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.