Radar Quick Reference
New to jet radar? Find the controls you need, choose a mode and work out why a contact disappeared.
What do you need right now?
Pick what you need help with for a quick answer.
Lock a target in a close fight
“Beyond/within visual range combat” activates an auto-acquisition zone; its shape and size depend on the radar.
Hold the target inside the displayed scan box or cone. HMD/HMS can aim the zone with your view if fitted.
ACM acquires a valid target automatically. Once the track is steady, use the correct missile and maintain the lock.
Search before you commit
Diagnose the geometry
Radar modes
Aircraft only show modes their radar supports. Labels can combine: ACM PD HDN is ACM acquisition using a head-on pulse-Doppler filter.
General search. Best with clear sky behind the contact, especially when it is moving away.
Ground clutter and chaff.
Pulse-Doppler filters ground returns by closure rate. Strong for low targets and head-ons.
Notching and low-closure tail chases.
A head-on-optimized filter. Excellent when the contact is rapidly closing.
Targets moving away may disappear.
Close-combat auto-acquisition. Point the displayed scan zone at a nearby target instead of cycling radar blips.
Scan shape and size vary by radar; aim the displayed zone.
Track While Scan keeps the wider picture while following tracks. Great for sorting a crowd.
A soft track is not always a missile-quality lock.
Filters stationary clutter and helps with look-down detection, often on older or specialized sets.
Usually shorter-ranged; availability varies.
Set up the controls you need
Controls → Aircraft → Radar / IRST. Keep lock and ACM under one hand.
Choose My keybinds to note the keys or mouse buttons you use. You still need to change the actual bindings in War Thunder. Check the BVR/WVR binding in game; its default has not been verified.
Fast fixes
Open the symptom you’re seeing.
Radar sees nothing
Check power, increase scope range, widen the scan, and point the nose so the target is inside the radar’s azimuth and elevation limits. If looking down, switch from SRC to PD or MTI.
It locks the wrong plane
In BVR, select the contact first and then lock. In close combat, use ACM and place only the intended target inside the acquisition box. A narrower scan updates faster and reduces clutter.
PD loses a crossing target
The contact may be perpendicular to your radar beam—a notch. Change your heading to restore closure, get closer, or try pulse SRC when there is clean sky behind the target.
Missile will not guide
Match the weapon to the sensor. SARH missiles need a radar track maintained through the intercept; IR missiles need a heat-seeker lock. A TWS track alone may not be enough for the weapon you selected.
Repeat in test flight until acquisition feels automatic. Then add BVR target selection and manual locking.