Air RB / Aircraft Database / Profile
Netz (Mod)
Israel · Rank VIII · Fighter
- Acquisition Type
- Premium
- Air RB battle rating
- 12.3Observed October 23, 2026
Aircraft overview
The Netz is dangerous once the fight gets close. Getting there is the hard part. You have the turning ability to win a dogfight, but no radar missiles to answer someone shooting from farther out. Let the first exchange develop, then attack players who are busy fighting your teammates.
How to fly it
Do not lead the first merge
Accelerate after takeoff and approach off to one side of the main push. Stay near enough to help your team. You want enemies committed to the first exchange, not the whole enemy team looking at you.
Attack the player chasing your teammate
Come in across their flank. They have to choose between staying on your teammate and defending against you. Take the missile shot before turning the attack into a prolonged chase.
Decide whether to stay
If the enemy is isolated, use your turning performance to work toward a gun shot. If more enemies are arriving, unload the turn, build speed and head back toward support. Do not trade all your speed for one more look at the target.
Common mistakes
- Climbing straight toward the enemy. You give radar-missile carriers a clean approach while your own weapons are still out of reach.
- Forcing head-ons. You do not need to gamble the aircraft on a frontal gun pass. Offset, make them turn and look for the next shot.
- Taking bombs on every sortie. Racing for a base adds weight and puts you on a predictable route. Take the fighter fit when you are trying to learn Air RB.
Strengths & limitations
Strengths
Strong in a turning fight
You can stay with an opponent through a sustained turn. That makes an isolated dogfight worth taking when you have speed and nobody else is lining up on you.
Enough countermeasures for a busy match
The premium Netz carries 180 countermeasures. Bring both flares and chaff; a flare-only setup leaves you short of options against radar missiles.
Limitations
You have to get close
An opponent with radar missiles can make you defend before you can shoot back. Chasing them straight across open sky usually gives them another easy launch.
Winning a dogfight can still get you killed
Staying glued to one opponent is tempting in an F-16. Check behind you before committing to another turn. If a second enemy is closing, leave the duel and drag the fight toward teammates.
Recommended Air RB loadouts
Take six Python 3s
This is the fighter fit to start with. Leave the bombs off. Python 3s pull hard but have no IRCCM, so shoot at distracted targets from the side or rear. If someone is already flaring and turning away, save the missile.
Sidewinders are optional
Four Python 3s and two AIM-9Ls also fit. Use that mix if you prefer the Sidewinder, but it does not solve your lack of radar missiles.
Make the gun shots count
The M61 has 512 rounds. Fire short bursts when you have the lead instead of holding the trigger while you chase the nose onto the target.
Radar & defenses
Use the radar to find the fight
It helps you pick out and track contacts. Once you are in close, keep looking outside the radar display. Your missiles use infrared guidance and do not need you to hold a radar lock after launch.
Read the RWR, but keep looking behind you
A tracking or launch warning is a reason to deal with the shooter, even if you nearly have a shot yourself. An incoming infrared missile will not announce itself on your RWR.
Use the right countermeasure
For an infrared threat, cut afterburner, flare and change direction. Against radar guidance, use chaff with the appropriate defensive turn; dropping it while flying straight at the shooter is a poor plan. Neither is a guaranteed escape.
Ground attack & CAS
Mavericks for targets you can identify
The AGM-65B uses a TV seeker. Find the target, get the lock and launch; do not spend the whole approach staring through the seeker while an SPAA lines you up.
JDAMs for a planned strike
The premium Netz also gets GBU-31 JDAMs. Pick the position you want to hit before starting the attack. If the target moves away, do not expect the bomb to chase it. Turn out after release rather than circling over the target to watch the hit.
Handling & fuel
Speed before the turn
Start the fight with speed to spend. Pulling hard just because the aircraft will let you can leave you slow beneath another enemy. Ease off the turn when the shot is gone instead of following them through every change of direction.
Keep an eye on fuel
Afterburner uses fuel quickly. Check what is left after the opening fight and turn back early enough to land. A drop tank helps endurance, but carrying extra fuel also makes the aircraft heavier.
Battle Rating History
| Observation | Battle rating |
|---|---|
| October 8, 2026 · Archive | 12.3 |
Unchanged on . Last checked October 23, 2026: 12.3.