CMS

CMDS Countermeasures Dispensing System

CMS Countermeasures

Threat Warning Aux.

Power ON

CMDS Control Panel

RWR ON

JMR ON

CH ON

FL ON

PRGM 1-4

MODE MAN

CMS Forward: Selected Program (1-4)

CMS Left: Program 6 (Bypass)

CMS Aft: ECM On  / SEMI Consent

CMS Right: ECM Off / SEMI Consent Cancelled

Slap Switch Program 5 (Chaff/Flare Dispense Button)

LIST>7 CMDS SEQ: Next Page

The CMDS Mode knob should be set to STBY before changing the programs using the DED pages

Burst Number of Chaff/Flares Burst Interval

Salvo Number of Bursts Salvo Interval

BQ Burst Quantity Number of Chaff/Flares Released per Burst

BI Burst Interval Time in seconds between individual Chaff/Flares released in 1 burst

SQ Salvo Quantity Number of bursts in the entire program

SI Salvo Interval Time in seconds between each burst

CMDS Flare Prog:

BQ 2

BI 0.020

SQ 10

SI 1.00

In this example, two flare (BQ) will be released with 0.020" difference (BI), 10 times (SQ), every 1 second (SI). 

Quantity = BQ x SQ

Time = SQ x SI

Notes:

If BQ = 1, BI has no influence

If SQ = 1, SI has no influence (allowing you to spam a program by spamming CMS Fwd, good against IR missiles)

Setting either SI = 0.00 or BI = 0.00 seems to break the CMDS for whatever reason, you also can't set them to 0 in the actual DED page. Just set them low if you need spammy programs.

MODE Knob. This selects the CMS operating mode.

- MAN: The selected manual program may be dispensed by positioning the CMS forward on the stick.

- SEMI: The aircraft systems determine the program to be dispensed based on the threat. Consent to dispense must be given by positioning the CMS aft on the stick.

- AUTO: The aircraft systems determine the program to be dispensed based on the threat. Countermeasures are dispensed automatically. This mode must also be enabled by positioning the CMS aft on the stick. It may be disabled by selecting CMS right.

- BYPASS: This is selected to allow manual dispensing of countermeasures when failures prevent the other modes from working.

MAN/BYP Modes: 

CMS Aft ECM to Transmit for MAN XMIT 3 only. (No effect in BYP XMIT 1/2/3 and MAN XMIT 1/2.)

CMS Right ECM to STBY for MAN XMIT 3 only. (STBY is default in BYP XMIT 1/2/3 and MAN XMIT 1/2.)

If ECM is transmitting in SEMI/AUTO and you switch to MAN/BYP, it will continue to transmit but will not be functional after CMS Right (ECM STBY).

SEMI Mode:

CMS Aft ECM to Active in XMIT 1/2. (No effect in XMIT 3.)

CMS Aft Dispenses program determined by SEMI so long as being tracked (which starts audio prompt "Counter!") or missile inbound but not otherwise.

CMS Right ECM in STBY regardless if transmitting or not. (STBY is default in XMIT 3.)

AUTO Mode (Regardless of XMIT mode):

CMS Aft Enables AUTO (a program determined by AUTO will dispense automatically when tracked or missile inbound).

           ECM to Active.

CMS Aft Manually dispenses prog (determined by AUTO) so long as being tracked or missile inbound but not otherwise.

CMS Right Puts ECM in STBY only when not transmitting. If ECM is transmitting, it will not go to STBY.

Counter: We have been locked (Release Countermeasures)

If you go CMS FWD, you are in essence only using SEMI for its prompter "counter" and not its other purpose which is to dispense what it 'deems fit' (chaff only though) with CMS AFT. Doing CMS FWD always dispenses the PROG (1 to 4 only) you have selected on the knob unless in BYP mode where it is then fixed to 1C+1F. Note also that while SEMI is dispensing after going CMS AFT, doing CMS FWD will not work until the dispensing is completed, and this is the same with AUTO.

CMS AFT in SEMI and AUTO only dispenses chaff since the system cannot detect IR missiles. So SEMI and AUTO modes are only good for radar guided missiles, and be careful that CMS AFT while actively dispensing chaff, will prevent you from using CMS FWD/LEFT for some needed flares if an IR missile is inbound.

Another reason why using SEMI isn't a good idea is that when you're within, as an example, approximately 25 nm of your target you usually want to turn your ECM off as modern missiles can home on jam and there's no point in blasting your ECM within burn-through range of the enemy radar anyways as that just gives your position away. But turning off your ECM with CMS right will also remove consent for the SEMI mode. So your pretty much stuck between choosing between ECM and chaff or no ECM and no chaff. 

Chaff is most effective near the notch.

The ALQ-184 has a +/-30° cone fore and aft where it's effective.

So when you're in an aspect where you want to drop chaff you wouldn't want to use the jammer and vice versa.