AIM-7 Maintain Lock in F-18

[MikeMic]

Sorry, newbie question here.  I'm working my way through some missions and trying to understand how I know when I am maintaining radar lock after firing an AIM-7?

Basically, I need to know how much can I deviate from my course and still provide information to the missile?  Is there a way to judge this with the radar?

[draconus]

Look at the vertical line on the radar, like here:

or just the number in the center of the HUD circle (do not allow it to be more than 70).

Edited May 20, 2022 by draconus

[MikeMic]

Super helpful!  Thank you.

[Phantom711]

Well basically, as long as it remains on the radar, you are good….

[Dscross]

On 5/19/2022 at 7:36 PM, MikeMic said:

Sorry, newbie question here.  I'm working my way through some missions and trying to understand how I know when I am maintaining radar lock after firing an AIM-7?

Basically, I need to know how much can I deviate from my course and still provide information to the missile?  Is there a way to judge this with the radar?

The off-nose deviation is going to depend on the degree of your radar sweep. If you look at your radar display it will show you (bottom left corner of the MFD when in AA radar mode) 

You do not want to stay pointed directly at the bandit. the full width of the scan zone is 120 degrees. That means 60 digress to each side. BUT... The bandit is moving as well. If you pull 50 degrees off bore, and the bandit pulls into a notch, well 20 degrees and your radar will lose them (probably sooner). A 45-degree notch is usually about all you want to pull, as that will usually dump you in their doppler filter (unless it's a good human RIO in a tomcat, in which case you're dead already and they're just playing with you.) 

However, a horizontal turn isn't the only thing you need to do. You should also add in some vertical separation. Remember you radar can gimbal in X & Y axis. Trade a bit of altitude for some airspeed and to possibly hide in the ground clutter. Turn off 20-30 degrees to make them work harder to get a shot on you. If you can dive and notch, and still hold the STT lock, you're doing well. However, it's important to know what/ who you are up against. The AI knows where you are at all times. While it's improving, it's still hard to hide in the sun from the AI. A human pilot can easily lose sight on you, but will make more calculating choices about weapons employment, range, and things like that. 

For example turning on your jammer isn't going to help you if you're in a ACM fight. most radars will burn right through the jamming at that range, and you lose radar lock to your jammer. Let's say you're against a MiG-21 AI. I like to use the AIM-7 against them in Loft mode (if available, depending on model) and I put my radar in TWS. I get a solution and shoot at reasonably long range. I know there is an better than good chance that missile will smoke the guy. The RWR in the Mig-21 isn't great, and he didn't get much warning until my missile left the rail. If he does dodge it, I know I can out turn him inside the merge and get him with a second AIM-7 or an AIM-9. Honestly, sometimes if I can get away with it (when blue on blue isn't a concern) I sometimes don't even expect the first AIM-7 to get them. I'm forcing them out of the WEZ and onto the defensive. Once they're defensive I can use my helmet, my data link, my AZ/EL and Tpod in AA mode to hunt them down. And pitty the fool who turns on their jammer when you go STT. Home on Jam.  Dump the missile, notch hard and watch the AIM-7 follow their jammer while you line up to kill their buddy. Well that's how things are suppose to go. Sometimes I notch to hard, black out and hit a mountain... lol. 

Remember that the AIM-7 is a very good missile, despite some doubters. If you do your job, it will do it's job. pull 20-30 and dive a bit. Ground clutter is your friend. If you're outnumbered and there are no friendlies to worry about, shoot first and at very long range. take control of the fight even if you need to waste a few missiles to herd them where you want them. Know what the other airframe can and can't do. Even in a hornet you need to be very careful with a Su27/33/J11, Mig-29, F16 or Mirage 2000. All of those planes can stay with you in a turn if the pilot knows what they're doing. If you are getting "F14" nails on your RWR, worry. An F-14 isn't something you want to play with if the tomcat driver knows their business. A Tomcat with 2 people in it? Well, that's going to be bad. A tomcat pilot who is new you can almost pick on. They'll spin it when they try and turn with you, and at long range they'll shoot AIM-54s that don't have a hope of hitting. However, a good tomcat pilot can outturn a hornet and slap you inside or outside the merge. A mirage you can outrange, (at 30K, and below, up high they can slap you.) but you can't outrun. The mirage needs to be just a bit closer that you do to hit you with a Super 530. But honestly that's not the mirage you worry about. There seems to be some bug with the mirage, they're invisible sometimes. clever M2000 pilots have found that they can fly at either 100 feet AGL, or 50,000 ASL, and you'll never know they are there. And the mirage likes 50k+ altitudes. I personally don't much enjoy getting slapped with a magic II from nowhere only to watch a M2000 scream by my burning wreck of an airplane. But I assume that the people I've done that to in my Mirage don't much enjoy it either. Point is, if you can see a mirage on radar, you should feel a bit safer. If you know an M2000 is lurking around, but you have no RWR signal, and can't find them on radar...worry. Mig-29's and the Su-27/33 also seem to enjoy keeping their radar off and using long range IR missiles (R27ET is a... very good missile) Again, if you have "29" nails on your RWR, you're half way to winning the fight because the other guy is using their radar. This also means that if you are playing in a PVP server, watch your radar emissions. The RWR isn't just a warning device, it's part of the weapons system package that improves your situational awareness and helps you hunt down the other guy. Just watch out for the F15C, Mirage 2000, or F-14 sitting gleefully up at 45-50K and can slap you from very long range. 

And here is one more trick you can use. Lock up the other guy (AI, usually won't work on human players) at very long range. go STT and pound them with your radar. Don't shoot. Wait for it... Then they turn on their jammer. Now you have them. Some versions of the AIM-7 have a home on jamm capability. ("HOJ" in your HUD) This means you don't have ranging information, but you have direction. Well, if you know they were about 25 miles, do a 5 count, fire off an AIM-7 or 2, and notch hard. Those missiles are at max range, so they won't both hit. (unless the AI is being really stupid that day.) But you've forced them to do something. because if they do nothing those AIM-7's will hit. Again, force the fight onto your terms. Fire more than one missile. (not at once or you'll lose track with your first sparrow) As one pilot said, "always fire again. If they hit every time, they'd call them hittles, but they call them missiles..." 

Lastly, and I'm sorry about the long response, if you need help, you're welcome to come to the discord. We'll answer any questions you might have and can help you get up to speed on the hornet. The hornet is a great jet. No isn't not the best at any one thing, but it's pretty damn good at everything it does. Don't just settle for stock radar settings. Tune it. Change your bar scan, you elevation, and your azimuth. Use link 16, use AWACS if you can, and use your Tpod to visually ID your targets and sneak up on people (or AI) who isn't paying attention. 

Welcome to DCS. Now you'll be reading books on the technical aspects of radar systems. *sigh. It's a blast. Here's the link to the discord. 

https://discord.gg/JuBydbsfDn

 

 

Edited June 3, 2022 by Dscross

[CBStu]

I solve my problem with 7s by re-arming and swapping to 120s.

[Hammer1-1]

thats an expensive way out...you can do a lot with the AIM-7. Bracketing a target is a good thing - shoot one in LOFT and shoot another normally and the bandit will have to defend in 2 different directions. You cant really do that with the AMRAAM. The only real problem you have to solve for is how to maintain the lock. Learn how to work the radar by learning how to use its PRF and manage your altitude to be level or below that of your target and you should be fine.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Hammer1-1

[kotor633]

Hi,

first of all a big thank you to @Dscross & @Hammer1-1 for their tips. I will try to implement this in the FA-18C. But since we are currently on the topic of Sparrow (and I personally really like being on the road with FOX 1s in DCS) and we have had the AIM-7P since 06/08/22: do we have advantages if we use the AIM-7P in DCS? Which variant is simulated (Block I or Block II)? This was not in the changelogs. If you know if there are already posts about this in the forum, please let me know.

[Dscross]

On 6/28/2022 at 9:18 AM, CBStu said:

I solve my problem with 7s by re-arming and swapping to 120s.

Lol, that's like trying to stop smoking by taking up meth. Dosent really improve your health more, causes a whole new set of problems, and costs more.