MovieChat Forums > Top Gun: Maverick (2022) Discussion > Why Su-57 has no warning being lock on b...

Why Su-57 has no warning being lock on by F-18 missile?


Why Hangman's F-18 can lock on and shot down Su-57 without showing warning?

reply

Anyone knows?

reply

First of all, we are talking about F-14, right?

Secondly, Su-57 given no warning I assume is because those missiles were passive infrared guided missiles. I assume it was the Iranian 'Fatter' missile, which is based on AIM-9 Sidewinder.

Missile approach warning system is most effective against radar guided missiles, it is much harder to detect infrared guided missiles.

reply

No, I'm talking Hangman's F-18.

In this video, the pilot say Su-57 can detect infrared missiles:
https://youtu.be/Na6Vk-3WF5s?t=436

My question is: then why Hangman's F-18 can shot down Su-57?

reply

That is why I said "passive" infrared homing. They do not rely on active IR, radar guidance or a laser designator which would possibly emit a detectable radiation. So there is no way to detect a passive infrared lock on, I say that with absolute confidence.

So the only way they are detected is through either plane's own infrared or UV sensors detecting rocket fuel burning of the missile or radar detecting the missile itself. But both radar and IRST of a fighter aircraft are mostly facing front, so it is hard to detect the missile if it is passive infrared homing and coming from behind.

reply

No, I'm talking Hangman's F-18.

But when Su-57 arrived all F-18s were gone. Oh, you are talking about the final scene.

reply

What is clearly wrong is that the missiles stored in the Su-57 central weapon bays are radar homing, flares would not have worked. The infrared missiles are stored in side weapon bays.

Su-57 should have detected F-18 and shot it down at least 50 miles away, so how could a F-18 sneak behind a stealthy Su-57? That is the real mystery.

reply

Maybe Su-57 is too focus on dogfight? I thought radar wouldn't show warning an unknown aircraft show up on radar.

reply

There is no reason for Su-57 to engage in a dog fight in the first place. It is a stealth aircraft, it's advantage is to keep a long enough distance.

Also the F-14 already run out of missiles, cannons have very limited range, just few kilometers. That is so very easy to keep such a distance with a F-14 or F-18, for an aircraft like Su-57, which is capable of super cruise.

So again unless Su-57 pilot is somewhat stupid, it should not have engaged in a dog fight with F-14 or F-18 unless it has no choice.

reply



What is clearly wrong is that the missiles stored in the Su-57 central weapon bays are radar homing, flares would not have worked.


Question: flares still have mass, no? Would the missile radar be confused by the radar signatures of the flares?

reply

Yes, even clouds have mass, birds, grounds also reflect radar waves, but modern radars usually have computers attached to them, and have sophisticated processing algorithms to analyse the returned radar signals, so they can usually tell which is which.

Even the older radar homing missiles can avoid flares because their algorithms, although simple, usually go after the object with the largest radar signature, which is usually the fighter aircraft.

But the older radar homing missiles can be deceived with radar signal amplified decoys, which were not used in the movie. Also Su-57 carries fairly new missiles.

reply

He launched it blindly, like an unguided rocket, without using a radar. He's THAT good.

reply

A SU beting taken down by a KONGSBERG Remote Weapon Systems!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-8gUZ9Ki2J/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

reply


DCS?

reply