[1328.2] Aircraft Won't Break EMCON to Engage Hostiles

[rosolano079]

All,

I'm on the Steam beta, 1328.2. In both this version and the most recent Steam stable build (1307.18), I've observed odd behavior during aircraft engagements. When EMCON is set to passive across the board, aircraft will not activate their radar(s) to engage hostile aircraft. This seems to be a repeatable issue across different platforms and in multiple different situations, both in simple testing scenarios and complex multi-domain scenarios.

Speculating, I think it may be related to aircraft with CEC weapons expecting buddy illumination, not seeing it, and then not defaulting to self-illumination. When an aircraft is loaded with SARH weapons, it breaks EMCON, illuminates the target, and fires. [EDIT: This seems to indicate there is no such thing as "absolutely strict EMCON obedience--platforms still go active to engage a hostile no matter what.] Same with IR weapons. Aircraft with CEC weapons will engage with IR weapons when able. They just won't lock their own targets if CEC is theoretically possible. Interestingly, I did not see this behavior in the prior Steam stable release--I don't remember the version number, but it was the release immediately prior to 1307.18. In the previous release, aircraft would self-illuminate when necessary regardless of whether their weapons were CEC.

Why I think this disrupts gameplay and deserves a look: in a stereotypical NATO vs. USSR scenario, the Soviet aircraft will happily illuminate and launch on NATO aircraft. The NATO aircraft will properly enter an offensive engagement, but they are forced to defend against incoming SARH weapons until they close within IR weapon range, and then are then sucked into a turn fight until they manage to get a shot off. As a player, this means I either have to run active EMCON, or micro-manage my aircraft radars at all times.

I attached some very simple testing scenarios; WRA is largely set to default all around, except for Weapons Free and Ignore Plotted Course. Note that in the scenario with AIM-7 loaded Phantoms, they will detect by eyeball, illuminate at the end of their OODA loop, and continue the engagement as expected. The F-15s with AIM-120, however, will detect by FLIR, close to AIM-9 range, and fire without ever activating their radars.

[rosolano079]

This is still present in 1328.3.

In the attached saves (01C-1 and 01C-3), note that the F-16s with AIM-120s will detect each other, identify each other as hostile, and then fly right by without engaging. After doing a little more testing, I'm convinced this is due to CEC weapons overriding the platform's ability to self-illuminate.

Under identical or more restrictive ROE, the aircraft with different (non-CEC) loadouts will turn on their radars and launch according to their WRA; they follow doctrine as expected by engaging an opportunity target and ignoring plotted course. In that case, when the REDFOR aircraft engages the BLUFOR F-16, the F-16 will defend against the incoming missiles without trying to engage the hostile. If you watch closely, you can see the F-16 making a quick turn-in right at the merge--this is when the hostile briefly passes into gun range and triggers an engagement. The moment they separate from gun range, the engagement ends and the F-16 resumes its plotted course. If both side's aircraft only have CEC-enabled missiles, they will fly past each other even when mutually identified as hostile and no doctrine is preventing them from engaging.

I didn't include a save demonstrating this, but, if you match the F-16 against a hostile with only one missile, when the F-16 defends that missile it will continue on its course with its four AIM-120s unfired, never engaging. If you match an F-22 against a blimp full of AIM-54s, the F-22 will wander around all day dodging Phoenixes without ever returning fire.

[rosarioed]

Logged #15176