Quick HARM question
-
Ok basically i am trying to fly some early campaign DEAD missions requiring me to destroy several SA2 using HARMS. Ive selected the correct PPT relating to SA2 and handed off in POS mode. Im in range and fenced in. All good however it now seems i have to pretty much be on top of the SA2 for it to turn on and allow me to use the HARM! By this time im normally too close!
Any ideas what i am doing wrong? The HARM training mission works fine so i dont think its my approach. It just seems that in the campaign the SA2 fan song is literally flicking on/off when im directly above?
Now i understand this may be as per RL but if that’s the case how should i be approaching this?
Thanks for any help
-
Find a gullible friend and teach them to fly BMS. Have them fly about 15 miles in front of you. As they approach, say, 25 miles of the SA-x, launch your HARM. Have your unwitting friend press the target. Your friend will say, “You Gotta Be Sh!!!ing Me.” SA-x should light up, and stay lit, on your buddy as your HARM approaches terminal guidance. Repeat as necessary …. until your friend catches on. At that point, find another gullible friend and repeat the process. This is how virtual fighter wings are born.
You can call this a “Wild Weasel” mission if you want. Because only a weasel would do that to a friend, right?
I imagine there could be variations on this tactic where the ‘unwitting, gullible friend’ is a more willing participant.
-
HARMs are anti-radiation missiles and require radiation to hit. A true DEAD flight should carry weapons which do not rely on the enemy cooperating by radiating. The time it takes to turn on the Fan Song and prepare to support a missile launch should give you a good enough head start to fire first and rely on the HARM’s superior (or at least equal) speed to reach it before it reaches you. One strategy is to attack the site with a traditional weapon and the other flight member be prepared to shoot a HARM at any moment. The SAM should be stuck between two bad decisions.
For SEAD (formerly SEAD Escort) the goal should be to have a HARM in the air to coincide with the strike element in the critical zone. The AI likes to roll out the picnic blanket and stick around too long especially with PGMs.
-
Some tricks that I use to attack older SAM systems like SA2 without employing HTS:
1. Fly high, loft shot HARM using POS mode around medium range. Then burner dive toward the target way point, but don’t get too low. Because you are fast, by the time SA turns on radar to actively track you, the missile will be almost on top of it. It’s like you kick a soccer ball high then run to catch it before it hits the ground.
2. Use HAS mode as close range self defense. I think you can quick tab in and out of HAS mode by using cursor enable key. Say you got light up by a SA 2 at 11 o’clock. Quickly press cursor enable to get into HAS mode, lock up SA2 and fire. Then immediately turn to dodge the SAM. -
HARM is so much 4.32
Against static SAM sites I usually load up 8 SDBs and wing tanks and build my flight route in the UI so I will pass through groups of SAMs. Then I’m marking all those SAM radars as target STPTs in the DTC. If I’m lucky and flying the mission right I usually manage to destroy ~12-16 SAM FCRs.
On a side note (but important) - Now that in 4.33 wingman is smart enough to fire only 1 missile (in the past of Falcon history and 4.32 included, he used to fire 2 no matter what) when commanded to “Attack my target”, you can direct him to release a single SDB on the SAM radar only, this way he becomes as efficient as a human can be to kill SAMs FCRs, hence the theory of 16 FCRs in a single mission.
-
anybody experiencing 2nd Harm shot repeatedly missing?
-
So wait, in 4.33, will you POS shots miss if the radar is not emitting? My memory from 4.32 is that it would hit regardless.
-
So wait, in 4.33, will you POS shots miss if the radar is not emitting? My memory from 4.32 is that it would hit regardless.
Yes it will miss
-
So wait, in 4.33, will you POS shots miss if the radar is not emitting? My memory from 4.32 is that it would hit regardless.
Yes in 4.33 the HARM is more likely (but NOT always) to not hit in POS mode (and I think also in any other mode actually, but NOT 100% sure) if the emitter turned off its radar while the HARM is in the air.
That’s the least we could do to improve HARM “magic” hits on emitters that aren’t emitting. In RL radar operators are smarter and it’s harder to get a kill with a HARM. -
Thanks chaps. I will give a few of the aforementioned tactics a go and feedback. At least i know that im not approaching it wrong.
At the end if the day i suppose i could choose an alternate ordinance but wanted to conquer the HARM challenge.
-
HARM is so much 4.32
Against static SAM sites I usually load up 8 SDBs and wing tanks and build my flight route in the UI so I will pass through groups of SAMs. Then I’m marking all those SAM radars as target STPTs in the DTC. If I’m lucky and flying the mission right I usually manage to destroy ~12-16 SAM FCRs.
On a side note (but important) - Now that in 4.33 wingman is smart enough to fire only 1 missile (in the past of Falcon history and 4.32 included, he used to fire 2 no matter what) when commanded to “Attack my target”, you can direct him to release a single SDB on the SAM radar only, this way he becomes as efficient as a human can be to kill SAMs FCRs, hence the theory of 16 FCRs in a single mission.
Are you sure that SDB is not too good? If thats that good in real life it will make sam’s obsolete
Maybe AAA and sam’s should have option to target those
Harms was holy weapon in 4.32 and now we have SDB in 4.33 and F-16 can carry lots of those. Im sure that it wont hit 100% in RL
I don’t meant to sound rude but i fear that All these 100% accuracy weapons will get BMS closer to hawk X than sim.
I really hope that im wrong
-
I would rather say intel is god like, not SDBs. SDBs are guided onto stpt coordinates, but SAMs in BMS are way too static. Like what Serbian did in Kosovo war, your SDBs will miss a lot.
-
Are you sure that SDB is not too good? If thats that good in real life it will make sam’s obsolete
No it’s not too good, because I made it similar to published RL characteristics.
The fact that there are no Anti-weapon systems in BMS doesn’t mean that we can’t model advanced munitions.
You want a SAM challenge, you can add mobile SAMs to existing campaigns, or you can fly ITO
I agree that static SAMs in BMS are too static, but I don’t think intel is too accurate, not in the 2000 era, come on guys, in an era that you can see your home with GE in resolution of a photo, do you seriously think that army satellites and other assets can’t build the war picture??
-
In the desert, yes. In the mountain forest, not as much?
-
No it’s not too good, because I made it similar to published RL characteristics.
The fact that there are no Anti-weapon systems in BMS doesn’t mean that we can’t model advanced munitions.
You want a SAM challenge, you can add mobile SAMs to existing campaigns, or you can fly ITO
I agree that static SAMs in BMS are too static, but I don’t think intel is too accurate, not in the 2000 era, come on guys, in an era that you can see your home with GE in resolution of a photo, do you seriously think that army satellites and other assets can’t build the war picture??
Yes , i agree 90%
But no weapon is 100% accuracy , not even GPS but thats not only falcon problem.
Intel is fine in 2000+
But i always think that falcon is best at early 90’s , what time frame orginal falcon 4 simulated? 90’s ?
BMS is 2000- current day ? Right ?
Im overall happy with BMS , no hard feelings anyone
Just like to get challening enemy even if i have high tech bombs
-
Yes , i agree 90%
But no weapon is 100% accuracy , not even GPS but thats not only falcon problem.
Some come very very close though.