This is purely looking at Air Realistic and Air Simulator
The Tornado Gr4 coming in this update currently has a 12.3 BR and I think this is WAY too high and should be 12.0 in both gamemodes. Here is my reasoning why.
First. Comparison to the earlier Tornado’s. At it’s core the Tornado Gr4 has a 100% Identical airframe to the Torando IDSs located at 11.3. It has no additional engine power or handling performance. What has changed, is its loadout.
It is replacing the Aim-9L with the Aim-9M, an effective IRCCM missile but has limited performance in a dogfight. The GR4 is also gaining HMD, this has a limited value with the Aim-9Ms and overall a limited addition for a ground attacker aircraft. In this regard there is a minimal increase in BR, potentially 11.7. The GR4 is also currently missing its A2A and A2G radar abilities.
Add onto this, the increase in general CMs (meaning more flares) if you run 1-2 TERMA over the BOZ-107 but a major decrease in the number of chaff that can be carried (which may be a major impact considering that at 12.3 you would be defending against Su-34s with 8x R-77s probably on the regular). Additionally running TERMA gives the GR4 MAWS. The Coverage is from the TERMA, so for all-aspect MAWS Coverage, you will need to run 2x TERMA.
Whilst the A2G payload of the GR4 is also better than the 11.3/11.7 Tornados, 9/10 times you will run the same Mk-13 bombs that you would run from the earlier Tornados. All the weapons are niche but overall, not going to impact performance.
So an 11.3 Tornado, with 9M, HMD, MAWS and more flares but a lot less chaff just about justifies a BR of 12.0 but not 12.3.
Lets have a look at other aircraft at and around 12.0 or 12.3 that match it or even outperform it significantly.
At 12.0
Mirage F1C, F1T & F1C-200 (has SB rating of 11.7)
2x IRCCM, 2x SARH, Excellent airframe handling inlcuding high speed. Good radar
F-4S
0-4 Rear-aspect, 4-6 SARH, HMD, Excellent handling and very fast, equal bomb load to the GR4, Excellent Radar
Tornado ADV
4x All-aspect, 4x SARH, High speed, excellent radar and comprable turn performance to the GR4
Viggen D
2-6 All-aspect, 0-4 SARH, Excellent radar, good handling ,good speed.
At 12.3
Mig-21BISON
2x IRCCM, 2x SARH, HMD, High speed, greater handling, Good radar
Mirage 2000C-S5
2x IRCCM, 2x SARH, Excellent handling, good speed, good radar.
Honourable mentions
Mig-23MLD at 11.7 (11.3 in SB)
4x All-aspect, 2x SARH or IRCCM, Excellent speed, Good handling, good radar
A-10C at 11.7
4x IRCCM, HMD, MAWS, Good low speed handling but low top speed
Jaguar IS at 11.3
2x IRCCM, Good top speed, average handling
So compared to many 11.7-12.3 The Tornado Gr4 is below average in terms of performance in most respects and is hard to justify being at 12.3. Addiitonally at 12.3 the GR4 can directly see aircraft such as the F4F-ICE (13.0), Su-34 (13.3) and others with ARH that will be very difficult to defend against. Let alone the F-16s and Mig-29s at 12.7 which will easily deal with the Tornado Gr4 with Guns
As a final note, 12.3 has no sim bracket, meaning all 12.3 aircraft are forced to play a minimum of 12.7. Meaning the GR4 will face Mig-29s and F-16s every match at a minimum without fail.
BR for Air Realistic
- 12.0
- 12.3
BR for Air Simulator
- 12.0
- 12.3