I’ve been playing Sim and toying with the radar in the Tornado IDS. I’ve learnt how to use the radar lock, and indeed it can lock targets in front of me, but in the actual SRC mode it NEVER shows any contacts, no lines of any sort.
I have a screenshot of me in a test flight (RB) with a Mig directly in front, and it doesn’t show up on SRC! I could lock him ok by swapping modes, but on SRC there’s nothing… am I doing something wrong or does the SRC mode just not show anything normally? cheers
MFG and WTD61 have naval search radars. But all Tornado IDSs have a 19km ACM mode meant for use with SEAM or Radar Gunsight . But unfortuantely they havent got a proper A2A search radar (though its possible they had one IRL, info is scarce)
Though technically all 5 Tornados should have the same naval search mode, but they wont add it annoyingly
Yeah that’s the mode I could get a lock on, in normal SRC radar it very rarely shows anyone… so can I expect to not bother using SRC in sim? just use that lock mode to find anyone? Tornado is my only top tier jet so idk how all this radar stuff works yet, seems rly complex for each individual plane haha
It shouldnt ever show enemy players. If it does, then its being buggy/wierd.
Its meant for locking the AS-34s the Tornado MFG carries onto naval targets and the WTD61 has it also for some reason (I suspect they just reskinned the MFG to make the WTD61) despite not having any Anti-Ship missiles itself.
So, if you want to use it for locating enemy players then you are out of luck in that regard. That being said. In Sim you mostly want to be avoiding the enemy team and focusing on bombing bases, the Airfield, etc and on certain maps you do actually have a decent number of naval targets (Assuming you are in the MFG)
Your best bet is to fly low and fast and try and avoid where the enemy will be (like the capture zones).
Learning how to use CCRP is quite valuable for the Tornado IDS (heres my guide for it: A guide to: CCRP) as you can engage things like the enemy airfield with ease.
I do often switch the ACM mode on though, if im approaching an enemy airfield to loft bombs at it, because you never know what might be taking off and you can fire off a cheeky Aim-9L at them.
(Please note that ACM mode does NOT have IFF. It will lock onto friend and foe alike)
In the Hanger, go up to the top left. Battles then Tutorials, There is guides for how radars and stuff works. Well worth looking at when you get to that point.
Yeah I have some hours in it now, 100% only for low alt base bombing etc etc, I have gotten multiple kills with it and I have been enjoying sim (last time I played it was a good couple years ago).
Yeah in regards to how the radar is, that all makes sense. When I’m forced into engagements then I’ll just use the lock feature. And lovely tutorial cheers! will take a look. thanks for the help my man
(A quick tip, locking your radar on is handy in some situations, but may also alert the enemy you are there and they’ll start defending, so if you are sneaking up behind someone, keep it off and they may never see your Aim-9L coming)
I suspect you are mistaken. The Tornado GR.1 and IDS radar had an air-to-air search mode in real life (that’s missing in game) with a maximum range of 20 - 35 nautical miles (37 - 65 km) depending on conditions:
And according to the Tornado flight manual the ACM mode starts looking for targets are 750 ft range and searches all the way out to the maximum range of the radar.
So if anything the ACM mode is underperforming in game.
