How often do you use ECM?

[bloomstomb]

What i mean is, how often do you have to press the button?

 

Im reconfiguring my setup :)

[dooom]

as soon as my RWR starts chirping the ECM goes on.

[badger66]

Not always the best thing to do . When FC3 comes out with fighters , your ECM will give them a lead as to where you are ..... your RWR is passive , and can detect signals . Best is to find away around whats looking for you ..... chaff & flares is however another matter .

[dooom]

Yeah I agree fc3 is different... In fact, in fc2, I never use ECM in the 27 online.... Different spectrums for me ATM.

[sobek]

Whenever i get locked by a tracking radar.

[Rongor]

as soon as my RWR starts chirping the ECM goes on.

Don't do that. At this stage, your RWR starts to receive the enemy's transmissions. That doesnt tell at all wether your radar reflections ever reach the enemy's listening post. Remember the signal has only reached half of its journey, when your RWR detects it at first.

If you use ECM at this moment, propability is high your ECM transmissions illuminate yourself, maybe causing to initially appear on the enemy's listening stations, having been stealth before.

Better do it like sobek. Wait for the audible RWR alerting a lock. The enemy is then undoubtedly aware of your presence and an attack on you is likely. Then it's time for ECM. This will hopefully keep the lock broken long enough to get you the time to do your thing:pilotfly:

[Eddie]

The ECM in DCS A10C is modelled a bit closer to reality in that unlike previous sims it will only "turn on" when it can actually jam a threat, ie when you are actually being tracked. Attempting to enable the SPJ at any other time will result in it switching itself off after a few seconds as there is simply nothing for it to jam.

[ENO]

Okay this thread came at a good time as I wanted to take that question a little bit further.

 

Quite often I'm reading advice and seeing videos that recommend you don't evade prematurely- take a moment to get your bearings on the missile plume (seems to take a few seconds)... then start maneuvering (put it on your 3-9 etc) and releasing countermeasures. Is there a point in this dance where getting the jammer going will be more effective?

 

Best to jam on track prior to launch? Best to jam when the launch is detected? Best to jam as you are releasing other countermeasures and maneuvering? Or... just jam- if the jammer is running then all good?

 

I was asking this over in the other thread... but I figured this one may get more qualified attention.

 

 

Thanks also for pointing out that it only shuts off if it has nothing to jam- that part had me a bit concerned that while I'm trying to remember 10 different things and maintain situational awareness, I ALSO had to kick my CMS switch every 10-15 seconds.

[159th_Viper]

Is there a point in this dance where getting the jammer going will be more effective?

 

No.

 

The launch proves that you are well within burn-through range, ie the SAM is tracking you irrespective of your ECM.

[ENO]

Assuming I've not yet started jamming- not to pick at semantics. Unless you're saying that the radars modeled in the sim will burn through our jammers if they're within range to launch?

 

 

 

My question asked in the other thread was a bit more detailed:

 

"On another note I would like to learn a little bit more about the proper time to start "jamming" and how its effects are modelled in the game. Is the jammer "blocked" at all by the side of your aircraft? Would radars on the opposite side of your jammer have a better chance to see through your jamming or is that not a factor? When is the best time to activate your jammer? During tracking prior to launch? Immediately after launch? When you start deploying Chaff and begin maneuvering? When I watch the jamming in the video above, it seems a bit random if only because the jammer turns itself off every 10 seconds and I think the guy either forgets to turn it back on- or has a tactic he doesn't fully describe.

 

Do the SAMs in the sim have Home on Jam capability- which would deter us from running it too early / too long? I've been reading about the SAM simulator and though I'm certain the SAM model isn't as intricate as that, is there any other disadvantage to operating the jammer continuously (turning it back on every 10 seconds or so once tracking starts or as radar appears?) At a certain range, radars will "burn through" even the best jammer... For the SAMs modelled in the sim- could it be taken for granted that this burn through could occur while within MAV's maximum range? (8.8 miles to lock approximately).

 

I have been building confidence flying in the SAM environment but these questions keep me guessing as to what the best tactics are combining maneuvering, jamming and decoys."

 

Not sure if it helps or not- but worth a shot for clarity.

[159th_Viper]

Assuming I've not yet started jamming- not to pick at semantics. Unless you're saying that the radars modeled in the sim will burn through our jammers if they're within range to launch?

 

To put it as simply as possible: ECM will just reduce the range at which the SAM obtains a hard lock, ie goes from search to track. The range at launch will always be the same, irrespective of whether you use ECM or not. As such, ECM is by and large useless when utilized against A.I.

 

Definitely has it's uses against human fast-jet jockeys, but that's another discussion altogether.

[Eddie]

ECM as modelled at present is largely useless, and doesn't even come close to slightly approximating what ECM does in reality. It is one of the few aspects of DCS that is still very much of a "game" rather than "sim" nature.

 

To be honest I, at least, couldn't suggest any tactics for ECM usage, because it quite simply doesn't behave like ECM should.

 

It may (I say may because I've never got around to detailed ECM testing the Hog) reduce the range at which a SAM can obtain a track, but given that the current SAM AI likes to start tracking target well outside launch range anyway I honestly believe that, as modelled at present, ECM in DCS is mostly a placebo. It certainly doesn't do what it should, but then nor do the things ECM is designed to defend against.

[ENO]

Knowing that now- I think I'd rather the ai launch at me when I'm further away anyway. Sounds like ECM - if it functions as you describe here- would hinder you more than help you.

[WildBillKelsoe]

whenever a digit turns to a polygon or a circle..

[159th_Viper]

Knowing that now- I think I'd rather the ai launch at me when I'm further away anyway....

 

Used to be that the A.I. launched at RMAX. Thankfully that is not the case any more - a small yet vital step on the road to getting SAMs to function properly.