countto10

Stupid question. That greatly limits the range to the point where stealth is no longer stealth though. You are no longer stealthy inside 20km.

It's fairly obvious. How do you know where to release? Not all aircraft will know the target in a fluent environment. If it's so simple, explain to me why Brimstone isn't already qualified for the Typhoon and won't be until 2019.

How do you have those co-ordinates? It can act as sensor but it doesn't have its own INS reference system, it needs providing with that.

Exactly but read the original post. And how do you know where to release the weapon? A laser is shone but where? The new ones also like an INS reference though. Yeah you were misunderstanding, I was talking about AGM-88E. The truth is that both the OP and his friend are wrong but his friend is more wrong.

Only if the enemy has no passive detection means and is trained to the level of a '90s Iraqi helicopter pilot.

I've not heard about that but there is research into nano-skin that conducts and re-emits incident EM waves elsewhere. Not too similar to magnetic anomaly detection though, which I think is what you were getting at. Shame the MRA4 was stillborn all the same.

Only if they're blind and stupid.

Not meaning to disagree with your clearly superior experience but some of the answers require a few qualifiers. I don't think "all smart weapons" can be mounted on "any aircraft" and used on "any target" as the original post states. Mavericks are fairly versatile that way although they'll struggle to actually hit a fighter jet. True in the case of the laser spot, however it would be fair to say that the aircraft still needs a datalink so that HUD can provide targeting info and the LGB can be launched within parameters. With radar guided weapons we need to distinguish between SARH and ARH. The latter can be launched without post launch support, however they still need the software interface to inform the pilot of when they are 'locked' and not having datalink support from the launch aircraft will severely limit effective range. Without mid-course update AMRAAMs (at least early ones), were found to be less effective than the older Skyflashs when launched from outside self-lock range if I remember rightly. True but it does limit effective range if the aircraft can't provide it with an INS reference pre-launch. You could argue that range is limited by the fact the radar can switch off anyway but I believe MWR on the E models solves that problem slightly.

But the full truth is that on DCS A-10C I have used a Maverick without TGP about once during the training mission and then never again because it is such a b*stard to lock without cueing from the TGP. And at the very least, you would still need a software upgrade to interface the missile with the MFCD and HUD. And having these things in the first place is also a pre-requisite.:D

Actually no mono-static radar is likely to be able to see anything at 20m, as it would be within the blind range.

It's just a matter of being arsed though. That's what they never understand with these free registrations.

Difficult to use a laser guided weapon without a laser though. Similarly a JDAM needs an inertial input pre-release. So the assertion that 'all smart weapons can be mounted on any plane is wrong'. And even in the case of those that don't require special avionics, they still need to be qualified.

Kind of renders stealth redundant then.

From a supposedly factual website: http://www.radartutorial.eu/01.basics/rb56.en.html

Russia to See 20-Ton Combat Drone ‘by 2018’ – Industry Source http://en.ria.ru/military_news/20131003/183921688/Russia-to-See-20-Ton-Combat-Drone-by-2018--Industry-Source.html