Well...didn't intend to jack the topic as this has been going on for months, but given there are 5 other 1.5.4 missile threads might as well do it! lol
For all the planes from the 70's to now, in BFM its all about the pilot. What i'm saying is that when you see that you enter the WEZ and get out of burners, if you happen to fight a R-73-carrier (R-73 over aim-9 in dogfights for reason I think are obvious) and he shoots maybe 2s after you cut off AB, that missile's won't pay any attention to flares, while in other planes (especially the mirage and its pretty much instantaneous spool time) flares would have worked. Given the nature of the R-73, if the launch parameters were good, you are very much doomed as it is (was up to 1.5.3) quite the challenge to defeate, which will leave you at a disadvantage for the rest of the fight, probably slow and being slow is horrible against a flanker.