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I know Razbam did what they could with it before control of weapons went to ED, but it seems to just have been thrown in a closet and forgotten about since the Harrier is the only aircraft that currently carries the AGM-122. A number of us have been discussing it in the AV-8B discord for some time, and came to the realization the reason the AGM-122 has never been fixed, is because nobody has reported just how inaccurate the current version of the missile is compared to the real missile. So I gathered a bit of things that had been mentioned in our conversations to post here. Hopefully more knowledgeable people can chime in on some of these that I list off. Although it may be unpopular to fix the missile. Based on how people currently use it, in a sense of it being a tiny HARM it needs to be properly fixed in comparison to all the other work done on other missiles in the sim. The AGM-122 is based off the very unsuccessful AIM-9C Sidewinder. The AGM-122 has a very limited range, limited usage window, and unique features that are missing from the missile even currently. The issues that should be addressed are some of the following; 1) Range: Currently the AGM-122 in DCS can be lofted to ranges of 20+nm. This is entirely inaccurate for this missile by a significant margin. This is based off the missile specifications as well as documentation of the missile being far less capable than it's being used currently. 2) Missing features of the missile. Self lofting feature of the missile is also missing. The AGM-122 was designed to be fired at very low altitudes. When the missile is fired at a certain altitude, it will, loft itself for a top down attack onto the targeted radar emitter. Also, a lesser documented option mode the Sidearm had, which allegedly was not used much if at all, was an automatic launch feature. 3) Limited Bandwith usage. I cannot speak to the this in great detail as I am not fully aware as to this specific limitation and how it’s put forward in DCS, but the AGM-122 has specific bandwith windows that have to be selected prior to take off for it to scan for in-mission. I know this feature isn’t available, but the scan range on what the 122 can engage I don’t believe is implemented either. It simply can be fired at any surface radar site, which is also allegedly inaccurate to the missile. Addressing the range issue which arguably is the largest issue with the missile currently. It is vastly out performing the real missile. Which is a short range, self defense ARM. The AGM-122 shares the entirety of the AIM-9C, except the seeker. The AGM-122/AIM-9C is equipped with a thermal battery that is powered off the exhaust gases when the missile is launched. Which stores heat to the battery and provides at a maximum, of 60 seconds of guidance time and a maximum range cited on paper of 18,044 yards, or about 9 nautical miles (8.9 and change). This is because of the thermal battery limitation. Once the 60 seconds is up, the missile is dead, as there is no longer guidance power. No more guidance, no more control surface control or detonation ability, it’s dead as a door nail. Therefore, lofting it 20+ nautical miles onto SAM sites is not possible with this missile. In numerous documents of use of the AGM-122 the paper cited range of 9nm is in best case scenario launched at high altitude. In typical launch at low altitude from helicopters or the Harrier, ranges were much lower, around 5-6nm at most. Again, it was a short range ARM. Documentation of the thermal battery guidance limit is noted in the NAVWEPS OP 3353 Declassified Document on the AIM-9C/Parent platform of the AGM-122. (which I wont link here for obvious reasons). It is publicly available. This article also cites the limited range of the AGM-122 being much lower than a cited 9nm. https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/12009/the-agm-122-sidearm-came-to-be-from-a-novel-missile-recycling-scheme Addressing the missing pop up feature. The missile was entirely designed to be launched from low altitudes aboard helicopters primarily and therefore, a “pop up” program was input into the programing of the Sidearm that if it was fired below a certain altitude it would pop up and attack the radar emitter in a top down attack. Similar to the Javelin missile. Currently the missile in DCS does not do this. If fired at low altitude the missile will nearly in all situations hit the ground or trees. This is precisely the reason why the missile was given the pop up feature in real life. The article cited above also describes this feature. As for the self launch feature. This I think “could” be left out given there’s not much documentation on it other than some tertiary sources from interviews talking about how pilots didn’t like that mode (link to an interview about that mode below), but it had it. But in this mode, if the missile picked up a threat on one of it’s 7 bands it would be set to prior to take off, if a threat passed in front of the seeker in range when the missiles were armed, the missile would automatically leave the aircraft and engage the site on it’s own. Addressing the limited bandwith the seeker could see. Coupling it with a considerably shorter range, the bandwith receiver on the missile had to be set on the ground prior to launch. Now we don’t have this feature in DCS. However, the limitations in what types of sites it can see I think should be implemented based on what bands it can see. The missile can detect and engage things like the ZSU-23 and other fixed site type emitting dishes/signals. However, given it's limited seeker, it had problems with rotating dishes, as anytime the radar beam pointed in a direction not in the cone of detection, the 122 would lose track of it. The missile based on sources is stated to be most effective against the ZSU-23 style radar and SA-8 sites. This has been discussed in detail in the discord by people that have a much better understanding of the restrictions in this category than I, but I wanted to at least mention it and anyone else who sees this can chime in on more detailed knowledge on the matter. The only other thing addressing the seeker on the 122 would be the fact of the limited seeker it was easily fooled by countermeasures.