In addition to all the previously described A/A modes, the APG-73 radar has several A/G sub-modes available within Air to Ground master mode. The A/G Radar is one of your primary sensors to detect, identify, track, and attack ground targets. The A/G Radar is also used as a navigation aid. There are four primary search sub-modes: MAP(Real Beam Map), GMT(Ground Moving Target), SEA(Sea surface search), and TA(terrain avoidance). There are also two tracking sub-modes: Fixed Target track and Ground moving target track.

A/G master mode configures all of your cockpit systems for air-to-ground targeting and engagement. As you near your target area (perhaps when you reach the initial point just before the target point), you'll want to switch to this mode. The A/G Radar page and the A/G Arm page come up automatically in the pilot's MPDs.

Air-to-ground target designation differs from air-to-air target designation in one crucial way. When you designate an air target, you make the object you intend to hit with your weapons your target; when you designate a ground target, you make the point on the ground you intend to hit with your weapons your target. For stationary targets like structures and relatively stationary targets like radar installations, finding the target involves finding the general target area and scanning an RBM (Real Beam Map) of this area to locate the structures in MAP radar mode. For Ground Moving Targets (GMTs) and Sea Moving Targets (SMTs), finding your target involves scanning the general target area in GMT or SEA radar mode and cueing the targeting IR to an area of movement.

Just as there can only be one L&S target at a time in Air to Air Master mode, you can only have one ground target designated in Air-to-Ground Master mode. When TGT steering Is selected on the HSI, bearing and distance cues to the A/G designated target are provided on the HUD to help guide you. There are four separate ways to select the A/G designated target:

1. The first and easiest method is by using the "Mission Target" keyfunctions. While these keyfunctions are somewhat of a cheat in that they have no direct equivalent in the real F/A-18E, they do allow you to quickly cycle through mission-relevant targets.

2. the next means of designating the A/G designated target is by using the HUD. In reality, the pilot assigns TDC control to the HUD, slew the designation diamond the TDC, and designates the desired point on the ground. We've simplified this somewhat in the interest of gameplay to allow you designate ground targets by left clicking the desired point (within the HUD frame) whit the mouse. This method only works for ground targets, and the designation point won't follow a moving ground target such as a ship

3. If it is tracking a ground target, the Air-to-Ground radar automatically designates that target as the A/G designated target. Note that if the radar is tracking a target and you change the A/G designated target using the MISSION_TGT key, ATFLIR, or HUD, the radar lock will be broken and the radar will return to search mode

4. When in AUTOTRACK, the Advanced Targeting FLIR designates the target it is tracking as the current A/G designated target. As with the radar, changing the A/G target designation using any other method will cause the ATFLIR to exit ATUTOTRACK.

The Real Beam Ground Map sub-mode is the basic A/G radar mode. Terrain is displayed based upon altitude and/or type. Man-made features such as buildings tend to show as brighter dots or boxes, depending upon the range scale setting. As with all radar sub-modes, the Real Beam Ground Map can't see "through" intervening terrain, and such terrain causes a dark radar shadow to display in the area beyond the obstruction. Within this radar shadow, no targets are detected, displayed, or tracked by the radar.

To enter Fixed Target Track (FTT) from the Real Beam Ground Map sub-mode, the Radar cursor is slewed over the desired target using the TDC controls and the TARGET_DESIGNATE keyfunction is selected. Azimuth scan widths of 20, 45, 90, and 120 degrees and 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 nautical mile ranges are available in Real Beam Ground Map sub-mode.

2. Range and Azimuth Grid: The azimuth grid lines and the range grid arcs are displayed within the tactical region of the A/G radar page format. The azimuth lines are displayed at 0° ±30° and ±60°. The four range arcs are separated to divide the selected range scale into four equal segments, with the range arcs at one fourth, one half, three quarters and the maximum range of the selected range scale.

4. Expand 1/2/3 Sub-modes: These three pushbuttons (PB 6/7/8) are used to select increasingly "zoomed in" maps of a selected portion of the Real Beam Map display. The expand 1/2/3 sub-modes are entered by either selecting the sub-mode directly from the MAP sub-mode, or by selecting the sub-mode directly from another expanded sub-mode.

6. Radar Freeze (FRZ); Selection of the FRZ option (PB 13) commands the radar to freeze the video display. While frozen, the radar does not sweep back and forth, and the display is not updated.

7. Radar Silent (SIL): Toggles radar silent on or off. When radar silent is on, the radar does not transmit, exactly as if EMCOM were selected, but affecting only the radar.

The GMT sub-mode provides a synthetic display of actual target returns with solid rectangles on the display. The target returns displayed in the GMT sub-mode are from moving targets only. Return from the ground and fixed (nonmoving) targets are not displayed unless the INTL option is selected as described below. Moving ground targets are displayed at maximum intensity. Ground moving target track (GMTT) is commanded exactly as Fixed Target Track (FTT); the acquisition cursor is slewed over the target and designate is selected. Azimuth scan widths of 20, 45, 90 degrees and 5, 10, 20, and 40 nautical mile range are available in GMT sub-mode.

To enter Ground Moving Target Track (GMTT) from the GMT sub-mode, the Radar cursor is slewed over the desired target using the TDC controls and the TARGET_DESIGNATE key function is selected. The GMT page contains many of the same symbols and options described for the MAP sub-mode. When the INTL option is selected, the radar alternately scans in MAP and GMT sub-modes. The display then consists of synthetic target symbols superimposed over MAP video. When interleaved operation is selected, INTL is boxed.

The radar SEA sub-mode is optimized For detecting discrete targets on large bodies of water (such as ships). Sea and return from nearby land masses are automatically rejected; however, coastlines are displayed. The interleaved (INTL) option, as described for GMT sub-mode, is also available for SEA sub-mode when both SEA and INTL are selected. The radar provides a synthetic display of sea targets when it is in the SEA sub-mode. To enter Ground Moving Target Track (GMTT) from the SEA sub-mode, the Radar cursor is slewed over the desired target using the TDC controls and the TARGET_DESIGNATE keyfunction is selected. Azimuth scan widths of 20, 45, 90, and 120 degrees and 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 nautical mile ranges are available in SEA sub-mode. The SEA sub-mode symbology is otherwise identical to the MAP sub-mode.

Terrain Avoidance sub-mode is a special A/G radar sub-mode that is designed to help you avoid rising terrain when flying at low altitude. In TA sub-mode, the radar computes two clearance points as shown in the figure below.

While you are in level flight or climbing the terrain that is above your aircraft's altitude is displayed as an intermediate intensity, and terrain that is within 500 ft of your aircraft's altitude is displayed at lover intensity. Terrain more that 500 ft below your aircraft is not displayed. When you are climbing, the two clearance planes remain horizontal. When you are diving, the two clearances planes are tilted downward, parallel to aircraft's flight path angle as shown. the TA sub-mode azimuth scan is fixed at 70 degrees with ranges 5 and 10 nm.

1. Video Intensity Level Wedge: Two wedges of three intensity levels are always shown at the lower left and right side format. The brightest intensity is displayed in the top third of the wedge and an intermediate intensity level in the middle third. The bottom third of the wedge is a lower intensity level

Cockpit	Basic Flight	BFM	Formation	M-Tactics	Building Campaings
HUD	Character	Basic ACM	Combat	W-Tactics	Building Missions
MDI/UFC	Disruption	Off-BFM	DO-BFM	SAMS
AA-Radar	Takeoff/Land	Def-BFM	DD-BFM	M-Builder
AA-Combat	Refueling	HO-BFM	Hi Aspect BFM	B-Areobatics
AG-Radar	Navigation	BVR	Prin-BFM	A-Areobatics
AG-Combat	Miscellaneous	ACM	Co-ACM	Weapons