F-18 follows a Tomahawk missile until it hits its target [video]

[sonicboom]

Usually missiles chase jets, but in this case it’s the other way around. An F-18 fighter jet chases a Tomahawk missile from its launch until it strikes a target ship in the ocean.

 

[Guynextdoor2]

actually with cruise systems it's common for the chase to be done with fighter jets. This one was chased by Jaguar

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Thank God the Pigeons Survived

 

[Nilgiri]

Goes to show just how important terrain hugging and sea skimming capability is for cruise missiles to stay as undetected as possible, given many ways to intercept them with existing options (aircraft, missiles etc).

 

[gambit]

Goes to show just how important terrain hugging and sea skimming capability is for cruise missiles to stay as undetected as possible, given many ways to intercept them with existing options (aircraft, missiles etc).

Actually...It is the opposite.

Precisely because the cruise missile is designed for terrain following (TF) and terrain avoidance (TA), it is extremely difficult to counter the weapon. Not merely very difficult. But extremely difficult. You can TRY to counter the cruise missile when:

- You know its direction of approach and prepped for it.
- You have a broad "God's Eye" view, such as from an AWACS platform, of your area of defense.

The first option is pretty much impossible.

The second option is out for %90 of the world's militaries. For the remaining %10 that have an AWACS platform, the first option is possible.

For the first option...

http://members.home.nl/7seas/radcalc.htm

...The jet fighter is no different than a cruise missile in the above calculator, so varies the flight altitude as you see fit.

The higher the flight altitude, the longer the defense response time. We are not talking minutes but in seconds.

 

[Nilgiri]

Precisely because the cruise missile is designed for terrain following (TF) and terrain avoidance (TA), it is extremely difficult to counter the weapon. Not merely very difficult. But extremely difficult. You can TRY to counter the cruise missile when:

Thats exactly what I was saying. Cruise missiles are designed with this nowadays in mind compared to the doodle bugs of WW2. With the advent of radars, their whole design philosophy and concept had to be shaped on radar weaknesses...otherwise they just become another target of interest to any semi-equipped adversary.

- You have a broad "God's Eye" view, such as from an AWACS platform, of your area of defense.

Yes I know this well. I worked on remote sensing SAR optimisation algorithms earlier in my career....it was a civilian based application but I would imagine much of that processing technology can be implemented for an AWACs which would simply have a somewhat different acquisition architecture but essentially the same concept. In fact I discussed such in a thread somewhere in this forum before.

 

[Tipu7]

Usually missiles chase jets, but in this case it’s the other way around. An F-18 fighter jet chases a Tomahawk missile from its launch until it strikes a target ship in the ocean.

I am impressed with senses of those birds.....
They tackled such high speed threat at right time and saved their lives.......