want to see a another F-16 block 52+ in front of you, the range will be :
- 50nm in head / cold
- 23 nm in beam
-
In the case of you are a F-16 block 52+ and you want to see a another F-16 block 52+ in front of you, the range will be :
- 50nm in head / cold
- 23 nm in beam
- I thought the beam would be a longer range than head/tail aspect
- 23nm? That’s really short
-
Nope, with your opponent in beam, the radar will have some difficulties to see the contact due to low closing speed value.
Let’s try a another example :You are a F-16 block 50, and you try to lock a Mig-29 :
- opponent in head / cold : 38 nm
- opponent in beam : 17 nm
-
Interesting, how are you getting these numbers?
-
Calculated with the database ;).
-
Ok, so what I’m gathering is not seeing bandits on my scope until I’m within 50nm is not uncommon.
-
Bubble also has an impact on detection range, iirc?
A target can be spotted beyond the bubble range, but it will only show a single contact. Multiple contacts will only be shown once they are deaggregated in the bubble. -
Nope, with your opponent in beam, the radar will have some difficulties to see the contact due to low closing speed value.
Let’s try a another example :You are a F-16 block 50, and you try to lock a Mig-29 :
- opponent in head / cold : 38 nm
- opponent in beam : 17 nm
Okay. I am puzzled. Why is it not looking like this?
Real world it seems like maybe those numbers should be reversed? -
Okay. I am puzzled. Why is it not looking like this?
EDIT: Disregard. Confused with something else.
-
An aircraft in the beam has an offset of 45° to your own jet, so at approximately 45° and 315° it has the lowest RCS, as shown in your picture.
/me facepalm….
beam means 90°.
On a non doppler radar, beaming would have no effect and you would see an AC whatever its aspect angle. But because the APG-66 or 68 is a doppler radar, beaming means having little to no relative speed compared to the radar, and that will cause the return to be rejected, the radar will think it is ground clutter.
-
An aircraft in the beam has an offset of 45° to your own jet, so at approximately 45° and 315° it has the lowest RCS, as shown in your picture.
Isn’t flying the beam flying at 90° (where the radar returns are the highest)
-
/me facepalm….
beam means 90°.
On a non doppler radar, beaming would have no effect and you would see an AC whatever its aspect angle. But because the APG-66 or 68 is a doppler radar, beaming means having little to no relative speed compared to the radar, and that will cause the return to be rejected, the radar will think it is ground clutter.
ok, the fact that it’s a doppler radar makes a lot of sense. The 2 signals would look pretty identical.
-
Okay. I am puzzled. Why is it not looking like this?
Real world it seems like maybe those numbers should be reversed?You mixed between RCS signature (which is, mostly, higher on the port side than frond / back of a aircraft) and how the doppler radar work, like Crusader says before.
-
Block 52+ have a apg-68 v9 in Falcon
Well many things missing, so we have a long way to go for a v9…
I would call it v7 right now.