A/A Radar Locking Wrong Target

Over the last couple weeks I've noticed that when I lock an air to air target it will jump to another target outside the cursors instead of the one they're on. This has happened multiple times recently for no reason.

My process for locking a target begins with pointing in their direction, when available getting a bogie dope mainly for altitude but to confirm bearing/aspect as well. If I'm on a server and comms are flooded I'll make the SA page SOI, slide my cursor over the D/L provided contact and get altitude. After which I switch back to radar adjust antenna elevation and TDC depress to lock. For whatever reason, many times it locks a completely different target and most times a friendly one. The only thing I can see causing this is bad D/L data showing the contacts bullseye position. However I'm sure if I just used AWACS BRAA calls to find them on radar without using the SA page to get there more quickly it would put me in the right spot. Is it possible my bullseye setting is off?

This has only started happening recently and I've been flying the 18 since it was released. With the Viper to be released soon I've begun using my bullseye in the jet, whereas I didn't before.

Anyone else having this issue?

I think I answered my own question but will leave the thread up for comment. When I have IFF and Data Link enabled, AWACS and I assume, friendly units with data link are sending me contacts. Originally the D/L contacts were on the SA page but now they are also on the radar screen. Typically if I roll my cursor over the D/L linked contact on radar I can't lock it because I don't have the radar scanning the right altitude. So using the above method to get the right altitude I try and lock the target but it goes to another target not in the brackets. However, if I wait a second or more I see the altitude pop up on the right of the bracketed contact. At this point, if I lock the target it's almost always right. If I lock early I'm guessing the radar has not swept enough to resolve the contact and instead auto locks whatever contact it does see.

This became an issue after flying online with EWRS enabled for several months. Without it, I found I was always looking for the altitude to scan. Using the SA page to get altitude then switch back to radar is very quick but you still have to wait for the radar to resolve the target before locking.

Yes, currently if there's no onboard track (target your radar has found) directly under the cursor, it ignores the distance at which your cursor is positioned and locks the first thing it sees at the cursor's azimuth, which could be something dozens of miles behind or in front your intended target. It shouldn't work like this but for now it does.

I also believe the radar should have the capability to adjust itself automatically if you command a lock on a MSI trackfile that's not detected by your own radar (donated contact that appears on the radar scope). The MC knows the BRA of the target (because you got it through the Datalink) and feeds this information to the radar that in turn adjusts itself for correct antenna elevation etc.

We don't have that in the sim yet, but it's reported to the devs and they'll look into whether this is true for our version of the Hornet.

Awesome. Thanks for the confirmation!

To be clear, the radar doesn't currently use any range discrimination while locking in DCS. This has been acknowledged in the bug forum.

So even if you click on an ownship detected brick, the radar may still lock something further, nearer or slightly to the side. Even if the contact is way off your scope, like a tanker 150 miles away.

Another thing is that IRL the radar is able to adjust itself automatically if you command a lock on a MSI trackfile that's not detected by your own radar (donated contact that appears on the radar scope). The MC knows the BRA of the target (because you got it through the Datalink) and feeds this information to the radar that in turn adjusts itself for correct antenna elevation etc.

We don't have that in the sim yet, but it's reported.

Ohhhhh man that would be so sweet.

After last update, there are not square or diamond when lock targets when using 120C/B. Has anyone else faced same issue?

I get both but I'll get a square on a hostile instead of a diamond until the radar has a confirmed lock. Only then will it go to a diamond. I don't have this problem inside of 10NM using boresight. I would really like having the vertical scan in ACM mode work as well.

Radar is just not good enough. I target hostile and I kill friendly time and again.

Radar is just not good enough. I target hostile and I kill friendly time and again.

Is your target a confirmed hostile (diamond oh the HUD, red diamond/chevron on the radar display and the SA page)?

Would be great if we had a declare option as well

Would be great if we had a declare option as well

Would be, as it's realistic, but you can simply place your TDC over the target for a second and in LTWS (or hit SCS Depress in STT) and it'll run an IFF check on the target. If the same target is declared hostile by the AWACS, it'll turn into a red diamond on your radar scope. So it's the same thing in the end and it's quicker than comms.

Is your target a confirmed hostile (diamond oh the HUD, red diamond/chevron on the radar display and the SA page)?

Yesterday I fired a hostile (diamond/chevron) and killed friendly. I'm getting very unstable results.

As I wrote before AACQ is not locking hostile only friendly (or I simply don't know to use it).

ACM is working to some degree.

Yesterday I fired a hostile (diamond/chevron) and killed friendly. I'm getting very unstable results.

 

As I wrote before AACQ is not locking hostile only friendly (or I simply don't know to use it).

 

 

 

ACM is working to some degree.

Was that in MP? Could it have been someone who forgot to turn on their IFF transponder?

AACQ is weird alright, but it doesn't only lock friendlies in my experience. I think that it currently locks up the first target it finds, but it certainly acts inconsistently.

Yesterday I fired a hostile (diamond/chevron) and killed friendly. I'm getting very unstable results.

As I wrote before AACQ is not locking hostile only friendly (or I simply don't know to use it).

 

ACM is working to some degree.

What happened to me, red bandit, disappears, no planes around in miles, after 10 minutes loiter I lock a plane, diamond, then goes from diamond to 'bogey', fox 3, its a friendly .. pfff

BTW set up a test mission, J11 coming at me from 25nm until 4 miles, unlimited weapons 120C, locking, fire 6x 120C from distance, AI J11 cranks down, then six more closing , then six more, then six more, shot at about 4 miles, of 24x 120C .. pffffffffffffffff wth

This problem with locking targets seems to be getting worse. I'm not new at the 18 and have flown at least 100 hours in it almost all online. Tonight on our squad server, I'm hot on a 29 at 15 miles, he's hot, PRF set to INT, angels known and dialed in. I can see his D/L contact in red but the radar will not resolve it. I keep locking the trailer. over and over this is happening. If he hostile was notching I can understand but even then in INT, at some point when it scans medium PRF it should lock it up.

I really only fly online unless I'm testing VR settings. Could it be a data connection issue or are others having issues in single player as well?

Was that in MP?

Yes

Could it have been someone who forgot to turn on their IFF transponder?

Can't tell

Yes

 

 

 

 

 

Can't tell

Or you shot in furball situation where hostile and friendly got mix then AIM-120 gone pitbull and picked friendly instead. It happens on me alot in MP.

That is semi-correct. The datalink is used to sort the target correctly and defeat many types of ECM (though the fact that the seeker operates in MPRF once pitbull probably has a huge effect also). At this point, the DL is not needed - if the missile loses its target though, it might refer to DL info if its recent enough.

The acquisition stages for the ARH (or SARH even) missiles are not modeled, so most of this stuff is not applicable to DCS.

It's so frustrating though... From what info I've found online, IRL the AIM-120 doesn't ignore the datalink after going pitbull, just uses its own radar in conjuction with the aircraft's one, making guidance even more effective during the terminal stage. The 120 in the game really needs that.

It's so frustrating though... From what info I've found online, IRL the AIM-120 doesn't ignore the datalink after going pitbull, just uses its own radar in conjuction with the aircraft's one, making guidance even more effective during the terminal stage. The 120 in the game really needs that.

Even if they implement this, there's no guarantee that the 120 won't switch to a friendly. All you need is the 'right circumstances', same goes for sparrow. But yeah, it would probably require a major overhaul to make it all work like this.

There's always a risk, but it should at least make the missile more reliable, so we don't need to carry the AIM-7. We kinda opened a can of worms, I'm already thinking about terminal guidance changes, Pro-Nav for the 120, lofting profiles. Sigh...

Btw, proportional navigation was only implemented for the AIM-7, while the 120 still doesn't have it, right?

There's always a risk, but it should at least make the missile more reliable, so we don't need to carry the AIM-7. We kinda opened a can of worms, I'm already thinking about terminal guidance changes, Pro-Nav for the 120, lofting profiles. Sigh...

Btw, proportional navigation was only implemented for the AIM-7, while the 120 still doesn't have it, right?

The 120's guidance has been changed for the worse the last time it was touched maybe a year or so ago which made it have even less effective range than it used to. Currently both 120s have a minuscule NEZ.

Latest info we have on this is that the AMRAAM will be getting overhauled sometime in the next year according to nineline. We can speculate it might get an updated flight model and more clever guidance somewhat like what the Sparrow has now.