Laser Tracking vs Laser Beaming

[Fakum]

I hear these 2 separate call outs often in the Apache, and realize I'm about to have a missile come at me soon, so I usually maneuver out of that area. I dont really understand the differences yet, but Im wondering which enemy red vehicle would be associated with "Laser beaming"?

I found this so far as a long winded explanation as far as what the differences are:

 

Laser tracking and laser beaming, while both utilizing lasers, represent distinct technologies with different applications and levels of accuracy. Laser tracking involves a laser beam emitted from a tracker to a retroreflector, which reflects the beam back to the tracker for precise 3D measurement of large objects. In contrast, laser beaming, in a broader sense, refers to the use of a focused laser beam for various purposes, including distance measurement, speed measurement, or even communication and scientific applications. 

[Floyd1212]

From what I gather from being shot at many times:

Laser "tracking" is when an enemy unit is painting you with their laser prior to launching.  You would take this as a warning to get the hell out of there, as an ATGM is likely to follow.

Laser "beaming" is when the missile is in the air, and is riding the beam toward you.

So it's the same vehicles that you are used to lasing you, they have just proceeded to launch on you.

[Raptor9]

From page 528 of the DCS AH-64D Early Access Guide:

• "Laser ranging" means someone is measuring the range to your helicopter, like an armored vehicle about to engage you.
• "Laser designating" means someone is designating your helicopter for measuring range or to guide a semi-active laser-homing munition, like a GBU-12 bomb or AGM-114K missile.
• "Laser beaming" means someone is guiding a laser beam-riding missile toward you, like the AT-16 Vikhr missile from the Ka-50 or the tank-fired AT-11 Sniper missile.

Regardless of which message you are getting, you should interpret this as a hostile attack since someone is clearly intending to engage you imminently or has already fired on you.

[Fakum]

@Floyd1212@Raptor9 Thank you both for the responses, very helpful! I find this of interest though:

 

• "Laser beaming" means someone is guiding a laser beam-riding missile toward you, like the AT-16 Vikhr missile from the Ka-50 or the tank-fired AT-11 Sniper missile.

Every time I have heard this call out, I did NOT get any warning from "CMWS", why would I not get a warning that a missile has been fired?

 

[LorenLuke]

17 hours ago, Fakum said:

@Floyd1212@Raptor9 Thank you both for the responses, very helpful! I find this of interest though:

 

• "Laser beaming" means someone is guiding a laser beam-riding missile toward you, like the AT-16 Vikhr missile from the Ka-50 or the tank-fired AT-11 Sniper missile.

Every time I have heard this call out, I did NOT get any warning from "CMWS", why would I not get a warning that a missile has been fired?

 

It may be the logic limitations of the game's code itself that the AT-11 Sniper is a cannon-launched guided projectile, and not a 'guided missile' being shot, therefore not triggering the MWS.

[Floyd1212]

The AT-11 Sniper normally generates a missile warning on the CMWS, but on occasion I have seen the CMWS fail to notify in some situations.

[Fakum]

Simple enough I guess, when I hear "Laser Beaming" I will presume there's 1 in the air. Thanks for the responses guys.

[ShuRugal]

Can you provide more context where you are hearing these callouts?  From other players in online missions?  from the AI?  from scritped events in a SP mission?

In the Multiservice Brevity Code, 'Beaming' means the same thing as "flanking" - that a target is moving roughly perpendicular to your line-of-sight to the target: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiservice_tactical_brevity_code

In the same Brevity Code, "Tracking" means one of 3 things:

1. YOUR fire control system has a lock on the target
2. YOU are continuously illuminating a target (for someone else to be able to shoot)
3. Delivering the heading of a contact (ex: "target is tracking 315" - the target is moving on a course towards 315 degrees)

 

If you are hearing people call out "tracking" or "beaming" in relation to something the enemy is doing to you/them, then they are misusing the terminology.  I realize that's not exactly helpful, as you cannot make other people use the correct terminology, but there you have it.

 

 

[Floyd1212]

I think his question was answered above…

[Fakum]

@ShuRugal Bitching Betty is calling it out

[ShuRugal]

46 minutes ago, Fakum said:

@ShuRugal Bitching Betty is calling it out

huh, i've never heard Betty make noises for LWS, but i haven't played much recently.  i'll have to set up something with lasers to test it out, thanks!

[Dragon1-1]

Also, those brevity codes are for USAF and USN (yeah, right, "multiservice", right up until you need to report an aspect in degrees...). The Apache is an Army helo, and they use a different terminology in some places.

Edited February 25 by Dragon1-1