Request Advice re Moscow Takedown

[Horns]

No matter how low or fast I fly, I keep catching missiles from the Moscow carrier. My Viggen tracks never play properly and it would take way too long at my up speeds to upload the video, so I've attached a screenshot. As you can see I'm at Mach 1, 30 m above the water, the highest I've been since crossing the shoreline. Directly above the midpoint of the 24 km arc on the radar is the dot that represents the Moscow (I know it's really tough to see) and that big black spot under the 5 degree pitch line on the hud is the missile that has come to mess up my hair.

 

I'd really love it if anyone can help me diagnose what's going on. I had been consistently completing this mission successfully, I've taken a break for about a week and today I'm zero-for-three, with this being the lowest and fastest (slowest was 875, and they were both 40m altitude).

 

Thanks.

Edited January 9, 2018 by Horns
Better describe missile location

[mattebubben]

Try going lower?

 

I generally go to around 5-10m.

Easiest way of doing that for long periods of time is getting down to around 15-20m (or as low as you are comfortable with flying manually)

then enable the autopilot altitude hold and use the trim to take it down lower.

Then level off then the autopilot read 005 (which means you are between 10-5m) or 000 (which means you are below 5m)

and you should be safe enough.

 

I dont think the missile should be able to track you when below 10-15m so simply stay that low untill you get to missile launch range pop up to 50m launch you missiles do a 90-180 degree turn at 50-100m then get back down to 5-10m after having leveled out.

 

Minimum engagement alt for sams differ but the long range S-300 (and its naval version) should have a min alt of around 20-25m with closer range systems like the SA-8 and SA-15 (and their naval variants)

having a min engagement alt of around 10m (Though SA-8 and SA-15 have a shorter range of 15km for the SA-8 and 12 for the SA-15 so you can launch the RB 04E without getting into their range)

so if you close at 5-15m and launch your RB 04E´s at between 20-28km out you should be Ok as long as you dont stay high for too long during the pop up.

Edited January 9, 2018 by mattebubben

[Horns]

Try going lower?

 

I generally go to around 5-10m.

Easiest way of doing that for long periods of time is getting down to around 10-15m then enable alt hold autopilot and use the trim to take it down lower.

When it reads 000 you are at 5m or lower and can level off.

 

I dont think the missile should be able to track you when below 10-15m so simply stay that low untill you get to missile launch range pop up to 50m launch you missiles do a 90-180 degree turn at 50-100m then get back down to 5-10m after having leveled out.

 

That is really low! That gives me a solution and a way to achieve it, I’ll practice the autopilot method you outlined, thanks :)

[QuiGon]

Additionally, I can recommend to carry an ECM pod. The jamming reduces the range at which the Moscow can launch its missiles at you quite a bit!

[grunf]

Indeed 30m is way too high :D.

 

[Horns]

Additionally, I can recommend to carry an ECM pod. The jamming reduces the range at which the Moscow can launch its missiles at you quite a bit!

 

Thanks QuiGon, great idea, will do. Would be great to deliver and dash without the Moscow being able to fire on me. Shame the Viggen didn’t get integrated chaff and flare dispensers, given the sort of missions it does.

[renhanxue]

In reality the peacetime safety regulations called for no lower than 10 meters AGL when over water and 20 meters over land. In war? You bet they'd be going as low as they possibly could.

 

Have a pair of videos (none of them AJ 37, but enjoyable nonetheless):

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEyY2Q37sYQ

 

Photo recon Viggen, in-flight footage starts at 03:00 (and make sure you stay until at least 03:45). Makes it blindingly obvious why these planes are painted green rather than grey.

 

 

 

You kids with your clean-shaven faces and fancy standoff anti-ship weapons don't know how good you have it. Men made of the Right Stuff have proper facial hair and 250kg anti-ship bombs as a backup, and they fly appropriately low. Watch the entire thing, there's a lot of really awesome and unique footage in there.

Edited January 9, 2018 by renhanxue

[Horns]

Indeed 30m is way too high :D.

 

 

In reality the peacetime safety regulations called for no lower than 10 meters AGL when over water and 20 meters over land. In war? You bet they'd be going as low as they possibly could.

 

Have a pair of videos (none of them AJ 37, but enjoyable nonetheless):

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEyY2Q37sYQ

 

Photo recon Viggen, in-flight footage starts at 03:00 (and make sure you stay until at least 03:45). Makes it blindingly obvious why these planes are painted green rather than grey.

 

 

 

You kids with your clean-shaven faces and fancy standoff anti-ship weapons don't know how good you have it. Men made of the Right Stuff have proper facial hair and 250kg anti-ship bombs as a backup, and they fly appropriately low. Watch the entire thing, there's a lot of really awesome and unique footage in there.

 

Thanks Grunf, it is good to have an example to emulate, great flying! Seeing that should make it easier to trust that I'm not going to ditch into the water because of the altitude alone.

 

Thanks to renhanxue too, great to see the real thing in action. As I stroke my luxuriant facial hair I realize the tactical importance of a beard - if it's not wet I'm flying too high! :P