SAMs on the SA page

[SharpeXB]

How exactly is the SA page populated with the SAM threat circles? RL or DCS? I assume it gets them from the donors RWRs? Sometimes the location shown for these doesn’t correspond to the F10 map or target locations in MP. 

[Minsky]

The RWR can only provide azimuth, not the distance.

Think of it as intelligence data. It displays "known locations" of most SAMs whenever neither of these boxes is checked:

[SharpeXB]

I would imagine IRL these are added in the mission planning for known threats. 

19 minutes ago, Minsky said:

The RWR can only provide azimuth, not the distance.

Couldn’t donors triangulate the position amongst each other? Seems possible but maybe not done. 
 

It looks like the answer to this question in DCS is that these are basically static. 

Edited September 11, 2022 by SharpeXB

[Harker]

How exactly is the SA page populated with the SAM threat circles? RL or DCS? I assume it gets them from the donors RWRs? Sometimes the location shown for these doesn’t correspond to the F10 map or target locations in MP. 

They're just static "icons" added during the mission planning phase, based on available intel. Just drawings, if you will. Their position does not update based on RWR data or any other sensor.

Sure, you can attempt to triangulate an emitter with multiple RWRs, but the IRL azimuth resolution is not as good as in DCS, so it's unlikely that the resulting position will be much of an improvement. It's also a risky endeavor, since SAM operators don't generally stay with their radars on, waiting for you to pinpoint their location. You can very well accidentally fly into a SAMs WEZ, if you're flying around or be ambushed by one.

In DCS, as stated above, they'll show up for enemy air defense units that aren't Hidden by the mission maker. Their location is based on the unit's location at the time of you spawning in your aircraft. So, if a SAM moves after you spawn, its position will not update and that's correct.

In some of my missions for our group, I like giving "imperfect" intel, so I might place a SAM group with Late Activation, that I never activate. It'll still populate the SA page with a ring (seems like a bug, but I take advantage of it). At the same time, I'll place the "real" SAM group somewhere close by and make it Hidden.

[AegisFX]

Harder I like your method of giving "faulty" Intel. I'm going to try that next time I'm in the editor!

[QuiGon]

15 hours ago, SharpeXB said:

Couldn’t donors triangulate the position amongst each other? Seems possible but maybe not done.

That's not really the purpose of a RWR, which are there to warn you, not to collect intel. There's specialized platforms for that, like the E/A-18G Growler and iirc in DCS we will get such a data link triangulation feature for the F-16 HTS pod.

Edited September 12, 2022 by QuiGon

[Bunny Clark]

On 9/11/2022 at 1:39 PM, SharpeXB said:

Couldn’t donors triangulate the position amongst each other? Seems possible but maybe not done. 

In theory, yes. That's basically what the HTS pod in the Viper does, and you can see a version of a top-down situational awareness page populated by real-time emitters on its HAD Page. The Hornet doesn't have an HTS pod, but its RWR system is better integrated with other aircraft systems. It doesn't take that kind of information and combine it with the SA Page though, nor does the Viper do so on its HSD Page. Integrating passive sensors, especially with other networked aircraft, and combining that information on a single unified display is a form of sensor fusion, and that is F-35 stuff.