Main map information

[nukkxx5058]

Couldn't find in the manual an explanation about all the lines, circles, etc. displayed on the main map around the plateforms ?
Sometime we have large V shapes, sometime colored circles, straignt lines, etc.
Where can I find a legend and the exact signification of all these visual indicators ?

[nukkxx5058]

for example. who can explain the lines, circles, squares on the below image ?
Thanks in advance.

[Dimitris]

The various irregular shapes around contacts represent their uncertainty areas. It means that you have detected them, but imprecisely. Depending on your weapons capabilities this may or may not be important. Also the greater the uncertainty area, the more careful you have to be in your assumption of where exactly that contact is and what it is doing.

Generally uncertainty areas shrink the longer you can keep detecting a contact, and grow if you have lost and cannot re-detect the contact.

[Dimitris]

On unit & contact symbols: See the manual, pages 18-21.

Thanks.

[nukkxx5058]

Thanks !
and what about the green circle around me ?
and the V shape in my tail ?

[jomni]

V shape is your sonar arc. That's where your sonar detects things.
Green circle is Anti Sub weapons range(?)

THose are in the manual. Or you can play with the map option to see which is which.

[Dimitris]

The green circle IIRC is the nominal range of your ASW weapon (probably torpedo).

The V-shape - if you zoom out a bit you will see it's part of a bow-tie that represents your maximum active sonar range (and it's also an indication that you are pinging... not a good idea unless you're about to shoot someone).

[nukkxx5058]

Oh !!!! OK ! Great info, thanks.
I haven't see that in the manual. Probably missed it.

[nukkxx5058]

OK, so I stopped pinging

But then, as I'm 40m below surface, how can I still know my contacts position ? (contacts havent diseappear from my screen. Shouldn't they when I stop sonar ?)

Other question: When I zoom-out I still have these fat concentric circles. What are they ?

[Dimitris]

Contacts do not disappear immediately when you do not detect them anymore. They fade out and their uncertainty area grows larger, and eventually you lose them.

Not pinging doesn't mean you cannot detect the others, provided you have a decent passive sonar. Just be sure to have your speed low (5-10 knots) or else passive sonar is severely degraded.

The "donuts" centered on your sub are CZ (convergence zone) rings. This is a good sign because it probably means you have a good sonar fit (probably with a towed array) and you can make detections at quite long ranges under the right conditions.

[nukkxx5058]

Is there a good book/website/PDF document I should read to get knowledge about all these weapons, sensors, techniques, etc. of modern warfare ?
My only knowledge of modern warfare come from Falcon F16 simulator (and its great 500 pages manual) I used to play a lot 15 years ago ... (and also James Fleet Command that I enjoyed a lot).

[jomni]

ORIGINAL: nukkxx

Is there a good book/website/PDF document I should read to get knowledge about all these weapons, sensors, techniques, etc. of modern warfare ?
My only knowledge of modern warfare come from Falcon F16 simulator (and its great 500 pages manual) I used to play a lot 15 years ago ... (and also James Fleet Command that I enjoyed a lot).

tm.asp?m=3420399

[nukkxx5058]

Looks very good, thanks for the link ! Started to watch tutorial 1 ...

What about a good fat book I could read in my bed ?

[FireForEffect]

Try this thread it has a few book sugggestions:

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3422638

[snowburn]

http://www.amazon.com/Harpoon-II-Offici ... 1559584572

Harpoon II Official Guide, a bit old but its an start.

[nukkxx5058]

Snowburn and FireForEffect:

Sounds perfect 1
Many thanks guys !!!

[dillonkbase]

I have a few questions about the uncertainty areas discussed above. I was wondering why after shrinking do the areas of uncertainty increase on land based targets... I know some targets are mobile but even when I have jstar's up in the Serbian mission I see wild swings in uncertainty... my thoughts: aren't moving sam TELs easier to spot on radar than non mobile sam TELs. And if the target isn't moving shouldn't the uncertainy just continue to get lower, without "spikes" of higher uncertainty. It seems like instead of focusing on the area of uncertainty and refining the fix the computer just gives me the most recent sweep. I'm no expert on this but I feel like if I have elint surveillance from three widely different angles in the form of u2s, jstars, and E2 I should be able to get some pretty good fixes, especially as time passes.

As for ships and aircraft, It also seems to take forever to gather speed and heading info, which once again I sort of wonder about.

One thing I would like to know is how search from multiple directions is combined? is triangulation happening?

[Dimitris]

Hello,

ORIGINAL: dillonkbase
I have a few questions about the uncertainty areas discussed above. I was wondering why after shrinking do the areas of uncertainty increase on land based targets...

because they are moving or are _capable_ of moving. Remember, the uncertainty area is an estimate of where the target may be located.

I know some targets are mobile but even when I have jstar's up in the Serbian mission I see wild swings in uncertainty...

What is "the Serbian mission"?

my thoughts: aren't moving sam TELs easier to spot on radar than non mobile sam TELs.

Yes, they are. The uncertainty area is not simply about the fuzziness of the initial detection, it's about the ever-expanding area that the contact _may_ have move to since you last detected it.

And if the target isn't moving shouldn't the uncertainy just continue to get lower, without "spikes" of higher uncertainty.

See above. The longer time has passed since the last detection, the larger the uncertainty area will grow.

It seems like instead of focusing on the area of uncertainty and refining the fix the computer just gives me the most recent sweep. I'm no expert on this but I feel like if I have elint surveillance from three widely different angles in the form of u2s, jstars, and E2 I should be able to get some pretty good fixes, especially as time passes.

The problem with ESM/sonar readings on a _moving_ target is that at some point rh eolder uncertainty areas become useless as the contact moves completely out of them. So you are forced to rely on the most recent sweeps only and these may not be the most accurate. Again, a lot depends on how old your contact is. If you got a spike 2 hours ago and nothing since, don't hope for high accuracy.

As for ships and aircraft, It also seems to take forever to gather speed and heading info, which once again I sort of wonder about.

TMA is both an art and science, and while the principles are simple the application is _very_ tricky.

One thing I would like to know is how search from multiple directions is combined? is triangulation happening?

Yes, among other things.