December 14, 2015 at 3:22 pm
Do light and cheap close range IRSTs exist? Say around 8km range. Could they be light enough to be integrated to MANPAD systems?
Or could MANPADs be equipped with a gimballed seeker to search for a target in a significant search volume?I take it that could increase the lethality of MANPADs a lot. The probability of intercepting a incoming plane would be near 100% if the operator is warned that enemy planes are coming from a given angle.
Also, given the fact that armored vehicles are all datalinked now, they could receive data from the air defense network via a Gateway about an incoming raid. Their turret could be used to maneuver and launch a MANPAD with this advanced seeker. If most armored vehicles had a secondary anti-air capability with such a missile, that could be extremely effective against CAS planes, helicopter or even fast planes crossing the front line.