Question regarding Missile Fire Controls.

[Resident Evil (OP)]

Hi,

I'm wondering, does a missile fire control have to remain targeted on the target for the entire flight time of the the salvo, or can you lock a target, launch a salvo, and then switch the fire control to the next target and launch another salvo.  Similar to the way phased array radars can switch and track multiple targets simultaneously.

Thanks.

[TT]

Hello RE,

you can switch targets. Your fire controls have to stay in range but they only have to be assigned to a target when you fire.

[Barkhorn]

Are you sure?  I thought that only the search sensor had to maintain contact?

[Resident Evil (OP)]

Hello RE,

you can switch targets.  Your fire controls have to stay in range but they only have to be assigned to a target when you fire.

Excellent 

I thought only the search sensor had to maintain contact too, and that could come from anywhere, but I can't remember where I read that.

I do have another fire control question, which perhaps you can help with.  This is a bit more techy, and it's probably best with an example.

If I connect a missile fire control to a set of 4 launchers, which have a 10 second reload, and set the fire control to point defense mode, launching 2 missiles at each target; will the fire control alternate between pairs of launchers, so I would still get 2 missiles every 5 seconds.  To be clear, if I have launchers A,B,C,D; would the fire control use A&B for the first salvo, then 5 secs later while they're still reloading, fire again using C&D - or does the whole group just become unavailable while the A&B launchers reload??

What I'm thinking is of a way to use reduced size launchers in a dual mode, to be able to provide a large alpha strike, but also be able to to provide a steady stream of anti-missiles if the need arises, but with a limited number of FC's.

Thanks

[TT]

Are you sure?  I thought that only the search sensor had to maintain contact?

I think that is how they work.  I think you need to remain in fire control range of your target, but I don't think I've ever fired a missile and then moved outside of fire control range. I'd say 95% sure.  You do need to maintain an active sensor contact with your target too, you are right about that

[Resident Evil (OP)]

Hmmm.  .  .  . 

I think that is how they work.    I think you need to remain in fire control range of your target, but I don't think I've ever fired a missile and then moved outside of fire control range.   I'd say 95% sure.    You do need to maintain an active sensor contact with your target too, you are right about that

I need to find something to shoot at to test it 

edit: Oh bugger - if you're right I need to redesign my ships - I was working on the assumption I only needed to maintain the active sensor lock - so I was boosting the active sensor range so I could do hit and run strikes.

[El Pip]

edit: Oh bugger - if you're right I need to redesign my ships - I was working on the assumption I only needed to maintain the active sensor lock - so I was boosting the active sensor range so I could do hit and run strikes.

I have fired missiles and then moved outside of fire control range and the missiles still hit, so I believe your assumption is correct. Once you've launched you only need the active sensor lock.

On your other question, yes the fire control will alternate between launchers.

However it may not quite work out that way in practice. If the incoming missiles are in a large salvo the Fire Control may well launch all four missiles (in your example) at the incoming salvo, on the basis that each target in the salvo is being hit with two missiles, it's just their are lots of targets in the salvo.

On the other hand if the incoming missiles are all in single missile salvos, then yes it would alternate two launches every 5 seconds.

[Detros]

If you want to try hit and run tactics, note you can put active radar also inside missiles.

[Resident Evil (OP)]

I have fired missiles and then moved outside of fire control range and the missiles still hit, so I believe your assumption is correct.  Once you've launched you only need the active sensor lock.

Thanks    I think for the time being I'll stick with my assumption then, unless events prove it wrong.

On your other question, yes the fire control will alternate between launchers. 

However it may not quite work out that way in practice.  If the incoming missiles are in a large salvo the Fire Control may well launch all four missiles (in your example) at the incoming salvo, on the basis that each target in the salvo is being hit with two missiles, it's just their are lots of targets in the salvo. 

On the other hand if the incoming missiles are all in single missile salvos, then yes it would alternate two launches every 5 seconds.

Excellent.  The way you describe it is even better than I'd hoped for, if it will launch the whole lot at a single salvo.  I think I'll spend some time playing around with this for an anti-missile ship.

If you want to try hit and run tactics, note you can put active radar also inside missiles.

Hi.  At the moment I'm only working on size 1 and 2 missiles, and it seems prohibitive (in terms of size) to put any useful active sensors on the missiles.  With my short range missile, size 2, 10m km range at 60k/s, to get a sensor range 200k km at res 100 requires 0. 17msp and, with a flight time of 3mins, even a slow 2000km/s ship would get out of sensor range in that time.  My thinking is that for larger missiles (that cost more) it will probably be worth putting sensors on them, but for the small, cheap missiles it's probably not worth it -unless my tech improves to make it more viable in the future.


Thanks for all your reply's.

[Barkhorn]

The advantage of putting even tiny sensors on missiles is that it prevents overkill.

If you fire 10 missiles without sensors at one ship in a fleet, and 5 blow the ship up, the remaining 5 self-destruct.  If the missiles have sensors, they will find new targets.

Missiles with active sensors target the biggest ship they see.  Missiles with passive sensors target the largest signature they see.

[Resident Evil (OP)]

The advantage of putting even tiny sensors on missiles is that it prevents overkill.

If you fire 10 missiles without sensors at one ship in a fleet, and 5 blow the ship up, the remaining 5 self-destruct.   If the missiles have sensors, they will find new targets.

Missiles with active sensors target the biggest ship they see.   Missiles with passive sensors target the largest signature they see.

Ahh. . . ok, I see your point - it's more for terminal guidance than seeking out new targets in a large area.  Just playing with the numbers I can put a 0. 01 size sensor on with 10k range at res 40.  If I put it as res 1 the range is listed as 0km against a 50ton target.  Now is that rounding in the design screen, and it actually still has a small, but non-zero range - I'm thinking here about AMM's with small sensors.

[Barkhorn]

The smallest distance that can actually be used is 10,000km.  But I don't know if this is including targets that are in exactly the same location; i.e. 2 ships in the same fleet or 2 fleets orbiting the same body.

I know beam weapons won't work if their range or the fire control range is below 10,000km.  Even if the FC range is only below 10,000 due to ECM.

[Resident Evil (OP)]

Probably best to assume the range needs to be listed >0 then, to be on the safe side.

[linkxsc]

The smallest distance that can actually be used is 10,000km.  But I don't know if this is including targets that are in exactly the same location; i.e. 2 ships in the same fleet or 2 fleets orbiting the same body.

I know beam weapons won't work if their range or the fire control range is below 10,000km.  Even if the FC range is only below 10,000 due to ECM.

Ive had active missiles retarget all the way out to the edge of their sensor range at ships that were clearly not part of the TG initially fired upon.

[Barkhorn]

But were those sensor ranges greater than 10,000km?