What does the air search radar do?

[jSheep]

It looks like the IJN ships only have air search radar, but what does it do? Does it improve AA fire or do you see planes further?

[TheMac]

Surface radar detects ships and increases the firing solution 10%, from what I've read on the forums, so it's possible to guess that it makes the AA guns a bit more accurate and also detects planes at further than visual range, all depending on weather of course.

[GlebvoskiOnceAgain]

Dont know is this a bug or not but radar on my takao improve solution + 40%

[Mezomorto]

İlk olarak GlebvoskiOnceAgain tarafından gönderildi:

Dont know is this a bug or not but radar on my takao improve solution + 40%

You might mistake it for fast hopping.

[GlebvoskiOnceAgain]

İlk olarak Mezomorto tarafından gönderildi:

İlk olarak GlebvoskiOnceAgain tarafından gönderildi:

Dont know is this a bug or not but radar on my takao improve solution + 40%

You might mistake it for fast hopping.

No I double check it

[boris.glevrk]

Yeah, Japanese ship's AA radars seems to be effective against sea targets to an extent.
I have a fleet with Tone (air radar) and Aoba (no air radar) in the same column. The Tone always have far better solution than the Aoba.

Yamato's 15m Duplex Rangefinder comes with a No.21 air radar. The radar is fundamentally an air radar, but it is workable against surface targets as well.

[The Inept European]

The first thing it should do is detect targets, out to its air search range listed on the info card, reduced for the radar visibility of the target, and maybe other factors. This gives you a better detection range than visual search (usually), especially at night.

Now you have detected the enemy air units, which is good. You can fire on them and send units after them.

And in addition yes maybe you get a solution bonus to improve the accuracy of your AI attacks.

[The Inept European]

Technically IRL an air search radar is not a fire control radar and so it should not directly help with aiming AA guns on target. But it would help with finding a 'solution' which means an estimate of the position, heading and speed of the air units. That is more of a situational awareness benefit on a map rather than a targeting benefit with AA guns.

I'm not sure if the game makes this distinction in its mechanics for radars. I think some of the recent patch notes mentioned removing the solution bonus (targeting bonus) for some kind of air radar or maybe for all air radar?

[Lakel]

Latest patch notes did inded mention that. Some reason air radar was adding to gunnery control, supposed to be fixed now.

[Boko Disraeli]

Radar of any kind can detect anything, but the more modern sets were designed for specific functions in mind and as such will have better performance. An air search set could detect a ship at closer range than a dedicated surface search set but it is possible.