missile fire control = active sensor?

[Micro102 (OP)]

I know you need a missile fire control AND active sensor, but why does the missile fire control need the same active sensor technology and resolution technology as the active sensor? Why doesn't it have similar features tot he beam fire controls? How do the missiles use this?

[Venec]

From what I reckon, missile FC's need active sensor for anti-missile duty.

EDIT:

And for tracking targets? Not sure about this one.

[Steve Walmsley]

I know you need a missile fire control AND active sensor, but why does the missile fire control need the same active sensor technology and resolution technology as the active sensor? Why doesn't it have similar features tot he beam fire controls? How do the missiles use this?

As in real life, a missile fire control system is a specialised active sensor intended to track known targets rather than search for new ones. If you do a google search for "Search Radar" and for "Fire Control Radar", that will explain the differences.

Steve

[TMaekler]

Does a Missile Fire Control keep the tracking active if the target moves out of active sensor range if the MFC has for example a range of 120mkm and the ASS only reached up to 100mkm?

[Bughunter]

No if you are targeting a ship the target is lost and your missiles are no longer guided. The exception is if you are targeting a waypoint, then you can fire without active sensors.

[83athom]

And if your missiles have onboard sensors, then they can pick up their own targets and track them.

[TMaekler]

So theoretically a small craft with say 10mkm Active Sensor Range could "mark" a target and be shot at by from a different ship with a long range Missile Fire Control of 200mkm and as long as the small craft keeps active contact... 

Just out of curiosity. If the MFC is not the thing keeping track of the enemy ship why did Steve create it basically with having 3x longer range (if you create an identical size and component MFC / ASS)? Is there a special function of it having a theoretical longer range other than my described two ship setup?

[83athom]

So theoretically a small craft with say 10mkm Active Sensor Range could "mark" a target and be shot at by from a different ship with a long range Missile Fire Control of 200mkm and as long as the small craft keeps active contact...

Correct, and how it is done irl as well (but vastly reduced ranges for naval combat, not in space).

Just out of curiosity. If the MFC is not the thing keeping track of the enemy ship why did Steve create it basically with having 3x longer range (if you create an identical size and component MFC / ASS)? Is there a special function of it having a theoretical longer range other than my described two ship setup?

Because as mentioned, the fire control only keeps track of one target while the sensor possibly hundreds to thousands of individual contacts.

[linkxsc]

So theoretically a small craft with say 10mkm Active Sensor Range could "mark" a target and be shot at by from a different ship with a long range Missile Fire Control of 200mkm and as long as the small craft keeps active contact... 

Just out of curiosity. If the MFC is not the thing keeping track of the enemy ship why did Steve create it basically with having 3x longer range (if you create an identical size and component MFC / ASS)? Is there a special function of it having a theoretical longer range other than my described two ship setup?

First half. Yes you can use active spotting craft far ahead of the fleet keeping the actual fleet safe from detection.

Second half. Probably so that you can do the above more easily. Also you could argue that the MFC is a directed narrow beam sensor rather than the omnidirectional active sensor.