Complete Guide To Aircraft Radar (2024)

Covers search radar, helmet mounted targeting, dipole radar, radar gunsights/rangefinders, ground targeting radar, tracking radar, pulse doppler radar, track while scan, anti-shipping radar, infrared search and track, moving target indicator, look down, and pulse doppler velocity modes.
Related guides:
Radar Warning Recievers (RWR) : • Radar Warning Receiver...
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I'm all over the place!
Twitter : / timsvariety
Facebook : / timsvarietygaming
Twitch : / timsvariety
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TIMESTAMPS
Introduction 00:00
Reading Stat Cards 00:57
Radar Scopes 4:06
Radar Bands 8:11
Dipole Radar 09:09
Radar Range Finder 10:42
Standard Radar 11:58
Scan Angles 12:27
Radar Locks 15:06
Cyclic Targeting 16:12
Manual Target Cueing 17:14
ACM (Air Combat Maneuvering) 18:09
HMS (Helmet Mounted Sight) 19:23
Locked Target Info 20:22
Datalinks 22:48
Multimode Radar 24:02
PD (Pulse Doppler) 24:21
PD HDN (Pulse Doppler Headon) 25:20
PDV (Pulse Doppler Velocity) 26:03
MTI (Moving Target Indication) 26:56
TWS (Track While Scan) 28:14
RAM (Raid Assessment Mode) 29:20
MEM (Memory Track) 30:16
GTM (Ground Targeting Mode) 31:07
Anti-Ship 31:43
IRST (Infrared Search & Track) 32:17
EEGS (Enhanced Envelope Gun Sight) 33:37
AUT (Automatic Mode Switching) 34:21
LD (Analog Look Down) 35:34

[@TimsVariety]

Guide to Radar Warning Receivers : kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoCqkq2LnLqXqbM

[@jimbobhootenanny4440]

Thanks, Tim!

[@Tanks.With.Teeth.Malloy]

The fact you still don't have an in game decal is criminal. You are my go-to for anything in air WT.

[@robertgaudet7407]

I paint my planes blue for him :)

[@enterchannelname8981]

wake up guys, new tim's variety just dropped

[@Anti-Airliner]

thanks for the reminder

[@Basicallybaltic]

Just got the F-4E and this video saved me from thinking the Aim-7Es are useless

[@loganhermanns2675]

Great video. I struggled so much with the F4E but once I understood that ground clutter plays such a massive role with that radar I was much less frustrated. I load 10 1000lb bombs, 4 sparrows, 4 aim 9, and the center line fuel tank and am doing pretty well with it

[@garrettobrien5197]

AIM-7Es aren’t what they used to be. What you want is the AIM-7E2. It’s the exact same missile. But it starts pulling right away. So it’s more reliable and it’s actually usable in headons

[@crazygone5107]

I am one of few who is proud to say that the F4E in my opinion is the best Phantom in the entire US tree including his premium brother F4S. Why? Better ground pound weapons, carries more of each weapon type than F4S and most importantly.. GUNPODS baby. It doesn't have to waste the spot for the fun having the internal but man when you slap 3x more Vulcans on you it becomes bowling with bullets and never gets old. Enjoy and the cherry on top is it carries the 6x ATGMs and you still can rock the pods.

[@F3yris]

​@@crazygone5107 the f4s is actually a version of the f4j and not the f4e

[@garrettobrien5197]

@@crazygone5107 like yeah I agree. But AIM-7Fs and PD Radar+HMD on the F4J is nice to use. But the F4E will always have a special place for me because it was my first top tier jet. Back when it was that and the MiG-21. And I used it to finish the entire us tech tree

[@farmcat9873]

When Tim's Variety says I'm gonna show you everything he means EVERYTHING this is why his channel is the best for information with great explinations on what you need to know.👍 this man puts a lot of work into these videos giving this info to all of us.

[@kingcuz.]

Very comprehensive, as someone with to many hours in WT - I even learned a bunch.

[@valrond]

Damn, this is more complicated that some radars in DCS. Thanks for the guide.

[@Skynet_15]

God I feel so bad for Tim. The Sisyphean task of making guides only for Gaijin to change everything is real. You deserve much love for your hard work!

[@Bluwubby]

Now time for gaijin to fundamentally change radars again

[@TimsVariety]

Next Tuesday, at the latest.

[@Flaruwu]

@@TimsVariety Your radar videos are the harbinger for change.

[@bpop2148]

Gaijin: Added : K-band for fixed wing, Radar jammers, AESA radar, Anti-radiation missiles, etc.

[@enterchannelname8981]

Thanks for the great guide. I especially appreciate the screenshots of the precise name of the control as it appears in game, so I can search it in settings and find out exactly which button I have bound - there are a lot of keybinds in this game and it gets confusing fast. Gaijin should really put all of this information on the wiki for each plane or each radar, and even if they won't bother to do an in-depth explanation of the feature, they could at least tell us exactly which radars have which features, because so much of the information isn't even shown on the stat card. Yes, knowing your aircraft through experience in game is important, but that doesn't mean that there should be secret information that's just not displayed anywhere by Gaijin

[@TimsVariety]

Thats something I think a lot of folks may not fully realize ... because of the lack of information from the snail about a lot of these topics, I had to rely on my own general knowledge of radar and an ENORMOUS amount of trial-and-error reverse engineering to confirm or discover how some of these things are implemented in the game. My "big 3" guides take an absolutely enormous amount of IRL time to prepare, this was about 2 weeks worth of work for at least a few hours per day. But I gotta deliver for my viewers. 💪

[@eveningeveningstar4932]

needed this cuz I just got a f15 🙏

[@RedTail1-1]

Did you buy an account or something?... Should have been using radar long before unlocking the F-15

[@garrettobrien5197]

@@RedTail1-1lmao. F4C F4E F104s F16s F8s. Even if he bought the F4S that’s main weapon is radar guided missiles

[@eveningeveningstar4932]

@@RedTail1-1 F4J radar stuff is wayyyyy simpler and has less modes

[@pomelo9840]

Was left wondering with RAM for quite a while, thanks for the guide

[@IMCDundee]

Tim's variety "Finally, that's the new radar guide finished...". The snail...CHANGE ALL THE RADARS , NOW!!!!

[@5ilent5hift]

Your original radar and missile guide videos years ago helped me so very much when I was getting into higher tier aircraft, I will always try and encourage people to watch your guides (and content!) when I can, incredible stuff and thank you for what you do!

[@TimsVariety]

I live to serve. o7

[@seashellbunny]

Thanks for another amazing, comprehensive guide. Hopefully this one doesn't go out of date within a week like the others...

[@TimsVariety]

Thank you so much!

[@retromecha]

Another amazing video, thanks again for all your hard work on this, Tim.

[@splooge52]

I have a buddy i ⛈️ with who just got his first SARH equipped jet. This makes my job of helping him learn radar combat so much easier. Thanks Tim!

[@sethcanning4170]

Ive spaded the gripen A and C, now im working through the F4 family and i still learned something new. 10/10 video

[@ansongarcia4747]

Big time W for Tim! Thanks for your hardwork and dedication to helping the community!

[@brandonfrye2902]

Great work man I needed this! Awesome as always!

[@brother-captaincentureasoc1930]

Thank you for all the work you do to bring this information to us in a comprehensible, digestible video!

[@kittlebittles]

Thank you for this! Been waiting for this one.

[@crazedfeel5775]

I was waiting for this updated guide for so long, I'm so glad it's out now !

[@geekadeuzan2103]

Wow, a good, complete and comprehensive guide that took a ton of effort to make that taught me stuff despite having been using radar for three years. Can't wait for Gaijin to make it obsolete again next update

[@ViperFox_]

Amazing video!! Really well visualized and thought out. I even got some new info even after playing the game for years! GGs

[@MrWhite2222]

Thank you for all the effort you put into these videos. I have been playing WT since before tanks where added, and I didn't know you could manually point the radar up down, and side to side 😂 This changes EVERYTHING. Thank you so much, cheers!

[@tacticalfunds6228]

Keep up the great content tim!

[@5uxxo2]

Hi Tim, thanks for the new guide and all the work you've put in o7

[@romulusmare]

Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication!

[@dancing_odie]

Very helpful and well done video. Thanks Tim

[@lucasteixeira6766]

I came to this video because I admire your work, since I am a war thunder veteran and thought I would know all these features already. Bud goddamn I was wrong! I learned at least 3 new things I didnt even know were in the game. Thank you very much and keep up the good work mate.

[@torpy9212]

20:15 you can also alternatively just press your LOCK RADAR/IRST TARGET keybind when radar is off while looking at a target to quick boot the HMS mode on. That is if your Plane has an HMS, if it doesn't it will try to quick boot into ACM mode.

[@TheAow4321]

Youre great Tim, the best at this!

[@jcbdigger4945]

great video, lots of handy information!

[@TheBranchez]

Finally! Good job my man! Thanks a lot for this.

[@solvdev]

I have watched every single one of the guides for radar lol. Thank you Tim

[@jonleg12312]

stopped playing a couple months back bit your tutorials are so damn good I still watch them

[@TheThanimal]

Nice! More studying to do!

[@5uxxo2]

When I think about it, I've learnt so much from you over the last few years that I not just want to thank you, but also buy you a drink. Cheers mate o7

[@TimsVariety]

Thank you so much!

[@Space_Racer]

in before more changes to radar mechanics.

[@user-fj6ms4vr6s]

Awesome content.

[@Dsolo37]

Comment for the algorithm. Thanks for the hard work you put into this guide!

[@gustavodetomi1502]

Thanks for the Tuto! +1 follower from Brazil

[@MotWIsildur]

Love it!

[@Squeesher]

I'm taking in the information, I swear! ...but I'm mainly rocking out to Waltz of the Tornado every time I catch it

[@blydon4954]

Gaijin, can we please get a decal for Tim, in my opinion his content is the most educational the WT community gets

[@profshamrock9352]

Here before Gaijin changes the RADAR again.

[@TheKingHomer]

Excellent video, even for ground players :)

[@2fat4airborne44]

dude...just thx man...that helps a lot.

[@brokenasphalt7801]

In tims variety we trust

[@zachthepizzaguy]

Oh yes new radar guide !

[@dirtydee9440]

Just in time for me to get back into top tier jet RB thanks Tim

[@gansior4744]

awesome video. Still waiting For Italian Tornado to be modeled correctly. Correct ground Radar, anti ship missiles, anti radar missiles etc. Its so funny that only plane with Ground radar is a MiG-21

[@arkiplayer3755]

I was watching the old version and then this dropped

[@pitzo5555]

if only i had the motivation to put this much effort into studying in school

[@julianschill2457]

Thanks a lot.

[@bestatom0902]

let goo the new radar guide thank you for this

[@KaguyasBeat]

Really doesn't feel like it's been a year since the last radar guide... we're always joking you'll have to update 2 hours after the updated guide goes up lol

[@_Ladiesman217]

Straight legend

[@Beastactive66]

lets goooooooooo new video from tim

[@th3narrat0r5]

Another great guide

[@TimsVariety]

Thank you so much!!! VIP subscriber, right here!

[@jacknickolstine3355]

Awesome video, was fragging fools with 120s while listening. I just want a EC game mode like sim but with RB settings.

[@solid_fire9388]

amazing

[@jameshopkins5702]

There’s so much to it. It’s so hard to program this on a consult controller.

[@skyscall]

Can’t wait to see you on Tim’s radar guide Vol. 4 when Gaijin inevitably renders this guide obsolete by the end of the year!

[@TimsVariety]

End of the year? End of the month.

[@marshmellominiapple]

This is... insanely useful.

[@TimsVariety]

I live to serve. o7

[@adspie]

Wow this Guide Helps me alot! You earn my Sub! hope you will feature Artillery and how to use it!

[@Red_Lion2000]

Nice profile pic King

[@someone-stole-my-handle]

Thank you for this, new stuff is confusing

[@theeradicator110]

Hey Tim can you make a detailed review about the Kfir Canard? I love you vids and like watching them a lot! A guide/review about the Pantsir S1 would also be nice

[@Namkify]

Its a Worthy mention, that the MiG23s MTI activation currently differs from map to map. On some maps you can have it active above 2km and just look towards the horizon to basicly have a pre-patch MTI; on other maps you are restricted to 1.8 - 2km altitude while having to look almost directly at the ground. Having to do with Mountains and hills not being seen by the radar as "ground" as far i noticed.

[@sundhaug92]

Doppler doesn't just use the time for a ping to return (as normal radar does), it actually uses the shift in frequency between the signal transmitted by the radar and the return-signal

[@TimsVariety]

Hence "oversimplified" so I didn't go off into a 20 minute tangent about it. The first draft was ... longer ....

[@SmallStormFinatic]

dude you gotta review the F6F-5N. it's a super unique plane

[@TimsVariety]

I know, I'll get to it eventually :-)

[@Android_ELITE]

PDV is the bane of my existence. It made an otherwise fun challenge of spading the phantom FGR into an annoying frustration every time I went into BVR. it’s so irritating trying to read that scope and get useful positions, especially because of how squished everything can get in the near segment of the display.

[@Flaruwu]

Hopefully they don't completely change mechanics right after you drop this again!

[@Threxer]

Can't wait for Gaijin to shadow drop a massive radar rework next week and instantly make this guide obsolete.

[@TimsVariety]

They're REALLY good at that.

[@kentoncompton3009]

NEW VID NEW VID NEW VID ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@generalbandege1184]

Hey Tim, it's been 24 hours since your last radar guide, when is the updated version coming out?

[@TheCoolParnell]

Is there any way to tell is a search radar contact is above or below you on the radar B-Scope? Does the length of the like that indicates a radar contact mean anything?

[@Rickardo9828]

I'm just starting to get into trying the higher tiers of aircraft, I've had some for a while, but I didn't really like the gameplay, I saw the old radar guide, but I hadn't really used any radars at that point so I didn't get it, now having tried some out a bit this made a lot more sense. Also I'm really curious about that missile guide, because I really want to know how locking an IR missile with radar works, that seems very useful, I can't seem to figure it out, but I think that's probably because the missiles I've been using (AIM-9D) doesn't support it.

[@TimsVariety]

The missile guide I have up now goes over that - IR missile slaving - but I'll be covering it in the new one as well.

[@DieErsteKartoffel]

Great update to a great video. Heads up, your bookmark at 24:00 says Multimode Madar instead of Multimode Radar

[@TimsVariety]

I fixed the typo a while ago, but for whatever reason YT isn't actually updating it.

[@DieErsteKartoffel]

@@TimsVariety o7

[@csii6478]

I have been notching early game against F14 pheonix spam and usually turn back in once I see them spam all of them off in orbit. Like you insisted not a lot of people may not know to do this defensive flying

[@TimsVariety]

Yeah, its a thing for sure. I'll be making a dedicated guide to missile defense in the medium term.

[@JHLKoops08]

I can’t wait for the fa18 and aim-174B to come to the game and aim-9x

[@TheGuyfromValhalla]

I wish there was some better way to keep track of all these keybinds!

[@algroyp3r]

More advanced than at least some of DCS radars (I'm looking at you Mig-21 bis).

[@micheledufour358]

Just finish es thé f16 am and i need to learn how to use the américain radars

[@raihanrusli2720]

Can anyone tell me why most aircraft use J band ? (Or why dont all aircraft use the highest band?)

[@camaradeKC]

the iff always work, the thing that doesnt work is when you try to lock an ennemy near an ally during the lock process the iff doesnt work Also on radar range finder, in cockpit view ur ballistic computer use it to update ur gun aiming system it isnt as accurate as modern ones but it helps PS : the SRC LD mode is kinda hilarious as its works like a weather radar, thats right u get interference from the clouds XD

[@shitpost4204]

We making it out of the WEZ with this one 😤😤😤

[@farmcat9873]

@Tim's Variety I have a question and its about the Pulse Doppler mode and the Av-8B Plus. Now if I am flying that AV-8B and I turn on the VTOL and just hover in one spot not moving than a PD radar will not count me on a return is this correct? If this is correct then heck top tier with the Aim-120 spam shouldnt be a problem. Because if the PD modes cant pick up a return because you are not moving then guess they cant fire on you from across the map, right?

[@TimsVariety]

I hesitate to give a definitive answer because the way the snail has implemented PD and MTI seems fairly "sloppy" for lack of a better term. The behavior of situations like trying to target a hovering VTOL jet is fairly inconsistent.

[@Frost_x_NB]

Hell yeah. Been waiting on this one. Thanks Tim 🫡

[@cobycox6509]

I changed my settings the triangle radar to a square radar and its way better IMO

[@darealsherlock8026]

DCS ahhh detail level

[@weltall7283]

watch gaijin change radars again for the summer update

[@srgabrielfb]

Before they implement this shit aut mode i was able to change radar modes manualy after lock, that was a dream. I think they need this for console players.

[@Greby_yt]

How do you have blue angels livery?

[@dotnask0001]

The MTI nerf for the MiG-23 is so crippling.

[@TimsVariety]

Yeah, I left some "constructive" feedback for the snail about that ...

[@Lynxium_]

With the new update adding Datalink for FOX-3 missiles, I've unlocked the Italian AV-8B+ and for some reason it has no datalink in the radar stat card, and I don't get the missile flight tracking for my AIM-120s on my scope. Do you know if this is because the radar doesn't have datalink, or am I missing something? If the radar has no datalink at all, then does that mean that all AMRAAMs that I launch will end up instantly switching to their internal IOG without getting updates from my plane, even if I only have one amraam flying?

[@TimsVariety]

AFAIK, you are correct that that radar set does not **currently** have DL. Any ARH missiles you fire will be IOG based on whatever info your radar lock had BEFORE launching.

[@Lynxium_]

@TimsVariety Seems like a major oversight from Gaijin, I really doubt the radar used in the F-18/AV-8B+ doesn't have datalink, especially when the F-4F ICE also uses a derivative of that radar and has 6 DL targets.

[@TimsVariety]

@@Lynxium_ They'll probably hotfix it at some point.

[@ryanpetersen2807]

I just wish i knew how to use and fully utilize the Mig21 bis (all variants for germany) radar, i believe its the sapphire radar. I just never seem to detect any aircraft in GRB

[@TimsVariety]

You're not doing anything wrong. The Sapphire-21 isn't a great radar set for low level search, personally I usually just leave it in ACM and rely more on visual scanning.

[@anrw886]

It's basically useless, but for that BR you don't want to be paying much attention to your radar anyway unless it's an end of match situation or you have decent radar missiles

[@unlockingsnow8571]

How much do we wanna bet next patch we get the first aircraft with an AESA radar making this video once again....immediately obselete. 😭

[@nick4754]

W Tim rizz (I am infecting the comments with brainrot)