The hotspot feature of the DMT helped me lots of times to find bandits. i have Being flying this module since the early acces and I still have fun with it.
I agree with you 100%. I have flown the Harrier a few years ago, before i converted to flying helicopters. But i think you are right. The Harrier is basically a hit and run harasser. Get up, unload on vital targets, get out. Its the plane you want to be flying in contested airspace, where enemy Air and SAMs are still active. The A-10 is great, i love it, but its best at cleaning up stuff that remained. When the Harrier is there to carve up the enemy defenses bit by bit and create openings for others. Sure, blowing up a big crater with the A-10 feels great, but the Harrier is way more methodical in real battlefield situations. And the last thing you want is to linger too long. I learned it the hard way when flying the Hind. I just get in, pop a few targets, unload troops and GTFO into the hills before enemy cap finds me. Anyway, when Dynamic Campaign lands in DCS i personally think the Harrier will be one of those frames that will survive and thrive a lot. Others i think, will be helicopters that will really shine.
Absolutely, I fly helos a lot too and for killing random targets that haven't yet been sighted and also actually capturing points for the servers I play on make them Crucial.
@@Joemate23 oh yeah. To give some credit to the A10, when i was flying the A variant on ECW, i basically flew it like a hind. Dragging balls on the grass, flying through valleys real low, pop up, unleash mavericks, and gtfo. It might sound funny, but after flying helos for so long, the A10 feel like a speed demon to me lol. Anyway i fly the A10 more like a helo, if that makes any sense.
@@SmokinKipper good question, but i dont have an answer. I dont like flying the hornet. Dont get me wrong, i think its a great aircraft, but i was never able to convince myself to fly it, so i Dont know. I tried a lot of times in the past, but when i transitioned to helos i rarely care for fixed wing in general. But for me in the harrier, i love the IR detection on the hud.
@@MrScar88 Fair enough! I too have moved on over to helicopters; perhaps the harrier still has some of that hover spirit! :) EDIT: I really should try ECW!
best case for harrier has to be sorties you can fly theoretically in 24hr span.. you can be literally 30 miles from the frontline, stationed like a chopper on FARP, take off, unload your APKWS, obliterate targets, datalink enemies to friendlies and go back for more.. and you can land and take off 2 times before f16 or a10 come back to base for rearm once!
Cool! I have never thought about the Harrier as a mini strike plane that goes in, blow stuff, and gets out. Always thought of it as a CAS alternate to the A-10. Time to look at the little bird under a different light. Learned a lot from this video.
the harrier is for HPHT (High Priority, Hight Threat) strikes. the A10 is for long term strikes to decisivly capture a point or make sure there are no ground units left in a air supriority (idealy supremicy) conditions.
The Harrier is absolutely epic at A2G....and you are right - it's especially good at fast in and fast out.....but it can carry a lot of ordnance a long way....8x500lb bombs for 1100 miles starting on the ground......and you can in theory go further in a Harrier than any other aircraft - 3000 miles if you carry 4 bags having just done AAR. LJDAMs are also a brilliant choice- you can drop 10 faster than you can fire 4 mavericks and skim in at ultra low level. As for air to air....if you get in a 1v1 visual range with a flanker you SHOULD be looking to win. The Harrier is actually a superb dogfighter in the right hands
The AV-8B Harrier serves a somewhat similar role to the JAS-37 Viggen, just slower but with more modern systems and VTOL. Also the DMT's ability to find even air to air hot spots would have been an amazing feature on air superiority and multi-role fighters... though I think the F-35 might have such features in an improved capacity, but since it is a fifth gen it is useless to us.
Flying air-to-mud without dedicated and competent fighter escort is always going to be a serious challenge, doesn’t matter whether you are playing WW2 in DCS or IL-2 GB, or more modern stuff in DCS. No perfect solution (and rarely even a satisfactory one) but something with a bit more speed and maneuverability like a Harrier is about as sound a choice as is available.
razbam said about adding the plus like 3 years ago then just went radio silent on it and made the f15e instead. If it ever does show up I wouldn't even surprise me if they charge extra for it despite being almost identical
Good assessment, and I like your outlook on quick in and out strikes....one problem though...the hornet can also do all of that (minus laser rocket) and unfortunately better then the harrier IMO. As well as defend itself better. Take 2 HARM, 2 IR Mavericks or vary them up, along with 2 heaters and 2 sparrows. Take a fuel tank if you like, or not, or take a pod or not. Your choice. Or sacrifice one sparrow, and have the pod on the cheek, and the gas if you want it. Fly high...fly low...your choice...your not super fast but your fast enough to get to safety and to throw HARMs high and far. Want a bit of AG and AA? Just take 2 harms let them off, and then joust the M2K or flanker that comes at you. Want to embaress that F-16 well just remember there is always a sneaky heater coming at you in the joust and flare appropriately, and you've likely got it in the bag. Look I like the Harrier. It's a plucky little aircraft, It's just hard chossing it over the Hornet. Espessially on Contention
And you would be 100% correct however its about being simple and fast the start up is faster and you can spawn at any airfield. The hornet is a lot more capable but you first flight is longer.
can the hornet do vtol tho ? :D jokes aside yes the hornet is an overall better plane, the harrier is not build as a multirole fighte tho. the harrier's tpod is also waaaayy better than the hornet's one.
@why-not-fly-the-av8b hornet has 2 pods, and 1 is the same as the Harriers, hotas controls for the pod on the hornet, are also better. (Even with the cheater binds for the harrier that let you emulate hotas control) Also don't make me do the spiel on why vtol is overrated.
@@crazygmanssimstuffits not the same, the Harrier's Pod its a 3rd generation Litening. Also you can see and designate target from 60-70nm. Also has a clean resolution and lot of zoom. The Hornet doesnt have none of that and also its not too capable at SEAD or Strike, he can do it but its not the best at it. Thats why i always choose the Harrier over the Hornet to Strike and even SEAD (but i usually use the F-16 to that task)
Your video makes me want to go back and have another look at the Harrier. I haven't touched the module since it first became available and I'm curious how it has changed since then.
When it comes to aircraft in DCS I tend to prefer the Vietnam-Desert Storm timeframe, and of all of the aircraft from the latter part of that timeframe the Harrier is my favorite. I have the Hornet and almost never fly it. Flying the Harrier in SP missions I fly without a Tpod or JDAMs or AKPWS; usually just bombs and rockets. This is how they were flown in Desert Storm based right on the front lines they were able to deal our immediate support to troops in contact while other aircraft were based in 100 miles behind the lines. Furthermore you can envisage realistic scenarios in which Harriers are the only fixed-wing aircraft available don't think I could say the same for the A-10.
When First tried the Harrier on a trial, I was taking a hard pass on it...but something about it kept me coming back until the trial ended...Not it's my absolute favorite module (and I like them all really 😀)
preflaring doesn't work in dcs, it's a rather known info that once the missile is in the air each flare has a random chance to spoof it but it doesn't count for those already dropped
Pre flaring usually means you get an extra 2 or 3 flare drops off before the missile gets to you. Waiting for visual launch of the missile and then going from confirmation to process to action to the implementation of that action causes significant lag and means less flares for the missile in flight, to track
Can you recommend a good 80s pvp server that doesn't have the F16 and F18? Every pvp server I've seen is nothing but 16s and 18s dominating the skies like it's Growling Sidewinder but with ground targets
@@ZeSpektrum No... The server from which the footage from is called contention. Players can place hostile shorad and medium range sams anywhere they see fit. There are red zones containing targets which you still need to see whats in the zone for yourself. This is a PVP server which means an enemy fighter will not hesitate to blow you out of the air. Trying to find random units that are not marked not spotted through a low FOV tpod amongst an all out air to air war is a poor way of spending time IMO. You will spend most of your time looking for things out of the cockpit that want to kill you rather than heads down. Helicopters are a far better way of doing that.
Joe, you're awesome. Keep it up. And don't censor yourself. I think you're restraining your language a bit. Go ahead and give us the full adult version, we can take it :P
Also I'd add one of the best manoeuvres you can do if caught out without friendlies and an enemy fighter coming 30-40 miles out is just land. You disappear off their radar and EWR or AWACS and can just wait for backup or for them to leave, just find a nice little gap between some buildings or on the edge of a forest and they'll never find you. Unless of course it's against AI in which case this will never work because they just plain cheat and can home in on you sat in a forest from 60 miles away and see through the bottom of their plane, ED please fix the AI one day I'm begging.
@algroyp3r Yes, although you will have to be significantly below maximum fuel to achieve it, which will necessitate air to air refueling. Alternatively, you can do a short take off, drop all your ordinance, and then do a vertical landing
Dropping the throttle does absolutely nothing in dcs as there is only 3 temperature stages iirc or maybe it’s just on or off but it’s essentially just off, on and afterburner so yeah no real point in doing it here
@@Joemate23 I think he meant that this is not modelled in DCS (variable engine temperature signature essentially), although I have doubts on that.. not sure, but I'd hope and think it is modelled.
@@Joemate23 On Contention I tried out the Frogfoot for a week or two. This was about a month and a half ago. The entire time BluFor was holding the skies. I couldn't go anywhere.
There's a guy in our online Squadron that will kill you in whatever your in while he flies his Harrier, trust me , most people don't know how to truly use the Harrier's strengths in Air to Air.
Here are the skins I used, Harrier GR7/9. I wonna see some based RAF Harriers...
www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3051112/
[A-4E with hands on hips in disdain] " W O W ! *Of COURSE* Englandman chooses England plane! scoff-scoff-scoff-scoff and hurrumph
🙃🤪😁
Harrier was my first full fidelity module, it's absolutely brilliant
The hotspot feature of the DMT helped me lots of times to find bandits. i have Being flying this module since the early acces and I still have fun with it.
I agree with you 100%. I have flown the Harrier a few years ago, before i converted to flying helicopters. But i think you are right. The Harrier is basically a hit and run harasser. Get up, unload on vital targets, get out. Its the plane you want to be flying in contested airspace, where enemy Air and SAMs are still active. The A-10 is great, i love it, but its best at cleaning up stuff that remained. When the Harrier is there to carve up the enemy defenses bit by bit and create openings for others. Sure, blowing up a big crater with the A-10 feels great, but the Harrier is way more methodical in real battlefield situations. And the last thing you want is to linger too long. I learned it the hard way when flying the Hind. I just get in, pop a few targets, unload troops and GTFO into the hills before enemy cap finds me. Anyway, when Dynamic Campaign lands in DCS i personally think the Harrier will be one of those frames that will survive and thrive a lot. Others i think, will be helicopters that will really shine.
Absolutely, I fly helos a lot too and for killing random targets that haven't yet been sighted and also actually capturing points for the servers I play on make them Crucial.
@@Joemate23 oh yeah. To give some credit to the A10, when i was flying the A variant on ECW, i basically flew it like a hind. Dragging balls on the grass, flying through valleys real low, pop up, unleash mavericks, and gtfo. It might sound funny, but after flying helos for so long, the A10 feel like a speed demon to me lol. Anyway i fly the A10 more like a helo, if that makes any sense.
If you are carrying fewer bombs and getting in and out quick, wouldn’t it make more sense to fly the faster Hornet?
@@SmokinKipper good question, but i dont have an answer. I dont like flying the hornet. Dont get me wrong, i think its a great aircraft, but i was never able to convince myself to fly it, so i Dont know. I tried a lot of times in the past, but when i transitioned to helos i rarely care for fixed wing in general. But for me in the harrier, i love the IR detection on the hud.
@@MrScar88 Fair enough! I too have moved on over to helicopters; perhaps the harrier still has some of that hover spirit! :) EDIT: I really should try ECW!
I still think it makes more sense to bring an F-18 for A2G, although the Harrier can be quite fun.
best case for harrier has to be sorties you can fly theoretically in 24hr span.. you can be literally 30 miles from the frontline, stationed like a chopper on FARP, take off, unload your APKWS, obliterate targets, datalink enemies to friendlies and go back for more.. and you can land and take off 2 times before f16 or a10 come back to base for rearm once!
Cool! I have never thought about the Harrier as a mini strike plane that goes in, blow stuff, and gets out. Always thought of it as a CAS alternate to the A-10. Time to look at the little bird under a different light. Learned a lot from this video.
Yo this is real talk. The harrier is so versatile and simple to use
the harrier is for HPHT (High Priority, Hight Threat) strikes.
the A10 is for long term strikes to decisivly capture a point or make sure there are no ground units left in a air supriority (idealy supremicy) conditions.
The Harrier is absolutely epic at A2G....and you are right - it's especially good at fast in and fast out.....but it can carry a lot of ordnance a long way....8x500lb bombs for 1100 miles starting on the ground......and you can in theory go further in a Harrier than any other aircraft - 3000 miles if you carry 4 bags having just done AAR. LJDAMs are also a brilliant choice- you can drop 10 faster than you can fire 4 mavericks and skim in at ultra low level. As for air to air....if you get in a 1v1 visual range with a flanker you SHOULD be looking to win. The Harrier is actually a superb dogfighter in the right hands
👆 this fella sold me the Harrier as my first module, he knows what he is talking about.
@@DraxTheDestroyer Thank you....I do hope you enjoy flying it as much as I do!
@@Pukin-Dog It's a bit rough flying with xbox controller and no head tracking but the aircraft itself is incredibly capable!
The AV-8B Harrier serves a somewhat similar role to the JAS-37 Viggen, just slower but with more modern systems and VTOL. Also the DMT's ability to find even air to air hot spots would have been an amazing feature on air superiority and multi-role fighters... though I think the F-35 might have such features in an improved capacity, but since it is a fifth gen it is useless to us.
Flying air-to-mud without dedicated and competent fighter escort is always going to be a serious challenge, doesn’t matter whether you are playing WW2 in DCS or IL-2 GB, or more modern stuff in DCS.
No perfect solution (and rarely even a satisfactory one) but something with a bit more speed and maneuverability like a Harrier is about as sound a choice as is available.
Given the F-18C is in the game, itd be nice to see the Harrier+...perhaps AMRAAMs would help even the odds
razbam said about adding the plus like 3 years ago then just went radio silent on it and made the f15e instead. If it ever does show up I wouldn't even surprise me if they charge extra for it despite being almost identical
Good assessment, and I like your outlook on quick in and out strikes....one problem though...the hornet can also do all of that (minus laser rocket) and unfortunately better then the harrier IMO. As well as defend itself better.
Take 2 HARM, 2 IR Mavericks or vary them up, along with 2 heaters and 2 sparrows. Take a fuel tank if you like, or not, or take a pod or not. Your choice. Or sacrifice one sparrow, and have the pod on the cheek, and the gas if you want it. Fly high...fly low...your choice...your not super fast but your fast enough to get to safety and to throw HARMs high and far. Want a bit of AG and AA? Just take 2 harms let them off, and then joust the M2K or flanker that comes at you. Want to embaress that F-16 well just remember there is always a sneaky heater coming at you in the joust and flare appropriately, and you've likely got it in the bag.
Look I like the Harrier. It's a plucky little aircraft, It's just hard chossing it over the Hornet.
Espessially on Contention
And you would be 100% correct however its about being simple and fast the start up is faster and you can spawn at any airfield. The hornet is a lot more capable but you first flight is longer.
@Joemate23 ahh that's right I forgot Harrier gets access to frontal airfields.
can the hornet do vtol tho ? :D
jokes aside
yes the hornet is an overall better plane, the harrier is not build as a multirole fighte tho.
the harrier's tpod is also waaaayy better than the hornet's one.
@why-not-fly-the-av8b hornet has 2 pods, and 1 is the same as the Harriers, hotas controls for the pod on the hornet, are also better. (Even with the cheater binds for the harrier that let you emulate hotas control)
Also don't make me do the spiel on why vtol is overrated.
@@crazygmanssimstuffits not the same, the Harrier's Pod its a 3rd generation Litening. Also you can see and designate target from 60-70nm. Also has a clean resolution and lot of zoom. The Hornet doesnt have none of that and also its not too capable at SEAD or Strike, he can do it but its not the best at it. Thats why i always choose the Harrier over the Hornet to Strike and even SEAD (but i usually use the F-16 to that task)
Agreed! one of my fav modules
Your video makes me want to go back and have another look at the Harrier. I haven't touched the module since it first became available and I'm curious how it has changed since then.
When it comes to aircraft in DCS I tend to prefer the Vietnam-Desert Storm timeframe, and of all of the aircraft from the latter part of that timeframe the Harrier is my favorite. I have the Hornet and almost never fly it. Flying the Harrier in SP missions I fly without a Tpod or JDAMs or AKPWS; usually just bombs and rockets. This is how they were flown in Desert Storm based right on the front lines they were able to deal our immediate support to troops in contact while other aircraft were based in 100 miles behind the lines. Furthermore you can envisage realistic scenarios in which Harriers are the only fixed-wing aircraft available don't think I could say the same for the A-10.
love the harrier, have most modules but its probably my most played overall. people tend to forget about sidearms a lot on servers hehe
When First tried the Harrier on a trial, I was taking a hard pass on it...but something about it kept me coming back until the trial ended...Not it's my absolute favorite module (and I like them all really 😀)
Nice, I'll have to get back to the harrier eventually. Busy AF lately tho
Completamente de acuerdo, el Harrier es genial
preflaring doesn't work in dcs, it's a rather known info that once the missile is in the air each flare has a random chance to spoof it but it doesn't count for those already dropped
Even so if he couldn’t see it he should assume it’s coming
Preflares don't help? That's sad, even warthunder has that modelled somewhat nicely
Pre flaring usually means you get an extra 2 or 3 flare drops off before the missile gets to you. Waiting for visual launch of the missile and then going from confirmation to process to action to the implementation of that action causes significant lag and means less flares for the missile in flight, to track
Can you recommend a good 80s pvp server that doesn't have the F16 and F18? Every pvp server I've seen is nothing but 16s and 18s dominating the skies like it's Growling Sidewinder but with ground targets
The F-16 is A2G on 80's it has no bvr missiles. Also a good flanker and mirage 2000 pilot can clap a hornet, I'd say its pretty even ngl.
Have you tried the jf-17? It's excellent a2g
Impressive. Which Server is this?
Would you recommend the harrier as a first plane?
For AG yes
Best A2G by a long way and a very good dogfighter..but not BVR
4:25 he didnt see it because the 9m is a smokeless missile unlike the r73 which you saw
reported
If this video makes me buy another module, my partner might try to the both of us.
Flying without TPOD is all fine until you actually have to find targets yourself, Harrier TPOD is superb with its clarity.
Its better for sure but also takes longer
You also have FLIR and DMT for finding things.
@@ankilo5519 FLIR is really short range, once you start seeing chevrons you're already in range of SHORAD.
@@Joemate23 I suppose you fly on servers where isn't any target location variation then and the server feeds all targets on F10?
@@ZeSpektrum No... The server from which the footage from is called contention. Players can place hostile shorad and medium range sams anywhere they see fit. There are red zones containing targets which you still need to see whats in the zone for yourself. This is a PVP server which means an enemy fighter will not hesitate to blow you out of the air. Trying to find random units that are not marked not spotted through a low FOV tpod amongst an all out air to air war is a poor way of spending time IMO. You will spend most of your time looking for things out of the cockpit that want to kill you rather than heads down. Helicopters are a far better way of doing that.
Joe, you're awesome. Keep it up. And don't censor yourself. I think you're restraining your language a bit. Go ahead and give us the full adult version, we can take it :P
What servers you recommend for the harrier? Big plus if can use apkws
Contention is my go to for 80's, its is PVP tho so expect to die a lot
Only issue is at the distance you’re engaging.. enemy would have you locked irl
Also I'd add one of the best manoeuvres you can do if caught out without friendlies and an enemy fighter coming 30-40 miles out is just land. You disappear off their radar and EWR or AWACS and can just wait for backup or for them to leave, just find a nice little gap between some buildings or on the edge of a forest and they'll never find you.
Unless of course it's against AI in which case this will never work because they just plain cheat and can home in on you sat in a forest from 60 miles away and see through the bottom of their plane, ED please fix the AI one day I'm begging.
Can the Harrier rearm at a FARP (and take off)?
Yes. It's one of the main purposes of the Harrier, actually.
@@greedsmack Can you do vertical takeoff with A2G loadout?
@algroyp3r Yes, although you will have to be significantly below maximum fuel to achieve it, which will necessitate air to air refueling. Alternatively, you can do a short take off, drop all your ordinance, and then do a vertical landing
SU-25A for me
Harrier with four Mavericks... is this not Slow Viggen with four Mavericks?
yeah, bit easier using the Harrier's MFD vs the Viggen's tiny screen
what server r u on?
Contention 80s PVP
I'm sorry to point this out to you... you seem to have miss titled the video. I'm sure you were meant to say the harrier is the best A-A platform. :)
she is just goated
While i love the harrier, im afraid that the F-4 Phantom will replace the harrier's air to ground capabilities.
Why would it, decades behind the harrier in dcs
You didn’t mention how based you can be landing at farps and being kissed by Sov in a gazelle 😂
That was funny lol
Dropping the throttle does absolutely nothing in dcs as there is only 3 temperature stages iirc or maybe it’s just on or off but it’s essentially just off, on and afterburner so yeah no real point in doing it here
I am aware I was idle
@@Joemate23 I think he meant that this is not modelled in DCS (variable engine temperature signature essentially), although I have doubts on that.. not sure, but I'd hope and think it is modelled.
@@KevinS47 I know a doubt it is modelled, nothing would surprise me
This is my case for the Harrier -> British accent ensues 😂
fuck i desperately want the harrier but the fact that it's abandonware means it's basically a waste. damnit
Only real Gs fly the harrier
Harriers suck I hate them.
@@manuelpistonand why is that?
@@manuelpistondo explain :)
Sounds like I’m a real G then!
harrier is god
Harrier Gang o7
first post
"u will never get air superiority on blue side" are u kiddin?
Rarely ever not you will never
@@Joemate23 On Contention I tried out the Frogfoot for a week or two. This was about a month and a half ago. The entire time BluFor was holding the skies. I couldn't go anywhere.
@@2KOOLURATOOLGamingthat works both ways, a lot more dedicated a2a jets on red.
There's a guy in our online Squadron that will kill you in whatever your in while he flies his Harrier, trust me , most people don't know how to truly use the Harrier's strengths in Air to Air.
Hate the harrier they are so whiny.
Take this video back now ! 😂 I’m disappointed u picked the ugly harrier 😢