Surf/Air radar

[Molon Labe]

My skipper in the Seawolves, CDR Warkraeft, taught me a hard lesson in FFG tactics.

It seems that only the surface search and FC radars are detectable by a sub's ESM mast. So, for ASW purposes, you can keep your Air radar on and your Surface radar off, and you might as well be on EMCON.

The air radar *should* be able to detect sub-launched missiles in the boost phase. When the missile drops to cruise level, it should drop off the radar...but since it appeared in the boost phase you are already alerted and can prepare your defenses. This allowed my skipper to easily intercept two missiles I fired at him that I thought would catch him off-guard. =)

If anyone wants to test this to confirm that it works, let me know.

[Molon Labe]

Okay, Timmy G and I just did some more testing on this.

The Surface radar does NOT detect low-flying missiles. It is actually the Air radar that finds these suckers. So, unless you're actually looking for shipping, leave your Surface radar off and the subs won't get you on ESM, but you'll still see their missiles. =)

[MaHuJa]

My testing shows otherwise. A couple skimmers (TASMs, no less) that didn't show up on air search at all - at ~8 nm I turned on the surface radar and they got picked right up.

As for Air search not showing up on a subs esm... What were the ranges etc involved? Enough for radar horizon? I'd like to test this myself.

[Kraken]

i tested it out and found that air radar detects it for a little bit but then it drops it. nothing found for surface search

[Peter.Steele]

The SPS-49 is unlikely to detect a sea skimmer, IRL, but then so is the SPS-10 / SPS-55. (SPS-67 is a little better, tho.) You're more likely to get your detections and tracking from the Mk92 CAS than anything else.