AGM-65E Max Range

hey all quick question. is there a hard set MAX range (assuming the diagonal) for the AGM-65E? if so, what is it? is it affected by altitude and/or speed? for example if i launch from 20,000ft @ 650knots will it have a longer range than 5000ft @ 250knots? or is it a timed thing, you only have X number of seconds to hit the target?

i ask because my mav keeps self-destructing before getting to the target :( and i want to try and find the max distance sweet spot!

thanks!

Max range should be around 16nm, but as you stated, the higher and faster you are, the further the missile can go. Not sure about the max aerodynamic range.

Max range should be around 16nm, but as you stated, the higher and faster you are, the further the missile can go. Not sure about the max aerodynamic range.

hmm i can't get anywhere near 16nm. the best i can get is half (around 8.5nm) before my mavs just blow themselves up. altitude and speed don't seem to affect it :(

how were you able to get a better range?

My friends and I have been fiddling with this and we've noticed some very strange behaviour. It seems as though the laser "beam" from the TPOD is only 8 miles long. You can launch further away but if you don't close to within 8 miles the Mav won't hit its target. It will try and seek the end of the 8 mile beam coming out of the TPOD, even if that happens to be floating in mid air a few miles before the target. I've even seen Mavs make a 90 degree turns to intercept the end of the beam. This was first noticed when we tried buddy lasing the LMav and wondering why the maverick seeking symbology on the hud was in a totally different place to the target, and only reached the target once the lazing aircraft closes to within 8 miles. I'm going to capture some footage and tacviews to confirm my theory but currently it looks like when they designed the Lightning pod code in the A-10C they limited the laser range to 8 miles because there was no way the A-10C would be slinging anything further than that.

Ofcourse the introduction of the Laser Mav has uncovered the issue. But it certainly explains some of the issues I've had buddy lasing at long range/high alt in the past.

My friends and I have been fiddling with this and we've noticed some very strange behaviour. It seems as though the laser "beam" from the TPOD is only 8 miles long. You can launch further away but if you don't close to within 8 miles the Mav won't hit its target. It will try and seek the end of the 8 mile beam coming out of the TPOD, even if that happens to be floating in mid air a few miles before the target. I've even seen Mavs make a 90 degree turns to intercept the end of the beam. This was first noticed when we tried buddy lasing the LMav and wondering why the maverick seeking symbology on the hud was in a totally different place to the target, and only reached the target once the lazing aircraft closes to within 8 miles. I'm going to capture some footage and tacviews to confirm my theory but currently it looks like when they designed the Lightning pod code in the A-10C they limited the laser range to 8 miles because there was no way the A-10C would be slinging anything further than that.

 

Ofcourse the introduction of the Laser Mav has uncovered the issue. But it certainly explains some of the issues I've had buddy lasing at long range/high alt in the past.

interesting observations! let us know what you find in your tests

I have been able to hit things from 12nm away a few days ago.

Did you launch at 12 miles and then get any closer to the target? Or did you launch at 12 miles and keep more than 10 miles from the target?

My friends and I have been fiddling with this and we've noticed some very strange behaviour. It seems as though the laser "beam" from the TPOD is only 8 miles long. You can launch further away but if you don't close to within 8 miles the Mav won't hit its target. It will try and seek the end of the 8 mile beam coming out of the TPOD, even if that happens to be floating in mid air a few miles before the target. I've even seen Mavs make a 90 degree turns to intercept the end of the beam. This was first noticed when we tried buddy lasing the LMav and wondering why the maverick seeking symbology on the hud was in a totally different place to the target, and only reached the target once the lazing aircraft closes to within 8 miles. I'm going to capture some footage and tacviews to confirm my theory but currently it looks like when they designed the Lightning pod code in the A-10C they limited the laser range to 8 miles because there was no way the A-10C would be slinging anything further than that.

 

Ofcourse the introduction of the Laser Mav has uncovered the issue. But it certainly explains some of the issues I've had buddy lasing at long range/high alt in the past.

I was mav training yesterday on E's. Once I released I turned about 60 degrees away from the target, and about 10 sec before the mav was supposed to hit the target it turned directly for my aircraft, which makes sense now I read your post as it seems it was following the end of the laser as I moved away from the target.

I just tested this further this morning and the mav is definitely turning to follow the laser at 8+ nm, you can still control the mav by moving the laser as It tracks towards the end of the laser, which is now in mid air.

The question then is, is this correct? It seems a very weak laser can travel at least 10-12 miles. Any military grade laser should be able to go much further?

The question then is, is this correct? It seems a very weak laser can travel at least 10-12 miles. Any military grade laser should be able to go much further?

It should go much further. But if you were beyond the range of the laser the weapon either wouldn't lock in the first place and it certainly wouldn't seek the "end" of the laser as a point in mid air because the laser is only seen by the weapon once it bounces off something.

I’ve hit at ranges upto 12 miles. That’s launching at circa 12.5 mikes, then circling the target.

I’ve had “locks’ against ships at 25 miles, whilst at 20k feet, but definitely no hits.

When firing 12 miles out, did you still close in to the target? That may be why. You fired at 12 miles and closed in to 8 to where the laser reached the target. Boom.

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Keep in mind that the AGM-65 is powered by a battery, which will run out after a specific time.

So it doesn't matter how much energy you have, it will explode once the battery is done.

AGM-65E Max Range

Keep in mind that the AGM-65 is powered by a battery, which will run out after a specific time.

 

So it doesn't matter how much energy you have, it will explode once the battery is done.

No. No. I was using boom, meaning the impact sound. My fault.

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I wasn't directly quoting you :D

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Keep in mind that the AGM-65 is powered by a battery, which will run out after a specific time.

 

So it doesn't matter how much energy you have, it will explode once the battery is done.

this circles back around to one of my original questions, is there an X number of seconds the missile has to hit the target before it self destructs. you say the answer is yes. however do we know what that is? and i still assume it should be longer than the time it takes to travel 9nm or however long the laser is...but who knows

this circles back around to one of my original questions, is there an X number of seconds the missile has to hit the target before it self destructs. you say the answer is yes. however do we know what that is? and i still assume it should be longer than the time it takes to travel 9nm or however long the laser is...but who knows

Yes, I couldn't remember how many seconds it would last, but I just check with my buddies from 476th vFG.

The other models have a 100 seconds battery. The Echo should be the same.

Yes, I couldn't remember how many seconds it would last, but I just check with my buddies from 476th vFG.

 

The other models have a 100 seconds battery. The Echo should be the same.

good to know, thanks! now i can go into some experiments with some better numbers to play with. but shew, they really need to stick a better battery in there (like a tesla! :p ) could get the range up quite a bit

Here's a video I made of it, after launching maverick I turn to maintain greater than 8nm from target, then as mav approaches target it turns back towards harrier following the end of the laser.

The missile lifetime is 60 seconds.

Here's a video I made of it, after launching maverick I turn to maintain greater than 8nm from target, then as mav approaches target it turns back towards harrier following the end of the laser.

 

 

great video showcasing the wonky behavior! i always wondered how lasers work, now i know they have a tip, like a lightsaber!

i just got a successful hit at over 15nm out, just made sure i kept up with the mav most of the time so it never got more than 8nm away from me. mainly flying at a 30 degree angle or so to the right. not sure what the real world procedures are for this though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I just wanted to clarify some things; The AGM-65s are not supposed to have a self-destruction mode. Once the missile runs out of battery, there isn't enough voltage to push the current and ignite the warhead.

Although 100/105 seconds TOF (time of flight) is correct, the batteries can last up to 150 seconds, because the battery is supposed to cover 1.5x of the MAX range.

So in real life, the missile is never going to self-explode or fall out of the sky because the battery ran out (unless there is a failure), the battery is supposed to cover its max range and a bit more.

That's not really the case in DCS though.

What about the laser though, is it only supposed to go 8nm IRL, like ingame?

In real life lasers don't have a single max range.

Each laser has its own power output designed with enough juice to "get the job done" from that system's usual fighting range. A ground-based laser is generally a much lower power output than a helicopter or jet aircraft, for example.

The environmentals have a vote. Low visibility conditions (high humidity, haze, visible moisture, etc.) are going to produce a correspondingly lower range for the laser due to attenuation.

Not to mention the potential for obscurants (fire smoke, tactical smoke, dust...) or physical obstructions (buildings, trees, terrain...) hiding the spot from the detector. Or the reflectivity of the target focusing or diffusing the energy.

And then you have to factor in that the laser doesn't just need to get to the target, it needs to bounce off and be detected by the weapon. In this case the energy is much like a rope and pulley. The closer one end is to the target, the further away the other can be.

So IRL, it depends. You might be seeing the spot from 10 NM away, you might not see it at all.