How to track a radio signal from ground troops with the Apache

[Toxocara]

Anyone know how to track down a radio signal sent by ground troops with the Apache?

[Raptor9]

The only frequencies it can do this with is with AM freqs below 2.2 MHz, those used by NDBs and AM broadcast stations. These are well below the freqs used by ground forces, so it pretty much has no such capability.

[Rogue Trooper]

Is this also affected by the chaff & flare dispenser controller?

perhaps the radio beacon is nullified as the Chaff/flare dispenser using the same signal pathway. 

Edited May 25, 2022 by Rogue Trooper

[Raptor9]

What?

[Rogue Trooper]

20 minutes ago, Raptor9 said:

What?

Perhaps my shooting from the hip diagnostics was wrong then.

But I am sure the chaff flare control panel uses the same path ways that the ADF signal homing does... an upgrade thing I believe.... maybe...?.. he he!

Or am I just totally wrong!

Edited May 25, 2022 by Rogue Trooper

[Coldwarrior000]

You're off the mark on this one.

 

[Rogue Trooper]

It happens.... but I am right about the ADF homing frequencies.

You will get no homing frequency from ADF whilst the chaff/flare auto dispenser uses the pathway for auditory warnings.

Edited May 25, 2022 by Rogue Trooper

[Raptor9]

The missile warning system simply uses the ADF audio channel to relay its own audio warnings. It has nothing to do with the ADF picking up radio transmissions or giving steering signals to them.

However, as I mentioned above, ground forces don't operate on those frequencies, so the answer to the question of the OP is "No, because the AH-64D has no systems that can get a bearing on the freqs that would be used."

[Rogue Trooper]

Good to know.

Weird though for a ground attack / CAS chopper do you not think?

Edited May 25, 2022 by Rogue Trooper

[Raptor9]

1 minute ago, Rogue Trooper said:

Weird though for a ground attack / CAS chopper do you not think?

Why?

[Rogue Trooper]

That  the intimate close air support Apache can not track ground force coms?

Well yeah, I think it is funny. 

But it is what it is I guess.

[Raptor9]

8 minutes ago, Rogue Trooper said:

That  the intimate close air support Apache can not track ground force coms?

The AH-64 wasn't designed as a close air support aircraft. It was designed to be a maneuver element in the combined arms ground battle, primarily to offset the much larger ground force that the Warsaw Pact countries possessed. There is no need to get bearings to radio transmissions of friendly units in such a fight because the crews would be taking on large enemy armor formations, ideally before they even encountered friendly lines. Even if they did, they would probably just be directed by higher echelons where to go and who to contact when they arrive at that location, not sent on missions to locate units that are in contact with enemy forces. They are more like aerial artillery batteries than CAS aircraft.

Other countries may use them as CAS, and outfit them with different equipment to suit that nation's doctrine, but they weren't designed for that role, despite taking on that role in recent years.

Besides, if they are already talking to a ground force on the radio, they can just ask "What's your location?"

Edited May 25, 2022 by Raptor9

[Rogue Trooper]

For sure this is true for the AH-64A, and fundamentally I also view this machine in all upgrades in this way. It is fundamentally an anti armour platform. 

Is our modelled D Apache a bit too early for the ground troop equipment that came or is our 64 too advanced?

Edited May 25, 2022 by Rogue Trooper

[rcjonessnp175]

Had D over head in Iraq in 2007 no Apaches track our radio signals…..  we talk to them and being mostly at night Ir pointer and other ir tools used to see us….

[Rogue Trooper]

Now that would be cool in DCS!.

[Raptor9]

36 minutes ago, Rogue Trooper said:

Is our modelled D Apache a bit too early for the ground troop equipment that came or is our 64 too advanced?

This sort of thing is simply not how air support (CAS or otherwise) is meant to be coordinated on the battlefield, therefore such equipment isn't installed on a lot of aircraft outside of those types that take part in search and rescue operations. The entire premise is false.

A lot of such technology and/or methodology can also be easily exploited by the enemy.  The North Vietnamese did this a lot in the 60's/70's.

Edited May 26, 2022 by Raptor9

[Toxocara]

Thanks for all the info. was going to build it into a mission where the Apache would track down enemy radio signals from unknown locations. will do a work around on this as it could then be a relay from a ground unit guiding the Apache to a radio signal track.

The Huey has this function though and thought the Apache could do this in a similar fashion.

Again, thanks for all the info, appreciated.

[Bananabrai]

On 5/25/2022 at 10:37 PM, Raptor9 said:

The only frequencies it can do this with is with AM freqs below 2.2 MHz, those used by NDBs and AM broadcast stations. These are well below the freqs used by ground forces, so it pretty much has no such capability.

Where can I set this in the Apache? Normally I am used to NDB in kHz units btw. 

Want to use it to find a ship in DCS, should be possible, or is it not? 

[Poptart]

On the 

3 hours ago, Bananabrai said:

Where can I set this in the Apache? Normally I am used to NDB in kHz units btw. 

Want to use it to find a ship in DCS, should be possible, or is it not? 

On the TSD. Using the INST function. 

[Bananabrai]

On 9/13/2022 at 1:05 PM, Poptart said:

On the TSD. Using the INST function. 

Found it, thanks!