Unknown contact

[guderian68]

Hi to all,

maybe someone already asked but I can't find any threads so here my question.

I noticed that unknown contact (yellow one to be clear ) are labelled as fighether, boomer, bomber even before there is a visualy id by some friendly units. There is some optional setting that avoid this ?

Thanks a lot

PAolo

[Dimitris]

If they are type-classified before visually identified then this means their possible identity is narrowed down by other means (IR, ESM, radar-NCTR etc.).

[anxiousbob]

I think this is just your guys identifying the general profile of the target visually. It's a lot easier to say, "Oh, that looks like a small fighter," than it is to get "Oh, that's a Moroccan F-16C Blk 52+." That's why the first happens much father away.

[anxiousbob]

Sorry, I was too slow and also maybe wrong!

[Tomcat84]

You are partially right anxiousbob. If you have an F-16 with a targeting pod and send it to intercept an unknown aircraft, then at long range you might see it turn into "bomber" and then closer in it'll become "TU-160 Blackjack".

This could be cause in the targeting pod it is far out seen like "that's big, definitely not a fighter but a bomber" and as they close in they can classify it further.

But like Sunburn says, target radar emissions that are detected by your Rivet Joint for example could also cause a classification. Or an NCTR capable radar can classify it.