F-14 Tomcat: History, Performance & Discussion

bro doesn’t even know how ancient the idea of an Array radar is

detection range → the Machine can Identify that there is something at this point under optimal circumstances → one distinct Pixel

F-22 IR stealth only really helps farther out. If it’s more than 5km, I’m going to be generous and say 10, it’s still not very far

Going off those numbers it’s worse than F-14’s no? @MikeyPlayzonYT

i have yet to see any numbers for the f-14
and he can tell us anything he wants without us being able to check the information

the antenna type, the principle behind it hasn’t changed

the advantages of mechanically focused and steered radars over timing based focused Array radars are still there and undisputed today

those are → Vastly Increased Range with the same Output Power and an Equal detection range at all angles

That’s why I @ MikeyPlayz, he knows a lot of tomcat stuff

not stated about target altitude. but 35km for quite large and hot aircraft - sounds bad.

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it sounds like your average open for Public sales IR device

likely an imported one

Ok then why has every half competent military already switched to -ESA on fighter radars?

damn are you saying most of the african militaries aren’t competent?

While it’s true that AESA radar range decreases when beams are spread (like wide angle search), this is a trade-off for unmatched flexibility. A mechanical radar can’t even attempt multi-beam tracking it’s stuck sweeping like a lighthouse. AESA can instantly switch from wide search to focused tracking without wasting time repositioning a dish. And if max range is critical? AESA can still focus all beams forward like a mechanical radar but with no inertia, no lag, and the ability to jump back to scanning in microseconds.

TWS on an AESA is not just about raw power it’s about efficiency. Even with split beams, an AESA’s LPI modes and adaptive dwell times let it maintain tracks at longer ranges than a mechanical radar can manage. A mechanical radar must spend precious milliseconds physically moving, while an AESA time-shares seamlessly.

Mechanical radars theoretically could use frequency hopping or power management but in practice, they don’t because their slower scan rates and fixed beam patterns make them easier to predict and jam. An AESA can randomize scan patterns, spread emissions across hundreds of micro beams, and adapt in real time to jamming, something a rotating dish physically cannot do fast enough. That’s why modern EW systems prioritize AESA threats over mechanical ones and actually use AESA systems for jamming.

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to AESA because of it’s one real advantage: Multi Beam scanning

perhaps being much lighter due to not having a heavy mechanical gearbox and Several motors and the by now Similar range due to now being able to just give the radar 20KW if it needs them are also good reasons

Jamming ressitance?
better EW capabilities

on the last part: and what if I tell you that this specific one… in theory, without Breaking NDAs, could maybe have some of those characteristics?

Are they?

yesn’t, yes because modern AESA ans PESA radars do have that advantage over their predecessors, but no because this is not because of the antenna type but rather because of the technology behind it

wasnt meant to be taken serious

The F-14D could do the same thing. It’s one of the most famous F-14D occurrences.

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Yeah the only really IR stealthy jets are B-2/B-21 and maybe F-117 to a lesser degree

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