Helmet Mounted Sight & R-73 seeker head - LoS (line of sight) & aiming

[Top Jockey]

Hello,

Taking the MiG-29A, its HMS and R-73 combo as example.

Does anyone know, how does the R-73 missile seeker head aim / follow the pilot HMS LoS (line of sight) to the target ?

 

I mean, keeping in mind that either the HMS and missile seeker head are both in different spatial positions... their LoS to the target will also be different, so :

- does the missile's seeker head aims in a parallel LoS with the HMS ?

- or does the missile's seeker head aims in a convergent LoS with the HMS ?

 

If they aim in a convergent LoS with each other (converging on target), then there must be also a distance (range to target) measuring... is this the job of the "OLS" IRST with its laser range-finder ?

If this is the case ( IRST laser range measuring ), how does the IRST follows the HMS LoS - parallel or convergent following ?

Thank you.

Edited March 5 by Top Jockey

[Кош]

According to fire control system manual for export MiG-29, HMS coordinates which are measured vs HMS sensors on the dash(what's on the helmet is basically marker lights) are then translated into KOLS coordinate system which is based on aircraft's construction axis. All weapon cueing data is fused, and missiles are agnostic of mode in which they are cued. So it's all parallel and mitigated by missile's FOV, and gun is just close enough to the axis of the aircraft. Simple as that, no complications with convergence.

[Top Jockey]

24 minutes ago, Кош said:

According to fire control system manual for export MiG-29, HMS coordinates which are measured vs HMS sensors on the dash(what's on the helmet is basically marker lights) are then translated into KOLS coordinate system which is based on aircraft's construction axis. All weapon cueing data is fused, and missiles are agnostic of mode in which they are cued. So it's all parallel and mitigated by missile's FOV, and gun is just close enough to the axis of the aircraft. Simple as that, no complications with convergence.

 

Thank you very much for the insight.

Doubts clarified !

[AeriaGloria]

On 3/5/2025 at 11:45 AM, Top Jockey said:

Hello,

Taking the MiG-29A, its HMS and R-73 combo as example.

Does anyone know, how does the R-73 missile seeker head aim / follow the pilot HMS LoS (line of sight) to the target ?

 

I mean, keeping in mind that either the HMS and missile seeker head are both in different spatial positions... their LoS to the target will also be different, so :

- does the missile's seeker head aims in a parallel LoS with the HMS ?

- or does the missile's seeker head aims in a convergent LoS with the HMS ?

 

If they aim in a convergent LoS with each other (converging on target), then there must be also a distance (range to target) measuring... is this the job of the "OLS" IRST with its laser range-finder ?

If this is the case ( IRST laser range measuring ), how does the IRST follows the HMS LoS - parallel or convergent following ?

Thank you.

The missile has a 2.5 degree total FOV in addition to what was already said. Even at just 1 km that covers a nearly 45m area. 

[Top Jockey]

7 hours ago, AeriaGloria said:

The missile has a 2.5 degree total FOV in addition to what was already said. Even at just 1 km that covers a nearly 45m area. 

 

I see, the absence of convergent lines of sight between the pilot's HMS and R-73 seeker head, is mitigated by the seeker head's field of view area at distance.