Isn’t that the case for practically all IR missiles?
Here the R-24T can lock an F-15 in full burner from 50 km away with 10° off the nose. Although it is also at Mach 2.35, which contributes a significant amount to all aspect detection, the lock range in those conditions would be 34 km without an AF (at full dry thrust).
The R-27T/ET should have an even more sensitive seeker compared to the R-24T, yet I usually only start to lock afterburning targets from side-aspect going above Mach at only around 14-18 km.
I know that they recently added a separate parameter for missiles responsible for all-aspect AF detection (DevBlog link), but as far as I can understand it, IR detection of afterburning targets at all aspects is still drastically reduced.
Do you know if Devs have any plans to improve it? Maybe we will finally be able to lock an F-5 before we close enough for it to hear us.
I was talking more of its love of flares than detection ranges.
Even the large BOZ IRD isn’t enough to decoy a missile on full reheat and can only help with mid-reheat
Because 99% of the time, when I’m sat right on the 6 of an after burning target, within 2mi, my 9L is defeated by a single flare.
A re lock on the target is very, very rare.
Whenever I’ve gone into custom matches, my 9L has frequently stayed locked on after burning f16s and mig29s, but in normal RB matches, in my BR range (10.7 with the Shar) a re lock or maintained lock in rear aspect is rare.
Wait, doesn’t WT take the ratio of the target heat signature (combines the engine, fuselage, and burner plume) to the flare heat signature to calculate whether the flare decoys the missile or not?
It is known and acknowledged that AIM-9L should have more flare resistance, and likely be more inclined to chase the exhaust but I think that’s more of an issue in how they model flares rn. I’m inclined to believe they will overhaul flares in general pretty soon.
Every missile does this, its pretty absurd. 1-2x afterburning jet engines (and the jet they’re attached to) almost certainly emit more IR than some < 8 inch diameter rocket motor
iirc there was some recommendation to fire an IR missile at incoming IR missiles as a direct counter to not having countermeasures or something. Not sure if I remember currently. Perhaps @Flame2512 or @Gunjob have the necessary reference.
Maybe at the same time they seperate flares and chaff. But I think what it really needs is an overhaul of aircraft heat signatures as well. I dont think the game simulates AB plumes, and still just looks at the engine temp of the aircraft. This means a reheating F-5 is colder than non-max thrust harrier at times.
