DCS F/A-18c Hornet AGM 88 HARM Prebriefed Mode Tutorial

[@NoseNuggets]

Glad to see you back making videos regularly. Your tutorials are by far the best.

[@RedKiteRender]

I appreciate that, Cheers.

[@slyderace]

I agree! RedKite has the best details tutorials out of every DCS youtuber I've watched! :D

[@Blablablabla1ify]

Your tutorials are spot-on in terms of length, knowledge and brevity. Please keep it up! Glad to see you’re back to posting regularly 😀

[@vvcv__00]

Unfortunately, I came to the realization, after reading some of your Patreon page, that this isn't the most pleasant time for you and your partner. I wish both of you the best of luck during a trying time. But, I still wanted to drop a line and say thank you for such concise tutorials for DCS which, without a doubt, has an excessive learning curves (fun to be sure however). You are a natural teacher and have a talent for including many details that other tutorials simply leave out. I've been teaching at University most of my professional career, and it's the 'details' that are the easiest to forget during any type of teaching session. During teaching and pedagogy seminars, for example, 'details' are often discussed as a topic to start incorporating into teaching methods. Perhaps you've attended a seminar or two? :) Anyway, it's all in the details. Keep up the good work, my friend!

[@Kraken9911]

The only certified ASMR dcs tutorials.

[@flightsimstuff5417]

Professional and to the point, as always (much preferred to others' spam/drivel). Thanks again.

[@irvinglukas3500]

RedKite makes best video tutorials. It is pity that he does not work for Eagle Dynamics.

[@KlausbergerYT]

One thing to mention here is, that you do not *specifically* need a Waypoint, but a designated Target. So a designated Target from any of your Sensors (e.g FLIR-Sensor-Pod, HMD, HUD, Ground Radar) is needed. This comes handy if you use your A/G-Radar and identify enemy positions, as SAM-Sites are most likely positioned in a more open space for better radar performance/clearance.

[@garycooper4512]

You are a scholar and gentleman, Redkite!

[@ota2012]

Missed your tutorials, glad you are back!

[@theflyingfool]

Quality work through & through, Redkite. I always look forward to you excellent tutorials! Thanks!

[@Badair91]

Another excellent video dude, really enjoy your tutorials. Always well researched, straight to the point but comprehensive with details or options well explained. You’re always my first suggestion for folks new to a module you’ve covered! You and Laobi because it’s tough to beat those 1 minute dcs vids when you just need a refresher of which buttons to smash ;)

[@slyderace]

Thank you so much for this tutorial! I already watched it before but I recently got shot down a lot by SA6's on a PVE server and kept forgetting how to use HARMs :P Suffice it to say that I'm going to be taking out a LOT of SAMs on the server tonight :D

[@RedKiteRender]

Good Hunting!

[@BuzZoo]

Always pure quality. Thanks Redkite.

[@mobius7089]

Surprised there was no mention of the pullback mode, great tutorial none the less.

[@RedKiteRender]

Pullback is part of Self protect mode, and not really applicable to pre-briefed.

[@mobius7089]

@@RedKiteRender ah, I thought this was a general HARM update video as I saw Wags's thumbnail for it directly above this video.

[@BrunoBonamici]

best dcs tutorials

[@EaglefireflyGaming]

This is golden. Curious though, are the Harms gps guided until it turns its seeker head on? Wondering how it knows when to dive.

[@RedKiteRender]

basic INS guidance.

[@S3NTRY]

Another great one, cheers RedKite

[@flywaldair4040]

thanks for mentioning Skynet 👍

[@MetallicaMan172]

Solid tutorial once again!

[@OzDeaDMeaT]

what is the range from the waypoint (tgt) that the emitter can be? you put the waypoint right on top of the emitter, could the emitter be 2 km from the wayoint?

[@RedKiteRender]

Needs to be within a mile ideally.

[@mayuthecop]

You can launch harms in PB mode as well if you lock something with the SEA or Ground Radar, and if you know what is is the code for it ! There's a nice colorful kneeboard with RWR threats on the User files. With the SEA radar I manage to hit a Chinese frigate from like 40 nm, from about 36.000 feet (launch point of the harm). Also using the POD you can create your own waypoint with MK and launch around that, it works with shorter range sams but it could work with a SA-10 as well !

[@RedKiteRender]

Harpoon or Harm is an interesting decision, Given DCS's damage model sadly it's under-represented. But, in theory the Harm would be much more likely to degrade a ship's radars if it hits, but that's a great idea!

[@mayuthecop]

@@RedKiteRender Yeah, that's what we hopped when we launched at it after it killed our wingmen. We were a flight of 4 hornets going for a bunker strike with 1 harm each and 2 penetrator bombs. The frigate was defending the harbor and we didn't expect it to be so good haha

[@philhealey2520]

Awesome, thanks again!

[@brainfart22]

You should theoretically be able to fire a PB harm at any designated point, like with the hud or a targeting pod or air to ground radar right? The using a waypoint against these targets is the best way to do this right?

[@RedKiteRender]

Yes, the radar/tgp can cue it, but in those situations TOO or SP modes would be much more appropriate.

[@pancakeoperator]

Thank you sir !

[@Deltarious]

PB mode is obviously fantastic to have, but it raises an interesting planning question in that, if you know exactly, or pretty much exactly, were a site is located, and it's fixed enough to use a HARM in PB, then is it better to use another form of standoff weapon instead, such as a JSOW, SLAM, or particularly a SLAM-ER once they are available? This has the added benefit of never needing the site to turn on it's radar at all, and with MITL modes available you don't even need to be exact. SLAMs do travel pretty slowly, so for shorter range shots vs sites that can shoot down incoming weapons I imagine HARMs have a higher survival rate, but for longer range shots they get really slow too. All the other HARM modes (particularly RUK which I am jealous of when I fly the hornet) are clearly very useful, but PB is one I think I find myself needing to contrive a reason to use more often than not apart from against very long range SAMs, though this too may change once we see the SLAM-ER introduced.

[@RedKiteRender]

Indeed, part of it I imagine will be cost and availability, elements not relevant to dcs. Harms are much faster at impact now than in the past, and I've seen an increased hit rate in saturation attacks as a result, they're also longer range than jsows, although only single mountable. Harms in reality have historically been chucked en mass at the general areas of known sites to keep the radars off rather than actually kill, the hit rate is relatively low. So for a mission profile, letting your aircraft lob them and fly home sooner is a big saver on fuel and reduces risk to the individual aircraft. DEAD aircraft then sweep up the sites before they have a chance to recuperate.

[@mayuthecop]

I managed to lock a ship with sea radar, and launch the HARM in PB mode, so in DCS, you can fly around, spot the SAM with the pod, and just create a MK point, and you can use that. In the combination of MK and PB, I managed to launch at a SA-10 site and actually hit 1 tracker. It's amazing reallyI launched 2 of them from 40nm.

[@Deltarious]

@@RedKiteRender Yeah I've noticed the same, the speed was way down when they removed the unrealistic auto magic loft but appears to be considerably better again now. My hit rate against sites defended by two SA-15s (which is a mission I fly over and over for testing in MP) tends to be similar in DCS with HARMs and JSOWs currently however, for whatever reason if I launch 4 weapons I will loose on average one of them very consistently. That's also a very valid point in that the cost and availability factor is something we, perhaps wrongly, seldom consider. I also suppose that since the HARM has been in service so much longer and is also regularly used in a reactionary role against pop-up threats too that it does make sense when you think about it. If you receive good intel on a site's location you're trying to suppress you can just take the missiles you're already using and lob them and ultimately they still do their job if the SAMs aren't shooting at friendlies, something that is very hard to simulate in DCS currently even with the scripts you alluded to. I guess if you have a properly coordinated group, jamming, and enough HARMs you probably just don't need the extra weapons as your DEAD aircraft are going to be able to get in closer anyway, that's something I hope to see done well some day in DCS natively.

[@RedKiteRender]

@AzuAlx Ex That's a pretty neat trick, although admittedly perhaps unnecessary as TOO mode would probably be better suited to that situation, unless you're attacking a short range radar like an SA-8 equipped ship or ground force.

[@mayuthecop]

@@RedKiteRender Its the 051A or whatever the new Chinese frigate is called, it has 40 nm range and KILLER missiles hahaha, not sure TOO mode would had been better

[@beewip]

Nice video as always, gotta question, which code have to use with S on RWR, it have 3 different code how to know with one use? thanks for all

[@RedKiteRender]

Depends, S is a generic term for search radar. You need to pick the code that relates to the specific search radar you're trying to attack. The RWR won't tell you, so using SP mode is one way, the other is finding out what specific Search radar it is, and using that code. For example the SA-2 and 3 can both use "SAM SR P-19 S 122" as their search radar, which you can use situational awareness to figure out.

[@MarcTNL]

Actually you don't need a waypoint for PB-mode. What you need is a targetpoint ! A waypoint is one of the ways to get a targetpoint (by means of "WP designate"). Other ways are with the groundradar, with the targeting-pod or even with the HUD or HMCS (TDC Depress). My question is: what area from the targetpoint is searched ? For instance, if I slew my targeting pod over the target, which I can see on the SA-page, and press TDC Depress, would that be accurate enough ?

[@RedKiteRender]

You can pull this trick off however, it is not reliable, you really need your designation to be within a mile of the target for PB. Which on the sa page will be difficult without fine tuning visually as you get closer, by which point TOO mode would make a lot more sense.

[@MarcTNL]

@@RedKiteRender ah right. Didn't know about that mile. Good point

[@speedkiller3026]

can you not have multiple different codes for each harm?

[@abhinandanbal9931]

How does the Hornet HARM modes compare with the Viper? Is the implementation of HARM modes in the Hornet realistic?

[@RedKiteRender]

SP and PB are reasonably realistic, although I suspect PB will have some improvements yet to come based on the MSFS Superbug. TOO is not so realistic at the moment, as it lacks the code input and has a bit of a god's eye view. SP is a big advantage over the Viper's options thanks to the pullback mode for quick emergency response. Whilst the Viper's RUK is pretty neat for rough targeting. their HAS and TOO modes should be roughly equal, same for PB. Once the Viper get's it's HTS pod that'll really swing it in favour of the Viper.

[@abhinandanbal9931]

@@RedKiteRender Thanks. The "TOO" mode in the Hornet is too Arcady at the moment. Hoping for a proper 100% simulation of HARM in the Hornet.

[@RedKiteRender]

Wags has stated it's due an improvement to match the viper, just a matter of time.

[@HarryTheOwlcat]

Do you plan to remake tutorials if more functionality is added or when the 16 and 18 are released out of EA? I've been learning the 16 and many old tutorials on it are already missing details that have been added since.

[@pyroscot]

Hmm can we use Mark Points made on the fly as a WP and designate it?

[@RedKiteRender]

Yes, although if you're using a Markpoint generated by say overfly or the targeting pod / helmet you're much better off using SP or TOO modes at that range.

[@diego_gonnzalez00]

When we will get the superhornet in dcs?

[@xXxXENcoreXxXx]

Deadly.

[@angerissues69626]

so waypoint is the only way??? you cant use your pod to create a target in general area and use that ?

[@RedKiteRender]

Markpoints should work too

[@adriangoodman8901]

Where do you get all the info for Sam radar codes?

[@RedKiteRender]

Mixture of just plugging numbers into the game in sequence and official releases such as Matt Wagner's videos on the F-16. I don't believe it's formally listed anywhere in the documentation yet.

[@BastianSchwarz]

Danke!

[@Marauder623]

My HARMS never hit the target in any of the modes, I follow all the steps and even have a table for all the DED codes, they never hit

[@Creedarn]

Can you try how far from a waypoint you can have sam, lets say the sam moves from when intelligence got gathered. If the sam goes active that is.

[@RedKiteRender]

PB mode is not intended for search like RUK mode does on the Viper, the allowable error will depend on range launched, at maximum range you'll need it within a mile of the waypoint.

[@Creedarn]

@@RedKiteRender thanks. Only freshly gathered fruit.. intelligence then ^^

[@alexanderryan-jones600]

You'd have to wonder why the codes are as they are. Surely in a combat environment you would want to be able to either select from a table (as in the F-16) or punch in something approximate ("3" for SA-3). I guess if SAM hunting is your main job these codes would become second nature. Still...

[@RedKiteRender]

Age of the computer systems and weapons, combined with the heavily pre-planned nature of combat. Modern solutions like the HTS Harm targeting system on the Viper Automate a lot of this and is an electronic intelligence device in and of itself.

[@anasgame5685]

first

[@aeroRCmodels]

This is a very very harmful video