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DCS: F-16C Viper | Non-Cooperative Target Recognition (COMING SOON)



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(COMING SOON)

In this DCS: F-16C Viper video, we’ll talk about the Non-Cooperative Target Recognition, NCTR, that can be used to identify the aircraft type. As many of you are probably aware, this system compares turbine blade signatures of different engines to a database of associated aircraft types.

This can be a useful system to identify the aircraft at beyond visual range of up to around 25 nm. Because NCTR requires the radar to see the engine blades, there some important requirements:

First, the target nose or tail must be within 30-degrees in azimuth and elevation of your nose.
Second, the target must be within about 25 nm.
Third, you must be in Single Target Track mode.

To interrogate with IFF and NCTR at the same time, press and hold Target Management Switch Left for greater than one second. (Left Control + Left Arrow)

Let’s look at this in action.

We are STT on a high-aspect target at around 30 nm. To perform an NCTR print, hold the Target Management Switch to the left for greater than one second. When you do so, it will both perform an NCTR print on the target and perform an Identify Friend or Foe interrogation along the line of sight of the STT target.

If the target is outside the range and angle constraints, an INVL, or Invalid, message will appear on the Fire Control Radar, FCR, page.

Now that we are 24 nm, we will perform another TMS Left Long press and we can see that the target has been identified as SU27, meaning an Su-27 fighter.

It’s important to note that because we both performed and IFF interrogation and an NCTR print, we now have two identification sources that allow the Rules of Engagement tree to identify the target as hostile, indicated as red. Meaning you will be able to identify hostile targets with only ownship systems.
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Management
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