TLTeo

Afaik both are somewhat different. F104 - just one ring, much more limited symbology: F-105; two continuous rings and different symbology:

True, when I saw the video pop up on YT I expected it would feature a 530 shot at least. Yep, the Viggen, F-5, Sabre, Mig-15 and Mig-19 are also often absent, and the Mig-21 mostly features as a target.

Yes but the 339 devs literally said in November that they had submitted a build to ED.

My guess is that the video means they submitted their first build to ED for evaluation, like the MB-339 last month. If that's true it's likely that we'll get the Apache, then the Macchi, then the F1 over Q1-ish 2022.

HB have stated over and over again that as far as they are concerned, this is not viable, and they either do something right, or they don't do it at all. HB *are* part of the purists you're complaining about.

It could also be as simple as the F1 fleet receiving its updates slowly over time and having a bunch of frankenjets flying for a few years.

I would expect the Spanish F1Ms to have some sort of integrated dispenser system tbh. People are going way overboard with variants, we're definitely not getting something as specific as a Moroccan upgraded one.

The -CE and -BE (I'm not 100% sure on the -BE though) do not carry it, the -EE and -M do.

True...are they as different among each other as the F1 variants are though?

Neat, I assumed it was some weird hybrid F1M that also had the Doppler nav system of the CT or something. Perhaps they changed their plans and decided on a different set of variants or something? Doing four was already unheard of for DCS, but five?

New teaser is up! Q1 definitely seems possible if they already have a mini trailer

You could probably solve that by having the Mk 47 -A be an early model, the Mk 60 be some in between, and the -C model represent the most modern ones.

The -C could never carry the MICA, only the -5 (and derived variants).

Yep, considering the AIM-9L and M were pretty widespread years before the Strike Eagle reached IOC, it's a weird choice.

It has lots of 4th gen characteristics regardless of FBW - excellent dog-fighting performance, good BVR missiles, good look down/shoot down radar (for its time). In fact, when it was introduced it was arguably the best BVR fighter in the world, easily better than early F-15As and any Foxbat variant. DCS just gives you a warped perspective on the comparison with the F15/16/18, because the Tomcat (and particularly the variants we have) received comparatively fewer updates than the modern Viper/Hornet ED went for. A better comparison to those aircraft we have would be the F-14D, which is a whole leap ahead of the A/B. Speaking of FBW, there are a few 4th gen aircraft that don't necessarily use it - early Fulcrums for example, but the flight control systems in the JF-17 and AMX are also hybrid rather than full FBW systems. The Tornado is definitely a 4th gen platform regardless of the variant - and unlike the Tomcat it's been updated very significantly over its lifetime. But honestly...the ADV should have not existed imo. I don't see what that aircraft does, that an updated Phantom with better avionics and radar doesn't (like the ones Germany operated). It definitely wasn't a good dogfighter.

This was reported a while ago and supposedly the FM is under review, but otherwise there haven't been any news.

I don't think you do, because as far as I know the AIM-9P (which is really just an updated/export -J/N) does not have any sort of SEAM capability like Navy AIM-9G/H did. The AIM-9B is definitely too old for that. The USAF missiles only got SEAM with the AIM-9L/M, which is not carried by our F-5. What you can do however is uncage the seeker head once it's locked something in its boresighted FOV, and it will keep tracking that target even if it goes off boresight a few degrees, while you pull a bit of lead to help the missile along. edit: also, what the STT modes of the radar are meant to do, other than help out with guns tracking, is a) estimate distance to the target, so that you know at what distance to fire your missile and b) guide you on an intercept course to whatever it is you're locking (I think the cross clue puts you on pure pursuit, but I might be wrong there), which is necessary for all-weather intercepts.

Because two heatseekers is a perfectly normal loadout for most aircraft. You are unlikely to be able to take more than two good shots in a air combat anyway - at least IRL where missions are significantly more limited by fuel than in DCS.

Speaking off-boresight shots, you can sort of kind of more or less but not really match his 45 degree off bore capability if you get a VSL HI lock and slave your AIM-9 quickly enough. Realistically his envelope is much wider than yours (because obviously he's not restricted to acquiring above the canopy rail), but if you really screwed up by going to a neutral merge and screwed up again by being distant enough that heaters can be employed, you may sort of have a chance if you manage to lock him up and put a weapon in the air. It's a long shot, but it's less bad than just sitting there and getting an Archer to the face without trying anything.

Yeah, if they have R73s then your best chance is to win a one circle fight I'd say.

Yep, it's a Mission Editor setting. You have to be really, really specific in there to get wingmen to do anything.

It's included in the game by default

Seeing as they aren't fixing the Hornet's Rockeyes being useless, it will take a miracle for the F-5's to be fixed. Maybe if we ever get a Phantom that carries the same munition..

Something that actually teaches formation flying would be nice. On the other hand, flying off an AI will be super annoying since they don't exactly care whether you're next to them or not. Is there a chance these missions will have us fly with a fully loaded gun, just for the sake of re-living the days when I was learning to AAR?

Not all F-5Es are equal. Some didn't have a RWR (e.g. early-ish aggressors which technically our jet is supposed to replicate), some had an INS and ILS (the Swiss ones). Some -E models could indeed fire the Maverick, but they have a slightly different stores panel and display: And yeah, realistically the model is in minimum maintenance mode and even that's generous. Unless something truly weird happens, the F-5 is staying as is.