So then why does TWS have a different AIM-54 max range to PD-STT?
There is some difference somewhere, since there is no range exception for firing on a single target from TWS (which I would think could be tactically useful in some situations).
I’d assume that it can detect the change in duty cycle, since the antenna keeps scanning and periodically updating contacts sequentially, so if one was to add more it detects the change in the PRF.
As an aside has it been established if the F-14 uses PD-ILL or a CWI for Radar missiles?
But ends with the AIM-7M/P which utilize Monopulse Seekers (different waveform) and so require PD-ILL so it needs to have changed at some point, or started with it in the first place, I just don’t know when. also none of the available cross sections mention a dedicated illuminator or show a Co-axial waveguide, as found on the F-4’s radar which supports the use of CW-FM guidance used by Conical scan Sparrows and the AIM-7F.
Also, based on what I know, there is a switch for PD illumination on the RIO seat.
It is incorrect to assume that the AIM-7M cannot be guided using a CW illuminator. ROKAF F-4E are using the AIM-7M, and those aircraft have not had any radar modifications.
Do we know which antenna it uses to transmit the CW / PD waveform then, since the FoV in Game is likely wrong if it borrows from the F-4’s data for the +/- 7 degrees (HPBW) value. (And would this be possible to reflect properly in game since it is limited by the Radar’s mode, or otherwise optional)
The Dipoles are obviously for the IFF system(APX-76) which is in the L-band, so very inefficient an X band signals, and the slotted array has a very large FoV, so wouldn’t be optimal, either.
Which one(11?) the Aspect knob (element 9) is for setting up Sparrows for boresight / EO ( F-4’s AAA-4 / ASX-1 TISEO or ALR-23 / ASX-1 / AAS-42 for the F-14) guidance without a (radar) lock on. It’s possible that the AIM-54 has something similar, or it otherwise feeds into the settings for the gates for the active seeker as well.
There is not necessarily requiring the CW illuminator to be mounted with the radar. In the case of the F-16A, the CW illuminator is located in a completely different place.
The missile options (MSL OPTIONS) switch is located on the armament control indicator (figure 16-9). It is a three-position switch that is used to select the radar track configuration of the selected missile. The SP PD position is used only with the AIM-7F missiles. This position causes the selected missile to operate in the pulse-doppler mode. The NORM position is used with the AIM-7 and AIM-54 missiles. This position causes the weapon control system to direct the selected missile radar system to operate in the continuous wave (CW) mode. When an AIM-54 missile is selected for launch, the missile is instructed to operate in the semiactive guidance mode. The PH ACT position is used only with AIM-54 missiles. This position causes the weapon control system to switch from semiactive guidance to active guidance and command the AIM-54 missile radar system to operate in a short-range mode.
I don’t know, but what is certain is that the F-14 cannot use the data link of the AIM-7P. On the F-14A/B/D, the AIM-7P uses the same mode as the AIM-7MH.
What is this claim based on? it’s not like the AIM-7 doesn’t already use a datalink to generate the relative closing velocity for deriving doppler computations.
Null Filler Antenna is not the primary CW illuminator. Null Filler Antenna is an auxiliary. It is completely different than the F-15’s flood antenna.
What are you talking about? That mode is for the AIM-54 only.
In the F-14, the AIM-7P uses the same AIM-7MH mode as the AIM-7MH. Since AIM-7MH has no datalink, an AIM-7P operating in AIM-7MH mode also cannot use datalink. In that mode, the AIM-7MH and AIM-7P are stated to have identical capabilities.
You are mixing them. F15 has 3 different horns that repeat the main antenna signal, the guard horn, null filling horn and the flood horn. The null filling horn on the awg9 serves the same purpose as on the f15, provide coverage where the main antenna can’t to ensure the sparrow always receives the reference signal
Expanding further on this, the missile currently has an essentially infinite lock range, something which it would not have if it was properly modeled as a SARH+IOG missile (not DL as datalink in game also provides target data outside of the target’s velocity)
I cannot upload the source file since the forum doesn’t like .pdf files
You are still misunderstanding the entire missile system. Do not interpret the material to fit your own conclusion.
The AIM-54 does have a SARH mode, but it is limited to STT mode. Contrary to what you seem to think, it does not operate in SARH when launched in TWS mode.
The claim that the Phoenix should be treated as a SARH+IOG, and that its long-range employment should therefore be limited solely by the missile seeker’s immediate lock-on range, does not match the documentation.
According to the documents, AWG-9 sets AIM-54’s antenna, LO, Doppler conditions, ID, and acquisition timing before launch, then uses the command link after launch to perform receiver key-on, target velocity updates, and active transfer.
