LTWS vs TWS

Whats the differnce betweeen LTWS and TWS?

Track While Scan (TWS) basically builds a track file of every contact with all the info the system needs to support a weapon to engage that target (AIM-120 etc). In order for this info to be accurate enough to do that the radar has to sweep the target within a certain rate, like one sweep per two seconds just as an example. The radar can only sweep so fast so in order to achieve the minimum rate you either limit the azimuth and/or elevation limits of the search volume. This limits the total volume of airspace you can search, but it gives you good tracks to work with.

However track info is very handy for other things beyond supporting a weapon. All sorts of information like heading, altitude, azimuth, range, speed, IFF, type, can all be stored in the track. This is what Latent Track While Scan (LTWS) can give you. You get the benefits of a track file for the contacts (Although not accurate enough for a weapon engagement) without having to limit the total radar search volume as much. LTWS is accessible in the normal Range While Search (RWS) mode.

So as I understood in LTWS/TWS mode we will be abble to track and shoot 3 targets simultaneously? Or am I wrong?

So as I understood in LTWS/TWS mode we will be abble to track and shoot 3 targets simultaneously? Or am I wrong?

Wags stated that the data built from LTWS is not good enough for a weapon launch on any of the targeted units.

"It will be important to remember that LTWS has rather poor update for the weapons, so it cannot support a weapons launch"

He does say something about the Launch and Steering "L&S" track file, but I am not sure if that even allows for weapons employment

So whats for it LTWS then?

LTWS is basically a "soft lock". You hover over the contact on the radar and it gives you speed, alt and direction. The bandit does not know you are "soft" locking them.

So whats for it LTWS then?

As I understand it, LTWS is like a slower updating version of TWS that doesn’t support weapons solutions, but is able to maintain a much larger scan volume than TWS.

Track While Scan (TWS) basically builds a track file of every contact with all the info the system needs to support a weapon to engage that target (AIM-120 etc). In order for this info to be accurate enough to do that the radar has to sweep the target within a certain rate, like one sweep per two seconds just as an example. The radar can only sweep so fast so in order to achieve the minimum rate you either limit the azimuth and/or elevation limits of the search volume. This limits the total volume of airspace you can search, but it gives you good tracks to work with.

 

However track info is very handy for other things beyond supporting a weapon. All sorts of information like heading, altitude, azimuth, range, speed, IFF, type, can all be stored in the track. This is what Latent Track While Scan (LTWS) can give you. You get the benefits of a track file for the contacts (Although not accurate enough for a weapon engagement) without having to limit the total radar search volume as much. LTWS is accessible in the normal Range While Search (RWS) mode.

Thanks for that summary. That did a great job of explaining it to me anyway! :thumbup:

Are bandits alerted (RWRish) to being tracked via TWS mode?

Are bandits alerted (RWRish) to being tracked via TWS mode?

No

Are bandits alerted (RWRish) to being tracked via TWS mode?

No

Are bandits alerted (RWRish) to being tracked via TWS mode?

... LTWS is accessible in the normal Range While Search (RWS) mode.

Are you sure about that? It makes no sense because the RWS mode delivers less information than the TWS mode. RWS only delivers range between you and target but does not deliver information about the bearing, speed and so on so it should not get enough information for the LTWS which seems to be usual TWS with the addon of constant IFF checking.

This would also make sense if you look at the fact that TWS is able to track 8 targets, while you can only track 3 targets with LTWS because you would have to do usual TWS plus IFF in every pass through the targets.

LTWS in RWS is on the Hornet right now, and has been for a while. Wags can explain it better. Skip forward to 6:04.

RWS and TWS both create trackfiles in the exact same way. TWS simply allows for weapon launch and has some scan limiting features to ensure a high update rate. LTWS is a option for RWS; it's best to think of it as display option opposed to a separate mode.

RWS and TWS get the exact information about trackfiles. Weapon launch of AMRAAMs is simply inhibited in RWS I assume because of the large scan volume which can make trackfiles pretty low-update.

RWS does not track 3 trackfiles. It creates a maximum of 10. 3 is just the maximum amount you can view at a time on the RDR ATTK format. The SA format shows all of them.

RWS and TWS both create trackfiles in the exact same way. TWS simply allows for weapon launch and has some scan limiting features to ensure a high update rate. LTWS is a option for RWS; it's best to think of it as display option opposed to a separate mode.

 

RWS and TWS get the exact information about trackfiles. Weapon launch of AMRAAMs is simply inhibited in RWS I assume because of the large scan volume which can make trackfiles pretty low-update.

 

RWS does not track 3 trackfiles. It creates a maximum of 10. 3 is just the maximum amount you can view at a time on the RDR ATTK format. The SA format shows all of them.

But if you want to do the IFF request in every pass LTWS i think it will be limited to 3 because of that as i understand it. It should also be imited to 3 then on SA page!? :dunno:

I will have a look about the RWS Mode in F-14 next time. I am more often flying F-14 and only sometimes as RIO. I wonder why the RWS mode does not only deliver ranges as it does in usual Pulse mode and would give ranges, azimuth and elevation about all contacts which would need less calculation power if you could display echos and their distance without any information on track and speed. It would also solve the problem with the PD filter at similar speeds. If not there would only be Pulse search as singe pulse search mode while PD search, RWS, and TWS would all use pulse doppler modes!

But if you want to do the IFF request in every pass LTWS i think it will be limited to 3 because of that as i understand it. It should also be imited to 3 then on SA page!? :dunno:

 

I will have a look about the RWS Mode in F-14 next time. I am more often flying F-14 and only sometimes as RIO. I wonder why the RWS mode does not only deliver ranges as it does in usual Pulse mode and would give ranges, azimuth and elevation about all contacts which would need less calculation power if you could display echos and their distance without any information on track and speed. It would also solve the problem with the PD filter at similar speeds. If not there would only be Pulse search as singe pulse search mode while PD search, RWS, and TWS would all use pulse doppler modes!

I don't exactly understand what you mean with IFF. The IFF antenna will interrogate any trackfile upon cursoring over on the Attack Radar or cursoring over and pressing SCS depress on the SA. There is no limit.

I'm not entirely familiar with the F-14's radar. But the way to think about the Hornet's is that both RWS and TWS function in the way you'd imagine a general "TWS" mode to work. In the Hornet, TWS just limits the scan, allows for AMRAAM guidance, and has some other functions like Raid Assessment.

I don't exactly understand what you mean with IFF. The IFF antenna will interrogate any trackfile upon cursoring over on the Attack Radar or cursoring over and pressing SCS depress on the SA. There is no limit.

 

I'm not entirely familiar with the F-14's radar. But the way to think about the Hornet's is that both RWS and TWS function in the way you'd imagine a general "TWS" mode to work. In the Hornet, TWS just limits the scan, allows for AMRAAM guidance, and has some other functions like Raid Assessment.

As i understood LTWS is TWS (or RWS) with the addon of identification and marking of contacts as friendly (without manual extra checking). So, it might be done as usual while the radar is running "over" the reflection in any pass/circle and analysing track and in LTWS it seems to also do IFF in an addon step or any similar way to do friend/foe ident... wasn't the difference in LTWS the identification or which is the function now?

I may have understood wrong and the main feature of LWTS is somehing else!?

As i understood LTWS is TWS (or RWS) with the addon of identification and marking of contacts as friendly (without manual extra checking). So, it might be done as usual while the radar is running "over" the reflection in any pass/circle and analysing track and in LTWS it seems to also do IFF in an addon step or any similar way to do friend/foe ident... wasn't the difference in LTWS the identification or which is the function now?

 

I may have understood wrong and the main feature of LWTS is somehing else!?

The main feature of LTWS is that it allows you to see the trackfiles generated by RWS on the RDR ATTK format for better surveillance. Without LTWS you only see the raw bricks in RWS.

No, this is a very minor feature to LTWS and I would asssume TWS. It IFF interrogates any trackfile places under the cursor on the RDR ATTK as opposed to having to press Sensor Control Switch depress. A minor user interface feature.

 

The main feature of LTWS is that it allows you to see the trackfiles generated by RWS on the RDR ATTK format for better surveillance. Without LTWS you only see the raw bricks in RWS.

Ah Ok, i thought it would do IFF by itself as part of the gained "Track" information of every plane that the TWS/RWS is following. It seems to be very different than the F-14 Design which i am more common with. In my opinion there could be done a lot of improvements to the sensors in modern fighters. One example is the selection and display of information about threats on RWR.

I nearly could not believe that is is so inaccurate, when i got to know what it displays some years ago. For me it would make sense to display a lot more information of threats, in fact a 3D display where they are and i second how dangerous the threat is. It should be easy to receive these information with triangulation and good antennas. I don't know if this chaged in next generation jets but i would prefer kind of 3D display of the whole picture around me with every information in it or easily avaible, a kind of special SA Page.