To add to this, I was out of flares, and did not call for backup, I knew I was out running the guy chasing.
IFF even in WWII was an automatic signal return.
The friendly pilots shouldn’t need to press a button to identify. Their transponder should just respond.
Requiring someone to press a button to respond to IFF transponders is ahistoric arcade mechanics, not sim.
If we’re talking about other systems there were plenty of theater/operational paint modifications that assisted multinational coalition operations or helping with IFF.
Tail markers, streamers for WWI planes etc.
War thunder doesn’t have a team based system of this. Which again is arcade not sim.
I don’t know about you, but i always scan my target at least 3 times before i fire (whenever a radar is present).
General rule is don`t fire unless you are sure of identification.
I couldn’t. MTI mode wasn’t engaging. Again, radar limitations.
General rule in WT maybe.
This is a big gripe as well, we have so much copy-paste friendly and enemy aircraft on Red and Blue that visual ID’ing becomes unreliable. We really need transponders or some type of radio call out that pings friendlies at close range.
Some aircraft have no means of ID’ing targets for sure, I fly the WTD 61 sometimes which is basically an aircraft that’s completely blind. I know the Tornado has no business fighting other aircraft, but it absolutely sucks not having anything but your RWR to know how close an enemy is or where it might be. At least the IDS and SLE get a TGP to visually scan an area and get “some” situational awareness. But some aircraft have zero means of ID’ing targets at certain BRs.
I usually don’t engage targets in the WTD only on the SLE or IDS, I just evade and only engage whenever I am certain it is an enemy, I learned my lesson when I lost 150K SL.
Radar limitations isn’t the same as “IFF randomly not working”. If you are aware of those limitations (as also the limitation that most aircraft’s ACM modes do not IFF the automatically locked target, for example -often also a source for TK’s…), yet still fire, sorr,y but in my book that’s also on you.
My prime example: F-5E. Has a very bad radar for its BR, with no look-down capability, and no IFF. Here I have to be extra careful with positively IDing a potential target, and that really means getting close and use all the tricks up my sleeve to make sure it’s an enemy. Best with radar off to not give away my presence.
I used to fly the MiG-23 as well for a while, but long ago, and not sure if the radar still works as it did then. IIRC the radar’s capability for IFF was dependent on radar mode, which was in turn strongly dependent on altitude.
Never commited more TK’s than in the Flogger until I got proficient enough with the radar, and in turn never was TK’d more than from Floggers…
Nice assumption I was in ACM. Fun fact, I wasn’t :)
What is with you lot thinking I don’t know how to use radar, fly my plane, or have any idea how sim works?
Do you think I’m reading the plane manual mid match?
As of late, the F-18s are tking the most.
And yes MTI does have IFF as does Normal SRC. Problem is at 60 meters, ground clutter makes SRC useless and MTI doesn’t kick on unless your nose downing to the ground
Nice misreading my words.
I said Radar limitations isn’t the same as “IFF randomly not working”.
Then I gave ACM as another example of radar limitations that affect IFF (rhetorically indicated by “as also”…).
I read them perfectly as they had come out.
Those radar bugs I previously mentioned usually happen after a certain time in a match in sim, typically at the 1 hr mark.
No, I think what we (or at least I myself) have an issue with is that you - as I interpret the various statements you gave - that you are fully aware of the limitations of your equipment, and still fire without positive ID, and blaming the TK lack if negative ID of the blue that got shot down.
That however is indeed a valid suspicion, that absolutely warrants being investigated… Was this alredy reported/documented somehow? (and sorry if already mentioned - thread is getting long, my attention span short, hehe)
You’re absolutely correct. I am. Because in warthunder you spawn into, and say it with me a “combat zone”.
Guess what is in a combat zone? Enemies!
Guess what kills you? Enemies!
Guess what kills you? lack of team communication!
Either directly or indirectly.
They need to add a requirement for teams to communicate or, give us the option to ID without team mates doing anything
No, because I have no concrete evidence of a time stamp. Nor does it always occur every match. It’s like a 1 in 4.
It’s not relegated to one single aircraft either. If it occurs again I will attempt to record it.
I’m not certain if it’s been bug reported otherwise, but with this update there’s a slew of bugs that need patching.
Granted that radar bug is years and years old by now
Not sure that helps us, as it’s function is described to automatically reply to ground interrogation. It’s just a transponder, not an IFF interrogator.
(Hey, you almost gave me a heart attack there, lol…)
I`ll tell you exactly what i told a friend of mine facing the same issue:
If you don’t know FOR SURE what it is, you don’t fire no matter what.
The issue you have outlined in this topic is indeed… an issue , but it can be mitigated with a simple technique called using your eyes.
But this kind of gets to my point that for “SIM” this is really an arcade experience.
Even using eyes isn’t a foolproof plan
Historic operational liveries that were employed don’t exist
For example: USAF with RAF flashes
WWI streamers aren’t employed
RAF planes doesn’t employ the SEAC theater roundel when in contact with Japanse forces

Jets like the F-5E would be in contact with radio operators to confirm IFF and jets operating in their sector.
The sim community has to rely on arcade mechanics of “follow me” and “attention to the map” to get people to identify themselves??
That isn’t sim at all. Where is the “identify yourself” and “engaging unidentified target” etc.
Where’s the “identify self” radio button?
Where’s the radio buttons to ask command what’s happening?
Mhm I tried that again, guess what? I ate a missile every time :)))
Literally just teamkill people who teamkill you. Or anyone who MG’s you. It does not matter; there aren’t actually teams in this game anyways.
Really? There are many planes out there with faulty IFF´s. The Mirages are a great example.


