Tracking Active Sonar Contacts

[matt30]

There are times when I am trailing a surface ship but I occasionally lose passive tracking because I need to speed up. Most of the time warships have active sonar on 24/7 but the minimap doesn't display the approx. location of the track (but I do see yellow bearing lines). Is this intended behavior? Shouldn't the contact remain on TMA?

Second question, does this apply to the AI as well? If I use active sonar, does the AI still have to work to get a firing solution or does the AI automatically know my accurate location?

This is most apparent when using the 1968 subs that have much worse sensors.

[Capt Jack Harkness]

I think it is intended behavior, yes. Better tracking of active intercepts is an idea that's been raised but I don't think the devs have reached a conclusion on if or how to implement.

As for AI, they get an accurate bearing from your ping and will typically send a torpedo down that bearing as soon as they hear it, I don't think they get anything more specific than that.

[Destex]

The funny thing is, you get TMA solutions with ESM, which has much lower bearing accuracy, while you don't with active sonar intercept. That's exactly the opposite in real life.

[Shadriss]

Originally Posted by Destex

The funny thing is, you get TMA solutions with ESM, which has much lower bearing accuracy, while you don't with active sonar intercept. That's exactly the opposite in real life.

Depends on the ESM package and a number of other things.

Active Intercept can only do so much - making it's bearings into a solution takes time, but no more so than passive bearings from the SA, so I do agree it should be being used for TMA purposes. Ranging data, maybe not so much.

[Destex]

Originally Posted by Shadriss

Depends on the ESM package and a number of other things.

I will be very surprised to find out that any submarine ESM mast can produce a bearing accuracy that can be a basis for TMA computation.

[Shadriss]

Originally Posted by Destex

I will be very surprised to find out that any submarine ESM mast can produce a bearing accuracy that can be a basis for TMA computation.

Be surprised. As I said - it depends on the package.

[Aktungbby]

matt30! Nice OP question after a 3 year silent run!

[Destex]

Originally Posted by Shadriss

Be surprised. As I said - it depends on the package.

Interesting. A submarine ESM mast? What accuracy are we talking about?

And regarding the era of CW, I don't suppose any western Submarine had something like that in the 80's (ESM accurate enough for an accurate TMA solution)?