Coming in the upcoming "Heavy Cavalry" update, these systems change how pilots interact with ground-based radar. Unlike conventional guided munitions, ARMs use passive radar homing to sniff out and track enemy radar emissions. This means if an SPAA or a ship has its radar active, they are essentially painting a giant bullseye for any aircraft carrying these new toys.
The technical implementation is impressively granular. Missile seekers are now tuned to specific radar bands, meaning you'll need to pay attention to your tooltips and the Electronic Support Measures screen. ESM functions as your primary detection tool, displaying signal sources on a sector-divided display. From there, you can select and hand off targets to your missile seekers before letting them fly.
New Arsenal Highlights
The update brings a significant list of specialized weaponry for multiple nations:
- USA: AGM-88 HARM (A/C variants)
- Great Britain: ALARM
- China: YJ-91
- USSR/Russia: Kh-58 and the Kh-31 family
For players on the ground, this adds a layer of tactical risk-management. Keeping your radar active 24/7 is no longer a safe bet; you'll need to toggle your systems or rely on IRST to avoid becoming a target for a HARM launched from miles away. It's a cat-and-mouse game that brings the simulation closer to modern electronic warfare realities.
Soren