I’ve been depressed lately and questioning my existence, but watching Grim Reapers videos has been very uplifting because I’m told I’m a valued viewer.

Thirty years ago one of my brothers who retired as an avionics chief in the Navy told me that U.S. fighter radars were so good even at that time that they could under some circumstances even detect the paint scheme on other aircraft. I hadn't thought of that conversation in years until you mentioned the radar scanning down the air intake.

This George: The one issue you did not mention about IRST is Clouds. IRST have difficulty seeing through clouds, a problem radar is far more capable of overcoming. The US has space based IRST called Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS). SBIRS is used to detect and track inter-continental Missile launches and does so very effectively. SBIRS can also detect and track aircraft in after-burner, these aircraft in the space world are known as slow walkers as missiles are considerably faster. Tracking a slow walker is more problematic as tracking typically breaks when slow walkers descend below cloud cover. Tracking ICBMs through clouds is less an issue as ICBMs spend very little time below clouds. I only mention SBIRS well known problem versus clouds as aircraft IRST systems have not solved the cloud issue either despite being used at significantly shorter ranges. I am unaware if DCS takes into account cloud cover for aircraft IRST and I think this may be a good experiment for you and your merry band of flyers.

Typhoon = One heck of an awesome, beautiful fighter. That's my opinion anyway. :)

Older US aircraft like the F-14 and even the F-4 had IRST, in fact the The first use of an IRST system appears to be the F-101 Voodoo, F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart interceptors. However I think that because Russia and China have had little progress with reducing their RCS figures until the 2010s, and conversely Wester Radars have advanced more rapidly during the same time, IRST became optional through pods like SNIPER ATP pod. Its only now with modern Russian and Chinese VLO platforms that IRST have become integrated again on US aircraft like the F-35 and AIRST to be installed on the F-22

F-22 is pretty damned scary….especially considering it entered service 18 f’ing years ago!!

The legion pod (for F-15,16,18,etc) is an IRST and has met requirements for IOC.

thanks for everything GR. love the content as always

The biggest issue with irst is they have zero way of determining range unless you have multiple linked up and looking at the same target from different angles and you have a system that lets those sensors communicate with each other to give each aircraft a weapons grade track

You need more than IRST to target and track.

IRST is useful, but it's simply not the game changer RuBots keep claiming it to be. PIRATE (Typhoon) is widely regarded as the best IRST in existence and it's estimated to pick up the F-22 at around 20-40Km. At this point, the F-22 will have picked up the opposing aircraft and shot it out the sky without any issues. There is simply no Russian counter for the F-22. They barely have a counter for the Typhoon. Edit: Just got to the part Matrix spoke and it's basically what he said. It can be used effectively and can be a nasty surprise, but in 9/10 cases, the F-22 sees the Typhoon first and kills it before the Typhoon knows it's even there.

Great test and display, Thanks!

6:39 Boeing is developing an underslung pod with an irst on the front for the f18

Brilliant video reapers

Now that Peregrine is available, I'd love to see if it's the game changer for F-35 that I think it will be.

0:51 To my knowledge this isn't _entirely_ true; the AN/ALR-94 receiving system on the Raptor (ported to the 35) is capable of geolocating A/A and A/G (SAMs most likely) targets off their emissions alone and existing RF waves in the area. If modeled correctly you should be able to lock in a passive TWS-style method and fire without emitting or emitting as little as possible using the LPI radar, making it damn near impossible to fight BVR; every sweep of radar over something you can't see is giving it more accurate lock data. There are less receivers of its kind on the F-35 but it should be similarly effective, potentially moreso if it's fused with IR data from the DAS and EOTS. Either way, it does give some truth to the claim that Flankers have a better chance than most other aircraft but their IRST experiences best performance when cued by the radar which defeats the purpose of it a bit. The Eurofighter would probably be the best candidate: PIRATE, Meteor, ASRAAM, good acceleration and turning

Actually only the f-22 has no irst capability. The others have it built in such as the f-35 or have it in the form of pods that are attachable. F-15, f-16 and f/a-18 can be equipped with such

1:42 the F-15C and F-18E/F both have the capability to use IRST pods iirc

@Grim Reapers - Good stuff Cap. Detecting/tracking a stealth aircraft and actually getting a weapons grade lock on the aircraft are two different things. The KZfaq channel: "Sandboxx", video named: "Iran claims to detect the F-35... and it's likely true" explained this well regarding Iran and the F-35. The same general principals could be applied to the F-22 Raptor with Russia.

Trigonometry on the fly.......SOH. CAH. TOA. 👍🏻

IRST is like looking through a straw, older radars are like looking through a toilet roll, modern AESA radars a like looking through a pair of 6x binoculars

F15, F16 and F18 does have IRST pods that can track airborne targets.

U.S. has stealth IRST Pods ;) Personally think F-35 VS SU-35 would have been a better match up😅 still all around great Vid! Exceptionally informative intro, entertaining as always, proof of concept demonstrated excellently, lol and The D-3's were even functioning brilliantly!👍👍 Another potentially fun and different fight! J-35 VS SU-35!*

the f/a-18 block III Super Bug does actually have a first, an I can very much imagine the block 70 and EX have it to, but don't know

interesting, thanks GR

"In this modern age of Air combat there are only two kinds of fighter aircraft, Stealth fighters and targets." Tom Clancy

Friendly F22 pilot here again; as you know the F22 MFD and SMFD are not modeled correctly… we use a gods eye view, sensor task fusion to build the picture instead of the old F15 radar display. F22 AESA doesn’t “sweep” like an old mechanically scanned array (V1). F22 is all Low Probability of Intercept (LPI) from an emission perspective. If modeled correctly the F22 is even better and FT2T. We also has IFDL a jam resistant low latency data link between the jets…. Let’s leave it there… but the real F22 is 5 times better than what’s modeled in DCS. Great job guys!!

Modern Western IRST are coupled to powerful computing softs that allow some general zone detection, IFF and some aiming/tracking, but Russian IRST are nowhere close. Note that French fighters actually use the excellent IR detection captors of the MICA IR as a sort of IRST, combining both IR captors of MICA IR situated at the wing tips could actually (in theory) provide some sort of IR interferometer detection system but I don't know if this is used as such (probably classified).

Friendly F22 pilot here (the real kind 😊) with thoughts; Russia IRST is a relatively inexpensive offset technology to combat modern western tech. Russians do this well. However, the F22 signature (RCS, thermal etc.) is optimized in every quadrant but most notably within 45 degrees of the nose (let’s leave the generality there). IRST is optimal when slaved by a radar which is difficult as you know against 5th Gen. in the F22 post shot and executing an “out” maneuver inside 20nm we would be in idle power if able and consider a curtsey flare. However, that would govern our position away soooooo. We have been working on an IRSTs for some time and you’ll see it on new fighters (let’s leave it there). As always great job guys! Really enjoy your videos…. Note: if you ever have the chance…. Take a mobile thermal viewer to an air show in the summer and compare the return of a 5th gen and any 4th gen or fat Amy aircraft. You’ll be impressed

I'll take the F22 every time, as we have come to know Russian claims are very dubious to say the least, that aside even with ideal scenario based on ability I'll stick with the F22.

Don't want to be that guy, but both radio waves and infrared are parts of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum... but very cool video!

I am under the understanding that an L band long range radar can detect VLO aircraft at range...just not accurately enough for a track. using a L band radar to get a general vicinity to search with IRST could be useful.

I've seen one or two F-15Cs with IRST pods recently. In conjunction with the APG-82V3 radar, it definitely helps.

21:25 alone the SA advantage, knowing where all of the enemies are, while they don't, is really valuable

Interesting about the comment regarding German Typhoons in red flag finding F-22 - the performance of PIRATE has been improved immensely since Trance 1 aircraft - which is what those German planes were. The sensor itself hasn't changed - all the improvements were due to steps forward in the back-end data processing - which is where most improvements in RADAR have been found too.

The F14-D included an IRST that did work well. A newer revision of the sensor used on it is available as a pod for current jets. From what I have heard, it simply wasn't used much. The F14-D radar was able to find and track things quite well and no enemy had stealth anything to try it on. I'm not aware of any instances where crews got to test it out vs F117, B2, or at the very end F22s. Some crews indeed played with it, and from what I have heard them say, its abilities were at least as much as you described of the Su-35's in the brief. Many largely forgot it was there after training to use it as the powerful radar, lack of stealthy opponents, and datalinks generally left them not needing more tools to find anything. EDIT: There is an interview I just found here on KZfaq in which a Tomcat pilot DOES speak of using the IRST to track a Raptor. And he also talks of using the IRST to find a tanker at 190. Way beyond anything I'd heard before.

Being picky but the RF from the radar is the same kind of electromagnetic radiation as the infra-red being picked up by the IRST system, just different energy/frequency/wavelength. The active versus passive that you also mention is a better comparison to highlight.

If I had to guess: Russia deployed it early because they were losing in a radar vs. radar battle when it comes to quality and/or they saw eaely results/the research efforts of reducing RCS for US jets and wanted to develop a counter. SInce there's actual screenshots from an F-35 detecting a ballistic launch automatically from 1.800 km away, I'm going to say the F-35 IR detection and tracking capability is severaly underrated/overlooked in DCS and real world capabilities for those not aware of it, and the USAF's efforts to add more IRST capabilities to current jets via pods is an indicator that the technology is now mature enough on the US side to deploy en masse. I havve simply never heard any comment from the US military or a professional analyst state in public they're concerned over Russian IRST, so I'm not quite sure what to make of it.

there is NO WAY a country that has spent 1/1000th of the military spending budget of one country could possibly have better systems, better capability than the country that spent so much more.

I'm curious just how close the raptor could get before the IR could see them coming head on. Obviously with the engines facing the Flanker, they would light up, but just how close could they get before the Flanker would get any kind of lock on facing the raptor. Just as an experiment of course.

My favorite cope is "having better radar is a bad thing actually". The theory being that radar-seeking missiles can be fired at enemy radar emissions so the first radar ping that reaches the other aircraft loses.

My understanding of modern Russian SOP is that they do much more of a "zone defense" than any of the western nations, so target discrimination is more of a Soviet style... not major priority as friendlies are really only authorized into their designated boxes and low level initiative isn't really a thing (and therefore doesn't have to be planned for). There are enough recent examples that I believe this to be the case including the downing of airliners, engaging US forces by accident, and reports that SAMs in Ukraine are shut off while Russian air is in their engagement zone. As for American IRST... that'd be a victim of our SOP's downfalls I'd guess. We had the only stealth aircraft in the world for decades, we establish air superiority instead of accepting contested airspace, and we dumped most of our surveillance development into other avenues such as drones and persistent surveilance ala GBOSS and the like. As for the Russians, a thermal imager is a much easier and less expensive tech goal than RAM...

Current upgrade program for the F-22 will give it the F-35's IRST. But the rest of US F-25, F-16 and F/A-18 use the Legion pod which acts an IRST.

Friendly F22 pilot: we are not afraid of a merge/visual fight. While not optimal when done properly it’s lethal. We can get to the merge undetected, use the 9x BVR and/or high aspect… biggest concern is getting “anchored” due to high fuel burn. Raptor pilots are some of the best in BFM. Theres a way to do it…. Hit me up and I’d be happy to teach you.

The Raptor and Lightning also employ IR reduction in both their skin and engine intakes/exhaust that's why intakes are C intakes? I believe they're called, and the engines are covered from almost every angle but the very rear of the aircraft and the nozzles are designed to reduce the heat coming out of the exhaust as well more so than they would be normally. I also want to note just how far Infrared can actually work in optimal situations (even though these do not apply here on earth) the JWST is based on Infrared and look at just how far that thing can image in space. However, you have to take into account weather, temps etc etc all this stuff effects infrared more so than regular radar. Atmospheric conditions can play a massive role in determining how good any infrared works.

I would like to see this again with f35's vs su35's thanks guys!

The Raptor was supposed to have IRST, but it wasn't considered a contemporary priority because Stealth wasn't part of the battle-space at that time. Tyler Rogaway wrote about the USAF exploring adding the capability back to the Raptor. So far it's still vaporware. Can't link the article, but I've quoted and you can search the following article string "The F-22 Raptor Could Finally Get The Infrared Sensor It Was Originally Promised" . "The U.S. Air Force has finally kicked off plans to integrate an infrared search and track sensor, or IRST, capability on its stealthy F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter. Under the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the F-22 was originally planned to have an IRST, a sensor that provides a significant capability to detect and track other aircraft at long ranges, including stealthy ones, that is totally passive and immune to electronic warfare, but it was ultimately dropped on cost grounds. Now, the service is at least looking at ways to insert the capability back into the jet." - Rogaway, The Warzone

Would be interesting to see IRST in combination with L-band radar. That might be a somewhat capable "stealth killer" combo.

isn't the reason why the F22 has rectangle and not round engine exhaust is to reduce the heat to make it harder for that sensor to detect it ?

An Aesa radar system is both active and passive. In passive mode it can still detect targets without emissions from itself.

Nice dogfight! Hey Cap, any word on the YF-23 release?

Just a note... The F22s rcs isn’t 0.0001m^2, as that is just the lowest possible return from a single angle (those are the numbers released for proapganda and selling points). The average rcs, at about 0.01-0.05m^2, is more representative.

can IRST find stealth - yes but you have to know where to put it as it has a very narrow FOV. Falls down with bad weather and daytime use. Eurofighter is the top end of the scale and it would still have trouble detecting stealth

Track is different than target.

No IRST makes stealth obsolete. I do agree that the Raptors biggest weakness is the huge heat plume from the engines. However IRST is not gonna allow a Flanker of all things to get inside the Raptor. Stealth aircraft are used for Max Range shots. No need of getting close. Please note that the Russian IRST systems do not work in many conditions this includes heavy clouds, drizzle, clear skies when heavy rain present in less than 6 hours, temp variations of +/- 10° within short frames, storm weather, heavy electrical weather in atmosphere. Plus a whole list more. IRST is a niche system that works only in certain conditions.

Incorrect with the F22 using 'only' radar, doctrine is that it only uses radar when necessary, it will datalink with other radar sensors, ELINT etc so it can stay properly stealthy, using other platforms to vector in the intercept

It would be kind of cool if you did a synchronized kill show so three different missiles hit the target at the same exact time. Then score accordingly Gold-Silver-Bronze.

I think it's about time to move on to Square millimeters (mm2)

Is your raptor version downloadable and do you guys still have a training server it’s been awhile since I’ve played this game

Day 3. Request of the KF-21

I don't know but I suspect that aircraft can IFF based on the 'sound' (profile) of incoming radar pulses, so the instant F22 pings, Su35 knows what it is and exactly where to point its IRST.... might be a lot better than you think...... maybe.... I still don't know ;)

Well that is nice to see and nice to know that we didn't pay tons of $ for nothing good. But I think we all know the Raptor is the best jet in the sky...

I for ONE would like to see how well the YF23 matches up to anything of your choice. In particular anything China has (copied stolen and or absconded ). With any weapons loaded currently in inventory or future . In short, I would love to see this aircraft war gamed the Sh1T out of, because I believe it is with out question the best fighter design in history.

Hi Cap, what abt f-16v with haveglass versus su-35?

Passive sensory are great for not being detected, so they have their own value. But most likely it is a lack of technology against the US, wich forces them to other routes, rather than to fight on equal grounds. Similar with their naval doctrines regarding US carriers

The ATFLIR on the 18 can act as IRST IRL

Doesn’t the block III Superhornet have the block II IRST?

Does the super hornet have irst or os that a fiture itteration?

Does the IRST you're using there accurately reflect the one on the Su-35, though, or is it just the Su-27 one?

Watching these "games" more like simulations, Over, and Over and Over.. the superiority of the Raptor is obvious. The F-35 is a stealthy plane but it does Not have the Air to Air capabilities of the Raptor. The speed, power, vectored thrust, the Air to Air missile carrying capacity gives it a Massive advantage. This raises the obvious complaint... we are not making them anymore... what we have is what we've got and they are going to be retired when they become to expensive to maintain. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.

The only people trying to convince everyone that Russian IRST is really worth anything are people who can't deal with the fact that Russia has had very little technology advancement in the last 30 years.

Hi, greetings May I ask the download of the Su-35? thanks.

IN this fight, The flankers BADLY needed taller mountains, to stay sneaky- getting RWR from a raptor = he sees you and you're almost dead if you can't re-hide and move elsewhere via cover stealth. The Flankers needed to stay behind STEEP mountains, and watch their RWR- keep the RWR clean, they can loiter till a Raptor gets close enough to IRST pick up. The Flankers need to severly restrict where they fly, as winning requires dodging enemy radar fully. Longshot has had a few videos demoing this sort of IRST play, but it took extreme mountains and focusing 100% on not getting seen via enemy radar over all else. So, if you look at The Drive's The warzone section [ a site that covers fighter aircraft news]- the US RECENTLY just started spamming new IRST pods on the Hornet ,Viper, Eagle, AND even Raptor - Something else EVERYONE FORGETS_ in the real world, the FLIR pods these aircraft have always been able to carry (including ones we have in DCS)-actually, DO have a A-A mode that lets you build a track file off of Infrared alone, so you'd don't have to turn on your KICK ME sign that is radar, to fight. But E-D has nearly no ability to do this with them(the ATFLIR is the closest it gets, and it's still not really workable for searching for enemy fighters, nor does it build a proper track) and the fact they just made IRST pods for the Raptor even though it's radar has LPI modes to not be found- is telling, how much the US is waking up to valuing sneaky infrared-only tactics, and to engage enemy stealth aircraft I HOPE ED implements better ability to build IR only tracks on the current DCS aircraft when equipped with FLIR pods so we can level the playing field with Flankers and Fulcrums doing this stunt. And yes, the Typhoon mods, etc- all those planes should be able to do the same thing with infrared only- if only peeps would implement this ability!

Do you plan to implement the irst on the F-35? Should have 360° capability.

Is 5M2 a realistic RCS for the Flanker? This aircraft is large, has exposed fan blades and carries weapons externally. I would be surprised if the RCS was only 5M2.

Hey everyone ! how well does your TrackIR work on a sunny day with an open window and curtains ? Given the state of Russian maintenance and ability would it surprise anyone if the Russian IRST is more a jank POS than TrackIR camera.

Can IRST detect air to air missile launches with the initial motor burn putting out IR?

now heres a scary notion. Attach a supercharged IRST onto a 'spy balloon' which has been proven to be extremely hard to detect, float it over somewhere you want to defend and spot stealth aircraft for miles and miles, relaying that data back to SAMs without being able to be engaged until the stealth aircraft literally get within gun range.

31:16 missile gaming

Your Su-35S should have R-27ET's for this

American living near Mildenhall, Suffolk. Would love to watch someone play DCS, or let me try it out. I'd even bring pizza and drinks. Anyone local????

Ten years ago I was working on future weapons technology. There seemed to be a very different design priority between Russia and America. While America was working on EM technology the Russians were working on reducing the reliance on EM systems. They reduced their signature and EM hardened the aircraft and concentrated on optical/IR technology. Worryingly if things were looking bad for them in a war they could generate an EMP and knock out the American systems. It's an incentive to use nuclear weapons!

IRSTs can be paired with Long wave (L band and below) radars to search for stealth aircraf, Long wave radars have no real difficulty detecting stealth as stealth fighters are not designed to be stealthy at all wavelengths. Once the long wave radar gets a rough idea which direction a stealth aircraft is, the IRST can look in that direciton.

Something I will give credit to the flankers for is their RWR. In the event that an enemy stealth aircraft vectors onto their position, the RWR wound be able to provide limited situational awareness. I also think that the flankers could have a chance of winning a fight like this by playing their cards right; by using terrain as cover, it may be possible to draw the raptors in close enough to get an IRST lock. Pair this with a long-range, infrared r27 to surprise the raptors and a splash may be possible. Of course, this is all hypothetical and would require a lot of luck and skill, but its still an idea that I like to think about

How do you think flares would affect irst from a distance?

isn't the IRST on Russian jets also part of old ground controller doctrine? so the pilot is vectored in by GC, using IR and Home-On-Jam missile to reduce chance of being intercepted AWACs and stealth reduced the tactics usefulness

The Soviets made a missile guided by the IRST in the 80's didn't they? It would be interesting to see how effective they would be, compared to radar-guidance

How detectable are these radars on F22? I would have thought stealth aircraft would fly with these off tbh. I'll also point out that while Russia went down the IRST path before the west, all new design western aircraft have this sensor. Its an asset for sure.

It's too bad the F-14D isn't modeled in dcs. I'd bet it's irst was alot more capable than the Russian one.

SU-35 Vs. F35 // IRST Vs. DAS only

I've been following Grim Reapers after discovering you about 1 month ago. Game idea Have you read Bear and Dragon by Tom Clancy. Also why not have Russia/China attack New Zealand with both Australia and U.S defending?

I dunno how relevant this YT video is to the F22 (being quite a bit older than the F35), but the "IRST" system will be part of the general aircraft detection and categorisation of targets where a package of 4 F35s work together anywhere between VHF -> IR spectrum. I thought that the F22 could already do something like this. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/o5diatyl3eCwj6M.html

The problem that I have overall is that no matter how much you can "fiddle with the settings", DCS itself will have a "basic" programming that X-is-Y-good at -Z ranger.... and I honestly think that the Russian IRST is a bit "too high performing" than what you would see in real-world situations. The BIGGEST being that if you don't KNOW that there are F-22's in the area, then WOULD you be using IRST to hunt for something you are unaware is in the area? Well, obviously the answer is NO. So, no matter how well IRST works in general (either out of the box DCS version or tweaked) ... if you don't know you NEED to use it, the chances are that you WILL NOT be using it at all. Leaving you open to being attacked, especially from stealth aircraft that might be coming from different aspects that the IRST will not be able to detect.

NIce video GR but the IRIS-T on the Su-27 should be outdated new IRISTs can move the the sensor like the IRIST- Missile. Rearaspekt should not be a problem Temps up there are like -50 °C ande the plane surface will like 100°C depending on speed. And you missed the aspekt of pickung up missiles via IRIS-T at great distances. In the end detecion of stealth is not the problem getting a fire solutions is.

What about the Raptor vs Typhoon then?

I recently downloaded the program and and having a horrible time figuring out all the keys. Could you suggest or do a video on flight controls you use or what would be a good system to start with?

Does the Su-57 have in IRST on it? After watching a video from GS today. It kind of makes me wonder if the mirror finish they are testing on the F-117, F-22, and F-35 could be an IR and radar stealth finish. The only way I could think that it would work, though, is that it would cause an IR Bloom, and as far as I know a missile doesn't understand the whole center of mass thing. I have a solution to beat IRST, but it would require a revolutionary, and expensive change to an aircrafts design. The S-shaped jet intake is used to masked the turbine blades from radar, the same could be done for the exhaust, but it would need to be resistant to heat.

a problem I see with this settup is that you don´t know that there are raptors nearby. as far as you would know there would be nothing there

Cap, i had a problem with su 35 while using r 37 hypersonic missle. I could shoot it withing 3 miles range even if i locked target 200+ miles

There is an IRST pod for US fighters.... not Sniper or Lightning.