I’m gonna be completely honest the radars modes have nothing to do with IRST or LWR
Yeah, the APG-77 is impressive and possibly most powerful fighter radar, ever, but that doesn’t make it an IRST or LWR
what is lwr again?
Laser warning receiver in this context, what did you think it was?
im confused why would a plane need a laser warning receiver?
Brits had a beam riding SAM, and French had a laser rangefinder on their IRST. Considering the Russians use SAM and IRST, it wasn’t unreasonable to expect a laser guided threat from them, though to my knowledge there never was one
@Morvran and @DirectSupport would know more about it than me
I don’t know the exact origin of why the RAF wanted LWR but I guess it’s simply a hold-over from experience gained from aircraft like the Jaguar, Tornado and Harrier. Given the range of equipment that can often appear in the hands of terrorist organisations like ISIS, it would not be unreasonable for them to acquire a laser guided SAM system or MANPAD. There are also a few laser guided A2A missiles including a variant of the Aim-9 iirc
Especially when you consider that Britain itself used and still uses laser guided missiles quite a bit like Starstreaks on Stormer HVM (still in service) or the Martlet missile found on things like the wildcat
In game, the main thing that comes to mind that it provides some protection against is Ka-52s firing Vikhrs
I thought this was a joke topic, but it seems some of you are in here throwing sticks at each other like you personally designed the F-22 or Rafale. Must be that ol’ nationalism talking.
Because the Russians and the French have made it so that they can guide long-range missiles onto their target using IRST+Laser. So Eurofighter, Rafale, and F-35 have LWRs.
Also, you want LWR so you know who is out there observing you. Helicopters may use their optics to observe you which contains a laser range-finder. And may fire missiles at you.
No forward facing guns and relied entirely on baiting out planes into diving on them thinking its a hurricane, would be worse than a swordfish in game