Given the positions of the antenna of the J/ASQ-2, there is not particularly high reason to think it would have a full 360 degree sphere of influence. Additionally confirmed by primary documents stating it has no elevation detection. That being said, the J/ASQ-2 is lacking in some places. Strictly speaking, it’s not even a RWR.
The J/ASQ-2’s an electronic warfare suite, first and foremost. ESM (Electronic Support Measures), is the multi-frequency radio detection system on it, which combines multiple high and low band sensors. Its not just designed to detect radar signals, but basically any radio wave. While this isn’t technically an exclusive feature, as many radars can technically be tuned to detect other radio waves. The J/ASQ-2 is, to my knowledge, the only one that purposefully integrates these functions as part of it’s “RWR”, at least on non AEW/AWACS/wild weasel platforms.
So, what does this mean? Well, more or less, it gives the F-2 a lot more ways to detect planes, it should be able to detect, atleast sufficiently close targets, even while they’re not looking at it, or with their radar off. However gaijin has in the past denied adding such features, due to the game not having control configurations which would allow you to combat them.
It also means, however, that the F-2 should have a lot more threat types on scope then it currently does. As mentioned in my bug report (Ignore it being closed, apparently I didn’t make it clear enough for the TM the specific lines I was mentioning). This is as it’s not just looking for the radar signal, but any radio waves coming from the target. As such things like TACOM or Datalink/Radio communication systems can also be used as type identifiers. Which I set some examples of in there.
Also, because the “RWR” and radar both go through the same mission computer, and as shown in several magazine diagrams, and as confirmed they can talk to each other by some research paper. The radar and RWR should share a display. So basically, both of them are just displayed (typically on the central screen), as one big image, being a 360 degree circle around the plane, with a 120 degree cone extending out in front for your radar scope. And basically everything showing positions would show up on here. Allies sharing their position through JADGE/JCDS(F), hostiles pinging your RWR, hostiles pinging your radar, hostiles shared through datalink (non-operable on by weapons). I intend to write a suggestion for this at some point.
Now, there were, various research projects into improving it. Firstly and most well known, was the development of the “3D high precision direction finding system”. Which was supposed to use the already existing sensors, but increase precision and allow for azimuth detection. This was via the switching of the signal processing used in direction finding from power measurement (low precision), to time difference (high precision). Now, something is kinda unclear here. Multiple sources state that the system was to require no physical modification to the system. Which, if true, means that all F-2s could theoretically have it. However this is kinda contradicted by the only known test for the system having had physical modifications anyways, so it’s very unclear.
Something else, which is unclear if it was part of the prior development, or a base function, was a datalink functionality. The reason this is unclear, is because it’s always mentioned in relation to the 3D high precision system, however is also often seen in images as part of the prior existing system. But basically what this was was data linking between multiple J/ASQ-2s. By combining directional and orientationally information from systems they could allow proper position finding of targets. Unlike RWRs in game, which use range zones for their detection, IRL RWRs are much less precise with how far away and where targets are. Except for on the F-2, and some other newer ones, which do actually find the position of targets. (Position finding is stated to be capable separately from claims of datalink, but datalink claims itself to be a core part of direction finding, another thing making me think this feature is on all F-2s.
Also there’s the much less known LRCS (Long range co-operative search) developed for the J/ASQ-2. Another entirely digital upgrade, which i’m unsure of if ever was put into a flight ready airframe or not. But basically this was a system which used the RWR/ESM function to help the radar with targeting. Finding targets for it to track, as while as increasing maximum detection range by around 13%. This is, quite a substantial increase in range, as as much as a 63% increase in transmission power would be required to equate to this. This detection range increase seems to be by a combination of using the RWR sensors as extra radar antenna (lmao), as while as using them to help filter the detection of targets. Again, an entirely digital upgrade, so in theory any F-2 could have gotten it, but there’s no document ever mentioning an F-2 having gotten it, so it’s very unclear.
