RGM-84D Harpoon - Ticonderoga fires Harpoons at friendly Arleigh Burke

[LensLok85]

PG - LensLok85 - Ticonderoga attacks Arleigh Burke with RGM-84D.miz PG - LensLok85 - Ticonderoga attacks Arleigh Burke with RGM-84D.trk PG - LensLok85 - Oliver Perry attacks Arleigh Burke with RGM-84D.trk

Edited October 8, 2024 by LensLok85

[LensLok85]

Sorry lost text in the initial post after submitting, don't know why, here it is:

In one of my custom missions discovered US carrier group will attack one another using Harpoons instead of the incoming enemy fast attack boats.

Stripped out key Red vs Blue units to create a test mission, and produced test tracks using unmodded [v2.9.8.1214] version of DCS World.

Found the issues with FAC La Combattante IIa when creating the attached test mission!

Issues identified in track "PG - LensLok85 - Ticonderoga attacks Arleigh Burke with RGM-84D":

1. Blue on Blue - Ticonderoga attacks Arleigh Burkes with Harpoons even though mission log states enemy was the target.

2. FAC La Combattante IIa will destroy itself when launching Harpoons.

3. FAC La Combattante IIa will launch Harpoons into the sea.

In the test mission can swap out Ticonderoga for Oliver Perry and the Perry will attack the friendly Arleigh Burke, see attached "PG - LensLok85 - Oliver Perry attacks Arleigh Burke with RGM-84D".

Cheers

 

Edited October 8, 2024 by LensLok85
Add DCS version and unmodded

[Northstar98]

Reproduced. Dear me what a mess.

Looking at the tracks, I've got some speculation as to what is happening:

The RGM-84D's activation point is far too close - it's enabling before passing friendly vessels, which is why it's hitting the Arleigh Burke. There are a few ways this can be solved, but one of them involves changing the geometry of the formation and the targets:

• Implement waypoints for the AI Harpoon, allowing us to steer it to avoid friendly/neutral vessels (IIRC the RGM-84D with the AN/SWG-1 can be programmed with up to 3 waypoints, as well as a selectable pop-up or skim attack profile).
• Change the activation point of the Harpoon, ideally it should depend on the estimated target distance.
• Change the location of friendly/hostile units such that friendlies aren't in the line of fire/aren't within the RGM-84D's search sector (which for the AGM-84D is defined as ±30° × 40 (or possibly 65) km, the RGM-84D unfortunately appears undefined and generic).

As for the La Combattante IIas, they appear to be firing missiles in turns, where the ship is heeling over. Slowing the tracks right down, you can see the missile moving independently to the launcher, sometimes teleporting to a different orientation and/or position. This leads to it clipping or crashing into its own launcher and exploding or flying at too shallow an angle to climb effectively and crashing into the sea. It's almost like the missile knows that it's the wrong missile for the launchers the La Combattante IIa is equipped with and is rebelling in its own ways.

LaCombattanteIIa__LaunchFail_SlowMo.trk

Edited October 10, 2024 by Northstar98
added information about the AGM-84D's search sector (RGM-84D is undefined)