Some of those question were answered on the HB discord, eg recently when SA-6/8 launch warnings got removed.
The F4s RWRs launch warnings relied on detecting the launchers command guidance, but only in the C/D band. So the SA-6 isnt giving launch warnings anymore, because its command guidance is outside of those bands.
Otherwise the F4 does 'rank' the threat of radars based on preprogrammed features, frequency, signal strength, etc. So its quite advanced in that regard.
Seems to me like launch warnings itself however were more of a specialized feature of the ALR-46 and dedicated to the more prolific soviet SAMs in NV, specifically the SA-2 guidelines. A lock by fighters produces a change in PRF, which the RWR detects and notices you off, but without any further warning. Generic launch warnings and alerts based on frequency changes, like we see in our Viper or Hornet, dont seem to exist in the F4s RWR.
SA-15 probably uses command guidance in the C/D bands, so it can be detected, so thats a happy accident for sure.
An active Aim-120 or R-77 apparently is set to automatically create a launch warning whenever they are spotted. Because the RWR can identify the missile by its radar and... well, theres no further info require that you are being engaged.
Yeah, a unified baseline radar API would be really nice. If it does all the basics well, is nicely implemented and configurable for specific features, that could help other modules a lot imo. Radars are just so complicated, even getting the basic right seems to be a big challenge for the developers.
Honestly, I wish Heatblur or Razbam would license their Radar APIs to other devs or DCS in general, those two seem to have the best radar models. I know at least HB is developing general radar-framework with the F-4E, which is gonna be transfered to F-14 and Viggen in the long run.
