Is there any way to make SAMs dumber or make them shoot balistic missiles as many did/do in real life?

[secretcode]

I've read / heard that in many wars SAM operators tended to fire into the empty air or shot ballistic shots just to scare the enemy.

I would like to make a mission full of SAMS, but I would like them to just shoot in the air and not to a specific target. Is there any way to achieve that?

[Grimes]

Not with sams. The AI must have a target for it lock to fire off a missile. 

[Exorcet]

Use dummy targets.

Conceptually:

Player in zone around SAM > Spawn dummy aircraft (disable EPLRS so it doesn't appear on datalinks, radio silence so it doesn't talk, radar off so it's not on RWR)

SAM will maybe shoot at the dummy. If it's slow moving and doesn't mover (Reaction to threat = No reaction) the missile will mostly go straight and look ballistic.

This is at least something I've done with AAA. It should work with missiles, but probably not as nicely. You might also consider making the player, or non dummy AI invisible when close to the SAM so that the SAM doesn't shoot at them. Nearby planes will probably get SAM launch warnings on the RWR though, can't really do anything about that. You could try shutting off the radar as soon as the missile fires, but I think the missiles explode in that case, needs to be tested.

Edited January 13, 2024 by Exorcet