Laser spot search with F-18 and F-14

[Gun Jam]

Hello

Flying online with a friend a common thing is for me to find a target for him and he uses the Hornet's LSS and finds the target I have designated for him

1) We are using a unique laser code set by me in the f14 on startup

2) He enters the laser code

3) I find the target and get range data for it

4) he looks for target and sometimes its no issue. In one minute I can send him 6 targets and we have 6 weapons away. Sometimes Finding my laser seems almost impossible but operating conditions dont seem too different...

My guess is im overlooking an important step that we get right sometimes and sometimes not. What is required by both planes in order to get a reliable LSS return for the hornet? How much does altitude matter? How much does his distance from me matter? How much does my distance from the target matter... If Im getting range data back is that as good as it gets???

 

Thanks

[QuiGon]

On 1/13/2024 at 2:18 AM, Gun Jam said:

Hello

Flying online with a friend a common thing is for me to find a target for him and he uses the Hornet's LSS and finds the target I have designated for him

1) We are using a unique laser code set by me in the f14 on startup

2) He enters the laser code

3) I find the target and get range data for it

4) he looks for target and sometimes its no issue. In one minute I can send him 6 targets and we have 6 weapons away. Sometimes Finding my laser seems almost impossible but operating conditions dont seem too different...

My guess is im overlooking an important step that we get right sometimes and sometimes not. What is required by both planes in order to get a reliable LSS return for the hornet? How much does altitude matter? How much does his distance from me matter? How much does my distance from the target matter... If Im getting range data back is that as good as it gets???

 

Thanks

Lasers in DCS only have a limited range. IIRC that range was like 9nm, but that might have been incresead a while ago. If you really want to be sure your laser actually reaches the target, make sure you're within 9nm.

[bonesvf103]

I think also it is modeled in DCS that you have to consider the aspect of the laser spot.  For example, if your laser i lasing on the rear side of a vehicle, and your buddy is approaching from the front side of the vehicle, his TPOD won't see the spot because the spot is on the other  side of the vehicle.

Then there is of course smoke and clouds and trees etc that will disrupt or weaken the intensity of the laser or just plain block it.

Now I wish we had the opposite--the LANTRIN being able to find a buddy's laser.  But can't have everything I guess.

v6,

boNes

[QuiGon]

On 1/15/2024 at 8:56 PM, bonesvf103 said:

I think also it is modeled in DCS that you have to consider the aspect of the laser spot.  For example, if your laser i lasing on the rear side of a vehicle, and your buddy is approaching from the front side of the vehicle, his TPOD won't see the spot because the spot is on the other  side of the vehicle.

Hmm, I'm not sure if that is modeled in DCS. I have lased targets from the opposite side of my wingmen who was tracking the laser on the vehicle multiple times and never had any issues doing so.

  

On 1/15/2024 at 8:56 PM, bonesvf103 said:

Then there is of course smoke and clouds and trees etc that will disrupt or weaken the intensity of the laser or just plain block it.

Smoke and clouds definitely don't affect lasers in DCS (yet). It's actually listed in the current DCS newsletter as something that is being worked on.

Edited January 17, 2024 by QuiGon

[Gun Jam]

So perhaps getting range data from the laser isn't modeled as being suitable for acquisition (a good guess would be if Im getting target range then it should be valid) but its instead based on is it more than 9nm or not.

Ill test this out!

Thanks

-Gun