Missiles control
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The document discusses why missiles fired from stealth fighters are difficult to evade. It explains that radar warning receivers and missile approach warning systems typically do not detect missile launches until it is too late to evade. Against stealth fighters like the F-22 and F-35, the target often does not detect the launching aircraft at all until the missile activates its radar seeker just prior to impact, giving the target no time to evade or deploy countermeasures. The element of surprise provided by stealth aircraft makes the missiles much more likely to hit their targets.
![Is the gyroscopic effect created by high rpm turbo-pumps an issue for rocket attitude control?
[Turbo-pump damage] Seems unlikely for traditional attitude control, which can be done fairly slowly (degrees/sec) but I do
wonder if its a problem for the Starship Raptor engines during the flip from belly-flop back to vertical which looks like about
30 degrees/sec.
Anyone know the length, mass and rpm of the two Raptor turbopump rotors ? or if SpaceX talk about or test for this issue ?
This issue may put an upper limit on how fast a turbo-pumped rocket engine can be gimballed. Weve seen the Raptor
engines gimbal very fast when an engine shuts off during the Starship SN8/9/10 tests.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/missilescontrol-210710070856/85/Missiles-control-112-320.jpg)
Missiles control
- 69. aircraft missiles do not explode on impact with the aircraft; they explode when they are close enough for the blast of air and the fragments to destroy the target
- 112. Is the gyroscopic effect created by high rpm turbo-pumps an issue for rocket attitude control? [Turbo-pump damage] Seems unlikely for traditional attitude control, which can be done fairly slowly (degrees/sec) but I do wonder if its a problem for the Starship Raptor engines during the flip from belly-flop back to vertical which looks like about 30 degrees/sec. Anyone know the length, mass and rpm of the two Raptor turbopump rotors ? or if SpaceX talk about or test for this issue ? This issue may put an upper limit on how fast a turbo-pumped rocket engine can be gimballed. Weve seen the Raptor engines gimbal very fast when an engine shuts off during the Starship SN8/9/10 tests.
- 142. Why are missiles fired by stealth fighters so hard to evade? Shouldn't the enemies be able to detect the missiles themselves and use countermeasures, even if they can't see the launch platform? You need to understand that detecting missile launches isnt a instant magical process. There are primarily two ways for detecting missile launches. Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) For conventional radars, RWRs can distinguish between different radar modes of enemy radar (search, track & lock for a missile launch). So the RWR primarily warns the pilot of enemy aircraft what hes doing. Getting enemy radars lock warning can help you determine a potential missile launch. In vast majority of aircraft, RWR is the primary detection tool of an enemy missile launch (youll see why by the end). Although, RWRs dont directly detect BVR missiles until they go active which is only in the final stage, few miles away from the target. The problem comes with adversaries using competent AESA radars the RWRs have a very hard time in detecting their transmissions let alone distinguishing their radar modes. It gets worse with advanced AESA radars and theyre practically useless against F-22 & F-35 as I explained here. Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) Unlike RWRs, they can directly detect missile launches. Theyre either passive (UV or IR) or active (millimetre radar). Vast majority of 4th gen. aircraft have UV based MAWS which are primarily for detecting SAM or MANPAD launches at low altitude, having high UV emissions (thick smoke). At high altitude and against modern AAMs, their range is close to near-visual range. This is because Ozone concentration increases rapidly at higher altitude (by a factor of 6) making them practically useless against BVR missiles due to extremely short range
- 143. Very few aircraft like Eurofighter Typhoon (above) have active radar based MAWS. Its much better than UV but significantly suffers from 1) atmospheric attenuation, and 2) much smaller apertures (low power). They operate at Ka band (35 GHz) and thus, are subjected to over 10 times greater attenuation than X band (~10 GHz). Some modern 4th gen. aircraft have IIR based MAWS like Rafale and F-18 Super Hornet (Block III). Their performance against AAMs is likely less than or at best comparable to millimetre-radar based MAWS though better against SAMs (bigger IR signature). Of course, F-22s MLD and F-35s DAS changes the game but lets not complicate this further. In short, MAWS are fairly short range and are more helpful in effectively tracking the AAMs (active & IIR based). This is why RWRs are still more reliable means of detecting missile launches. Against a 4th gen or non-stealthy adversary, youll know their exact position and type of aircraft (by onboard or offboard sensors). For instance, with Su-30 being the adversary you know that R-77 is its primary BVR weapon with ~100 km maximum range and probably its estimated NEZ data as well. That way youll have pretty good picture of when you might be in Su-30s engagement envelope. So even with modern 4th gen. aircraft having capable AESA radars screwing your RWRs you can have pretty good idea about potential missile launch. This completely changes with VLO opponents like F-22 and F-35. Youve no idea where they are to begin with. WWII Aces from both sides with hundreds of air-air kills stated that majority of their targets were unaware of their presence. 80% of USAF pilots that were shot in Vietnam were unaware of the impending attack. Since the beginning of Air Combat, vast majority of the pilots that were shot were unaware of their attacker. This should help you understand the impact of stealth in air combat. F-22 & F-35s AAMs will have much higher pK because in most cases the first time their targets are aware of their presence is when the AIM-120D lights up their RWRs few seconds prior to impact and they can get close enough to launch their weapons from No Escape Zone. The biggest myth about modern air combat is that missile launches are instantly detected that only happens in movies and video games.