Question missile lock - how does it beep

[HAL9001]

Hello, everyone,

just a small technical question, I'm sure that most odf you can answer... Just I don't know a lot about this...

So: as far as I know missile lock systems are working with IR-cameras/sensors.

so how does it work that the aircraft wich gets into the missile lock does know about this?

greetings:tiphat:, HAL9001

 

[Spacethingy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_lock-on

Methinks that it's actually the jet that lock-on.

 

[Urwumpe]

so how does it work that the aircraft wich gets into the missile lock does know about this?

Not at all for IR. IR is passive. A RWR will not react there, but a modern Missile Warning System (MWS) will have a chance to detect the exhaust of the missile and identify it as approaching missile to warn the pilot.

There are also radar guided missiles, which you can detect by a RWR in most cases.

The command guided missile (think of remote control by ground computer) can get noticed by the command link of the missile.

A semiactive radar missile follows the reflections of a target that is illuminated by special radar - this special radar mode can be detected as well.

an active radar missile would be detected by its own active emissions.

There are also special cases of multiple guidance systems applying to a missile. The RAM missile for example not only has an IR sensor, but can also use passive radar to aim for an active radar guided target. The AMRAAM is inertial guided during its initial flight, getting commands and target updates from the aircraft by radar from time to time (command guidance), but switches to active radar by command from the aircraft when the distance between missile and target is short enough for active guidance.