correct as is Where's the PRF setting?

[Hardcard]

I've been searching all over the place for information, but I haven't found a single mention of this.

 

I can't seem to find the pulse repetition frequency setting for the F-16 radar.

 

AFAIK, the F-16C block 50 uses pulse-doppler radar ( AN/APG-68 V(5) ), so I'm assuming there must be a PRF setting somewhere.

 

Does the AN/APG-68 V(5) have a PRF setting?

Is it implemented?

Is it set to the equivalent of "Interleaved"/"Auto" by default?

Edited May 3, 2020 by Hardcard

[Frederf]

There's no pilot option for PRF. They are associated with the various modes.

[Hardcard]

@Frederf

 

Weird, the rest of modern fighters in DCS have a PRF setting, even the JF-17 (which is supposed to be very similar to the F-16)...

 

Does the real F-16C block 50 also lack a PRF setting for the pilot or is this just the DCS module being incomplete?

[Beamscanner]

@Frederf

 

Weird, the rest of modern fighters in DCS have a PRF setting, even the JF-17 (which is supposed to be very similar to the F-16)...

 

Does the real F-16C block 50 also lack a PRF setting for the pilot or is this just the DCS module being incomplete?

 

Not all radars are capable of the same things..

 

This image shows that the 68(v5) can do "all-aspect" in RWS, and hot aspect in VSR mode.

 

 

If you know radar theory, you'll know that certain PRFs are good for all aspect and others are good for hot aspect..

[Hardcard]

@Beamscanner

 

Thanks for the image, although I think that's from the 68V(9), not 68V(5)... the "Increases maximum detection range by 33%" and "Four-target Situation Awareness Mode" bits give it away.

 

I've found this in an old Falcon 4 manual:

"The AN/APG-68(V5) can also operate low, medium and high PRF’s, to allow
greater discrimination of targets in lookdown or lookup situations."

 

So I'm guessing that the radar automatically does the equivalent of "Interleaved"/"Auto" (ie switching between different PRF settings) in all modes except VS.

 

I don't doubt that the radar can do all-aspect (it would be a piss poor radar if it couldn't), I just wanted to know if there was a PRF option for the pilot in the real aicraft, and looks like there isn't.

 

 

Thanks guys! :thumbup:

[Beamscanner]

Yes.. ignore the v9 and read the v5 capabilities in the image.

 

the image shows what the detection performance for the various modes available...

 

The v5 could do all-aspect in RWS and hot aspect in VSR.

[deadpool]

According to https://duotechservices.com/f-16-radar-computer-apg-66 the AN/APG-66 already had multiple PRFs .. and it's insane to think that they have butchered the AN/APG-68 and turned it into a paperweight to balance the airplane.

So you will have multiple PRFs even in the V(5) but maybe not in DCS(, yet).

 

[Frederf]

APG-68 has different PRFs, they just aren't directly adjustable by the pilot. They're automatically selected by mode and condition.

 

I don't know if v5 has ULS or LRS or both. It has more than RWS/TWS/VSR (VS is old news). I think it should be LRS which is no magic bullet but it should be extra range in certain situations. I don't know when -68 went from TTS (2) to MTS (4) capability. Pretty sure v5 is limited to TTS.

ERS is awesome. It replaces RWS entirely and encapsulates all the other special modes automatically reducing pilot workload. But that's v9 which is as good as mechanically scanned radars get.

[BIGNEWY]

Our viper does not have a manual PRF selection. 

 

thanks

[Blaze1]

Are there any APG-68(V)9 customers?

[dundun92]

The APG-66 did not have HPRF originally to allow for the use of a high peak power transmitter; its not physically possible to use HPRF with the high peak power the APG-66 used (21.5 kW). I haver no clue about updated versions however, but im not expecting much different:

Source

 

The APG-68 OTOH does have HPRF (and as expected a reduced peak power to 18 kW), but its only used in VS. RWS/TWS/ULS all use MPRF only, which is the "all aspect detection" duty cycle referred to in this brochure that Beamscanner posted above; this is consitient with the F-16 -34 as well which clearly states that VS interleaves HPRF/MPRF in VS, while referring to the others as "MPRF Modes"

 

EDIT and either way, theres no mention of being able to manually adjust anything PRF related, so whether it uses HPRF/multiple PRFs or not (which is doesnt in the A2A modes unless your in VS), you still cant manually adjust it

 

Edited March 18, 2021 by dundun92

[BabySkwirl]

Can somebody tell me what is vs and vrs?

Edited October 24, 2021 by BabySkwirl

[Tholozor]

VS = Velocity Search.

Did you mean LRS instead? Long Range Search.

[Frederf]

VS and VSR are Velocity Search and Velocity Search with Ranging. Earlier APG-68 has VS, later APG-68 has VSR. Both were an interleaved "alert" scan and a follow up scan in different PRF to detect closing targets. The difference was in display.

You don't set APG-68 PRF as a pilot. You pick a mode and it does what it does.