Even Shaheen-3 was tested only once. But it is said to be in production. Similarly Ababeel was tested only once and it is said to be in production. How is it possible?
It was tested twice in 2015, and I don't think it's operational yet, at least last year.
I had posted that this test was to take out the real warhead from the decoys and not an anti MIRV test bcoz in case of MIRV, each warhead will be targeted by a separate missile.
The article in fact wrongly speculates that they used an IIR warhead, when the AAD has only an RF seeker.
I wouldn't be so sure. Even if it wasn't a true blue MIRV test, the decoys were also not physical, they were electronically simulated.
If we are to ever see an actual MIRV test, we will need to see multiple target missiles fired. But at the same time, we can simulate the interception of multiple warheads in the same way electronically.
Electronic simulations are done to prove the efficacy of the interceptor rather than anything else. If the missile could identify the warhead against decoys, then the physics is basically the same for MIRVs as well.
It's RF only. IIR is useless at such low altitudes since everything that's falling at high speeds is burning at extremely high temperatures, even the decoys, so all you will get is false positives. IIR is used outside the atmosphere.
The height band in which this missile does its interception has a fixed temperature of -57*C. And the seeker is looking at the empty space beyond and behind the incoming warhead. For anykind of IIR seeker it is the temperature difference between background and target which matters.
AFAIK, IIR cannot differentiate between the warhead and decoys within the atmosphere since both are burning at basically the same temperature.
Plus, you can't really simulate electronically with IIR.
The missile guidance radar does the job of deciding which warhead is real. the missile just homes on to the target so chosen. The electronic simulation is done for the guidance radar which has the software codes in it to chose the right warhead. Please understand that you try to fool the guidance radar as the missile will always have terminal guidance capability.
I made the mistake of checking PDF and found a thread on that article... big f***ing mistake that was. It was filled with statements like "even the US and Russia don't claim this capability," which completely ignores that both countries DO claim that! Russia's current batch of interceptors are nuclear and those in development are able to discriminate between live warheads and decoys. Hell, they've had radars that are capable of distinguishing between the two for decades!
As for the Americans, they've long had the ability to tell a decoy from a warhead. Their space-based assets measure IR signatures, how a real warhead distributes thermal energy versus a dummy-warhead that's made of a different, but dense material designed to fool radars. They measure acceleration, density, makeup, trajectory. Their land-based radars like Cobra Dane were designed to track Russian missiles and orbital objects, MIRVs included, and now HGVs as well.
I could go on and on about how SM-3 has already demonstrated a capability to intercept warheads versus decoys, or how it has a multi-object kill vehicle in development for destroying an entire MIRV deployment in a single shot, while leaving the decoys untouched, or about American ground sensors, but I'd probably just have an aneurysm for the stress of those fools ignorance.
Bloody idiots the lot of them.
Don't be so serious on that forum. It's just a propaganda outlet.
No, my account's fine right now. If you are talking about previous times, I got banned for frivolous stuff. Like I once got banned for saying: We won't hold talks until terrorism stops. And another time for saying the UK is more influential than the Saudis.
Oh, I know. Honestly all defence forums are, few are objective. I hardly ever was serious, it wasn't worth the stress, though for some reason I am serious here where my natural inclination is to be whimsical. I blame the Swedes.
PDF really burnt me out though. Too much rubbish. Not enough quality. Anyone remember my user name on that forum
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