Multiple emitters and terminal guidance emitters

[Ahmed]

Currently, while some units such as ships seem to have multiple radar sensors modeled in the database, this seems to be ignored by the RWR and HARM that seem to reference the emitter unit rather than its sensors. This affect specially naval warfare.

 

This would be an area where DCS has some room for improvement in the future, and maybe something that can be worked on now that IADS and some EW/ESM seem to be on the roadmap.

 

Additionally, many newer systems (such as the SA-12/S-300V 9A82/9A83 TELARs, or many naval units such as Aegis cruisers) use an illuminator for terminal guidance that is different than the radar used for mid-course tracking, that should be modelled too as it has a big impact in various aspect of the EW arena, ranging from system survaivability and multiple-target engage ability, to late RWR launch detection.

 

 

[Northstar98]

+9999999999999999999

 

You're absolutely right.

 

Last time I checked the database, ship RADARs were in a fairly dire state, which extends to the ships included with the supercarrier module.

 

The Arleigh-Burke for instance only has 2 RADARs defined - 'patriot str' and 'ticonderoga search radar', the former is the MPQ-53 STR of the Patriot SAM system, which is used in place of the SPY-1D (presumably SPY-1D(V) with ABM mod.), and the latter is a surface search RADAR (but using the Ticonderoga's mast height).

 

I did detailed annotations and talked in detail about the Arleigh-Burke here.

 

The AN/SPG-62 RADARs (used to provide terminal CWI for the SM-2 family as well as the RIM-162 ESSM) are animated but completely non-functional.

 

Sensors also aren't attached to a hitbox on the model either, emissions just come out from the centre - which is why HARM always tracks on the geometric centre of an object, which isn't as problematic for ground units, but is is very problematic for ships.

 

As for RWRs, you're right again - they're tied to a unit ID instead of looking for what RADAR it's detecting. If an Oliver Hazard Perry, Ticonderoga, or a Nimitz class only had their AN/SPG-49 RADARs operating, how would it be able to tell them apart?

 

I've no idea how it works IRL and whether a RWR would be able to piece together different sensors, and be able to identify ships that way, but assuming they don't, shouldn't they just display whatever RADAR they're detecting?