DCS: AH-64D | Fire Control Radar Introduction

NOTE. As always, these videos provide a preview of an upcoming feature to assist you in understanding a new feature. Later, it is quite possible that the feature will change, and the feature functionality has changed. As much as I’d like to, I lack the time re-record these videos.

This is the first of several planned FCR video and is intended as a simple overview.

In this DCS: AH-64D video, I’m going to introduce you to the Fire Control Radar, or FCR, of the Delta. The AN/APG-78 FCR was designed to enhance the target acquisition and engagement process of the AH-64D when faced with large numbers of enemy armor units moving across the battlefield.
More than just a sensor for detecting and engaging targets, the FCR is a target classification and prioritization system that automates and accelerates the process of acquiring targets and determining which of those targets should be engaged to have the maximum effect on the battlefield with the limited number of munitions on board the aircraft. The FCR turns the Delta in a true force multiplier.

It was developed in the 1980s for the Delta as the Airborne Adverse Weather Weapon System, or AAWWS, which was part of the Multi-Stage Improvement Program, or MSIP, to enhance the AH-64A. The AN/APG-78 is a millimeter-wave FCR target acquisition system that also includes a Radar Frequency Interferometer, or RFI. The FCR is housed in a dome located above the main rotor mast. The APG-78 is capable of simultaneously tracking up to 128 targets and engaging up to 16 at once, and an attack can be initiated within 30 seconds. The datalink allows FCR data to be shared with other Deltas and allows them to coordinate attacks using fire zones.

It’s important to understand that performing a radar scan with the FCR can be thought of as taking a “photograph” of the battlefield. When multiple FCR scans are performed in succession, this is called a “scanburst”, which is like taking several photographs of the battlefield in rapid succession. It is during these photographs that the FCR is determining where the targets are, what targets are moving or stationary, and classifying each target within several target types, such as Tracked vehicles like tanks, Wheeled vehicles like trucks, Air Defense vehicles like a ZSU-23-4, or even fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

There are two types of scanbursts: a single scanburst and a continuous scanburst. A single scanburst takes several photographs of the battlefield and displays the state of the battlefield on the cockpit displays as a fixed, momentary snapshot in time. A continuous scanburst takes photograph after photograph of the battlefield and continues to update the state of the battlefield on the cockpit displays. Each time a new scanburst is initiated, all FCR data is deleted like throwing away the existing “photographs” and a new series of photographs are taken. This is very different than the air-to-ground radar modes that you may be familiar with like in the F-16 and F/A-18.

When a scanburst is performed, the FCR page will only display the 16 targets that have been determined to be the highest priority. It will never display more than 16 target symbols because the AH-64D can only carry a maximum of 16 Hellfires. These 16 targets on the FCR page can be thought of as a “shoot list”, with a diamond placed around the highest priority, “Next-To-Shoot”, or NTS, target, and an inverted triangle placed around the second highest priority, “Alternate Next-To-Shoot”, target.
The TSD can display more than 16 targets when set to the attack phase, but all low-priority target symbols will be displayed at half the size as the 16 high-priority target symbols.

The C-SCOPE and ZOOM functions on the FCR page are not currently implemented, nor is the LINK function on the Sight-Select switch. These will come later in early access, along with other radar modes.

That’s it for this introduction to the FCR. In the next video, we’ll explore deeper into setting up FCR pages and controls. Thanks for watching.