Detection probability tables
Traditional board wargames used lookup tables: if the radar unit is at altitude X and the target is at range Y with radar cross-section Z, roll a die. Hex-and-counter games like 'Air War' and 'Flight Leader' had detailed radar subroutines. These were crude but taught players the geometry of detection — altitude, aspect angle, jamming.
Computer simulation
When computers arrived, radar modelling got precise. The US Navy's SIMNET (1980s) linked simulators across bases with realistic radar propagation, clutter and countermeasures. Later, Command: Modern Operations and DCS World model real radar systems down to the frequency band, scan pattern and electronic attack. Players experience the same detection ambiguity that real operators face.
ECM and ECCM modelling
Jamming is modelled as signal-to-noise ratio degradation. Chaff is modelled as false targets. Stealth reduces detection range by a factor. The game equations are classified military models, sanitised for public release. When you deploy chaff in a flight sim, you are rehearsing a tactic derived from real electronic warfare doctrine.
Civilian descendants
RTS games like Command & Conquer used 'fog of war' directly inspired by radar and sensor concepts. FTL: Faster Than Light makes sensor range a core mechanic. Even puzzle games like Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes train communication protocols similar to those used in radar control teams. The military-to-game lineage is direct.