Disclaimer: All events took place on the winter version of the map
We had encounter multiple lock-ons from out to sea. We went off to investigate and discovered two contacts in the HUD. Upon further inspection these contacts turned out to be an active radar that was locking us but completely invisible to visible and IR cameras. I was told in discussion before the public action today that these assets were intentionally placed to provide the AI a method to counter our air assets. These sites in the ocean appear to be able to lock you anywhere on the eastern coast including at our own base. I feel it is most unfair that the AI are given a method to shoot down air assets with no possible way to be countered.
I am not saying that there should be no counter at all for our air assets far from it but I feel it could be handled more like artillery is. Physical positions that are able to be found and destroyed. We already have AAA that provides a threat to air assets, why not expand that to include SAMs instead of relying on using the current invisible OSOD SAM and spawn these with more frequency. Also, the mission briefing says "They are now reinforcing their troops and are establishing an air defence system" this in incongruent to what we experience in game: a fully fledged air defence net capable of taking out most aircraft. Furthermore, the lock-ons from out in the sea make even less sense once you consider the fact that these are supposed to be Russian airborne forces. If you want lock-ons to come from out to sea, do that but make it part of the narrative of the mission. Perhaps a Russian destroyer has now moved to support ground assets. Make it a mission to take it out akin to the task to capture the island of Moray on Operation Rhamnousia.
It would improve immersion for all, allow for better decisions to be made to less informed commanders and allow those in pilot slots to have a more enjoyable experience if we were able to fight back against the SAMs. The method that this outcome is achieved by is less important than it being achieved.
For more information about what we observed specifically look in this google drive file
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z-097fMGBMAOVwKs1wAGzwNEagz3Z1XG/view?usp=sharing