data link between ships was already a thing with AEGIS combat systems by the time f14d came about one ship can monitor the radars of all the ships in the carrier strike group and guide munitions even if the ship that launched the missile is sunk
No I understand this, it’s just datalink, but what @MikeyPlayzonYT seems to be saying is that the radar antennas them selves combined their signals from 2 seperate aircraft to extend their range
no i see what u are saying now there are multiple things saying the f14 can extend radar range with 2 aircraft or more but nothing that says how its doing this
I guess the US thought there would be no need. I mean the F-22 already covers 3/4 of that range without another plane to connect to. It uses its system to the fullest. Plus, it was the last mechanical radar from the US. The focus was AESA magic.
i dont see why the same couldnt be used by AESA especially for F-35’s (assuming its even possible), since with their smaller antennas they could really benefit from something like it
It’s really just addition. 1 system with a potential range of 740km (limited to 370km) + another system with a potential range of 740km (limited to 370km) = maximum potential system usage and range of 740km.
AESA magic tbh. Nobody really knows how it works in its entirety. Plenty of reasons could be why it isn’t compatible.
AESA magic? when 2 tomcats are allegedly able to perfectly match each others antennas to double their range, with 80’s/90’s tech?
For the F-35s. An AESA Tomcat would’ve been sick though
i know, but its just kind of funny how you think AESA is magic compared to what you are saying the tomcats could do. im no radar engineer but im usually able to grasp this kind of stuff, how they actually get APG-71 signal combination to work is beyond me
Doesnt change the fact that except for range the JA-37 Viggen and many other inferior radars performs better in-game than the F-14 AWG-9 which does not make sense.
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Yes, so how do you know that is how the ability works?
Do you have some publicly available information stating that is how the radars work? Or have you just read that the aircraft has data link that increases range and you’re assuming that is how it works?
Wikipedia (the only source you have provided so far) cites no sources for it’s claim that two F-14Ds can use data link to achieve a 460 mile / 740 km range. And it also says nothing to support the idea that raw radar data is combined from two aircraft to increase detection range, in the manner you describe. Further more: looking online the only sources I can find which mention those range figures appear to just be copying the Wikipedia article.
So if there is any reliable evidence to back up your interpretation I would be very interested to see it.
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In the same time they co-existed Tomcat had the second best radar in the world, with the best being AN/APG-77.
EF2K received a comparable or better radar way after F-14s retired. Imagine Germany got their first EF2K by 2003, Tomcats (in general) had already start to phase out , the last of them being at 2006.
Imagine, in pilot interviews they say about APG-71 that the "radar could do everything , the problem was… could missiles follow? "
Also, you can’t really compare 2020+ planes with 1990s/2ks … it’s advancement in technology , most of the times newer is better. But , by the same time…yes F-14D radar/electronics (ECM/ECCM etc.) was unrivaled if you were not an F-22.
Why do people compare apples with oranges…ALL THE TIME.
Compare with everything build in 1991 and the F-14D is nearly 10-15 years ahead in avionics (not talking pods).
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The Datalink is the Link 4A & -4C system.
as described in
I’ll see if can track down an excerpt from a podcast for range figures.
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That video appears to describe a traditional data link where target tracks and friendly aircraft locations are exchanged between the different aircraft. MikeyPlayzonYT appears to be claiming that Link-4C would allow raw radar data to be exchanged between two aircraft, somehow doubling the detection range of both aircraft’s radars. As far as I can see, there is not any evidence to backup his interpretation, though I would happily be proving wrong, hence asking.
The range quote of 190 miles I think might come from conflating this exerpt.
I have him (The tanker) on the Datalink (Link 16) at 190 miles, and found him before the RIO could with the radar.
Also note the in the Block diagram “Slave to Computer Pointing Information”, which is distinct from the “Slave to Radar Pointing Information”
Additionally worth noting the SLAC (Slave to Computer) functional description, and is separate to both Radar to Sensor and Sensor to Radar co-ordinate transfer functional descriptions. And as such likely has Target Mastering (triangulation) and contact sharing functionality built in.
Further that both following excerpts indicate the potential for ADR (Altitude Difference Ranging) capability, and Sensor-slaved Radar Range Determination, which likely extends range as the waveform can be optimized purely for extended ranging capability, since the sensor provides superior angular resolution.
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so in other words:
you tell the radar exactly where to look instead of it having to search for it itself, which makes it able to target something that is further out than its normal detection range
is that correct?
what not having MPRF does to a mf
just wait for F-14D APG-71 with MPRF
That’s not how physics works. Radar range is proportional to the 4th root of the transmit power. So to double the range you need to increase the power by 16x, not 2x.
Obviously doubling the antenna area, would have an impact. But you are still not going to get anywhere near double the range.
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Yes hence why I deleted the post shortly after
And the antenna area would most likely not count anyways as the signal amplification and processing is done separately for each antenna
So in essence even if you managed to sync both radars perfectly you would get less than 19% increase in range