The I-Derby ER is a more modern variant of the Derby, featuring an improved seeker and a dual pulse motor with ~10% more combined total thrust. The I-Derby ER still has much lower range than its contemporaries (AIM-120C and R-77-1). Contrary to the F-16I, the F-16D actually used the I-Derby ER.
However, the developers said that they do not plan to add dual-pulse missiles to aircraft. If the missile isn’t added now, it will be too late to add in the future as it will be completely overshadowed by far superior ARH and IIR missiles.
The F-16D is currently in a really good spot. Adding the new missile would increase its BR to 13.7 or maybe 14.0 (depending on the in-game performance of the I-Derby ER). At that BR, it would struggle with its relatively bad radar. It would become a relatively hard to play plane that would have to fight planes with much better radar, flight performance, and more missiles.
What Gaijin is doing by neglecting both (and especially) Israel and the US by not adding an F-15I/E “Late” (W/APG-82(V)1 in the israeli case, and the F-15E RMP in the US’) is simply a demonstration of how they just wanted to add Israel for their Merkavas, and not because they care about the tree’s health at all.
Israel has been lacking a top tier contender for at least one year. That must change sooner rather than later, as Israel should technologically be among the best at this last stages of top tier air anyway (unless Gaijin decides to play them dirty).
But back on topic: yes, they should be getting the I-Derby at least to ramp their planes up a bit in the 13.3 hell.
But adding the I-Derby ER to the F-16D doesn’t fix that issue. They should add new things to the tree instead of giving planes missiles that would push it into a BR bracket where it isn’t going to be competitive.
I mean, ARH F-16s are quite competitive within the 13.3-13.7 bracket, if they get a marginally better Derby, it’ll make them worth giving a shot there, as now the meta is quite settled with the Su-30s horde w/R-77s and PL-12s.
That the Su-30MKK is unbalanced is very obvious. And the F-16D is good for its BR. It makes it unique compared to other F-16C or similar variants in that it has worse missiles but a lower BR. Giving it a higher BR would make it just like the others. I’m not too well informed on the I-Derby ER, but can’t the F-16C Barak 2 carry it? Or is there any difference that would make it incompatible? Because that would make the plane more unique and wouldn’t need to change its BR.
In theory yes, however it was only mounted on the 16D
On the contrary, it’d be the most unique variant, featuring a dual pulse missile at the lowest BR. As it currently stands, it is just a worse-off 16C and its lower BR never really makes a difference as it is always dragged into the 13.3 matchmaker black-hole created by the premium su30s
I doubt it’d go up to 13.7 even with Derby ER though
But the F-16D is statistically doing great. It has a good global K/D of 1.13. The F-16C Barak II has a 0.99 K/D, and I regularly play the F-16D and do fine. My stats in it aren’t great, but they are affected by the IR and early ARH meta, where I wasn’t really good. It doesn’t need a buff. The Su-30s should move up to 13.7; that would make it a bit better. Giving it to the F-16C Barak II would make it better but not justify a BR increase. If I saw the statistics of the other thread correctly, the I-Derby ER should have twice the range of the Derby. So it would definitely increase the F-16D BR to 13.7.
1: Add the F-16C and F-16D Block 30 Barak Is, give them identical kits to the Barak IIs but with the I-Derby Series.
2: Add the F-16C and F-16D Block 30 Barak Is, give them identical kits to the Barak IIs but without the I-Derby Series, adding them to the Barak IIs already ingame.
3: Add the modernized Barak 2020 F-16s, either Barak I or Barak II with the I-Derby ER (my preferred option, means the earlier Block 30s can be added without any ARH missiles before the Barak IIs, nice unique option)
