Chapter 9: Missile Guidance

9.1Introduction

The fire control sequence ( Executing the fire control sequence using the EMS ) ends with a weapon on its way to the target. With unguided weapons, influence stops after the shot; with guided weapons (missiles), the trajectory is…

9.2Components of the missile

Almost every guided missile consists of the same functional sections, usually in this order from nose to tail:

9.3Phases of the missile intercept

An intercept runs in three phases, each with its own guidance needs:

9.4Guidance methods

At sea there is an old rule: if another ship stays on the same bearing while it gets closer, you are on a collision course. A missile does this deliberately: it steers so that the direction to the target does not change (proportional…

9.5Beam rider

With beam riding the fire control system keeps a narrow radar or laser beam aimed exactly at the target. The missile looks backwards , at the beam itself, and measures how far it is from the centre of the beam. Its only task: stay in the…

9.6Command guidance

With command guidance the missile itself sees nothing at all. The fire control system uses its own sensors to track two objects — the target and its own missile — computes the steering solution on the ground (or the ship), and sends…

9.7Homing guidance

With semi-active guidance (SARH) the launch platform shines a kind of torch on the target and the missile follows the reflection. With active guidance (ARH) the missile carries its own torch.

9.8Track via Missile (TVM) and SAGG

The seeker in the missile sees the target most sharply from close by, but the big computing power is on the ground. TVM combines the two: the missile looks, the ground calculates.

9.9Navigation guidance

All the preceding methods guide on the target . Navigation guidance guides on a position : the weapon knows where it has to go (coordinates) and navigates there on its own, without having to observe anything of the target. This is the…

9.10Conclusion