F3-01Radar Acquisition
beginnerFind, sort and lock the right target before it finds you.
Concepts
- Search volume: azimuth width, elevation bars and range scale — and what each costs in scan time.
- Reading target aspect and closure to decide who is a threat and who is a distraction.
- Search versus track modes, and why a lock tells the target you are there.
Drills
- Single non-manoeuvring target at medium range.
- Two targets at different altitudes; sort and lock the leader.
- Target crossing the scan edge; reacquire without losing awareness.
Success criteria
- Stable lock established inside the drill window.
- Correct target selected in multi-contact runs.
Time the Crank
intermediateSupport your missile while slowing the closure rate after launch.
Concepts
- Turning toward the edge of your radar’s gimbal limit after launch to reduce closure while keeping the target tracked.
- Trading altitude and speed: crank too hard and you lose the track; too soft and you fly into the enemy’s shot.
- Knowing when the missile is self-sufficient and you can leave.
Drills
- Launch, crank to one side, hold track until the missile no longer needs support.
- Repeat against a target that returns fire.
Success criteria
- Track maintained through the support phase.
- Separation established before the threat missile arrives.
Defensive Notching
intermediateSurvive the missile: break a radar track by putting the threat on your beam.
Concepts
- Why flying perpendicular to a pulse-Doppler radar can hide you in its clutter filter.
- Combining the notch with countermeasures and altitude changes.
- Recognising the warning, choosing the direction, and recovering afterwards.
Drills
- Single inbound active missile; hold the beam until it is defeated.
- Late warning: notch with reduced margin.
Success criteria
- Missile defeated without being hit.
- Situational awareness recovered after the defence.
Combined BVR
advancedTrain the radar. Time the crank. Survive the missile — in one engagement.
Concepts
- Building a shot from acquisition to launch to support.
- Deciding between offence and defence as the picture changes.
- Managing energy across multiple engagements.
Drills
- 1v1 head-on BVR engagement.
- 1v2 with a trailing threat.
Success criteria
- Kill achieved or engagement exited intact.
- No unsupported launches, no undefended threats.
Lesson content describes general BVR concepts as modelled in a game. It is not real-world flight or tactics instruction. Missions are published with “Published — unverified” status until tested in-game.