You know the ground based static radars are used to detect and counter incoming airplanes but are very vulnurable to harms because the planes by using their altitude and speed launch those missiles from a range more than 100kms which is beyond reach of most medium range sam systems. There is active defense and sams having several hundred km range but there can be ways to cheaply come up with a 30-40km sam systems without active defense and having higher mobility with smaller missiles,radar packages. Also 5th gen. planes will make the job of these systems more difficult as they will be the priorly targeted without being detected from a range long enough.
The more the radar is open the more the risk of getting harmed so for early warning non-emitting electro-optical,iir systems can be used like the ones on 4,5gen. fighters. It does not need to track but to inform that there are targets within 30km radius but if it provides directional info that will be a bonus. iir can also warn against 5th gens which can't hide their jet engines and heating on wingtips.
You know short range a2a missiles are very effective with high maneuvrability and are immune to jamming especially the ones with iir seekers and high off boresight. After they get a lock on you can fire and forget them without constant illumination by radar and the new ones have considerable range which can put them into medium range category for example R 73 has aerodynamic range about 30km at high altitudes. As important as the mentioned properties these missiles weigh about 90-100kgs and can be carried everywhere easily unlike larger missiles that can be carried only by trucks.
What these missiles lack in a sam system is the altitude. As mentioned these missiles weigh about 100kg but this is just slightly larger than medium range missile payloads like for example Buk missile carries a 70kg payload to 20km altitude with 40-50km range but you only need to go straightly upwards as the 100kg a2a missile having enough altitude and initial speed can travel laterally about 30km with its own engine.
The a2a missile needs to be carried to high altitudes by a straightly upwards launched rocket and directed towards the detected targets briefly by the ground radar as it reaches 10-15km altitude. The missiles will continue their flights after they get a lock on and you can forget about them afterwards. The radar will open briefly just for a few seconds beginning when the booster rocket reaches high altitude and seperates the uncaged a2a missile until the lightweight a2a missiles are directed towards the targets getting a lock on. After that the radar can be carried to somewhere else with the missiles and the setup can be assembled again dealing with multiples of targets with lightweight missiles(only the simple boosters are heavy)with a very short time radar illumination. Just an idea.
What can be other options?
The more the radar is open the more the risk of getting harmed so for early warning non-emitting electro-optical,iir systems can be used like the ones on 4,5gen. fighters. It does not need to track but to inform that there are targets within 30km radius but if it provides directional info that will be a bonus. iir can also warn against 5th gens which can't hide their jet engines and heating on wingtips.
You know short range a2a missiles are very effective with high maneuvrability and are immune to jamming especially the ones with iir seekers and high off boresight. After they get a lock on you can fire and forget them without constant illumination by radar and the new ones have considerable range which can put them into medium range category for example R 73 has aerodynamic range about 30km at high altitudes. As important as the mentioned properties these missiles weigh about 90-100kgs and can be carried everywhere easily unlike larger missiles that can be carried only by trucks.
What these missiles lack in a sam system is the altitude. As mentioned these missiles weigh about 100kg but this is just slightly larger than medium range missile payloads like for example Buk missile carries a 70kg payload to 20km altitude with 40-50km range but you only need to go straightly upwards as the 100kg a2a missile having enough altitude and initial speed can travel laterally about 30km with its own engine.
The a2a missile needs to be carried to high altitudes by a straightly upwards launched rocket and directed towards the detected targets briefly by the ground radar as it reaches 10-15km altitude. The missiles will continue their flights after they get a lock on and you can forget about them afterwards. The radar will open briefly just for a few seconds beginning when the booster rocket reaches high altitude and seperates the uncaged a2a missile until the lightweight a2a missiles are directed towards the targets getting a lock on. After that the radar can be carried to somewhere else with the missiles and the setup can be assembled again dealing with multiples of targets with lightweight missiles(only the simple boosters are heavy)with a very short time radar illumination. Just an idea.
What can be other options?
Last edited: