a function of laser or computer?

[Kaktus29]

to lase more than one LGB to a target or even more targets..

 

e.g.: you have 6 LGB, and you lase at fast intervals lets say 6 targets, if done fast enough you transmit the necessary information so all LGB can hit their respective targets in one single pass..

 

now, question.. is it hard to do this because of computer power or lack of, or laser can't switch so fast from one to another coordinate? ..

 

too bad, that would really make even single jets bomber like planes.. with a single pass 6 targets, meaning a flight of 24 planes can literally destroy 144 targets in one pass.. would be a scene in DCS.. especially since we have to script every pilot decision in order for a flight of 4 planes to hit 4 targets in a same pass..

[Aginor]

Well, you can do that already using GPS-guided bombs (as long as the target doesn't move of course).

As for your question: I'm pretty sure the problem is not the computer, you can to such computations simultaneously.

I can't prove it at the moment, but I think it is the laser pod itself. The GBU needs a laser the whole time and since the pod slews its head mechanically it is hard to move it that quickly.

 

But now that I think about it.... I guess you can do it with LGBs as well, you just need different laser codes and for each bomb there is a guy lasering the target with that code.

[Kaktus29]

yes,its different frequency.. like have 6 different frequencies and them change from one target to another in quick succession.. thus making sure each bomb is receiving updates so quickly its almost laser is pointing at that one target only all the time..

 

i know Russia implemented this already with its Vikhr guided rockets so in 1 pass 2 targets can be hit.. but don't know how far this went and what is the biggest problem.. to me it looks like the laser indeed.. but is it mechanical head that moves it that is too slow,clumsy, or the speed which it receives info and translates it to guidence to the bomb..

 

anyway, would be cool to have this option.. just seeing a convoy of 40 spread vehicles on the ground moving.. and then a flight of only 8 planes dropping 6 bombs each hits each vehicle at once.. WOW..

[Flagrum]

I think, I've seen someone doing that manually on youtube ... not with 6 bombs, though.

 

But I sadly can't recall the details. But it should be possible for, lets say 2 LGBs with targets not too far apart of each other. Drop them several seconds apart, then lase for the first TGT and after that is destroyed, slew the TGP to the second and lase again (or continue lasing the whole time).

 

Apaches do that with their Hellfires as well, afaik.

 

As for the original question ... theoretically it should be doable. The laser could be "slewed" by using mirrors - so that not the whole thing needs to be moved, but only a light weight mirror. The laser code would be changed by software. But what I am unsure of is, how exactly the laser coding works. Afaik it is remotely comparable to morse code (some sort of long/short bursts) and it takes some time to transmit all 4 digits of the laser code. And I don't think this is done within miliseconds ... but rather a few seconds (1...2...4 ... dunno). My understanding is that this is necessary to minimize misreadings and errors.

 

So it would take at least a few seconds of lasing before you could safely switch to an other target. Therefore six LGBs at once could be a bit too much - if we don't want to lose combatibility with the current systems and invent something completely new. :o)

[Scrim]

For dropping two, I don't think different codes would actually be needed if the targets are reasonably well separated. Try giving some sudden rudder next time you drop an LGB in CCRP and you'll see that it won't be able to pick up the laser at all.

 

But dropping 6, no, not with your own TGP. The bang-bang guidance of the LGBs will mean that in the time they're left unguided, they'll stray so far off course they won't have the power to turn back enough to hit the laser spot when it comes back to them. They might even be so far off by that time that they can't even register the laser.

 

If we get more modern GBUs with jets like the F/A-18 it might be possible. Later generation LGBs and JDAMs both have GPS and laser guidance. Obviously though, if the targets start moving, as the AI in DCS does by default when a bomb falls closeby, you'll have the issue of the bombs not registering the laser, or not being able to compensate sufficiently when the laser comes to them.

Edited June 18, 2014 by Scrim

[OutOnTheOP]

For dropping two, I don't think different codes would actually be needed if the targets are reasonably well separated. Try giving some sudden rudder next time you drop an LGB in CCRP and you'll see that it won't be able to pick up the laser at all.

 

But dropping 6, no, not with your own TGP. The bang-bang guidance of the LGBs will mean that in the time they're left unguided, they'll stray so far off course they won't have the power to turn back enough to hit the laser spot when it comes back to them. They might even be so far off by that time that they can't even register the laser.

 

If we get more modern GBUs with jets like the F/A-18 it might be possible. Later generation LGBs and JDAMs both have GPS and laser guidance. Obviously though, if the targets start moving, as the AI in DCS does by default when a bomb falls closeby, you'll have the issue of the bombs not registering the laser, or not being able to compensate sufficiently when the laser comes to them.

 

The newer LGBs no longer use bang-bang guidance, though; they use proportional steering. That said, if you need to attack multiple targets in one pass, you can easily use either IIR/ EO (against moving targets) or GPS (against stationary targets) guided munitions.