What are data links and why can’t I lock them?

[Hell0]

Title

 

Is it available to have other aircraft send me contacts?

Edited June 14, 2023 by Hell0

[razo+r]

Datalink contact are contacts seen by other radars that transmit their location to you.

Depending on your radar setting, it can be that the contact is outside of your scanning volume. You can see the datalink contact of it but your radar doesn't see the contact itself and thus you cannot lock it.

[skywalker22]

You can only lock to contacts which are "visible" with yout onboard FCR (fire control radar). Datalink contacts are from AWACS and/or, as @razo+r explained, contacts from other aircrafts

Edited June 14, 2023 by skywalker22

[Hell0]

Why can’t My radar pin point a target being displayed by another?

[IanC58]

21 minutes ago, Hell0 said:

Why can’t My radar pin point a target being displayed by another?

You've been around long enough to have read the manual and surely to understand the basics of radar and data links

Edited June 14, 2023 by IanC58

[razo+r]

34 minutes ago, Hell0 said:

Why can’t My radar pin point a target being displayed by another?

Because you have to manually move the elevation of your dish to bring the shared contact within your scan volume. 

[QuiGon]

2 hours ago, Hell0 said:

Why can’t My radar pin point a target being displayed by another?

It can, IF the data-linked target is within your radards field of view. If the data-linked target is behind your aircraft or if there is a mountain between you, then your radar will of course not see it.

[darkman222]

On 6/14/2023 at 10:44 AM, Hell0 said:

Why can’t My radar pin point a target being displayed by another?

Because link16 contacts can be off for quite a lot of miles. Sometimes the real bandit is 1,5 nm in front of what data link shows. Imagine you'd be able to shoot at this bandit, but actually your Amraam is lagging 1,5 nm behind and killing the friendly who is chasing him.

[Aquorys]

3 hours ago, darkman222 said:

Because link16 contacts can be off for quite a lot of miles. Sometimes the real bandit is 1,5 nm in front of what data link shows. Imagine you'd be able to shoot at this bandit, but actually your Amraam is lagging 1,5 nm behind and killing the friendly who is chasing him.

That's not a Link 16 problem, that's an avionics limitation of the contributing platforms. Link 16 was designed with high precision time synchronization and high frequency updates in mind. Some more modern fighter aircraft that communicate via MIDS (which uses Link 16) are able to engage datalink targets.

[darkman222]

But why is it then that sometimes the AWACS can give a very precise picture and sometimes its just off, in best case or worst case just drifting around? The F16 at least has a MIDS knob than can be enabledthat

[skywalker22]

9 minutes ago, darkman222 said:

But why is it then that sometimes the AWACS can give a very precise picture and sometimes its just off, in best case or worst case just drifting around? The F16 at least has a MIDS knob than can be enabledthat

Maybe it is turning (it is banked), and that's why there is no good signal from it. We did tests in the past, and there are glitches of awacs in DCS. Do not know how this is IRL.

Edited June 15, 2023 by skywalker22

[void68]

Sorry, perhaps I misunderstand. A data link share isn't shown on your HSD or FCR! It's just a waypoint you receive from your wingman. Check for it around WP600 and upwards for each data unit you got (on HUD something like "DATA"). You have to push the approbiate MSD button called "L16" or something to enable data transfer and receive, I forgot the correct name and I'm not at my PC ATM. Then you "IFF OUT" on your TQS and your flight (check network settings in the DED) gets the waypoint.

Ideal for sending ground targets' locations to your wingmen *not* for telling your wingmen what aerial target you attack! The latter is handled automatically between you, AWACS and back to your wingmen. No AWACS and non of that data is shared. For L16 (what I believe to be that waypoint share network) data share you don't need no AWACS.

Edited July 4, 2023 by void68