lock to target limitation??

[Frederf]

I don't know about "spot on". You do NOT need visual to make a lock. If you know the bad guy is behind that tree and you try to lock that tree, just poke around in the dark greenness and after a try or two you'll get a good lock. This is the one point i have found in DCS where they seem to skimp a bit on the reality. I can lock on a house and sometimes on dirt, but I cannot lock a dead vehicle and I can lock things that I cannot see thru trees.

 

By "spot on" I was referring to the other information in winz's post such as the rangefinder laser being on for an instant, rangefinding not requiring a tracking target, how a laser range measurement is updated by the INU and computers without making any more range measurements, and number on the TV screen comment. These are the things that are spot on.

 

Lock Target button on cyclic is pressed while Shkval is uncaged

so as long as the target locked (not yet destroyed) the laser rangefinder is in action? and after target is destroyed the laser rangefinder is disengaged automatically?

 

I think I should clarify: The lock target button on the collective is used for more one purpose. There are several jobs that all share this one button.

 

The "TA" tracking target is a function of the imaging computer on the Ka-50 and recognizes hard-ege shapes like a truck. The tracking target mode has nothing to do with any laser. If you turn the laser off the imaging computer can still recognize and track a hard-edged target visually. This is what I like to call a "lock."

 

On the other hand you can be in the middle of a flat, featureless desert and you can press the lock target button with the Shkval pointing at some patch of sand and get a laser range to that spot. I don't call this a "lock." It's more of a "designated point."

 

Say the laser rangfinder had a beeper attached to it so that if the laser was on continuously you would hear a long BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. Using this idea we'll get a feeling for when the laser is active during common tasks and for how long.

 

Ok, coming into the target area you have the weapons system on standby, master arm on, laser to standby, OK we're ready. Pressing the uncage button on the cyclic the TV display shows straight ahead. Using the hat on the cyclic we move the Shkval onto our first target and tap the lock button. BEP. Ok TV shows 8.1 km range and we're in TA tracking mode. Flying toward the target the range number is going down. We get in range for a Vikhr shot. Missile away.. 8..7..6..shack! Switching to cannon we slew over onto a truck nearby without resetting the target system and lock onto the truck. BEP. Medium burst HE, truck bursts into flames. We fly home.

 

So hopefully you see that the laser rangefinder isn't really "on" so much as it takes snapshots. After a range is found it is up to the INU and the computers on board to guess the distance and update it.

 

It is like if you are in a hallway and you have your eyes shut. You open them for a second as you walk forward and then close them again. You keep walking forward with your eyes closed. Do you know where you are? How close you are from the end of the hall even though your eyes are closed? Can you stop and touch the wall at the end of the hall without opening your eyes? This is similar to how the Ka-50 works. It takes quick "peeks" and uses its own sense of motion to make guesses.

[InFireBaptize]

Ok, coming into the target area you have the weapons system on standby, master arm on, laser to standby, OK we're ready. Pressing the uncage button on the cyclic the TV display shows straight ahead. Using the hat on the cyclic we move the Shkval onto our first target and tap the lock button. BEP. Ok TV shows 8.1 km range and we're in TA tracking mode. Flying toward the target the range number is going down. We get in range for a Vikhr shot. Missile away.. 8..7..6..shack! Switching to cannon we slew over onto a truck nearby without resetting the target system and lock onto the truck. BEP. Medium burst HE, truck bursts into flames. We fly home.

This instantly sunk in, i will never forget, thank you very much and everybody else for sharing.