Aim 120c last stage guidance

[Neon67]

Hi guys

 

I had a case of a mig23 going guns at close range on an AWACS, I engaged the mig23 in STT and fired my aim120 at around 75% max range. Somehow when the missile went pitbull at one point it chooses to go against the AWACS instead of the mig23 which I keep locked.

 

Is it normal? or did I miss something

 

I know the missile is supposed to be fully autonomus when pitbull only if I broke the lock, but if still locked it would still follow the main target?

Edited September 22, 2019 by Neon67

[BIGNEWY]

Without a track replay it would be difficult to say.

 

Do you have a track replay?

[Airhunter]

Yes.

[nighthawk2174]

IRL the 120 should dump all other targets if the target is STT'd and only look for and guide on that one (only way to safely use a 120 in a furball type of situation). If not it should guide on the largest radar return nearest to the predicted position of the bandit based off of the last known bandit position, azimuth, and speed after pitbul, and if nothing is near there then it should just guide on the largest radar return after that. In DCS i'm not 100% sure how its programmed.

Edited September 23, 2019 by nighthawk2174

[Stubbies2003]

Once the AMRAAM goes pitbull it will find and attack the first thing it finds much like a AIM-9. If the AWACS was closer than the MiG-23 or the AMRAAM picked it up first then yes this is a thing.

[mattag08]

I know the missile is supposed to be fully autonomus when pitbull only if I broke the lock, but if still locked it would still follow the main target?

IRL, yes. The general understanding (since it's all classified) is that the missile has a datalink connection even after going active. If the datalink is sending is a valid track it will continue to home on that location and ignore a "bigger" target that the seeker might be seeing.

 

In DCS, when ARH missiles go active, they no longer have any datalink input whatsoever and will guide on any target in the seeker's FOV (I don't know for certain, but behavior suggests it is the one with the strongest radar return, which would be a function of range and RCS). Because of this behavior, you cannot shoot Fox-3s at targets that are merged with friendlies (or will be merged by the time the missile arrives).

[Harker]

IRL, yes. The general understanding (since it's all classified) is that the missile has a datalink connection even after going active. If the datalink is sending is a valid track it will continue to home on that location and ignore a "bigger" target that the seeker might be seeing.

 

In DCS, when ARH missiles go active, they no longer have any datalink input whatsoever and will guide on any target in the seeker's FOV (I don't know for certain, but behavior suggests it is the one with the strongest radar return, which would be a function of range and RCS). Because of this behavior, you cannot shoot Fox-3s at targets that are merged with friendlies (or will be merged by the time the missile arrives).

Agree. Also had this conversation a few days ago, this reply sheds some more light on the process https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=4041468&postcount=21

[GGTharos]

That can't entirely correct - if it was, there'd be no concerns about shooting these into a furball.

 

In DCS we pass in the 'target ID' and presto, target magically sorted. Of course, any number of things could have happened, and of course the AWACS' RCS is huge compared to the fighter as well.

 

IRL the 120 should dump all other targets if the target is STT'd and only look for and guide on that one (only way to safely use a 120 in a furball type of situation).