Air RB · Field manual
Radar Guide
A radar contact is useful when it helps you make a better decision. Finding an aircraft, following its movement and supporting a weapon are different jobs. Work out which one you need before changing modes or chasing a lock. Start with direction, altitude and where the target sits relative to the rest of the fight. Keep looking outside; a clean scope will not save you from someone you have stopped watching.
Search where the target should be
Choose scan coverage deliberately. A wide scan helps find an uncertain contact; a narrower scan can revisit known space sooner while giving up coverage elsewhere. Elevation matters as much as direction. An aircraft can be straight ahead and still above or below your scan.
Increasing display range does not increase radar power or correct antenna elevation. If a teammate calls a threat above the fight, make sure your scan reaches that altitude before narrowing around its bearing.
Match the mode to the geometry
Pulse search can struggle with terrain behind a target. Pulse-Doppler modes help separate moving contacts from clutter but have geometry-dependent limitations. Head-on modes particularly favor approaching contacts. Available modes differ by aircraft.
If a contact disappears, check what changed: target direction, background, scan coverage or your own maneuver. Pulse may help with a contact filtered out by a Doppler mode, but brings clutter tradeoffs. Change modes to address a specific problem rather than cycling them at random.
Confirm the intended aircraft
After acquisition, check the HUD track against the aircraft you meant to select. A selected return is not necessarily an established track. In supported ACM modes, an aircraft entering the acquisition zone can be captured before the target you intended; keep the zone clear enough to understand what it is acquiring.
Target selection, radar lock and missile activation perform different jobs. If the weapon is not ready, identify the missing step before pressing several commands and making the state harder to understand.
Separate target selection from missile support
Before firing, confirm the right target, the guidance your weapon needs and enough room to support it without flying into an unacceptable threat. Semi-active missiles need reflected radar energy. Inertial or datalink features on some weapons can bridge interruptions, but do not provide independent active homing.
Active radar missiles carry their own seekers. Before acquisition, compatible updates can still matter; turning away immediately can leave a missile using stale target information. Do not treat a fixed range as magic. Launch cues indicate a firing opportunity, not a guaranteed hit.
Maintain the track without sacrificing your exit
Flying directly toward the target keeps closure high and compresses your time. Where your equipment allows it, offset your heading while retaining tracking coverage. Cranking can reduce closure compared with staying nose-on, but does not make you safe.
Keep margin inside the tracking limits. Watch elevation as well as horizontal angle, especially during altitude changes. If maintaining support requires exposure you cannot survive, abandon the shot and defend while you still have time.
Recover the picture before committing again
When a track drops, start with what changed. The target may have left coverage, terrain may be between you, or your maneuver may have moved the sensor away. Correct the likely cause before changing unrelated settings.
Reacquire only if it fits the immediate threat. Do not turn back into danger to recover one contact. A lost track means missing information, not proof that the threat is gone. Between attacks, rebuild your picture of teammates, terrain and exits.