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Weapon Radar Cross Section


Shadow_1stVFW

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Is there a plan to visit the radar cross section of weapons in DCS?

 

Currently its pretty clear by my testing point defense surface to air systems detect incoming missiles and not bombs. This produces an issue when bombs such as the Walleye, GBU 31, GBU 38 and others, which should produce very sizable radar cross sections are not detected. But munitions designed to to reduce radar cross sections such as the JSOW are detected.

 

And since I'm on the topic, why is the walleye a bomb and the JSOW a missile? Both are guided, unpowered (flight) munitions. The walleye is even designated an AGM. Seems logically inconsistent.

 

I'd even be happy if the JSOWs moved to the bomb category for the same reason Walleyes are, whatever that reason is.

 

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And since I'm on the topic, why is the walleye a bomb and the JSOW a missile? Both are guided, unpowered (flight) munitions. The walleye is even designated an AGM.

This is a weird one, and even the Navy isn't sure. It was originally called the AGM-62 using the logic that any guided air to ground system would be designated AGM, but the Navy later changed it's mind and renamed the Walleye II that we have to "Guided Weapon Mk.5" Then years later when JSOW came along, it's back to being AGM again.

 

I'd say both should be in the 'Bomb" category in DCS, since that's what they are.

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I'd say both should be in the 'Bomb" category in DCS, since that's what they are.

 

Agreed, though the AGM designation is confusing, M in AGM refers to guided missile, which is self-powered (read propulsion) that is guided.

 

Mind you the only other options are R for rocket (unguided, trajectory uncontrolled after launch), and N for probe (non-orbital instrumented vehicle designed to monitor and transmit information about the environment, I imagine something like a weather balloon). There isn't one for unpowered and guided, so I guess M is the best fit.

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Agreed, though the AGM designation is confusing, M in AGM refers to guided missile, which is self-powered (read propulsion) that is guided.

 

Mind you the only other options are R for rocket (unguided, trajectory uncontrolled after launch), and N for probe (non-orbital instrumented vehicle designed to monitor and transmit information about the environment, I imagine something like a weather balloon). There isn't one for unpowered and guided, so I guess M is the best fit.

 

While GBU isn't described in 4120.15, it's used to describe multiple guided unpowered weapons.

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Yeah, yesterday i saw Tor shoot down my tiny 32lb APKWSes fired from the new A-10C. Meanwhile 2000lb JDAMs are completely invisible to Tor.

 

There isnt much logic in it.

 

It makes perfect sense when you consider DCS sees it as a missile. Therefore the TOR can see it.

 

That's my rub, it sees that rocket and can track and shoot it but not the GBU-31?

 

And fine, if it's going to see missiles and not bombs, because DCS, can we at least be consistent with what a "bomb" is? Like why is the Walleye a bomb and not the JSOW? The JSOW and JDAM work almost the exact same, but the JSOW is a missile?

 

I can understand the RCS of weapons being hard to make, sure. But let's be consistent in the meantime.

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It makes perfect sense when you consider DCS sees it as a missile. Therefore the TOR can see it.

Indeed. I was playing with the A-10C II today and my wingman fired an APKWS rocket behind me and my MLWS lit up, same as with a Maverick launch. But when he fired a normal M151 rocket, I got no launch warning.

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