DCS F/A-18C Hornet Defensive Systems

Flight Sims
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I’m not sure how much is done in early access, but took the ‘Defensive Mission’ in the Instant Access for a spin. Lots of flames. Checking the guide, I think I am activating the ALE-47 ok, but not really sure. Notes/questions for people in the know:

  • Does the EW ‘Auto’ mode work in early access? I get locked up with a Gecko/SA-8 Osa at about 15,000 ft, let it go into the ‘lethality ring’ of the EW, and watched fatalistically as a beautiful missile curved up to kill me. I was sort of expecting some sort of chaff program to automatically initiate at some point, or am I hopelessly naive/untrained?

  • I have luck with setting the switch by my left knee to Dispensers Manual, and then mapping up a flare/chaff set of buttons on the throttle. That works fine.

  • I can’t get the ‘HUD’ re-projection (like the Harrier) to work on the Hornet? Is that working for anyone else?

  • In Semi/Auto (S/A) mode, I can initiate the best picked program how? The flare or chaff button on the throttle with the mode not in manual? EDIT: Yes, that works fine - I can make a program and then kick it off with a throttle button.

  • Is it usual to just leave the ASPJ to REC, or if I don’t care who knows I am here just leave in XMIT all the time?

  • What do N, I, A, U or F stand for in the EW Mode system status? N for all?

Anyway, I’m still bumbling my way through it, but wanted to share what I don’t know (which is quite a lot so far).

Also, nice summary table of threats here:

https://wiki.hoggitworld.com/view/Threat_Database#Non-NATO

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Even if it did, I’ve heard these aren’t used very often in real life- a malfunction or the right kind of EW can leave you high and dry with no CM left and zero missiles defeated.

Not active right now.

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:slight_smile:

Watching them all now.

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Is it ok that ASPJ shows as OFF all the time, regardless of what I set it up as?

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The scenario I’ll always remember was trying to pound on a unit in the A-10 which had a Shilka and an SA-13 defending it. The Shilka merrily made sweet, sweet, useless electron love to my RWR for a few minutes. Then the SA-13 lifted off. MLWS detected it, but added missile launch + RWR spike = Radar guided missile, and spat out bundle after bundle of useless chaff.

We don’t use AUTO anymore.

My understanding is contrary to what the manual says, ASPJ is currently not implemented.

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Do you have that little switch hidden behind the flight stick set to on?

On the MFDs, on the EW page I use the MODE button to switch to manual and use the STEP button to pick the program.

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The lights are all on, the switch is set to on, and the mode to REC or XMIT.

Have you ever seen ASPJ as REC or XMT rather than just OFF on the EW DDI display then?

image

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https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3516263&postcount=11

ASPJ functionality will come later in the Open Beta.

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I don’t think that the ASPJ functionality is active in the dim at the moment.