Saclos

[gmangnall]

Currently SACLOS units such as Tunguska and Rapier use their radars making them easy targets for ARM. Can we have an option that they don't use their radar or can trun them off once a target has been acquired so they dont become the sitting ducks that they currently are?

[Tank50us]

2 hours ago, gmangnall said:

Currently SACLOS units such as Tunguska and Rapier use their radars making them easy targets for ARM. Can we have an option that they don't use their radar or can trun them off once a target has been acquired so they dont become the sitting ducks that they currently are?

I believe the radar is for ranging, so, if they turned their radar off they'd have no clue how far the missile actually has to fly, or if it's even in range. Also, good luck aiming at a fast moving jet without the radar at all. Sure, you *could* hit it, but odds are you'll miss and tick them off.

Edited March 4, 2022 by Tank50us

[Kang]

The Rapier should be operable without even having the radar, really. I'm not so sure about the Tunguska right now, but it used to be that it only used the search radar when firing missiles and the actual 'lock' only guided the cannons.

[gmangnall]

I use therm in combined arms and turn the radar off - and fire (and hit)* quite happily with the radar off....but that's not the point. You could easily turn them on once "obviously" in range.....it's not an option for the AI. As Kang says the Rapier is designed to use no radar and radar was only added for forign buyers (I think Saudi Arabia wanted it for all weather capability)

*in fact I am just uploading a video where I shoot down 4 A-10s with the tunguska with no radar.  Should be ready in a few hours

 

Edited March 23, 2022 by gmangnall

[Northstar98]

On 3/5/2022 at 8:55 AM, Kang said:

The Rapier should be operable without even having the radar, really.

It should, and in the past, it used to be able to - requiring just the launcher and optical tracker.

The launcher has its own integral acquisition RADAR (Dagger), that simply presents very basic azimuth indication to the operators, the display (SEZ) is very simple, consisting of a ring of lights that illuminate when a target is detected, with switches to blank out certain directions:

The operators of the optical tracker would then be directed to acquire and track the target manually. In addition, the optical tracker has a separate channel that allows it to automatically track the missile.

It should be perfectly possible to even turn the acquisition RADAR off, and just use the ol' Mk 1 eyeball to acquire targets, allowing engagement to be done completely passively (save for the missile uplink).

Blindfire allows the tracking of targets to be automatic, using the RADAR to track the target and the missile.

On 3/5/2022 at 8:55 AM, Kang said:

I'm not so sure about the Tunguska right now, but it used to be that it only used the search radar when firing missiles and the actual 'lock' only guided the cannons.

IRL, the Tunguska can automatically lay the guns using the RADARs, and the missile can be fired in an ACLOS mode, with the fire-control RADAR automatically tracking the target.

In DCS, the missiles are always fired SACLOS, using the optics to track the target and missile. The RADAR is incredibly simplified (and only considers the acquisition RADAR) which only provides for target acqusition, and locks targets inside a certain range.