Strela (SA9M333) is completely useless

[Cmptohocah]

I can't provide DCS track file as the incident happened online, but I can provide short video clip showing Strelas missing a target (F/A-18), which was not even flaring, well within the engagement envelope.

I actually tried to used them as a cover, but little did I know that they can't actually shoot down anything.

https://imgur.com/a/0R7unRj

https://i.imgur.com/vVI7CBP.mp4

Edited November 11, 2021 by Cmptohocah

[Flappie]

You do know you have to keep your crosshair over the target during the whole missile flight, right?

Edited November 11, 2021 by Flappie

[Northstar98]

On 11/11/2021 at 2:13 PM, Flappie said:

You do know you have to keep your crosshair over the target during the whole missile flight, right?

Why?

All versions of the Strela are infrared homing (well the 9M333 has 2 modes, electro-optical and infrared, but that's beside the point), not SACLOS (or any CLOS for that matter). Once the seeker is locked it's fire and forget with no input whatsoever from the firing unit.

Off the top of my head, the only player controlled air defence unit that requires you to keep the reticle on the target during the whole missile flight is the Tunguska.

Edited December 27, 2021 by Northstar98
spelling

[Tank50us]

without even watching the vids, I can say with some level of certainty that missiles are more likely to miss the more outside their kill-zone the target is. For example, you fire a Phoenix at a target <15mi away, odds are he's not getting away. Same thing happens with an Igla or Strella if they're fired at such a close range at a target showing its burner cans to the missile/launcher. No amount of maneuvering or countermeasures will save you at that point.

[Flappie]

1 hour ago, Northstar98 said:

Why?

All versions of the Strela are infrared homing, not SACLOS. Once the seeker is locked it's fire and forget with no input whatsoever from the firing unit.

Off the top of my head, the only player controlled air defence unit that requires you to keep the reticule on the target during the whole missile flight is the Tunguska.

 

My bad!

[Cmptohocah]

2 hours ago, Flappie said:

You do know you have to keep your crosshair over the target during the whole missile flight, right?

 

I've failed the point out that the SAMs are AI controlled and I am controlling that poor MiG-29 that was trying to take cover.

[GGTharos]

4 hours ago, Cmptohocah said:

I actually tried to used them as a cover, but little did I know that they can't actually shoot down anything.

So you're not entirely wrong, but FYI:

Quote

STRELA-10 ADMS 9А34 Combat Vehicle defeats aerodynamical targets with encounter speed up to 415 m/s (and up to 310 m/s – pursuit), at altitude from 0.025 km up to 3.5 km, and range from 0.8 up to 5 km with course parameter being up to 3 km. Provided there is target designation from control stations and no jamming interference, target hitting probability with one anti-aircraft guided missile (AAG Missiles), for a single target maneuvering with G Force 3-5 g, no less than 0.5-0.6.

With three missiles launched one of them should have probably guided and hit.  Older TV/Heat seeking SAMs were capable but not that capable.

Now, regarding your particular experience here, I don't see the speed of the F-18.  It technically shouldn't matter much but what appears to be happening is that the launcher shoots the missile with lead and it shoots it outside of the missile's gimbal so it won't track at all.   You should be able to check this in tacview, and if this is the case, it's a bug that you can report as such.

[naizarak]

i see them get plenty of kills in MP, but they do struggle against high-speed targets particularly at oblique angles as depicted in your video.  stingers are the same.

[okopanja]

 

On 11/12/2021 at 1:23 AM, naizarak said:

i see them get plenty of kills in MP, but they do struggle against high-speed targets particularly at oblique angles as depicted in your video.  stingers are the same.

This is not a MANPAD Strela, but rather much larger missile (launched from vehicle) than both Stinger and Strela-2 or Igla, so please do not compare it to Stinger.

[okopanja]

On 11/11/2021 at 5:38 PM, GGTharos said:

With three missiles launched one of them should have probably guided and hit.  Older TV/Heat seeking SAMs were capable but not that capable.

Missile SA9M333 has 3 channels: photocontrast, IR and IRCCM. I would call that a reasonably capable missile. Besides Hornet is not throwing flares, and does not make any rapid changes in flight while chasing the Mig-29. It should have been hit 1.5 to 1.8 times.

However, also on the tacview, despite lead-shooting, they fly straight up. I would say it did not track the Hornet from the very beginning. This is likely a implementation bug in the SAM AI or the seeker.

 

[GGTharos]

4 minutes ago, okopanja said:

I would call that a reasonably capable missile.

You could also call it the Pope.  So what?

4 minutes ago, okopanja said:

Besides Hornet is not throwing flares, and does not make any rapid changes in flight while chasing the Mig-29. It should have been hit 1.5 to 1.8 times.

Yep. 

4 minutes ago, okopanja said:

However, also on the tacview, despite lead-shooting, they fly straight up. I would say it did not track the Hornet from the very beginning. This is likely a implementation bug in the SAM AI or the seeker.

What appears to be happening is that they are being shot with so much lead that the target exits the seeker gimbal at launch.

Edited November 15, 2021 by GGTharos

[okopanja]

2 minutes ago, GGTharos said:

What appears to be happening is that they are being shot with so much lead that the target exits the seeker gimbal at launch.

Precisely, now given the fact that these systems are supposed to get target designation from control stations, they do not need to guess where to fire, or depend only on sighting.