[CORRECT AS IS] HARM flight profile

My HARMs go straight towards the target, i.e. they start descending right after about 1 second after leaving the rail, while still accellerating with active motor. This results in a max. range of about 25 nm when fired from 25.000 ft.

Isn't this a bit ineffective ... or is it realistic?

Currently, both modes (SP, TOO) are Direct Attack modes, meaning that the HARM only has the emitter signal as a target and doesn't have any ranging information. So it flies directly to the target, without lifting etc, that's normal behavior.

The next planned mode, PB, takes range into account and the missile with loft etc.

That's a good resource: https://www.ausairpower.net/API-AGM-88-HARM.html

In order to use a more effective flight path, for example by the use of lofting you actually need to know the distance to the target. In SP and TOO mode, which we have right now, there is no information about the distance available, hence thr missile needs to take a floght path that prevents it from overshooting the target.

Sniped...

No range information ... yeah, makes sense then.

Thanks guys!

are we getting TAS for hornet?

sorry eh, but there is still a problem.

if i fire the agm88 is because i have line of sight. so on standard DCS conditions (target radar keep being ON and dont move, good weather ecc.) the missile should travel in a direct line, while in DCS it keeps losing altitude, to the point that if i shoot 500 feet AGL to a target 5 miles away, it will crash into the ground before reach its target.

that dont seem right.

Low level SEAD is indeed, exceptionally difficult. Anything near 5,000 ft radar altimeter and close range is 50/50 for a ground strike of the missile. Much more effect when releasing the HARM above 20,000 feet and Mach 1 but obviously more chance of the missile being intercepted by that same SAM site.

Cheers,

Don (callsign Ziptie).

yep, agree, but its the same line of nosense i found with harpoon (for other reasons).

common sense:

1) its possible make a missile go just straight to target without losing altitude.

2) a missile that go straight to target has 99% chance of not hit ground or obstacles, because simply it keeps LOS from the launch point to the impact, so if target is not moving or new obstacles are not suddenly placed in between, the course path will be clear.

3) SEAD is always dangerous, and for many reasons sometimes may be safer go low, popup , launch and go down again. now this is 100% impossible. missile will always hit the ground for no actual realistic reason.

like for harpoons, thats not my life reason so i simply will move on, but finding this topic, i feel that is right to write this.

I haven't tried low level SEAD in the Hornet myself, but what happens is you launch the HARM from a low altitude, but while being in a high pitch angle? Does it still end up hitting the ground?

I haven't tried low level SEAD in the Hornet myself, but what happens is you launch the HARM from a low altitude, but while being in a high pitch angle? Does it still end up hitting the ground?

Not necessarily. I just did two low level SEAD runs today in MP. On the deck, cherubs 5 (radar), popped up to angels 4.5 (radar), nose up pitch of 20 degrees, two magnums off the rails and shack target.

Cheers,

Don (callsign Ziptie)

yep, thats true, it helps mitigate the problem, but still i see no reason for not doing a simple direct line to target.

yep, agree, but its the same line of nosense i found with harpoon (for other reasons).

common sense:

1) its possible make a missile go just straight to target without losing altitude.

As far as I know, the HARM has no way of sensing its altitude. It may not be as simple as you assume to fly a perfectly strait path with only the target as a reference point.

Out of curiosity, I also tried some low altitude ( < 2000 ft AGL) HARM attacks yesterday and it worked fine. For small ranges ( < 5nm), it pretty much flew straight to the target and for slightly longer ranges, releasing while pitching up did the trick. Only wings-level deliveries at a range had the missile fly to the ground.