I thought it was mode based? I remember seeing material about it even having a GPS/INS mode too?
I should specify, often when Western manufacturers call something a “mode” it’s more like a “hardware configuration” than what we’d often imagine (a software switch)
It seems there is some confusion here the optional seekers arent produced nor used
Smin is correct
Thats exactly what Vikhir is and what beam riding means
there website it is laser beam riding nothing else, i know they have a ir seeker which isn’t yet used but from everything ive read and watched about the missile says its laser beam, which isn’t anything like vikhir
These are different proposed seeker heads.
Current LMM:
SAL proposed:
If only we had got the Martlets on the Stormer :(
Thats pricelessly what Vikhir is. It produces a laser beam which the missile follows. Also like Starstreak.
I updated my comment btw - also that infographic earlier was misleading - the guidance systems for beam-riding are found at the back of the missile in the control section - the front would only need to be swapped for SAL/IR and even then they would likely use the same shell 2 different internal for parts compatibility reasons.
But why that figure?
It makes beamriders other than Vikhrs basically unusable
This
Does anyone know if the Starstreaks on the Stormer explode when hit?
i would more compare it to apkws in operation though, which then makes me confused why they have a much larger launch window. the whole point of these missiles it to be launched out side of the LW limiting it to be only launched from within the window limits its use when you can’t get the camera that high which is daft when the camera is on top of the nose of the helicopter so should be able to aim a lot higher
APKWS and Beamriders operate differently…
AFAIK understand the APKWS just uses a unqiue approach to the conventional laser guidance, and has the detectors in the winglets and not the nose
Seen here where you can see that the laser seeker still look forward
Its also stated that they have a 3km lock range which wouldnt be the case if it was a beamrider
This is a graphic which sadly doesn’t provide any specifics and contradicts other similar graphics, which indicates it isn’t a spesific measurement. But a generalisation of the launching functonality. The devs have already seen similar sources:
still beam riding though so still the same, but they have a larger launch window
Because that’s the known figure there is to work from. No information is available on Wildcat, and that there is doesn’t suggest it would be different to Starstreak or Vikhir.
APKWS and Martlet work in fundamentally different ways:
Not beam-riding no… It’s seeking, not riding.
its not…
see flames post
