RWR and missile threat warnings (need clarification)

[Gun Jam]

Hello

I have some questions about RWR and missile threat indications. Im hoping to better understand the threat warnings to improve defense tactics. I mostly play TTI vs ai aircraft 

 

1) If a threat moves to the outside ring of the RWR he has an active lock and his radar is tacking my aircraft (I think thats accurate)

2) If I get a missile launch warning is that missile ALWAYS radar guided? (how could it know that a fox 2 was launched?? It cant right)

3) missile symbology on the RWR (M) would only appear with a fox3 and only AFTER the missile went active??

4) A threat on the outside ring of the RWR could launch a fox2 (assuming he had a radar lock) and my only indication of this would be a smoke trail? Im also aware that a lock is optional for fox 2 in which case a smoke trail is about it...?

so can I make the following assumptions?

A threat on the outside ring of the rwr gets a missile launch warning: He has lock and has fired a fox1 or 3. Flares wont work. I should beam or notch and use chaff or attempt to outrun. If my phoenix is in route and will force him to go defensive before his missile gets to me he maybe forced to break lock and his missile will miss. Once the launch warning tone goes silent it means his lock is broken and his missile is no longer tracking correct? But it could require lock. 

 

Ill never get a launch warning from a fox2 (but may get radar lock or not) if you see smoke assume fox2, beam, flare, or outrun.

 

any other important items I might not be aware of?

 

Thanks

 

 

[draconus]

1. Yes but the signal is still strong around the source so it may not be directed at you. Assume it is.

2. Yes - no MAWS here

3. Yep.

4. Yes and yes. Always assume an enemy fighter used whatever it was capable of launching at you whenever it was in range and had a chance to lock you - remember also about HOBs. If you're defending vs fox 2 it's good practice to lower your thrust to reduce your own IR signature.

Edited February 21, 2022 by draconus

[Gun Jam]

Thank you for that clarification.

with a fox 1 or 3 once the missile launch warning quits that indicates that the lock has been broken with either the active missile or the aircraft's radar and the incoming missile is not tracking correct?

-Gun

[iantron]

Yeah it should mean that. Or I don't know of any exceptions. Of course there could be another on the way already.

Also regarding beaming, I always thought of that as putting the missile at 3/9, but it can be less especially for long shots. I.e any change of course will defeat a max range shot. Guess when they launched and decide how far you need to crank based on that I guess.

[draconus]

36 minutes ago, iantron said:

Also regarding beaming, I always thought of that as putting the module at 3/9, but it can be less especially for long shots.

I don't get that part.

[iantron]

That was kind of confusingly worded. I was just trying to highlight that you don't always have to break your own lock/track and trash your missile to evade a long range shot from an opponent. Turn a bit to the left and keep guiding your missile until it goes pitbull. The degree of turn can be appropriate for the situation. It should be very easy to defeat if your opponent launched at r-max.

Separately are beaming and cranking synonymous? I always thought that beaming meant flying perpendicular to the missile flight path and cranking... that but to a lesser degree. The more I think about it the less likely that seems correct.

[draconus]

8 minutes ago, iantron said:

Separately are beaming and cranking synonymous? I always thought that beaming meant flying perpendicular to the missile flight path and cranking... that but to a lesser degree. The more I think about it the less likely that seems correct.

No. Beaming is always putting the threat radar (or active missile) on your 3/9 line. Since that alone won't fool moving radar (aircraft or missile flying towards you will still keep you locked), you want to hide in the ground clutter, so you fly lower than the threat radar, still beaming and that is called notching, which should break the lock. Cranking is just keeping the the enemy locked while putting it at the limits of your radar gimbals. You may get into situation where cranking will beam the incoming missile.

[Gun Jam]

Do we have any indicators of the radars gimbals limit in the f14 or is it all guess work?

[iantron]

Depends. In TWS they are clearly displayed on the TID. Once you go STT, you get a line to target. Once you're used to the limits you can eyeball it, or reference your heading before and after the turn, or check the BR data readout on the TID.

The limits are +/-65° horizontally, and I think +~70/-~55 vertically. Check the manual for the exact vertical limits.

[near_blind]

54 minutes ago, Gun Jam said:

Do we have any indicators of the radars gimbals limit in the f14 or is it all guess work?

When you go STT, a azimuth/dlz indicator will pop up on your VDI, and it moves left or right depending on your own offset from the target. My experience is the limits of the VDI screen roughly work out to the gimbal limits of the radar, I.E. You will lose lock about the time that line moves off either edge of the screen. I personally will try and keep that line somewhere in the area between the edge of the screen and the limit of the horizon indicator bar as my goal for a good crank. I dunno if this was how it was intended to be meched or not, but I find it a useful gouge. 

[Gun Jam]

Nice ill play with this in a bit!

Thanks

[draconus]

14 hours ago, near_blind said:

My experience is the limits of the VDI screen roughly work out to the gimbal limits of the radar

This missile range line works exactly as you noticed in STT, thx.