It’s actually not flying erratically, if you look at the smoke trail it is flying in an off center corkscrew manner, which is a intentional design choice in the Kornet ATGM for guidance and control purposes.
This is because missile systems need to be stable enough to fly straight towards a target, but unstable enough to be controlled and steered by an operator. The off center spiral gives it both of these qualities as the spin stabilizes the missile like a bullet, while the off center rocket nozzles gives it the instability for steering.
That’s why you can see the missile jerk violently and then straighten out completely in the last few moments before impact. The operator was actively steering the missile into its terminal trajectory.
There are many different ways to communicate with a missile, but most ATGMs are either wire guided or use a laser “beam rider”.
The Kornet uses the beam rider method in which an operator “paints” the enemy vehicle with a laser designator which tells the missile via radio waves what target to lock onto and what course to maintain. As the missile nears is target the operator can move the laser point to further aim the missile. This can either be done by an operator manually or by an automatic firing system, which “talks” with a radar system in the missile that compares data from the receiver and missile to tell the missile how close it is to its target, when it needs to begin its terminal approach, and any other information that the missile needs to factor in.
So basically yes, there is a radar device in the launcher, and radar device in the missile that communicate. The missile is telling the receiver what it sees, and the receiver guides the missile in.
This is also what radar jamming focuses on stopping. The countermeasure detects the missile and receiver, and attempts to flood the radio waves the receivers on the missile and launch platform are using to communicate, to “confuse” the missile.
My guess is that ATGMs look like that when viewed from behind (Kornets, Javelins, etc. look like that too), and also because the missiles spin midair, like bullets. IDK
Does anyone know why the missle is flying so erratically?
It’s actually not flying erratically, if you look at the smoke trail it is flying in an off center corkscrew manner, which is a intentional design choice in the Kornet ATGM for guidance and control purposes.
This is because missile systems need to be stable enough to fly straight towards a target, but unstable enough to be controlled and steered by an operator. The off center spiral gives it both of these qualities as the spin stabilizes the missile like a bullet, while the off center rocket nozzles gives it the instability for steering.
That’s why you can see the missile jerk violently and then straighten out completely in the last few moments before impact. The operator was actively steering the missile into its terminal trajectory.
That’s absolutely mental, I was not aware of that. How does the operator communicate with the missle? Is it wireless?
There are many different ways to communicate with a missile, but most ATGMs are either wire guided or use a laser “beam rider”.
The Kornet uses the beam rider method in which an operator “paints” the enemy vehicle with a laser designator which tells the missile via radio waves what target to lock onto and what course to maintain. As the missile nears is target the operator can move the laser point to further aim the missile. This can either be done by an operator manually or by an automatic firing system, which “talks” with a radar system in the missile that compares data from the receiver and missile to tell the missile how close it is to its target, when it needs to begin its terminal approach, and any other information that the missile needs to factor in.
So basically yes, there is a radar device in the launcher, and radar device in the missile that communicate. The missile is telling the receiver what it sees, and the receiver guides the missile in.
This is also what radar jamming focuses on stopping. The countermeasure detects the missile and receiver, and attempts to flood the radio waves the receivers on the missile and launch platform are using to communicate, to “confuse” the missile.
Thank you for the insight!
Either it’s got sensitive controls - i.e. the guiding laser is wobbling - or it’s a programmed thing to dodge countermeasures. My bet is on the former
My guess is that ATGMs look like that when viewed from behind (Kornets, Javelins, etc. look like that too), and also because the missiles spin midair, like bullets. IDK