HARM PB mode question

[Spectre VCAW-1]

I was wondering at what point in PB mode does the HARM seeker start looking for targets.  I fired a harm at a WP about 60nm off my nose.  Before the HARM reached top of loft, it veered of to the left to hit a SAM site 34.5 degrees to my left and 53nm away. Almost 40nm from the original waypoint I fired at.  Is this correct?  I have the track, but it is 2:30 long. *Edit - Looking at the Tacview, at the point just before the missile turns the SA-6 site is almost 45 degrees off to the missile's left. so basically at least a 90 degree seeker cone, seems a bit excessive, but I cannot find any documentation indicating any different. One would think that the primary modes used for SEAD irl would not go quite that far from the targeted waypoint.

 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Spectre VCAW-1
Added info.

[Foka]

I saw lots of such behaviours. It can even turn over 500 degrees. Only important parameter is closest signal in stright line. It can be even outside of gimbal limits.

No, IMO it shouldn't work like that.

[Drac]

Also encountered same situations.

 

[Frederf]

HARM does have a wide seeker FOR but the issue I have seen is that all HARM no matter what mode will go off track 1-2sec after launch if it spots a valid target. My understanding is that this behavior should be delayed until in the target area and not so immediately off the rail.

[Harker]

HARM does have a wide seeker FOR but the issue I have seen is that all HARM no matter what mode will go off track 1-2sec after launch if it spots a valid target. My understanding is that this behavior should be delayed until in the target area and not so immediately off the rail.

Indeed, in PB, the seeker should look for an emitter within 10 NM of the designated point, IIRC.

[Drac]

ED is aware of this.  They may have considered it to be correct as is...not sure.

[maxTRX]

In single player, PB seemed to be working fine so far in my missions, against S300 and SA15. Well... 'working' refers to heading toward the correct WPT and the closest, specified threat, not effectiveness. The HARMs get blown out of the sky unless the SEAD is overwhelming.

The only problematic mode for me was SP, against SA15's. I tried it only a few times so I'm not going to claim to narrow down the issue. In my last mission I fired the HARM from A/A master mode (PBLK), a few nm from the SA15 that was tracking me and ready to launch. The HARM turned 160 deg. and headed for a friendly CBG, 130 nm away. I switched to A/G mode, turned around and fired in SP (PBLK). This time the HARM headed in the right direction. The master modes shouldn't matter and most likely switching to A/G was not the reason why the missile tracked the highest threat this time...  I'll try to follow up on this when I have time.

https://youtu.be/V5JtG_3VUwE

 

[Harker]

In single player, PB seemed to be working fine so far in my missions, against S300 and SA15. Well... 'working' refers to heading toward the correct WPT and the closest, specified threat, not effectiveness. The HARMs get blown out of the sky unless the SEAD is overwhelming.
The only problematic mode for me was SP, against SA15's. I tried it only a few times so I'm not going to claim to narrow down the issue. In my last mission I fired the HARM from A/A master mode (PBLK), a few nm from the SA15 that was tracking me and ready to launch. The HARM turned 160 deg. and headed for a friendly CBG, 130 nm away. I switched to A/G mode, turned around and fired in SP (PBLK). This time the HARM headed in the right direction. The master modes shouldn't matter and most likely switching to A/G was not the reason why the missile tracked the highest threat this time...  I'll try to follow up on this when I have time.

 

I'm thinking that the HARM Pullback in A/A got stuck to the first emitter it saw when it came online (so, the emitter of one of the CBG's ships)? Which got fixed when you entered A/G mode and it started actually categorizing threats again. Just a thought.

Of course, it should run in the background and continuously categorize and evaluate threats, regardless of the mode (or the status of the HRM OVRD option). If it doesn't, then it's a bug.

It'd also be good to be able to see your HUD or EW page, to see the boxed emitter symbol for both Pullback launches.