@spcr I think it would be useful in this discussion to talk about how jamming works in real life, as this can be a source of inspiration.
First jammers can be directed or omni-directional. The Air Force EC-130 Compass Call is an example of a directed jammer - like a gun, it directs the jamming at a specific enemy target or location. (Note that the gun does not have a barrel, as the jamming beam is electronically controlled.) An example of an omni-directional jammer is the Army's Thor III, a backpack counter-IED jammer. This backpack is omni-directional because soldiers don't typically know where the IEDs are, as the enemy intentionally hides them.
Jammers can also vary on the type of signal that they jam. A radio communications jammer will jam the targets' communications, allowing the target to transmit information, but not not to receive any. The aforementioned IED jammer prevents the bomb from receiving detonation signals. A targeting system jammer, such as a radar jammer, will attempt to jam the target's targeting system, attempting to prevent the target from firing its weapons. This is more like shining a flashlight or a laser into a soldier's eyes or into a tank's optic system to prevent them from acquiring a target.
Then you have more interesting cases, such as GPS jamming. As everybody knows, the GPS (or GLONASS, or other) is a network of satellites around the Earth that are constantly transmission signals. GPS-receivers can receive these signals in order to identify their current location. GPS-guidance is widely used in various weapons. GPS jamming disables this method of positioning and targeting. (I don't think this would apply to FAF exactly as, technically, most of the planets shouldnt have such a satellite network in place.)
Now onto FAF. FAF's jamming only seems to mimic omni-direction radar jamming, and only sort of in an counter early-warning radar sort of way. As in, the "jamming" produces more return signals than a non-jamming unit would produce, therefore creating a the extra "blips", or the sense that there are more radar targets than exist in fact. This is, certainly, a very primitive and not very effective use of jamming.
FAF could, potentially, implement more effective jamming. Here some ideas:
- A directed radar jammer weapon - and normally the effective range of the directed jammer is about twice the effective range of the target radar - would target a radar (or sonar) unit and, for as long as the jammer is operating, the target loses all radar (or sonar) capability. A specialized aircraft would have a weapon like this, such as one that's designed only to jam stationary radar towers or aircraft carriers (the units with the greatest radar ranges). And to clarify, the jammed target loses all radar (or sonar) ability until the jamming ceases.
- An omni-directional radar jammer would do the same thing as a directed jammer weapon, but would impact all radar/sonar units within greatly reduced range (maybe 25% the range). A more common tactical aircraft, such as a spy plane, would have this. (In a more realistic scenario, SAMs would have short vision range but long radar range, and the tactical jamming would be used to protect a formation of planes from the SAM radars.)
- An omni-directional radar jammer that disables weapons. This would be very useful on something that doesn't have weapons, such as a Sparky. A real-life analogy would be a stun grenade, also known as a flash-bang, which briefly stuns the sight and hearing of persons in a room, rendering them harmless to attack. The existing "stun" mechanic on some weapons mimics this sort of jamming.
- A directional communications jammer would render a unit unable to receive additional commands. FAF already has a command that's used in missions, something like SetUnselectable, which renders a unit unable to be given commands. A specialized unit would have this, and it would probably be mainly for high priority targets, such as a strategic bomber or an experimental unit. The unit wouldn't be blind, because it could still see/shoot and act on its own, but it can no longer receive additional commands until the jamming is lifted. (In this sort of jamming, the obvious counterplay would be queuing up numerous orders in sequence for the unit to follow even after jamming starts and the targeted unit can no longer be given additional commands. In an advanced, real-life scenario, you would have standing orders of what to do in the case of enemy communications jamming. An aircraft might default to returning to base. A ground unit might be left to its own discretion based on current battlefield conditions. FAF doesnt seem to have standing orders (although "target priority" is definitely analogous) but a UI mod could potentially add them.)
- An omni-directional communications jammer would render all units within some radius unable to receive commands. If there was no distinction between friend and foe (and in real life, there isn't), then this would be used intentionally, meaning that a unit would automatically turn off the jammer after some duration, maybe 60 seconds, so that it could receive additional commands. A tactical unit, such as a UEF Frigate, could use this type of jamming. (The obvious tactic would be as such: If the enemy has a group of 5 ships, and you have 10 ships, you issue an order to advance to enemy position, then turn on the communications jammer. This renders the enemy unable to retreat their ships, thus taking a loss.) A siege weapon could also use this, such as a specialized TML that creates a jammer unit where it hits that renders all nearby units unselectable.
*Note about communications jamming: The Commander is within the ACU itself, so the ACU would not be vulnerable to this type of jamming.
**Disclaimer: I am aware that I have not mentioned jamming countermeasures or jam-resistant technologies here, but they do exist. Like anything else, however, the measure and the countermeasure are always in a cat-and-mouse game.
