July 1, 201412 yr I was squarely smoked in the Labyrinth, WPAC 8.0, by the Neuron UCAV and the Hammer AASM GBU, I only know it was Neuron as it turned on radar for a look just before launching (could be an AI improvement, go all the way passive for stationary targets, ouch!). I still wonder how to defend this threat but can't find the chink in their armor, other then planting a CAP on the direct route between the enemy AB and my HVU, which is just gaming the game. One option could be to rather have the CAP try to intercept the weapons they deploy, the Hammer AASM, only those are even harder to detect than the platform. Looking in the DB the GBUs (JDAMs, EGBU, Hammer AASM and the LS-6) register at the extremely low 66 RCS, practically undetectable (1nm detection range vs. 55nm short range air search radar of the FARP, but even a 250 long range AS has only 5nm range on it, which is what the GBUs cover under the 30sec detection cycle.) - Is this the intended effect? GBUs are not dectable / defendable? - Otherwise, would it be (is it) a viable option to defend long range GBUs with SAMs or AAMs? Anything else? thanks.
July 1, 201412 yr Fully intended. Otherwise it would be painfully easy to shoot down PGMs with weapons that were never designed to have that capability. And yes, shooting down PGMs is tough.
July 2, 201412 yr Author Ok, thanks Brad, that clears the doubt. And PGMs work both ways of course. There is one PGM that does not get this treatment, the AGM-62 Walleye II checks in at RCS 115. Is this because of older technology / larger size or only happenstance, like it was added to the DB in the old times, when RCS received less attention?
July 2, 201412 yr Yah, Walleye is a big ole beast delivered by most older generation aircraft from an earlier era.
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