Can you adjust boresight for Mavericks?

[Bahger]

Mavericks work best when the boresight cross is pretty well aligned with the target but I was wondering if they can be fired, not off-boresight -- the gimbal tolerances seem limited -- but while flying an offfset course, having moved the seeker's boresight off the a/c's velocity vector. Can this be done?

[SmokeyTheLung]

I believe what you're looking for is located in the control page of the Maverick display, find the OSB that says "adjust" (abbreviated) and use the DMS keys to adjust the bore-sight of the missile.

 

re-reading your post, it would seem that I've totally missed your question (shouldn't have skipped so many of those english classes :music_whistling:) Are you asking what the angular limits are of the MAV seeker?

Edited April 16, 2011 by SmokeyTheLung

[jeffyd123]

i have noticed the "H" versions seem to launch when off-center better than the "D" models do. It seems to me the "D" models will launch further out though.

[Frederf]

Can you adjust the boresight? Yes, there in fact two adjustments that can be made and they are quite different. It is easy to confuse the two since the term "boresight" is used in both adjustments.

 

Boresight Symbol to Maverick Line of Sight

The first is a boresight adjust which calibrates the wagon wheel to where the Maverick is actually pointing. These are very tiny adjustments because misalignment between where the Maverick says it is pointing and where it is actually pointing is at worst only slightly off.

 

The process is to lock up a visible object (usually in sensor mode for safety), turn MAV ADJ mode ON with MAV page OSB 7, and then move the wagon wheel while looking through the HUD so that it is directly over the object. Each tap of DMS only moves the wagon wheel about a width of an line on the HUD. When satisfied with your sensor calibration hit UFC ENTER.

 

 

Set Default Boresight Location

The second adjustment is far more interesting and useful. The standard "home" position (standard default boresight location) of the Maverick is centered laterally and at 150 mils depression. This adjustment changes the default boresight location. If a slewed Maverick is reset with China Aft Short it will return to this new default boresight location. China Aft Short once in the default boresight location steps to the next missile in priority.

 

In sensor mode, lock up (centroid or force correlate, your choice) any object. Then move the Boat Switch Center (if already Center because you were in F/C, simply move Boat Switch Fwd or Aft and then back to Center). The words "SEEKER BORESIGHT" are displayed in green letters on no background will appear to show the system is ready to change the default boresight location.

 

Press TMS Fwd Short to accept the new default boresight location. The words "SEEKER BORESIGHT" will be displayed on a black background to show that the new default boresight location has been saved.

 

---

 

You can do a similar process with the AIM9 ADJ option for the AIM-9. With Master Arm Safe, select AIM9 ADJ ON from the DSMS MSL page and move the AIM9 reticule with the Slew Hat. Confirm the change by selecting AIM9 ADJ OFF. This can change the size of the circular scan pattern as well.

 

---

 

As for the second question: Yes, as long as the Maverick is locked and within the DLZ you can fire the Maverick on the very edge of the seeker gimbal limits. There is no requirement to be pointed nearly directly at the target.

Edited April 16, 2011 by Frederf

[mtuckner]

I don't think you can shift the gimbal limits to the right for example by 30 degrees if that is what you were asking. Changing the boresight will only change default loc and not max adjustment by shifting gimbal limits around.