Identifying the enemy in the F-15, some comments for the n00b...

[OsageCowboy]

Having made the mistake of friendly fire once so far in online play, I immediately sensed the importance of figuring out how to establish friend from foe using the F-15's avionics. I have read the manual and come away with the following suggestions as to how this is done and I also have some accompanying questions:

 

1. It can be done using the TEWS, but this can be unhelpful as oftentimes enemies are not designated with the signature diamond identifier, particularly because of ECM jammers. I recall seing not a diamond, but a strage semi-circle accompanying a possible target, but I'm not sure how that factors into target ID...obviously diamond is enemy, but I often get a semi-circle in online play.

 

2. Using the VSD under LRS mode, placing it on a possible target, and getting a reading as to the nature of the plane...this can be usually effective, but given the enormous number of nationalities available in online play, it can be confusing to remember which side a particular aircraft is on.

 

3. Using the VSD under TWS mode, which is probably the most helpful, as friendlies are identified as circular blips, while prospective enemies are tagged as such, and the mode offers the enhancement of firing at multiple targets.

 

4. The automated HoJ mode, and this is where the system detects that another plane is using ECM, and this is where communication is going to be key. Using either AWACS (if nobody online speaks your language), teamspeak, or online chat, you need to see if your own mates are using ECM, and if so to proceed with caution.

 

I'd appreciate it if someone would give me the key command to contact the AWACS aircraft, and thanks for that one!

 

Also, I'd appreciate it if someone would tell me how to activate the ECM jammer on the F-15, and thanks again.

 

Ok, so those things said, do I appear to be on the right track with this analysis? Is this the best way to go about IDing friendlies or enemies in online play?

[GGTharos]

Having made the mistake of friendly fire once so far in online play, I immediately sensed the importance of figuring out how to establish friend from foe using the F-15's avionics. I have read the manual and come away with the following suggestions as to how this is done and I also have some accompanying questions:

 

1. It can be done using the TEWS, but this can be unhelpful as oftentimes enemies are not designated with the signature diamond identifier, particularly because of ECM jammers. I recall seing not a diamond, but a strage semi-circle accompanying a possible target, but I'm not sure how that factors into target ID...obviously diamond is enemy, but I often get a semi-circle in online play.

 

... wha? The diamond merely means 'primary threat' or 'locked onto you' (I forget which), there's no IFF there ;) A friendly could be locked onto you too and thus get a diamond. Semi-circle means 'new threat'.

 

2. Using the VSD under LRS mode, placing it on a possible target, and getting a reading as to the nature of the plane...this can be usually effective, but given the enormous number of nationalities available in online play, it can be confusing to remember which side a particular aircraft is on.

 

Correct. If you do this, and you're not sure, you'll have to wait either for him to fire or fly up close enough to see the markings on his wings.

There's no IFF once you're locked on :(

 

3. Using the VSD under TWS mode, which is probably the most helpful, as friendlies are identified as circular blips, while prospective enemies are tagged as such, and the mode offers the enhancement of firing at multiple targets.

 

Correct. But, it's not feasible to use close in (where you would use LRS/VS etc)

 

4. The automated HoJ mode, and this is where the system detects that another plane is using ECM, and this is where communication is going to be key. Using either AWACS (if nobody online speaks your language), teamspeak, or online chat, you need to see if your own mates are using ECM, and if so to proceed with caution.

 

COrrect. I often just tell'em I'm about to shoot at a jammer, so if any on my side are jamming ... that gets the point across, and they shut it off ;)

 

I'd appreciate it if someone would give me the key command to contact the AWACS aircraft, and thanks for that one!

 

Also, I'd appreciate it if someone would tell me how to activate the ECM jammer on the F-15, and thanks again.

 

Those are both in the manual ;) Also, AWACS might not be available (usually is not available) online.

 

Ok, so those things said, do I appear to be on the right track with this analysis? Is this the best way to go about IDing friendlies or enemies in online play?

 

 

The best way is to know where your buddies are, and where your enemies are. If worst comes to worst and all you have is jammers in your view, you may have no choice but to wait for them to fire or get inside burn-through range where you can ID'em.

[bogusheadbox]

Correction GG beat me

[S77th-GOYA]

1. No it can't. TEWS tells what type of radar is spiking you. It doesn't tell you if that radar is in your coalition. Whether or not the other plane is jamming has no bearing on its TEWS icon. Read the manual for explanation of different TEWS icon shapes.

 

 

To IFF in the F-15 you MUST see a non-jamming or burned through radar return and see if it is a dot or a rectangle.

 

Press E to jam. Or better yet, don't press E to not jam.

[CoNa]

To IFF in the F-15 you MUST see a non-jamming or burned through radar return and see if it is a dot or a rectangle.

 

The problem is that you some times don't get a dot even if it's a friendly.

I have run in to several situations when I lock friendly and get "foe id" in the VSD of the F-15. Luckily I rather do not fire if I'm not sure, but that has sometimes meant that I have been shot down in stead.

 

As we are sometimes mixing Su-Mig-F15 on the same side.

Will all planes in a coalision force use IFF? So even if I lock on a Mig or SU on the same side I will get frindly ID?

 

Without AWACs it's near impossible to be sure in an F-15.

The best is when you have the US planes on one side and RU on the other... then you know if it's friend or foe.

[Frostie]

The problem is that you some times don't get a dot even if it's a friendly.

I have run in to several situations when I lock friendly and get "foe id" in the VSD of the F-15. Luckily I rather do not fire if I'm not sure, but that has sometimes meant that I have been shot down in stead.

You are not doing something right ,friendlies are always dots and foes are always rectangles. You state when you lock friendly you get a foe id, do you mean it shows up as Mig or SU, these could still be friendlies(German ,Ukraine use these as well as Russia) and will have shown up as dots surely you know that.

[GGTharos]

Let's clear this up right now before it gets confusing.

 

In the F-15, you DO NOT get an IFF cue when you are LOCKED onto the enemy. You must ID them BEFORE you lock onto them.

 

The problem is that you some times don't get a dot even if it's a friendly.

I have run in to several situations when I lock friendly and get "foe id" in the VSD of the F-15. Luckily I rather do not fire if I'm not sure, but that has sometimes meant that I have been shot down in stead.

 

As we are sometimes mixing Su-Mig-F15 on the same side.

Will all planes in a coalision force use IFF? So even if I lock on a Mig or SU on the same side I will get frindly ID?

 

Without AWACs it's near impossible to be sure in an F-15.

The best is when you have the US planes on one side and RU on the other... then you know if it's friend or foe.

[Pilotasso]

In LOMAC the F-15 can ID Aircraft by radar lock, its designation apears on the left corner of the radar. The problem comes when both sides starting to use same Aircraft like Su-27's Migs or other F-15... then you can only Identify IFF only the way GG explained, by having either rectangle or circles contacts before locking. Rectangles are enemy.

 

I just hope in BS you just dont have to be forced taking IFF down to 12 miles like it is now due to ECM burn through. By then its too late to be usefull.

[CoNa]

You are not doing something right ,friendlies are always dots and foes are always rectangles.

 

You are part correct. I think I found what I'm doing (partly)wrong.

I'm going in, using TWS not LRS. By doing this it is possible to get a lock on a friendly without getting the correct IFF (according to my findings). It might be that I lock to far from being able to get IFF (unknown) and then it won't shift when getting correct id. I don't know yet.

 

So the solution is to use LRS to begin with instead of TWS if I'm not certain that I got a foe.

Then go over to TWS so that I don't notify my foe of my intentions,

as well as giving away my launch from start.

 

I will do some tests to verify if this is what I've been doing wrong.

[GGTharos]

Already told you what you're doing wrong: You're locking to ID. Do -not- lock to ID. As Pilotasso said, all that gives you is the NCTR Aircraft type.

 

You can stay in TWS - it gives you dots and rectangles. Unless the target is jamming, in which case you do not get IFF until burn-through which occurs at some 13nm. Unless you're locked on the jammer, in which case - again - you get NCTR, NOT IFF!

[CoNa]

Let's clear this up right now before it gets confusing.

 

In the F-15, you DO NOT get an IFF cue when you are LOCKED onto the enemy. You must ID them BEFORE you lock onto them.

 

Ahh, there you go... I did not think of that I'm actually are locking on, just because I'm in TWS mode (sometimes a video recording of your actual moves would be good). Of course.....:wallbash:

 

Well, I learned something to day too:thumbup:

Thanks

[CoNa]

Already told you what you're doing wrong: You're locking to ID. Do -not- lock to ID. As Pilotasso said, all that gives you is the NCTR Aircraft type.

 

You can stay in TWS - it gives you dots and rectangles. Unless the target is jamming, in which case you do not get IFF until burn-through which occurs at some 13nm. Unless you're locked on the jammer, in which case - again - you get NCTR, NOT IFF!

 

Sorry, I was crossposting. You are faster than me...in many ways:notworthy:

[GGTharos]

Hehe, no prob :)

 

In TWS, you are indeed not locking (since STT causes your antenna to be slaved to target)

 

But, when you designate a target, you lose the IFF data. When you designate a jammer, you automatically go to STT as well.