Questions about sensor and target detection

1/ What is the best method to detect target in general? Is it radar because I see the most important and most advertised sensor on fighter is its radar

Radar is typically the best, but IR is getting better and better and the RCS of the fighters keeps getting smaller and smaller so we will see how it looks in the future.

2/ Why there is no AA missile with both IR and radar homing. Different IR and radar versions on the same missiles exist but combo on one missile seems do not. Will IR sensor and radar block each other? If not, I think IR + radar combo will help to identify target between chaffs and flares and simply the logistics and mission choice, isn’t it?

Cost and space, but having IR + TV would be interesting since small full HD HDR cameras only take up a few millimeters.

3/ In according to chaff and flare, I think TV guided can distinguish them because there is no way to fake target in visible light with HDR camera, isn’t it true?

It would only work daytime, but for daytime engagements I thinks its a fantastic backup.

@all: Many thanks

The demand is for air to ground weapons with better hit probabilities, especially small weapons which can be carried in greater numbers. JAGM and SDB II employ multi-mode seekers.

Air to air weapons which are currently deemed to be “good enough” will not be replaced until there is evidence their effectiveness is compromised.

For dual sensor missile, see also David’s Sling .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David’s_Sling

Hi everyone,

I have some questions about target detection:

1/ What is the best method to detect target in general? Is it radar because I see the most important and most advertised sensor on fighter is its radar

2/ Why there is no AA missile with both IR and radar homing. Different IR and radar versions on the same missiles exist but combo on one missile seems do not. Will IR sensor and radar block each other? If not, I think IR + radar combo will help to identify target between chaffs and flares and simply the logistics and mission choice, isn’t it?

3/ In according to chaff and flare, I think TV guided can distinguish them because there is no way to fake target in visible light with HDR camera, isn’t it true?

Regards

Using a combination of several passive sensors with data fusing is probably preferable over using an active sensor (which points an arrow at yourself). Note the Mig-29 and Su-27 started the practice of having an IIR sensor as well as a radar set, and Western aircraft have been following suite.

There is a dual sensor antiship missile made by Taiwan/RoC. And there are dual homing SAMs (e.g. RAM uses RF and IR). The problem on a missile (and a AAM in particular) is probably small diameter. Then again, in the 1990s, dual sensor missiles were sought for air to ground. http://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/161507

Meanwhile, for single sensor missiles, dual frequency radardetaction or dual band imaging will aid in discriminating deocys and targets…

The biggest issue to date has been that the size of the electronics has been too large.

As tech improves, you will begin to see multi-mode A2A missiles and there are sever in the works right now.

1] Yes, radar is the primary sensor by far
2] A matter of both space & money
3] Yes, the biggest issue lies in kinetics tho