Yes it can? For example, the titular Mi-28NM uses UV MAWS to direct its LDIRCM. Tracking accuracy is actually a strong point of UV sensors…
Detecting burnt out missiles is not tho, so it shouldnt be able to use its LDIRCM vs burnt out missiles lol (not that it should even work on the missiles it works on)
I was finally able to hop on and check my ka-52, it does have the LDIRCM, it looks like there’s one between the engines on top and looking at it from the front there’s one next to the right dazzler
Yeah, lasers with the power output to actually destroy materiel at distance are usually quite large. Another example of a similar system is the US prototype Stryker DE-SHORAD system. It’s got a pretty large laser turret on top.
While it is certainly possible to even melt metals like tungsten with a semi-handheld laser, the range at which you can properly transfer all of that energy will be very limited. Focusing the energy output is crucial in actually destroying things rather than dazzling them.
The 52 in game right now has it though, was just wanting to let you know. I can’t post an image as I’m using my phone and I play Xbox but it has one laser turret by the right dircm when looking at it from the front and possibly one on top in the middle of the engines.
Edit: I do actually think the one in top is a light but the one by the dircm is the laser system
Why are you gaslighting yourself like this, literally no one says that the Ka-52 somehow has a third laser DIRCM for some reason, the 2 L-370-5 (the ball DIRCM) are literally the only configuration it’s know to use.
And while some articles say that they can be swapped out for L-370-5L (the one the Mi-28 has) there’s no evidence for it.
You could maybe search for evidence of it having equipped them, as they look very distinct and getting a photo would be the only way for the Ka to ever get LDIRCM as even the new Ka-52M doesn’t use LDIRCM.
it kinda does look like the 9x explodes on the first flare in the footage. if u look at the footage carefully you can see that the first flare dropped by the su22 suddenly gets brighter/bigger than the other flares. https://youtu.be/2azWZ4QcrPA?si=JdyL4Ck18o142ceF&t=20 0:20 look at the first flare , it gets bigger in like 0.25 sec ? compared to the other flares ? kinda looks like a small explosion.
i dont think thats the f18 ? u only see one aircraft , i think thats the su22 and the guy probably mistook it for the f18 , if it were the footage of the headbutt then i think we would have seen 2 planes in the vid.
headbutts arent point blank, the flir is way to zoomed in to visualize both aicraft. they are close range but you wouldnt see it in a zoomed in flir, the f18 is flying infront on the su22 flaring. the flir has way too little detail to IDing aircraft, the f18 was well withing visual range though, and the pilot says he lost track of the aim9 if it blew up he wouldve seen it.
what is likely what happened is that the aim9x was dumb off the rails.
Thats kinda buggy, DIRCM cant affect missile thats not launched yet as it have to dazzle seeker head of that missile but how can it dazzle it if its not even launched yet