Guided missiles operate by detecting their target (usually by radar or infrared methods, although rarely others such as laser guidance or optical tracking), and then "homing" on the target on a collision course.
Note that although the missile may use radar or infrared to the home at the destination, this does not necessarily mean that the same means used by the launching aircraft to detect and track the target before launch. Infra-red guided missiles can be "slave" to an attack radar in order to find the target and radar guided missiles can be launched at targets detected visually or by means of an infrared search and track (IRST) system, but may require the attack radar to illuminate the target during part or all of the interceptor missiles themselves.
radar guidance
Radar guidance is normally used for medium-range missiles or long term, where the infrared signature of the target would be too weak to an infrared detector to track. There are three main types of radar guided missile - active, semi-active and passive.
Radar missiles can be countered by rapid maneuvering (which may result in them "breaking lock", or cause to advance), the deployment of the straw or the use of electronic countermeasures.
active radar homing
Main article: Active radar homing
Active radar (AR) guided missiles carry their own radar system to detect and track its target. However, the size of the radar antenna is limited by the small diameter of the missile, which limits their range which typically means such missiles are launched at a future planned location of the target, often relying on systems separate guide, such as global positioning system, inertial guidance, or an update halfway, whether the launch aircraft or any other system that can communicate with the missile to get the missile near the target. At a predetermined point (often a function of time since launch and finishing close to the predicted target location) system active radar missile (the missile is called "Go Active") and the missile then homes in the target .
If the range of the attacking planes with the target is within range of the missile radar system the missile can "Go Active" immediately after its release.
The great advantage of an active homing radar system is that it allows a "fire and forget" mode of attack, attack aircraft which is free to pursue other goals or flee the area after launching the missile.
semi-active radar homing
Main article: semi-active radar homing
Semi-active radar homing (SARH), guided missiles are simpler and more common. They work by detecting radar energy reflected from the target. The radar energy is emitted from the aircraft launch system radar.
However, this means that the launch aircraft has to maintain a "lock" on the target (keep illuminating the target aircraft with its own radar) until the missile makes interception. This limits the ability of strike aircraft to maneuver, which may be necessary for attacking aircraft threats appear.
One of the advantages of SARH missiles is that they are messengers of the radar signal reflected accurately what actually increases as the missile approaches, because the reflection from a "point of origin" means the target. Against this, if there are multiple targets, each signal reflects the same radar and missiles can become confusing in that its goal is the victim. The missile may be unable to choose a specific target and fly through training without going into the lethal range of any specific aircraft. Newer missiles are logic circuits in their guidance systems to help prevent this problem.
At the same time, interference blocking missile is easier because in the launching aircraft is further from the target of the missile, so that the radar signal has to travel farther and is highly attenuated by distance. This means that the missile can be jammed or "false" by countermeasures, which signals stronger as the missile approaches. One against it is a "house jam" missile capabilities that allows the house to the blocking signal.
Beam Riding
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An early form of radar guidance was "beam-riding" (BR). In this method the attacking aircraft directed a narrow beam of radar energy on target. Air to air missile was launched at the beam where sensors in the rear of the missile controlled the missile, keeping within the beam. As long as the beam is kept on the plane target, the missile would be to mount the beam to make the interception.
Although the concept is simple, the difficulty in balancing the maintenance of solid beam on the target (which could not be trusted to cooperate by flying straight and level), continuing to fly an airplane is proper, all the while keeping an eye out for enemy countermeasures, one can see easily.
A further complication is that the beam is spread into a cone shape, as the distance increases attack aircraft. This will result in less accuracy of the missiles, because lightning can actually be greater than the target aircraft when the missile comes. The missile can be safely within the beam, but still not close enough to destroy the target.
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