Matrix Games Forums

When looking at platforms in the DB, it's my understanding that when a sensor's Max Range entry has #1/#2nm, that that means #1 is the sensor's inherent solo-range and #2 is how far it can "see" if another sensor (either own-platform or friendly) tells it where to look.
In most cases #2 is larger than #1. For instance, Mk 1 Eyeball is 15/50nm. Makes sense. (Speaking of which, it doesn't have a DB entry but it is a hyperlink wherever it occurs. Intentional? Eyeball with binoculars has an entry.)
In some entries however, #2 is smaller than #1. That doesn't make sense to me. I'm suspecting values have been inverted. i.e. - #2/#1nm rather than #1/#2nm.

Examples:
For #1864 LA-610 TARPS Pod (IR+EO)
#453 KA-99 Panoramic Camera - 15/5nm (The sensor's own DB entry for Min/Max R says -/5nm)
#451 KS-87B Frame Camera - 12/5nm (The sensor's own DB entry for Min/Max R says -/5nm)
#455 AN/AAD-5/RS-720 - 10/5nm (The sensor's own DB entry for Min/Max R says -/10nm)

#1518 A-6E Intruder (U.S. - 1993)
#5785 IR Seeker - 25/10nm (The sensor's own DB entry for Min/Max R says -/10nm)

It's entirely possible if not likely that I'm misunderstanding something. If not ... Well, DB bug report.

Hello,

So you have it almost correct. Per the release notes of when the feature was released in 1258.1 (see: https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 1&t=385313), the first value is the sensor's volume scan range. That is, the maximum distance it can theoretically pick up targets on its own. The second value, however, is the range at which it can track/refresh existing contacts. So for most sensors, yes, if you tell it where to look you can find something much quicker than scanning the whole space around you with a 1° field-of-view. For other kinds of sensors, this may not make the most sense...

In your examples, you provided the TARPS pod's early sensors, the KA-87, KA-99, and AAD-5. This probably isn't the best example to use, as two of those sensors (the KA-99 & AAD-5) are downward-facing panoramic/IR line-scanning cameras meant for overflight reconnaissance at around 10,000 AGL. Wikipedia has a great KA-99? image from Desert Storm here, note the angle at which it was taken: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactical_ ... rm_BDA.jpg The KA-99 gets its panoramic ability by being able to "swing" horizontally from horizon to horizon. The KA-87 is an optical frame camera that faces mostly forward at a 45° vertical angle for oblique-angle shots. Those cameras aren't really things you can pan around and search an area with, they are fixed focal length frame cameras, and the farther away from a target you are the crappier the image quality will be. Thus, it makes sense that they won't be able to get a good quality "track" of something until you are right on top of it. In reality, the older TARPs cameras shot their images to film, so they wouldn't be doing any tracking at all, but simulating recon film return, development, and analysis is probably outside of the scope of what CMO is for.

A better sensor for this situation might be the various MAWS (Missile Approach Warning System) sensors that are popping up on modern aircraft. CMO tends to model these with a 30 nmi / 5 nmi range, and since they are (effectively; this is quite an oversimplification of how these systems work) wide-angle panoramic IR sensors, that also makes sense. They can detect the really hot launch transient of the rocket motor from quite a ways out, but they won't get a good track on the incoming missile until it's really close, owing to the "fisheye" effect of the wide-angle sensor. Thus the MAWS in CMO might initially detect the missile and display it as a contact with a large range box, but once it's closing in for it's terminal engagement, the MAWS can actually see the individual missile and not just the huge IR bloom from it's motor.

For the TARPS system specifically, If you build a simple test scenario, you can see how the early 90's vintage-TARPS pod won't actually pick anything up until you are much closer than 15 nmi. You can more or less ignore the first value entirely. Fly the F-14 over a target on land, like a group of trucks, at the mission design altitude of ~10,000 AGL. You'll notice that you'll probably pick up a vague "Mobile" target at around 8 miles via the AAD-5 (it shouldn't do this, being a downward-facing sensor, but that's another story). The KA-99 & KA-87 won't detect and classify it until you are a couple nmi out.