Radar Warning Receivers are a key part of modern jet fighter technology. Warning the pilot of radar emissions from search and track radars as well as incoming active radar missiles is essential for modern combat operations and Heatblur, a third party developer for DCS World, have just upped the ante when it comes to detailed simulations.

RWR simulation enhancements

The update, posted by Heatblur to their Facebook page, details the work they’ve been doing to update their core technology while developing the DCS: F-4E as well as finishing up their work on the DCS: F-14 including an early A variant of the Tomcat.

Heatblur’s latest efforts involve creating a detailed model of different types of radars in DCS World and simulating the physical effects of each radar. For those more technically minded, each radar now has a schema that includes the following pieces of data:

• Antenna Gain
• Antenna Speed
• Carrier Frequency
• Pulse Repetition Frequency (Search and Track)
• Peak Power
• Search Pattern (if it has one)
• Tracking Pattern (whether the radar is conscanning, mono-pulse, or sweeping like the fan song for example).
• Beam width and height.

The result of adding these layers to the radar models is a more fully realized RWR simulation. Even better, Heatblur are not intending to keep this work to themselves and are planning to share this with Eagle Dynamics. Here’s what the update had to say about that:

And perhaps best of all, together with our partners at Eagle Dynamics, we hope to contribute our simulation of the signal environment and associated schema to become a core part of DCS, making it available to both first and third party developers for use and extension. A rising tide raises all boats, and we’re excited to contribute to the core platform in a way that will be beneficial for the EM environment and RWRs’ across the entire simulation.

Outstanding! Surely a great contribution to the sim on the whole.

Puzzle pieces falling into place

The last piece of the update indicates that the work done here, to enhance the RWR simulation, is one of the last puzzle pieces to implement the ALR-45 RWR for the F-14A early model and one of the last pieces needed to move the F-4 Phantom towards release.

The update also teases incoming information of the F-4 Phantom and launch of both an early F-14A model as well as a specific IRIAF F-14A variant as well.

Keep an eye on Heatblur’s Facebook for more.