DCS: F-16 IFF (Identify Friend Or Foe) Basics!

[@JimMaz]

I shot down so many friendlies until I learned to turn IFF on.

[@oldanddisgusted5998]

You need more subs have been looking for a simple explanation of this for a long time. Everything else is so damn complicated. Thanks man!

[@richarddop2202]

Keep in mind the way IFF works now is that it required 2 factor-authentication. So just IFF alone is not enough, to have a contact qualify as hostile from the FCR ( Datalink hostile contact will always return as "unknown" ) then it need both IFF & NCTR

[@isaxen2000]

I’m new to DCS and i found your videos and i have to say that this is the best newbie lessons i found so far, easy to follow and the best thing is that you zoom in on the panels and switches so one can clearly see what switch and things you’re talking about and it may sounds like a small thing but when you’re new to this it’s worth gold and many other videos i have looked at newer zooms in and assume that you know how it looks and what they talk about. So thanks and keep more videos comming.

[@BogeyDope]

I'm glad it helped!!

[@DLevasseur]

Don't forget a pitbull Fox 3 may not discriminate in busy airspace

[@terencewhite363]

Assuming the contact has their IFF on as well I guess

[@felixus9237]

Thank you this was very useful

[@Maverickf22flyer]

Who would you waste time and effort for using the TMS L LONG he could go SHORT and scan everything? i mean, what would be the single case when you'd want LOS mode instead of SCAN? Is there any concealment advantage in using LOS?

[@bryanholland6987]

My friend Katie and I were in formation yesterday on a public server and she IFF'd a Mig 29 and it showed green. She even shared her screen with me and it was null for me as it should be but for her, Green. Never seen that before ever. If I wasn't out there with her, she wouldn't have fired on the Mig before it was too late

[@JonTill]

Nice and clear. Thank you!

[@greaselitenin]

My current understanding, correct me if I am wrong, is as follows: (latest 2.8 OB): In the sim, IFF LOS actually works in two ways: (a) Line of sight as you've explained with the cursor in a vertical line up below the contacts, and (b) contacts near the cursor as described in the manuals (ED/Chuck). The manuals strangely (or incorrectly) do not mention the former even though the name (LOS) implies it. The LOS method needs some clarification. Why do the manuals say "immediate area around the cursor"? How is that LOS if the cursor is say L or R of the contact? Perhaps someone could explain. I would think LOS as you have demonstrated here (as opposed to putting the cursor very near contacts you want to interrogate) more closely fits the intended purpose of LOS for the pilot. For IFF SCAN, "entire view of the radar" as you've stated helps clarify "radar scan volume" written in the manual. As one would notice in the sim, SCAN simply interrogates all contacts you see within the radar display which would mean the radar scan volume provided you wait for contacts outside the azimuth gates you've set to drop off. Although radar is not required for IFF signals, it has to be turned on because you need a visual representation of the contacts' response. The narrower azimuth gates are like a filter in the declutter sense.

[@richarddop2202]

Keep in mind the way IFF works now is that it required 2 factor-authentication. So just IFF alone is not enough, to have a contact qualify as hostile from the FCR ( Datalink hostile contact will always return as "unknown" ) then it need both IFF & NCTR

[@RedTail1-1]

Jester needs an IFF of his own… on Hoggit yesterday I manually locked up an SU-25 and he tells me “that’s a friendly!”.. Okay, buddy whatever you say.. But that’s not the bad part. Right after that I noticed a radar contact almost directly to my left, so I flip around and use a manual lock again. I get a lock and he tells me “Target! 7 miles!” I fire a Sparrow and watch the guy try and flare it without defending(typical AI behavior). Then I get a damage pop up saying “(name) F-14 destroyed”… The guy had killed the enemy as I was flipping around so when I ended up locking, it was him there and no bandit to be found… Just… gdi Jester…

[@Trucker-Belly]

How does IFF work in dogfight mode? Using aim 9’s and the helmet. Does it even have an IFF?

[@officialusmanqureshi]

can you do a video for datalink?

[@radarluv67]

Ty

[@aidanq4280]

whats the exact binding name for the key in settings? I'm trying to search it up in adjust controls but nothing shows up

[@BogeyDope]

At 1:43 I name both binding names for the keys. RDR cursor switch, and Target Management Switch.

[@aidanq4280]

@@BogeyDope sorry about that lol. i realized after I rewatched

[@lobo3695]

Thank you, yesterday I killed a friendly guy due to this iff issue 😭

[@nicholasjensen8016]

Funny story kinda unrelated. Got banned on a server for attempting a carrier landing with the f16... To be fair the server did have serious/realistic in its name.

[@otanguma]

Could you do a video about datalink? Is it automatic on the viper? I see to set XMF to L16 but that's about it. Thank you ahead of time.

[@mattdaly9553]

hey I know this comment is a few months old but back by your right hip where you activate your avionics, you'll have all your switches on I'm sure but set DL to OFF (We don't use it anymore) and set MIDS LVT to ON. Then on your HSD press the OSB next to XMT L16. Assuming its set up properly server side then that's it! yo should have datalink

[@BojanBojovic]

Really don't understand why it does not show this all the time like FA18 or Russian planes.

[@himneeshchowdhary820]

what about in russian planes?

[@piikaa1337]

If you mean the FC3 modules (SU 33, Mig 29, SU27, J11) they have Auto IFF. Im not sure about the Cold war Migs tho

[@himneeshchowdhary820]

@@piikaa1337 but i am able to do fratricide in fc3 planes? they allow me to shoot at friendlies.

[@piikaa1337]

@@himneeshchowdhary820 well even in the F16 it is possible that after you IFF and get a response that it is a friendly, you can still shoot them.

[@himneeshchowdhary820]

@@piikaa1337 ok thanks!

[@Apollo_Tsakiris]

In the Su-27, Su-33, J-11, and MiG-29 IFF works differently. It can be done only by the radar mode in the HUD. When you see a contact, it shows as a set of lines. If there are two rows of lines in a single contact, that’s a friendly contact. If it’s a single row, that’s an enemy. The Su-27, Su-33 and J-11 also have a datalink where you can see who is a friendly and who is an enemy. But I don’t remember the symbology. So, the IFF happens automatically, you just need to figure it out yourself.

[@Sefert79]

1K

[@braydonzalewski2362]

not me watching this after getting banned. Hehe. :(

[@Rocketyfox]

Its somewhat unfortunate that you still get banned from servers if the guy you shoot had is IFF turned off for some reason.

[@richarddop2202]

Keep in mind the way IFF works now is that it required 2 factor-authentication. So just IFF alone is not enough, to have a contact qualify as hostile from the FCR ( Datalink hostile contact will always return as "unknown" ) then it need both IFF & NCTR

[@akrmki3389]

Nice when you run into a flight of 3 all using the same overlord callsign very orderly but they all forget to turn on their IFF.. after telling them none of them catch on lmao. Later on I misidentified one of them in a light furball and almost connected two launches on him lol My SA wasnt the best admittingly but this is very frustrating.

[@christophermcsherry2655]

Thank you. I just started with the F-16. And not being familiar with Viper's IFF system made my first A to A kill and it was my AWACS, lol. Good thing it was a single player training mission.

[@soundman0766]

Haven't tried it yet, but thanks for that info... just what I was looking for!

[@epicpatrickyolo4928]

Does the F-16 have a way to identify friendlies via the HMD/JHMCS like the hornet?

[@BogeyDope]

Not yet. Hopefully ED Development gets to the JHMCS soon. With the Hornet in full release finally, it seems development is finally starting to give the Falcon some love.

[@marcosavila8215]

the problem is noobs ruin many players "reputation" because they leave IFF off, DCS should be able to detect that like in real life, that the friendly has no IFF or transponder on and not penalizing pilots shooting pilots that "forgot" to enable this very important feature in the combat scenery

[@Rockethead293]

JESUS CHRIST FINALLY thank you so much, i've been looking for how to use IFF for so long, and this was simple enough for mr unsmart here to understand ;)

[@BogeyDope]

Glad it helped!

[@richarddop2202]

Keep in mind the way IFF works now is that it required 2 factor-authentication. So just IFF alone is not enough, to have a contact qualify as hostile from the FCR ( Datalink hostile contact will always return as "unknown" ) then it need both IFF & NCTR

[@zamasudcs]

Just Amazing as usual 🤙🏼

[@jdzzl]

Hey man this is amazing. I am much more used to the FA18s systems compared to the F16s. Especially the way combat is on the avionics. Still need to get used to the symbology on the hud for knowing when I'm in range and such. Cheers mate

[@henriklmao]

What would you say? What do you like more? (just out of interest) I was also a hornet guy, but now I'm mostly flying the viper. I think the hornet is better in a weapon loadout for one purpose. So for example, if I'm just going to bomb some airfield, the hornet would be my pick but as soon as there would also be air to air involved, I'd pick the Viper. I think the viper is a better multirole in one go plane than the hornet, which for me is rather a single purpose in one go plane

[@ShqipeInfo-bc3ss]

@@henriklmao it may be, but if you love the carrier deck, then f-18 wins. I love the fast catapult take offs, its just a joy

[@squid11160]

guilty as charged, except my guys are often RED and turn GREEN when i fire on them...

[@ErnestIsGaming]

dude what the hell is left long left short? i dont know where to press that

[@BogeyDope]

I explain exactly what buttons to press at 1:30 - 2:00. Then I explain how to use those buttons at 2:00 and through. Target Management Switch (TMS) left short for entire field of view scan. Target Management Switch (TMS) left long for line of sight scan.

[@ErnestIsGaming]

@@BogeyDope yes thanks i got it now. I didnt know i just had to press the tms left longer and shorter hehe

[@JD99]

Is there a way to mark them as green or red after i identified them as friendly or foe?

[@BogeyDope]

If you don't have awacs in the air, no.

[@JD99]

@@BogeyDope Okay, ty for the info :) but how can the awacs give them colors? I know it works over datalink but why can he say this one is friendly so green and this one foe so red?

[@BogeyDope]

@@JD99 they have a much more powerful radar. IFF is how they determine red green

[@jarrydlee7906]

Line if sight just Iff's directly put of the front of tge plane doesn't it? Coz that's you line of sight

[@BogeyDope]

Negative. LOS will do a line of sight IFF in the line of sight of the direction the radar is pointed. So, it's anything in front of the cursor. If you're pointed due north, and your cursor is all the way on the left of the FCR screen, and you do a LOS IFF ping, it doesn't do an IFF ping due north. It does it north/west because that's the direction your radar is pointed. It's Line Of Sight of the Radar not the plane. Hope that makes sense.