While some sources considered PL-12 as AIM-120C-5 equivalents, my understanding is that it was AAM-4B that was speculated to be AIM-120C-5 equivalent (in terms of range), not the original AAM-4.
PL-12 definitely feels (when you face it) that it pulls quicker and harder off the rail, 120s feel pedestrian.
BVR is so easy to defeat them you have to close within 20km and even then you are at far more risk of a MICA-EM or R-77-1. No one is flying high and even the jets that are just defend them by turning cold (Which does help the team but doesn’t help you) This is incredibly controversial but it isn’t in the top 3 of MRAAMs in top tier meta right now.
F-15Es are no longer getting kills either, it is all Su-30SM and Rafales with a sprinkling of Typhoon/F/A-18Cs
1: MICA EM
2: R-77-1
3: PL-12/R-77
Could say the same about fox2 too. aim9m is mid.
9M low G hurts it a lot :(
Will be so much more usable if it had its IRL lock ranges.
But its a missile not designed for dogfighting, it is extremely annoying
Everyone argues though that the 120 and Typhoon are the best…
9M even from above on an F-15 in full burner flared it…That’s an R-73 or Magic 2 he’s dead
9Ms aren’t necessarily easier to defeat than an R-73 or Magic II, but need a different tactic. Know what you are doing, 1 flare defeat whilst sat on full reheat is entirely possible to do.
But when they dont. They work rather well
The biggest issue in terms of balance, is the total lack of HOBS on the 9M. For an aircraft that is meant to be “the best dogfighter” its a rather major handicap
Though do wish they had their longer lock ranges, turn them into a short to medium range weapon instead of exclusively a shrot range weapon and the “push ahead” functionality they lack would help with those 1 flare defeats
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They are good and great in ground battles in air rb though they are very easy to defeat.
they don’t pull the G and they give the Typhoon no real advantage compared with it’s contemporaries.
9M could be buffed mist of the aircraft they are mounted on are at an appropriate br
Aim9m front aspect lock, locks around 1.5 km in test drive for some reason
Yup, Id guess it should be more like 9-10km (against a none-afterburning front as pect target)
With the burn time and drag modelling would that be of any use?
I dont see why not. Radar tells you if the missile is in range. I’ve had targets not just in range, but within the LSZ and still not gotten a lock. Fired from far enough out (especially in markerless gamemodes like ASB/GRB), they wont see you launch a missile at them, which will heavily mitigate the lack of front aspect IRCCM.
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sorta pointless vs the increasingly popular MAWS tho, but yeah itd be nice if the lock range was realistic
Perhaps. still plenty of targets though that wouldnt have even that much. Especially if they use IR MAWS and the missile burnt out before getting close enough for the MAWS
I don’t know MAWS on Typhoon doesn’t stop anything.
Stinger, Aim9L/M, R-73
it reacts but the countermeasures do nothing
What are you using for flares?
The internals or the BOL?
Do not even bother with BOL for flares, I run a split internally for the DASS
Id just run pure flares on the 64 Large CMs, then run the BOL has chaff.
Never had much of an issue with defeating IR missiles that I’ve been able to react to in time, but its a good idea to not sit on AB when defending as well. Its a lot of thrust and so a lot of heat
I run a split on the BOL and pure flares for large caliber CM’s. I like to pre-flare in dogfights, its one of the only real reliable ways to deal with some missiles when the range gets close enough, and good practice for 5th gen IIR missiles imo.