I’m looking forward to ECM, especially for the MiG-29 9-13 which has internal ECM.
Internal ECM in fighters would definitely require a review of their combat ratings and would probably be imbalanced.
Now 4th generation fighters like mirage or f-16 have enough maneuverability to hang in the dead zone of SAMs or dodge missiles.
But subsonic attack aircraft like the Su-25T or Harrier are much more vulnerable and could get it. Plus it’s a sacrifice of weapon locations
I think they should do ECM on strikers first. I think top tier jets like the mig-29 dont need that yet.
1 Like
I disagree, I believe it should be added to everything when it’s implemented. Some nations don’t have strikers available for them like Japan.
This will likely make 4th generation aircraft unbalanced, as SAMs that already have problems engaging targets maneuvering at 1000kmh+ won’t be able to engage them at all
I don’t see how it’ll make them overpowered when the top preforming SAMs already use optical tracking to lock their targets, unless you’re talking about the automatic lead thing which only the Soviets and Chinese have.
I don’t know all the rules by which EW assets operate, but I think both detecting and capturing radar would be difficult.
That’s where infrared search comes into play which most SAMs have. It really all depends on how Gaijin implements it.
Now planes like the Mirage2000, f-14, f-16 can be virtually invulnerable to SAMs if the pilot maneuvers.
They can easily fly into a SAM’s blind spot right above it and stay there because of the ability to fly vertically upward.
Once the maneuverability of the missiles is weakened, I don’t think current SAMs will be able to resist these same planes, the missiles will fly even worse at them.
ECM is primarily needed for 11.3+ attack aircraft because they are playing against 4th generation multi-role aircraft and have nothing in return.
They are more vulnerable to A2A, more vulnerable to G2A because of low maneuverability and speed.
Plus most of them have these systems hung on pylons, which will make you give up weapons. This is the safest and most proper trial of the new mechanics.
ECM burn through needs to be taken into account, I don’t think ECM will even effect SAMs at current engagement ranges. I could be wrong.
We need a total overhaul of how radar works. Not just ECM but also RWR improvements. If I recall, radar should also affect other radar, at least minorly. And then that would lay the ground work for ARM
I don’t doubt we’ll see needed changes.
At least not for a long time, but its certainly needed
Ecm added equaly to everything at the same time? You mean just like all planes got their IRCCM equaly amd not only the SU 39?
What other aircraft should get IRCCM?
F-4C / Buccaneer, and a few others, though a number of potentials like the F-111 that are yet to be added, could get them out of the box.
I can see this getting added for sure, though to the F-4C, it’s a stretch since they refuse to even give it flares because they think it sits comfortably at its current BR.
Also, Do you know if this this system improved upon and put onto later strike and fighter aircraft? I found an image of it on a Moroccan F-5 and what looks to be a Moroccan Mirage as well.
Also supposedly the A-7D also used it.
The reason is more-so that it never had flare dispensers IRL
It was, its just that practically the only clean sheet Strike aircraft that would be designed afterwards were the F-111(ALR-23, -41 and ALE-28, a MAWS(the first of its kind), CMRS and, CMDS respectively) and F-15E, and would carry equivalent systems internally, and there was judged to be little need since the missile it was designed to fight; the AA-2 ATOLL was seeing rapid replacement and modernization.
You do see things like the ALQ-144 on the OV-10 and AH-1’s though so its not as if they entirely disappeared, just not in their podded form as there a number of issues with externally mounting IR jammers
but generally;
-
The imposed Airspeed limitations due to using Ram Air, so would stop functioning at low speeds and higher altitudes( as with all propeller driven Ram-air systems limited mass flow rate and prop pitch, limited energy recovery in exchange for lower weight as a supercharger & internal turbine would be dead weight at low altitude and add significant complexity and maintenance requirements to the pod), and was generally pretty high drag due to the energy required for the exciter.
-
Limited aspect, and band coverage due to selected exciter material, so may not be effective against all seeker designs & methods, and is effectively Always active, on top of being inefficient due to the large quadrants covered.
-
Additionally it would actually increase lock on range & aspect for a missile that was not impacted by the jamming waveform, as it emits in said bands so would be risky to employ against emerging threats.
-
It doesn’t do anything against Radar guided ordnance, and the energy draw of a prospective combined IR / ECM Jamming pod would be immense, especially against emerging threats and in supersonic scenarios as skin heating is a massive issue
-
Flares worked just as well and had a much lower impact on the airframe
They were fitted with them later in their life from what I was told. Though I’m not able to confirm this with any sources.