How do I use Home on Jam mode?

[Gloom Demon]

I am having problems understanding when to fire in HOJ mode.

 

I see rows of rectangles on my radar. I put the traget designator box over one of them and press Lock. I get a line through the rectangles, supposedly showing the direction to the emitter. I fly towards it and never get any cue as to when to fire. At some point I burn through and use the STT or TWS mode to fire - but shouldn't I be able to fire the AIM-120 in HOJ mode too? Without it giving the enemy any warning of launch?

[SDsc0rch]

you know.. this brings up a really good point!

 

HOJ mode is supposed to permit you to fire on a jamming aircaft

 

HOWEVER.. the missiles in game can't fly far enough to ever hit that guy since burn-through range is ~25nm

 

see the problem here??

 

 

once they're inside burn-through range, we don't need HOJ mode anymore - you just lock him up like usual and fox (of course, you've got to get a LOT CLOSER than 20nm for your missile to hit, huh!)

 

so.. someone remind me, what's the point of HOJ again??

 

 

(psst! FIX. THE. MISSILES! you think they're "right" ------- they. are. NOT. right!)

 

 

 

 

ps.. to answer your question, you don't get a range to the bad guy

 

you need to utilize AWACS to give you SA on his range

Edited January 29, 2015 by SDsc0rch

[Ktulu2]

You can fire to a HOJ target, its just pointless with current missiles. BUT you cannot see direction of a HOJ target and don't see its range Thus no cues of directions/time to shoot.

 

As to the launch warning, you shouldn't give it with a SARH missile, and for an ARH msl the ennemy would only get the warning of the active msl.

But I have my doubts if its how it is in game, as you get a lock warning when you get locked while jamming, which shouldn't happen. Can someone confirm?

[SDsc0rch]

cannot answer your questions about whether HOJ mode missiles give a launch indication on the target's RWR equipment

 

but i would like to add another point..

 

at some point the F-15 should get some form of data link, i would hope the DL symbology will overlay ownship radar symbology on the radar display - then you would be able to see a DL contact that is jamming by correlating combined symbology on your radar display

 

similarly, if we can ever get a functional IFF system, you would then see IFF contacts (friendlies) appearing on the radar display - currently, friendly and hostile contacts that are jamming appear the same on the display, but with the addition of IFF hits on the scope, you would be able to see a friendly unit that is jamming (the DL certainly wouldn't hurt your SA either)

Edited January 30, 2015 by SDsc0rch

[Stuge]

Last year I scored a HOJ AMRAAM shot on an eagle, online, from over 40nm range.

 

We were high (>40000ft), we were head on. Range could be estimated from RWR.

 

Even if the kill probability is extremely low, you can still put some pressure on a jamming target if you want. I don't think people realize what a dramatic effect altitude has on missile range.

[OnlyforDCS]

How do you estimate range from the RWR?

[SDsc0rch]

yeah.. i'm curious too - how do you "estimate range" from the RWR

??

[*Rage*]

HOJ works reasonably well for very high, relatively non maneuvering targets at beyond burn through range. Quite rare though if your opponent knows what he's doing. Im not sure if the current burn through range is arbitrary or accurate however.

[TAW_Blaze]

HOJ works reasonably well for very high, relatively non maneuvering targets at beyond burn through range. Quite rare though if your opponent knows what he's doing. Im not sure if the current burn through range is arbitrary or accurate however.

 

Considering that ECM modeling is the equivalent of a joke, I think it's a moot argument. :)

 

/no offense to ED/

[Stuge]

You can estimate range of an RWR signal from signal strength. Stronger signal strength = closer target.

 

In F-15 RWR, the closer to the middle a target is, the stronger the signal is.

 

In russian jets, the RWR signal strength of the single "closest threat" target is shown with the outer circle of lights.

 

Now how signal strength reflects target range depends strongly on the strength of the target's radar. Radars can be anything from very weak (like the AIM-120 or R-77 onboard radar) to extremely powerful (like the radar of an S-300 SAM site)

 

However, fighter jet's radars are quite similar to each other in power, especially the F-15 and SU-27 radar strengths go pretty much hand in hand and thus it's easiest to estimate the range for these. Mig-29 radar is a little bit weaker (thus giving a weaker signal strength at same distance) while the Mig-21 radar is even weaker (which can be used to fool the enemy to think you are far away while in fact you're about to pop one in their face :D)

 

All of this of course assumes that the target has its radar on, and is sweeping you with it.

[blkspade]

Basically the way the sim operates now, you should never be thinking about taking a HOJ shot without AWACS. Short of you having seen the contact clean that then began jamming (which could still be a random friendly popping up in between) you have no idea if your engaging friend or foe. With that in mind, asking the awacs to give you a bogey dope and declaration on jammer would give some concept of when to fire HOJ. If the missiles performed properly at range anyhow.