Not to be further confused with the A/A-18, which can only exclusively engage frogfoots.
This month we are expanding the functionality of the AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-7 Sparrow, Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, and introduce the AIM-9X Sidewinder. This video is designed to give you a preview of these new features coming later this month. There are more improvements also coming this month like corrected Target Aspect (TA) indication, fixed deck sliding, changing weapons while in an ACM mode, and adding the AMCI pod.
Near-term AG weapons to work on are Paveway II series bombs and HARM.
Other priority items include:
HSI brightness
A/A radar tracking loss and RTS
JHMCS
A/A Bullseye and related indicators
LTWS
MIDS / Link-16 for SA page, HUD, A/A radar, and JHMCS
Coupled AP modes
CSS AP mode
NCTR
Complete defensive systems with ASPJ, S/A and AUTO modes, DATA sub-level for EW page
AIM-7 HOJ and LOFT modes
ATC Approach mode / ACLS
11 Likes
That was a nice update @NineLine - thanks!
Anyone else felt a bit anxious as Matt didn’t cut away from when that MiG-29 had the in-bound missile during the EW segment? 
3 Likes
yesssssss
2 Likes
Sounds great. I am really looking forward to HARM. That will probably be the biggest new mission type that the Hornet brings to DCS. Hopefully the missile won’t be a death-ray and will have realistic performance in regards to ground radars taking defensive actions.
Guys, to be honest this pacing is stunning! Way to go EAGLE DYNAMICS!
3 Likes
This is what it looks like when development on a particular area is a priority.
Hornet Update - 2018-08-15
https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3597498&postcount=75
Internally, the AIM-7 and AIM-120 versions now have the improved navigation system. Additionally, the internal AIM-7M now has several significant changes like corrected motor thrust-altitude dependence based on nozzle exit area and atmosphere pressure, adjusted drag and lift curves based on wind tunnel test data, and other changes.
We are now carefully testing these changes before we release and move to all AIM-7 and AIM-120 versions.
Also today internally, AIM-9X tracking was increased to 90 HOBS and flare rejection improved. It’s a monster.
Thanks
5 Likes
Ooof.
1 Like
It’s a good thing they’re to the point where the BVR improvements are flowing down. because you. do. not. want any part of modern WVR. Unless it breaks off the rail, things like the R-74M1, AIM-9X, IRIS-T and ASRAAM tend to not miss. It’s less who has the best BFM, and more who can get their shots off first and preferably unobserved. You want to attrite your enemy from a far and then either run, or work your way to a position you can kill him before he can react.
3 Likes
I guess it’d be more accurate to post a meme of engineers sitting around a MATLAB window or technicians bored at a wind tunnel, but whatever.
3 Likes
Yes, this one looks like he is curing early onset premature missile explosion (PME) 
6 Likes
You mean like this?
3 Likes
It’s worth adding the caveat that there was the 9X that missed the Su-22 last year. So it seems that even in this day and age, a lot of the modern super-duper missiles might have high PKs, but that doesn’t translate into certain PKs. I’m not sure if there’s any public evaluations as to why the 9X failed, but it’s worth keeping in mind that assuming a hit “because technology” invites disaster.
Of the two I’ve fired so far today both missed… but I suspect pilot error had a lot to do with that.
Were they fooled by flares?
The US DoD interprets PK as including missiles that were fired out of LAR, and missiles that failed to function (i.e. dropped off the rail). The AIM-9X is rated having a PK of .9.
I’ve talked to three people who have seen “the tape” of that engagement. From what has been conveyed to me there are two likely scenarios that could explain the miss. Neither of which were due to deliberate actions taken by the Fitter pilot, and both were the result of preternatural luck on his part to end up in the .1 side of that .9 Pk. It bought him another thirty seconds or so on this planet.
The only certainties in life are death and taxes. You can never guarantee that one missile will hit 100% of the time, but what if the aircraft is carrying 2 missiles with a Pk of .9 (or .7 for that matter), what if there are multiple aircraft carrying two missiles? or more than two? You throw enough at the wall, and eventually it sticks. BFM is already a chaotic and inherently unpredictable environment in many vs many situations. Turning the missile capability and WEZs up further and expecting a High Aspect BFM merge with modern weapons without casualties would be greater lunacy.
You simply cannot expect to defeat missiles through counter measures and maneuver like you could with even the R-73. There is simply no amount of BFM that saves you., Entering that situation like years of air quake has rewarded is going to result in an abundance of mutual simul-kills.
The contest moves from who can out BFM the other, to who can manipulate the BVR and transitionary phases of the fight to gain advantageous positioning for SRM shots (or run).
1 Like
Exactly! There’s a lot of variables going through the pipe and assumptions either way are the wrong way to go. Hence, assuming that a WVR fight is always going to result in either extreme of no missile kills or all missile kills is guaranteed to have a few people going “WTF?” – just like they did in Vietnam.
Back when I played IL2 religiously, I was a bit surprised at the number of people that would complain about how certain aircraft didn’t follow performance parameters XYZ, seemingly forgetting they’re playing a computer game with a very different environment than in real life. The same is readily true in DCS, doubly so when dealing with simulated missiles (side note: Ta-183 was awesome with missiles in free-for-all servers).
In other words, don’t forget to practice using the gun now and again. I’ve yet to see flares or chaff spoof a cannon round! 
For a while there back in the '80s we had a rash of incidents where sailors were killed by soda vending machines. (The lost their money in the machine and were “shaking it” to get something to happen…soda or money back).
At about the same time the F-14 community had a number of routine AIM-7 missile-ex shots miss their targets for some reason or another.
Somebody in our squadron figured that soda machines had a higher Pk than Sparrows…squadron humor…I guess you kind of had to be there. 
7 Likes
I’m laughing at this way harder than is probably socially acceptable.
2 Likes