Yeah im not gonna pretend im some sim god, im relatively new to sim as well, but pre-flaring the WEZ when in a BR where all aspect IR missiles exists is pretty much as basic as it gets…
I mean, the R-73 hits this in a different way. Its extreme maneuverability and hyper short range means you’re never quite safe from a launch until you’re outside its launch cone, and its gimbal limits are massive, which means it remains a threat even in a dogfight. For the most part, the 9M is a threat pre-merge, the R-73 is at its most threatening moments before the merge and during the merge itself. Pre-merge REDFOR planes rely on the absolutely busted R-27ER, and to a lesser extent, ET, but MP significantly mitigates their advantage vs good players. I’d argue there’s only a narrow band range where the AIM-9M provides BLUFOR the weapons advantage in air to air combat in-game.
I think its a bit of a toss up tbh. Seeker suspension + push ahead IRCCM is extremely reliable for both the attacker AND the defender. It will always ignore flares if flared wrong, and will always be decoyed if flared right, making it most effective in 2 scenarios:
- Against opponents lacking in knowledge
- Against aircrafts in an energy state or situation preventing them from properly defending
I’d argue the “accidental” flare situation is a fringe case. People don’t typically “accidentally” flare, its a waste of a very important yet finite resource. If a 9M was launched at you from an angle at which you were unaware of an opponent being, its likely an R-73 would’ve had the same effect, and no flaring would have occurred. There’s also the fringe case of a wingman notifying you of an R-73 launch in which the low smoke motor missiles would be more effective, but id argue that’s also arguably fringe.
This isn’t to discount the 9M/AAM-3’s effectiveness. Both are incredibly capable missiles, but as with the R-73, their specific effectiveness can be mitigated by effective positioning/tactics. I wouldnt say there’s any “best” IR missile at top tier currently, each missile tends to fit their respective airframes and accentuates their pros while mitigating their cons.
The 9M is fantastic pre-merge and for ambushes, leveraging the sensor/SA advantages the BLUFOR jets tend to have.
The R-73 has fantastic off-boresight capabilities and minimum range, allowing REDFOR jets to leverage their high AOA in a dogfight and try to end things before BLUFOR jets draw out the dogfight and win in a rate fight (as the BLUFOR jets tend to favor 2C over 1C vs REDFOR jets).
I don’t think either missile would be as effective as they are if they switched quite frankly.
They aren’t entirely smokeless, but they’re pretty close. it tends to be easier to see the smoke trail with dark backgrounds and decent light for the contrast. Gaijin could slightly increase the visibility, but I wouldn’t be against them staying as is either.