If we plan to develop an Active or IIR seeker for a 150-250KM LRSAM from scartch on our own then which is more difficult Hardware or efficient software?
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gambit sir
My opinion: the hardware. Initially, at least. The hardware is essentially the physical limits that the software must operate within.
For example...And I will use flight controls because that was my first specialty...
The software is what you want, so if you want to fly to altitude 10k meters, your must de-ice the pitot probe in order to have constant and accurate air data. Your pitot probe must be of high corrosion resistant alloy, at least stainless steel. Metals expands and contracts with temperature changes, so if your alloy is formulated in a way that have high contraction and expansion rate with temperature changes when you heat it up to de-ice, you will have erroneous air data. Static ports (holes) on the pitot probe are for altitude indication and they are not very large, take the paper clip and unbend it and the diameter of the arm is the diameter of the static port. If you cannot develop/buy/steal the necessary metal for your pitot probe, your aircraft will be limited to may be 2k meters altitude, so what good is it for you to want to fly to 10k meters altitude? If you continue to have erroneous air data for every flight envelop, how are you going to write robust flight control software?
The same argument can applied to pneudraulics. If you cannot develop at least a 3k lbs/psi hydraulics system, and we are moving towards 5k and higher, you will not have a sufficiently responsive flight control system to execute abrupt and rapid maneuvers. You will not be able to develop sophisticated flight control software to compete with someone who turns at 9g.
Software and hardware have a push/pull relationship but that is for a well developed technology base for anything, be it a car or an ICBM or a battleship. But if the goal is to develop a truly indigenous weapons system, truly independent of external influences other than base materials import, and the program begins from concepts, then hardware will be your first and most difficult hurdle.
