Re: [DS] Why tank destroyers?

In a message dated 9/7/2001 3:33:58 AM Mountain Daylight Time, 

<< Derk Groeneveld wrote:
 > 
 
 > On Fri, 7 Sep 2001, Andrew Martin wrote:
 > 
 > > > <<  The hellfire doesn't have that problem as far as I know.
 > > >	Shoot..Scram...*blam*... >>
 > > >
 > > > As long as SOMEONE has a laser painting the target :o)
 > >
 > > MMW Hellfire apparently self-homes. No need for laser designation.
 > 
 >> I'm quite sure hellfire is laser homing. What do you mean by
self-homing?
 >>IR?
 
>MMW - MilliMetric Wave radar - a very short wavelength active radar
>seeker. Known as Brimstone in the UK ? >>

and rmgill@mindspring.com (Ryan M Gill) writes:

>The newer version has a Millimeter wave guidance with the Long Bow 
>Apache. The version is AGM-114L. It is fire and forget.

WILL be. As of the present it's been tested but not put into service as
far 
as I can tell from the posted articles. As of 2000, (when I retired) it
was 
not an active munition. Service Hellfires are laser guided. Now WHEN
they 
actually put these on line, they will still have to go active to lock
onto 
target prior to firing. Thus giving any vehicle with a radar detector
time to 
activate counter measures. Same difference actually, since laser sensors
can 
detect a painting laser and gives a chance to shoot off smoke or laser 
"fairy" dust. The nice thing about the laser is the laser could be
coming 
from anywhere up to 90deg, off the Hellfire's flight path. So even if
you 
detect it, your not sure where the missile is at the time.