DWReese
Posts: 1824
Joined: 3/21/2014 From: Miami, Florida Status: offline
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Steve, There are several things about EW. You probably know that there are Offensive and Defensive jammers. Defensive jammers occur on their own. You don't have to do anything. Their purpose to to keep THAT specific unit from being killed. These are usually decoys, flares, or jamming pods. They will work automatically without you doing anything. Offensive jammers are located only on a few aircraft. They really very in ability. The US has two great platforms (EA-6 and the EA-18G) which are the best in the database. Other nations have similar units that do the same thing, but to a lesser degree of success. These jammers are generally powerful, and can "hide" the existence of other planes. Generally, you would place these either in front of, or (more commonly) behind the planes that you are trying to protect. The success rate could go from a position of not being able to detect the unit, to a position of knowing that a unit is out there but not being able to get an exact or precise fix on the target. From a distance, these work great. As the units get closer to their targets, the jamming no longer will work as well. At some point, depending on the jamming unit, the defenders will be able to locate the attackers and shoot at them. At that point, the offensive jammers no longer do too much. It is important to note that modern jammers will work great against older SAMs or equipment, but will not be as successful against newer units. So, in answer to your question, you have to figure out what kind of situation you are experiencing and apply the above statements. Is the SAM (plane) that you are trying to jam some new stuff? Is you jammer new? These can make a difference. You might want to describe the situation with a little more detail to get a precise answer. Good luck. Doug
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