Question: How usefull is GMT radar mode IRL

[daemon1808]

Hi,

 

I was wondering if radar ground moving target mode is as usefull in real live as it seems to be in DCS. I mean:

In DCS, cities and roads are not crowded with cars, trucks, etc. So, you put some moving tanks/transports on a road near a city or a military base, and they are sitting ducks for your ultra cheated radar ^_^

But in real live, if the targets are near a city or a crowded road, will not be the radar completely overwhelmed with hundreds of returning signals from the ground? (Even if the target is more than 2 or 3 km separated from "civil" trafic)

 

Or, if you are fighting insurgents in a middle east country endless desert, the radar be very usefull to track and destroy loney targets.

But, if you are fighting over let's say Europe, your radar will be completely useless, isn't it?

 

 

[nighthawk2174]

Sure if there's a lot of civilian traffic it may get cluttered.  But if not then I can't see how it wouldn't be a useful tool.  Especially farther back where its a lot more likely for large convoys to be using the roads.

[Shadow KT]

Should be pretty close to useless, as far as I've heard from Hornet/Falcon pilots. Everything moves, we don't live in a vacuum.
 

 

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

Yes as far as I've read A/G radar in general is pretty useless: it's only modelled because the real jets can do it and ED would take quite some flak if they wouldn't ;-)

[Krippz]

As others have said based off of all of the pilot accounts it's pretty much rarely used and borderline useless.

[pimp]

I'm sure Pilots use it in an overcast weather scenario since TGPs are useless when clouds are a factor.

[Shadow KT]

3 minutes ago, pimp said:

I'm sure Pilots use it in an overcast weather scenario since TGPs are useless when clouds are a factor.

I doubt that anything which is not a static target is going to be attacked through clouds, the least, because of ROE. Static targets don't move.

Clouds also interfere with radars.

From my thread on the GMT/SEA modes. Promotional video for the F-16 and its radar. I am sure they didn't pick an overcast weather as an example to promote their product. Now imagine a constantly moving mass.

Edited January 30, 2021 by Shadow KT

[VirusAM]

Yes as far as I've read A/G radar in general is pretty useless: it's only modelled because the real jets can do it and ED would take quite some flak if they wouldn't ;-)

Flak?
I think it would be much worse

[Cepheus76]

In his book "Vipers in the Storm" Keith Rosenkranz describes how ground radar was quite frequently used to pick up targets during Operation Desert Storm. Of course it is less accurate and therefore may become not viable for, lets say a CAS mission in an urban environment. However, because it is not usable for one type of mission in a certain environment, it shouldn't mean that it is useless altogether and the inaccuracies are probably overcome by appropriate procedures and rules of engagement. 

[Mars Exulte]

2 hours ago, Cepheus76 said:

 inaccuracies are probably overcome by appropriate procedures

  If your weapons are inaccurate, you're not using enough high explosives!

[IvanK]

Great for locking up trucks and driving there Fuzz Busters insane

 

[Drac]

27 minutes ago, IvanK said:

Great for locking up trucks and driving there Fuzz Busters insane

 

LoL...Really showing your age.  Most folks probably do not even know what a Fuzz Buster is.  By the way, I use to own one.  

[Ahmed]

As I posted in another thread, a quote from an article:

 

Quote

While I maintained heading at 280 KIAS/FL350 kft, Dave selected the Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) mode on the APG-73 and we started hunting for some road traffic along the coastline at about 40-50 NMI slant range. Within seconds a row of tracks appeared across the scope, as expected outlining the Princes Highway near Colac. Some tracks intermittently appeared and disappeared, as trees blocked the line of sight between the radar and moving vehicles. Dave attempted a single target track on at least two targets but the foliage produced repeated dropouts - as much as we tried we couldn't cheat the physics of radar absorption. 

 

There are also some videos from ODS on Youtube where it is actually put to some good use (also described in Vipers in the Storm), but it must definitely be way more limited than what any PC game has ever modelled.