Can IRST be used for Radio command with Track without LRF?

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by armedupdate » 03 Jul 2016, 07:26

Pure SAHR air-air missiles are no longer being used in NATO air forces and most replaced by ARH ones. However I do believe ARH missiles even though the seeker locks on in the terminal phase, it can still use datalinks that did the midcourse upgrade to retarget(such as the Meteor) known as radio command which other missiles like the PAC-2 use purely even in terminal phases. However, they are not as accurate as using the seeker, the reason why the PAC-3 is known to be more accurate than the PAC-2 which is pure radio command meaning just guidance with datalinks, even in terminal phases via info from sensors while the PAC-3 uses active radar homing. Radio command may still be good if there is serious jamming to the AMRAAM seeker or missile loosing lock.

Radars are usually accurate enough for radio command to datalink the missile even in terminal phases.(like the Patriot) However what about IRSTs with triangulation? I know IRST is accurate enough to guide in midcourse phase, but usually relies on LRF. Can it use triangulation to do this? Because it's a bit slower and no radio command missile does this.(I believe Pantsir has an IR sensor but it uses LRF)

For example if an enemy aircraft had an EOTs-like sensor, a very powerful IRST, and spotted the F-35 at BVR, and only had an active radar homing ramjet missiles like the Meteor, R-77M, or PL-15 that can reach those greater ranges and kill the JSF, since the F-35's stealth and jamming is good enough to defeat the seeker, can he simply use radio command of his IRST using Triangulation from his buddies to guide the missile all the way even in terminal phases?


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by garrya » 03 Jul 2016, 14:52

yes, he can technically, however, he will have to guide the missile all the way to target hence he cant dodge incoming missiles, while F-35 pilot can launch an AIM-120 at him and still able to evade threat missiles.


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by armedupdate » 03 Jul 2016, 22:35

Probably less accurate however using just datalinks. Can missiles even detonate with their proximity fuses by just using coordinate info?



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