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How does de ESM system works on NWAC?

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unmerged(62759)

Corporal
Nov 18, 2006
25
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That's something that I don't understand...

ESM systems are supposed to passive "listen" to the enemy radar and detect the source. But in the game, I can detect enemy units emitting radar energy just with my own radars turned off. On the other hand, the few units that do have an ESM sensor (like some helos) can track enemy units (with that "kyte" shape displayed) that are not emitting.

One important thing is that ESM and passive radar are NOT the same thing.

So my questions are: how can I detect emitting units without an ESM sensor, just with my turned-off radar? How can I detect a non-emitting unit with my ESM sensor? And what is that "kyte" shape that appears when that happens?
 
In the game they seem to have simplified things and have mixed active and passive sensors in the interface. So passive sensors are always on and you can activate active ones (or set EMCOM rules so that units automatically go active after detection).

The kite appears even with active sensors on, it's just that the target hasn't been triangulated yet. Once it's triangulated it will be shown as a contact. In the game targets are triangulated pretty fast due to universal datalink. Where the triangulation is most common is when doing anti-sub work or as a sub listening for targets.
 
Ours said:
In the game they seem to have simplified things and have mixed active and passive sensors in the interface. So passive sensors are always on and you can activate active ones (or set EMCOM rules so that units automatically go active after detection).
Click to expand...

You mean that when an active sensor (like a radar) is turned off, it is actually on passive mode?

Well, even tough it should not work like an ESM sensor. And still, how can my true ESM sensors detect non-emitting targets?
 
Ours is essentially correct. Mostly we have made the radars also include RWR/ESM Sensor capabilities.

Some units can be detected with ESM even though they are not actively emitting radar signals, due to other electromagnetic radiation from not sufficiently shielded units. Helicopters are a typical example.
 
I see, thanks for the answers JanH. I think that's the same reason why I can detect non-emitting sonobuoys with my submarines, passive listening to other electromagnetic radiation, perhaps? Does that works underwater too?

I understand the simplification you made, but I don't understand why... IMHO ESM should be a sensor type on it's own, and radars should not "work as ESM", as I can see on the data files. Don't know, I still can't see the point of turning on the radars, since all the enemy turned-off radars will work as ESM, listen to my emission and track my position at a distance twice as far... But since it's not moddable, I'll keep playing like that :)
 
For AESAfactorPercent, 100 will mean it's an old fashioned radar that is counter-detected on twice its own range (roughly). The lower the number, the more resistant to counter-detection. In theory, a value of 0 will make the radar immune to counter-detection, but I'd recommend using a very low value like 0.01 if this is the effect you want.
 
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