Su-25T IR Jammer: Does it work?

[seikdel]

In an effort to understand more about this odd plane that I've been flying, I ran a few tests yesterday on the IR jammer. My question was this: Does it work, and if so, is there any reason to ever fly without it on?

 

I started with a Su-25T flying 400km/h at 300m AGL. I had 4 MANPADS: 2 Strelas, 2 Stingers. Each missile had 1 operator with average skill and 1 with excellent.

 

My findings:

Operator skill only affects acquisition time, not missile tracking capability (as it should).

 

The IR jammer, which is located on the tail of the plane facing back, is very effective. It consistently defeated 5/6 of the SAMs when they were fired at the rear of the plane as it was flying away. The missiles veered off course, missing the plane by anywhere from a couple of meters out to ~30m.

 

The IR jammer loses effectiveness when the missiles are coming from any other direction. This makes sense because the thing faces backwards and obviously can't do much when you have a missile coming at you from 12 o'clock.

 

Interestingly enough, the IR jammer isn't very effective when the missiles are fired from a 4 or 8 o'clock position. I believe this is because the SAMs calculate such a strong lead that, by the time they approach, they aren't coming from the rear aspect of the plane; they're pretty much coming at it laterally.

 

The IR jammer had no effect whatsoever on MANPAD acquisition time. They took exactly the same amount of time to acquire and fire regardless of whether the jammer was turned on or off.

 

I only was able to do extremely limited testing of A2A missiles. I'll try to play with this a little more later on.

 

So my question is this: Is there ever any reason to turn it off? I know that with ECM, flipping it on announces your presence to the neighborhood. With the IR jammer, OTOH, you've already got 2 turbofans pumping out enough heat to barbecue a cow, so it seems like the IR jammer isn't going to add enough to make you more detectable.

 

Thoughts? Comments? Experience?

[159th_Falcon]

Personally i always put it on when fencing in (entering area of operations)

And i turn it off when fencing out (leaving area of operations)

 

Then again, as far as the sim goes, might ass well turn it on on start up and never look at it again.

[RvETito]

AFAIK the rotating IR beams form a trailing cone with angle of 60 degrees. I've noticed that within this angle A2A missiles are spoofed relatively easy. Personally I always have it on. It only affects missiles in the sim while it should make EOS' almost blind if they track you from behind but it's not modeled.

[Boberro]

I have it always on, it works greatly. Often you don't have to spoof flares when running away from the target area. Planes can't kill you via IR missiles (ET, T, 73) and are forced to use radar ones which can be avoided by spamming chaffs :D

[159th_Viper]

My personal EWR......When you hear that 'BOOM' followed by the 'Fcuk that was close' thought that rockets through then you know you've arrived in the KZ :D

[Britchot]

My personal EWR......When you hear that 'BOOM' followed by the 'Fcuk that was close' thought that rockets through then you know you've arrived in the KZ :D

 

That sums it up for me. I ran a flight last night and with zzzSpace's sound mod I literally jumped in my seat.

 

To the OP, great find. Thank you very much for testing this out in a controlled environment. My "tests" are generally OJT...

[seikdel]

Personally i always put it on when fencing in (entering area of operations)

And i turn it off when fencing out (leaving area of operations)

What else do you do to fence in in the Su-25T? There's no master arm or communications to speak of. I suppose Emcon with the navigation lights. Do you start autodispensing countermeasures?

 

It only affects missiles in the sim while it should make EOS' almost blind if they track you from behind but it's not modeled.

Newb question: What's EOS?

 

To the OP, great find. Thank you very much for testing this out in a controlled environment. My "tests" are generally OJT...

Ayup! That's what I'm here for =)

 

Oh, one other question. EWR == RWR? Or are they different?

[GrimDeath]

 

Newb question: What's EOS?

 

 

 

http://www.deagel.com/Navigation-and-Targeting-Systems/OEPS-27_a001912002.aspx

[159th_Viper]

Do you start autodispensing countermeasures?

 

Don't do that unless you are specifically engaging a threat and you are not sure about air defences. You stand out like a Christmas Tree popping flares and will attract unwanted attention, especially on public servers.

 

 

Oh, one other question. EWR == RWR? Or are they different?

 

EWR = Early Warning Radar.

 

RWR = Radar Warning Receiver.

 

Yes, they are different.