So, apparently even sitting stationary on the ground doesn’t stop ground radar from tracking you. Got shot down right as I took off from my heli pad (because why wouldn’t Russian SPAA have the range to do and Gaijin’s infinite wisdom for map design on Tunisia spawns you in the open) and ended up doing a controlled landing on the base. The Osa then proceeds to MAINTAIN radar lock on me and hits me again with another missile. I’m sorry, but would the buildings I’m around not be considered radar clutter? Like what’s the point of trees and terrain if radar sees through them.
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It has SACLOS guidance… so its likely they’re skilled…
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See, I get THAT part but I shouldn’t have my RWR screaming from a radar lock as I’m laying on the ground like the Peter Griffin meme.
Well, It could also be that Radar still tracks you among clutter for a few seconds before it loses you… share a replay perhaps?
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This isn’t the first time I’ve noticed ground clutter does nothing against SPAA radar. I’ve been grinding out the US heli line lately. I’ll toss Hellfires and APKWS while hovering behind trees at like 10 feet off the ground and somehow I’ll still be locked. Everything goes down about 10 minutes in. Though, I wish I could post the POV from in game because my RWR was going off from a lock but in the server replay, as soon as I stop rotating, it breaks his lock.
If the target is low enough, the radar will still lock but the lock will be below the aircraft.
They could lock and aim above to hit them.
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Like the heli blades stopped then the lock broke?
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I’ll have to check that part actually. Was talking about my hull because I slammed back into the ground.
EDIT: After checking, it was the hull. My blades snapped before he broke lock.
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I took a quick peak at the replay.
Here was their PoV:
As you can see, there is interference but they were able to manually keep the missile on target.
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I more was talking about when I was literally on the ground and he still had radar lock until I was at a dead stop. Just shows that ground-based radar literally has no counter, which is annoying as NATO ATGM’s are out ranged by 4k yards most of the time and when there’s open maps like this, you literally can’t do anything to avoid dying whereas, typically, Russian helis are impervious to NATO SPAA. I get while I’m off the ground but still annoying that ground clutter means nothing in this game (which, if it was, the auto-lock would be bouncing).
If you were moving, even a little, then you were locked up by the PD radar, which doesnt care about ground clutter. If the radar lock dropped the moment you stopped moving then it was at this point the radar switched from PD to SRC which is affected by ground clutter.
(Also, I think IRL PD Radars should lock onto the rotor blades. I dont think that is modeled in game but if im right about that, then helis should be a lot more vulnerable to radars than they are currently)
Also, as much as I hate the obvious bias when it coems to SPAA and helis within War Thunder. In this regard. soviets helis are not the untouchable monster they use to be. At lest the SPAA I use such as the Stormer HVM and ADATS can counter any heli fairly easily.
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It’s frustrating no doubt. I love being on Pradesh in heavy fog literally 2m off the ground with maybe a foot from my blades completely surrounded by trees and getting whacked is…infuriating. Fog wasn’t even in their POV and they looked to have zero issues locking me in the server replay. That’s why I say heck with it and get up close and in their faces.
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From what I understand, it can but the range and accuracy is shorter than on a normally moving target. Though, correct me if I’m wrong, does the OSA have PD radar? I thought it was a SRC only?
I’m currently at 11.3 US so I’m stuck with the XM-975. Unfortunately, it’s been nothing but Ka-50 spam so I get deleted while not being able to counter fire. Gotta love the EWM (Early Warning MAW), as they imminently hit the deck or hide behind a hill when it goes off XD
Yeah, I’ve learned if the map is foggy or rainy, flying is impossible because the difference in rendering of the weather.