MBot Posted July 31, 2005 Posted July 31, 2005 The aim of this topic is to discuss the problem and solutions of IFF in real life and applycations to our sim world. The problem of identity plays a major role in areal warfare and has so far been a bit underrepresented in flightsimulations. The most powerfull air-air missle is useless if you don't know if your target is a friend or a foe. During the Vietnam area BVR combat was therefore higly restricted and even today fighters can be forced to enter the WVR arena if the identity of a contact is uncertain. Being such an important factor in air-air combat, lets have a closer look at the subject of IFF. While we discuss the several methodes of IFF we will also discover that the subject has a close relation to AI in connection with flightsimulations. I don't know wich direction this thread will take or if there is even enough interest, but let me initiate the discussion with a list of the different methodes of IFF that I am aware of: -Visual ID This is the most basic form to determine the allegance of a bogey. If every electronical methode fails, you have to use your Mk1 Eyeball to tell plane type/markings of your contact. This raises the question if AIs in flightsims actualy have to ID their visual contacts or if they instantly know alliances. The player needs to be close enough to identifiy the type of plane and in a furball things tend to get confusing. The AI should suffer from the same limitations as the player. The need to visualy identify opens some very nice wingman tactics on intercept situations where one member plays the spotter while to other plays to shooter. Imagine to following situation: You are waiting on CAP stations when AWACS reports a inbound bogey and vectors you to intercept. AWACS tells you that it is unable to identifiy the bogey and that ROEs are to visualy identify. You order your wingman to execute the eyeball/shooter maneuver, where one member accelerates ahead, passes the bogey head on and IDs him, while the other stays behind to eventualy take out the bandit with a BVR shot ( the player decides the role he takes ). You see that the IFF problem can bring some exiting changes from the usual combat. -Visual ID trough telescope The next level of visual ID. Some fighters have telescopes installed to ID bogeys visual on longer range. Not used very much as far as I know. -IFF interogater To my basic knowlege, this is a device that sends out a encrypted signal out towards your contact that asks "who are you?". If the other plane is a friendly and has a compatible IFF transponder, it will read the encrypted signal and answer "i am a friendly". The problem with the system is, it can only differate between friendly and unknown. If the system receves an answer the contact is a friendly, if it dosn't get an answer the contact is unkown. It then could be either a hostile, neutral, a friendly with inoperative IFF transponder or just a unlucky airliner. So additional sources to ID ( per example intel ) would be necessary. -"Combat Tree" This is a some sort advanced, very nifty, top secret american IFF interogator. This system sends out the encrypted "asking signal" of your enemy, that triggers the hostile IFF transponder. So your target tells you "I am a Russian", beleving that it has been interogated by a other russian IFF system. The obvious problem with this system is of course, that you have to be in possession of the enemy secret IFF codes. The Iranians were extremly successfull with their Combat Tree equipped F-14 and F-4 in the first gulf war. The iraqi fighters of russian type were broadcasting plane type and even flight data without knowing that the Iranian fighters would receve this. Only the iraqi Mirage F-1EQ were unaffected, because Combat Tree could not interogate the french IFF system. Perhaps someone has a deeper insight into this very intersting piece of equippment. -"NCTR" Modern radar system can ID radar contacts by radar signature. The big limitation of this system is aspect angle ( I think high aspect ratio is needed ) and range. I think much of this technology is classified. -"AWACS" The most well known methode for passionated sim flyers. Ask AWACS who that bogey is. But how does AWACS knows the ID of the bogey ? I guess it is a combination of NCTR ( much stronger radar ), IFF and other methodes. Like monitoring enemy radio traffic or monitoring flight path ( takes off from a hostile airfield ). Still I guess that AWACS is not all knowing. Please feel free to make corrections and add to the list. This is just a first start for the discussion. 1
GGTharos Posted July 31, 2005 Posted July 31, 2005 VID - Still most common method of ID. VID through scope - yeah, not much used IFF - pretty common, but not always reliable COmbat Tree - Don't know anything about it, so ... AWACS - The AWACS crew know the flight plans and IFF squawk codes of all flights, that's how they know who you are. If you're not in your place, you might get a very nasty srurpise in the form of interceptors breathing down your neck, because at that point AWACS might not know who you are. AWACS doesn't use NCTR, as that method has specific requirements for working well (forward aspect to begin with, because it reads the fluctuation of the radar signature from the turbine blades, and range, so that you have a good signal - as well as an STT track for some time ... and AWACS is always pretty far away from the action anyway) [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Reminder: SAM = Speed Bump :D I used to play flight sims like you, but then I took a slammer to the knee - Yoda
MBot Posted August 1, 2005 Author Posted August 1, 2005 AWACS - The AWACS crew know the flight plans and IFF squawk codes of all flights, that's how they know who you are. If you're not in your place, you might get a very nasty srurpise in the form of interceptors breathing down your neck, because at that point AWACS might not know who you are. AWACS doesn't use NCTR, as that method has specific requirements for working well (forward aspect to begin with, because it reads the fluctuation of the radar signature from the turbine blades, and range, so that you have a good signal - as well as an STT track for some time ... and AWACS is always pretty far away from the action anyway) That is very interesting information, I didn't know that AWACS relays so heavily on frienldly flight plans.
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