MAWS in-game is not yet this complex but the precedent must be set for various types. The Eurofighter has the rear sensor, front left, and front right. They must have an instantaneous area of coverage around at least 120 degrees, and the rear at least 180 degrees to provide the 360 degree coverage necessary.
The pros and cons are stated above. The issue is that it has no method of determining a missile is IR or radar unless the RWR is picking up the lock from the enemy radar guiding a fox-1 or the active seeker of a fox-3.
It should have no method of determining the accurate positioning of an IR based missile.
This is already shown with the RWR’s in-game, the angular resolution on some early models is split up into four quadrants. The MAWS is similar, it should display missile approach angle based on the accuracy of the RWR in the case of the radar missiles and in the case of IR missiles a PD based MAWS as seen on the Eurofighter will essentially be able to say high / low and front left, front right, or rear attack only.
Regarding the discussion about MAW being AESA or not and which frequency and which modulation could be used: Translated from the german wiki about the MAWS of the EF:
In 1991, GEC-Plessey Avionics was awarded the contract to develop the missile warning systems for the EFA. This also included a test bench for radar frequencies up to 40 GHz, with the option of increasing this to 95 GHz later. A 1994 scientific publication by Elettronica presents radar and EW systems based on MMIC; all systems listed and shown there can be recognized as part of the DASS AESA antennas. The paper also presents an MMIC downconverter for the frequency range of 32–38 GHz. In 1997, it was announced that GEC-Marconi had begun production of phased array antennas in the frequency range of 35–40 GHz for “military radar and communication systems”. In 2005, BAE Systems showed a Ka-band pHEMT MMIC in the 32-38 GHz frequency range in a technology presentation, with reference to seeker and radar applications.
Since GEC-Plessey Avionics, GEC-Marconi, BAE Systems and SELEX Galileo are different names for the same company due to a merger, and no official application of a Ka-band AESA radar from the company is known, it can be concluded with high probability that this was developed and produced for the Eurofighter. Consequently, the missile warning systems will use active phased array Ka-band radar in the 32-38 GHz frequency range to locate and track objects within a sphere around the Typhoon, except directly above and below it. Sources also confirm that millimeter wave radar will be used. In cross-section images of the Eurofighter, it can be seen that the systems in the front wing roots are in two parts. Since Elettronica supplies the transmitters and presented the paper downconverter for the Ka-band, it is likely that the front antennas will use separate transmit and receive modules to operate as FMCW radar. The reason for this is the risk of enemy anti-radar missiles targeting the transmitters, which is why they must have Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) characteristics.
Much conclusion of extrapolations but no solid evidence sadly…
Expected ranges based on extrapolations for targets with different RCSs can be found in the wiki source.
Additionally: The suspected FMCW mode of the MAW is by nature an LPI mode as it uses extremly low powers and hides its signal in the background noise. You need to know the exact waveform to filter out the signal from the background noise to even know that it’s there. It is similar to the “pulse compression” of impulse radars where the waveform has to be known too, to be noticable in the noise (except the pulse power is too high).
Example pulse compression:
Noise before pulse compression filter:
After pulse compression filter:
It is similar for continous wave radars except it sends continously instead of pulsed.
I don’t think that would be that accurate either, i imagine some accuracy would still be needed to have the capability to counter and classify multiple threats as it’s advertised.
Even your first source doesn’t state much more than that it can’t calculate direction precisely enough for dircm (which needs pinpoint accuracy) which doesn’t mean it just knows that somethings there without any idea where (except up/down).
If I had claimed the same the thread would have exploded saying I was reaching, at least if it was poised as a nerf of any kind. It’s not reaching when it’s a buff of course.
Looks like a single transmitter and a single receiver per. Regardless, the size indicates that the beam will be wider than for the AESA you’d find on the front and the accuracy far less GEC MARCONI did not develop any other airborne AESA radars at the time or after for some time. Illogical to think that this is an AESA in particular, even if it is an ESA. It’s not designed to guide anything, only to react to incoming threats. It doesn’t need to be particularly accurate anyway, as the primary threat is not IR based SAM’s but rather radar based SAM’s or AAM’s. The RWR coverage informs you of the needed angular accuracy and the MAWS just ques the countermeasures as needed.
@Smin1080p_WT are there any plans to add a more realistic sounding voice warning system for the Eurofighter instead of reusing the American one currently?
Just unlocked the Typhoon, the stock grind is painful no chaff (come on Gaijin cant expect players to dodge radar missiles with no chaff!)
The Radar is terrible coming from the Gripen and the Radar isn’t great but its much better than this.
Yeah but good luck getting a single kill, you cant fly high and low down your Radar is crap and the Rafale with MICA murders you. You try and hang back and your team is dead or they have won.
Also when the stock IR missile is Aim9M don’t make me unlock a pylon and give me an inferior missile
I tended to just stick with the team, but stuck at the back, just going for the odd distracted target where I could. Took a few matches to get the Flare/Chaff mod and the MAWS (which adds the BOL) after that, its just slow and steady. I went for a few mods before the booster, but the difference that mod makes is rather insane actually (imo, maybe too much of a difference).
Once I got bombs unlocked, I just switched to side-skirt base bombing in Sim till I got a few more mods unlocked and felt more comfortable in the aircraft (its actually got an amazing HUD for bombing in Sim :D )
Aim-9L mod actually isnt too bad, because you can keep the 2x Aim-9M on the wings and then run up to 4 Aim-9Ls alongside them. So its better than nothing on those pylons. If you run bombs, then Id just run 5x Mk13s and 2x Aim-9Ls for the base kill.
For the TWS, you have the patient with it, switch to the narrow scan when you want to fire at something, not ideal in ARB though. As for ACM, I actually just use the HMD mode, seems to work quite well I found.
Why should the rear antenna do 180°? If the two at the front do 120° each, thats all the rear antenna has to do as well
And with “wide beam” I assume you mean a beam thats covering the entire 60° at once, right? Since you seem to think its no ESA, and I think we can all agree its no mech scan…
Do even you realize how much power is required to detect a small object at usable distance if your beam is this wide? Its measured in the tens of megawatts
It being an ESA is all that makes sense for the application, and AESA is simply more likely because its already used for the jammers, and GEC-Marconi / BAE showed off GaA modules in the 35GHz area that could very well fit this employment
Air RB at top tier is too hectic for a Radar to be this unreliable, especially when your IR missiles depend on the Radar too.
I know more missiles is good, just frustrates me the module unlock mindset.
I like the HMD but wished it would work like ACM mode and what I point at is auto locked.
Currently I’m finding the only way to make it work is you fly around F-5E style, using the HMD for locks
The smallest TWS mode can work on a target say 10-15km if theyre up high, use your high speed to pull up and yeet the aim-120 at them, and hope they dont notice
I suppose I didn’t believe the Radar could be this bad, losing track at 5km etc and then locking and not allowing you to change target. It’s a challenge
