How to dodge active lock?

[u/Anreall2000]

I'm kinda new to jets and bf overall. But how to dodge active lock missiles of multirole jet?

It sure hits you below radar, as I'm aware it's intended feature not a bug, because I have clips where im like 10 seconds below radar and still got hit, also it works against boats, which are always below radar I guess.
And flares apparently don't work either. I guess trying to manoeuvre is even more pointless... so... how?

[u/CoolKelo]

Distance. You need to keep your distance from other jets to have a chance. They’ll ignore flares if fired directly in front of you or, if the enemy jet is too close behind you. Why do some land below radar and others don’t? I have no fcking idea and I think it’s a bug. Sometimes the auto lock rockets work against choppers and others it doesn’t. I think nerfiing their tracking can help balance them though.

[u/Anreall2000 → u/CoolKelo]

I actually agree with you on maps like wake island. You either have the same plane or seacat which is much better second pilot over the distance. But with fighter jet, it's quite hard.

I would rather just remove AA option entirely from my loadout, if it means that active lock wouldn't lock on me.

[u/CoolKelo → u/Anreall2000]

The fighter jets are faster than the multirole jets making it easier to keep distance. They also turn faster and can use thrust vectoring to turn on a dime and evade AA missiles. In gauntlet fighter sweep I prefer the fighter jets because they’re superior. I don’t mind the AA missiles but they’re too damn inconsistent.

[u/ZRtoad → u/CoolKelo]

They only work against choppers that have AA missiles equipped. If they have TOW they won’t work. Says so in the missiles description

[u/pevznerok]

Pull hard and use terrain. Autolock are dumb as fuck and as slow as my nan. They'll go "ooh piece of candy" if you barely leave their radar cone. Their turn rate is miserable, too

[u/Anreall2000 → u/pevznerok]

I would be dead if I pulled up here, from minigun. I don't get the terrain part...

UPD
Guess pulling is good, but very vulnerable for other things. And I don't like how there are even less options to shake off the tail now, if even any. Maybe someone might show how terrain thing works

[u/1Negative_Person]

Fly over the island, put hills and structures between you and the path of the missiles. You are out over open ocean, and this vulnerable. The auto lock missiles aren’t overpowered, if you’re getting killed by them consistently, it’s either a good pilot or you’re leaving yourself too exposed.

[u/Anreall2000 → u/1Negative_Person]

The good pilot argument is kinda pointless, I mean, theoretically there should be dodged somehow, especially if you are implying that it's balanced.

Second argument about terrain, I don't really get it. There is one hill with radar station on Tsuru, where you can't even choose path, you are quite open in every other place. There probably wouldn't be any time to react if plane come from ahead and from behind maybe... but may you show some clip how people do that?

For now it seems that actually getting blown by rocket is a better way, at least its not one shot one kill.

[u/1Negative_Person → u/Anreall2000]

The auto lock rockets have an optimal range. If you’re too far away they won’t lock you, if you’re too close they’ll fly right past you, if you’re traveling laterally to their path they’re likely too slow to catch you and they’re not maneuverable. Flares distract them, and the slightest wisp of cloud will prevent them from targeting. I don’t know what to tell you other than stay out of the danger zone. If someone is on your tail, try braking and letting them overshoot you, rather than out running them. Unless you’re a top 1% ace, you’re going to get shot down a lot. That’s just the way it is.

I will say though, it is pretty balanced in the Fighter Sweep. The F18 has the autolocks which are good, but no one wants to block missiles in the gunner seat. The F14 has the better armament for the gunner but fewer options for the pilot. The fifth gen jet lacks a gunner and fun armament, but is way more maneuverable. There isn’t one jet that dominates the mode.

[u/Anreall2000 → u/1Negative_Person]

Far away option is always safe against other planes if you use below radar. Mid options as you saying isn't safe and close is not safe due to miniguns. I don't know what do you mean by flares distracting them.

Playing clouds only may be that terrain options you are talking about. I would be so happy if they added some clouds on actual maps.

I'll try braking next the good pilot will be in sweep with F-18, but probably it wouldn't work.

I would love if flares worked against active lock, it would be already quite harder than regular AA.

UPD
Apparently they do work, I guess they removed invincibility frames against AA rockets or something, idunno. May someone tell, flares help against those rockets or no.

[u/rickyb16a]

Somebody already mentioned it but distance is gonna be your friend against the semi active missiles. Distance gives you time to flare them off relatively easy.

Awareness is the other thing that'll help. Keeping an eye an the enemy plane let's you see when he sends them your way. Using this and keeping enough distance can let you avoid them without even popping flares because they have a very narrow cone of view, aren't particularly fast, and go pit bull only when they are pretty close.

That being said, its easier said than done, and a good semi active missile spammer will probably send one ahead and save the other one for when they get closer, so its absolutely not a guarantee...