2021-03-18 [2.5.0.30] Mistral Missile Missing High Off-Boresight Targeting Fire Control with Integrated Optical Sight Aiming

LeGrandSarrazin · September 11, 2020

A detailed description of the issue you have encountered. It is also important that you describe how we can reproduce the issue, if you are able to reproduce it

The Mistral missile in-game, which should be 3 separate missiles, but that's for another bug report, is missing it's high off-boresight seeker aiming function when paired with a integrated firing control and an optical tracking system, such as that on the Gazelle and Tigre.

As we can see, the optical tracking system has no effect over the seeker of the missile. In fact, the incorrect tracking limits for the optical tracking system would make it impossible to aim the seeker upward as they are now.

This has been reported by myself already as well:

In reality, the Mistral's seeker should be able to be precisely aimed at the target, off-boresight, such as is already the case for AIM-9L with AH-1Z:

Sources for such behavior for all 3 Mistral missiles include:

https://www.mbda-systems.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/MISTRAL-ATAM.pdf

https://www.mbda-systems.com/?action=force-download-attachment&attachment_id=18759

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MISTRAL ATAM ensures a large off-boresight capability, together with the ability to aim the missile seeker very precisely at a given target.

Large off-boresight capability

http://www.helicopters.airbus.com/website/docs_wsw/pdf/Tiger/TigerHAD-BR-0714E.pdf

https://www.airbus.com/helicopters/military-helicopters/specialised/tiger.html#brochures

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Air-to-Air Mistral Missile - Off boresight capability, - Multicell seeker

https://www.safran-electronics-defense.com/aerospace/helicopters/airborne-optronics/optronics-sights

https://web.archive.org/web/20140703193937/http://www.sagem.com/spip.php?rubrique73&lang=en

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Modular optronic sights for combat helicopters

Sagem

As all armed forces have very specific requirements for airborne defense, Safran offers fully modular guidance and pointing equipment for helicopters. They are compatible with a wide variety of weapons used on the most recent helicopters - long-range anti-tank missiles, rockets that may be laser guided, medium caliber weapons and Mistral or Stinger* air-to-air missiles. Safran provides sights that use the very latest optronic technology. They can be equipped with different sensors, and a laser designator.

^{*So it would seem Stingers should also have optical aiming as well.}

https://www.worldhistory.biz/download567/JanesLand-BasedAirDefence 1992-93_worldhistory.biz.pdf

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For air-to-air use the Mistral becomes the Air-Air Tres Courte Portee
(AATCP, air-to-air very short-range) missile which uses up to four 70 kg
two-round groups of missiles on weapons pylons with an internal electronics
box to arm helicopters. The French Army is buying it for its Gazelle armed
helicopters using a helmet sight or a stabilised sight for target designation.
It has also been tested on the McDonnell Douglas Helicopters AH-64A
Apache and is due to arm the French version of the HAP/HAC Tigre.
Deliveries of an initial 30 systems to the French Army were to be made in
1992, but due to the Gulf War the programme was accelerated and a
number of AATCP equipped Gazelles were used by the French Rapid
Reaction Force deployed to Saudi Arabia.

348829853-IHS-Janes-Air-Launched-Mistral-153579110913052132.pdf

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The ATAM can be operated in one of the
two modes: the 'autonomous' mode in
which a simple collimator is used to fire
along the helicopter axis, and the
'integrated' mode in which a gyrostabilised
telescope is used to allow engagement of
targets off the helicopter boresight. Mistral
can be aimed by helmet-mounted or
cockpit-mounted sights or by the Gazelle's
SAGEM (formerly SFIM) APX M334 roof-
mounted HOT missile sighting system.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b7XiPrBhYZWmnZMJ688D7TAwDM_xz_Yc/view?usp=sharing

Quote

The Mistral air-to air missile is fitted with a complete firing

control, allowing targets engagement in axis and off axis,

in a real combat domain, hover to VNE. The basis of

missile firing control is the same as for gun firing control. In

addition to helicopter and target parameters given by

same complex algorithms of gun firing control, a specific

module provides cues to the crew to pilot the helicopter at

the best attitudes for launching the Mistral missile.

https://web.archive.org/web/20071011060449/http://mbda-systems.com/mbda/site/FO/scripts/siteFO_contenu.php?lang=EN&noeu_id=122

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Operational effectiveness

Large off-boresight firing capability,
lock-on and interception capability, even with dense clutter,

recopy of homing-head line-of-sight in gunner's aiming sight,

-

Operational benefits of the seeker:

Wide homing head slewing range,
Aiming of homing head on target assigned,
Large off-boresight lock-on and firing capabilities (no need to steer the helicopter to the target when this latter is in 50° cone),
Firing possible even with large off-boresight angle (no need to steer the helicopter within small tolerances to bring the helicopter axis close to the target direction),

Firing possible at very low altitude and in shoot down configuration (outstanding background clutter rejection).

Target designation - lock-on check:

Very accurate target designation (seeker LOS position displayed on HUD),
‘Lock-on enable’ controlled manually by pilot,

Pilot can deactivate seeker.

-

Ease of operation - low crew workload:

Automatic search and lock on by homing head,
No pitch-up manoeuvre required before firing,
No need to steer the helicopter for lock-on and firing (within a 50° cone),
Automatic starboard / port missile selection.

https://archive.is/VjS6S#selection-57.0-69.245

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The Tiger helicopter has just confirmed its air combat capacities through two successful consecutive Mistral (Matra Bae Dynamics France) air-to-air firing tests in conditions which were taken as representative of operational situations.

The missiles were fired from the second HAP prototype on the 14th and 15th of December at the Test Centre of the "Landes", in France, with a mixed aircrew from the Flight Test Centre and Eurocopter.

The first test was performed at long range, with the fighter (Tiger) in fast homing flight, by means of the Strix sight from the S.F.I.M company, on the infrared channel. The target was an Alouette II helicopter at ground runup (landing gear on ground, rotor turning).

The day after, a second missile was fired on a remote controlled air target designated through the helmet-mounted sight (from the Sextant company). The fighter was manoeuvring: turn, with a high rate of descent, simulating an opportunity firing.

With these tests, the number of fully successful Mistral missile firing tests from the HAP Tiger amounts to three. Two firing tests in order to complement combat scenarios which can be envisioned are scheduled for the Spring 1999. They will enable the finalisation of the qualification tests for this weapon system, which is unmatched amongst the competitors.

Just wanted to add in another source, this time a video, brought to my attention by my kind research partner @Cedjoe. It was just uploaded today, 9/15/20, so it wasn't available to the public, before today:

We can see at 0:35, the Mistral starts it's target acquisition, when lock is achieved, before the operator fires the missile, he lifts the firing post vertically to align with a floating targeting icon, telling the operator the best attitude from which to fire the missile, as described earlier in a previous source:

Quote

The Mistral air-to air missile is fitted with a complete firing

control, allowing targets engagement in axis and off axis,

in a real combat domain, hover to VNE. The basis of

missile firing control is the same as for gun firing control. In

addition to helicopter and target parameters given by

same complex algorithms of gun firing control, a specific

module provides cues to the crew to pilot the helicopter at

the best attitudes for launching the Mistral missile.

So, I thought it'd be a great visual aide to add to the pile of sources..

Almost forgot again.. if you really don't trust me, you can see the button to enable slaving in the HAP flight manual:

As we can see under 'Gunner RH Armament Grip':

"7. Pushbutton used to slave the RMS (Roof-mounted Sight) to the A/A missile seeker head or pilot sight, if seeker head is not locked on."

You may find all three early Tigre flight manuals here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/b0v0hv78mgf7rbe/AAA8HKhwuHBVOwXy2hISugFNa?dl=0

So, that's that, it would seem!

Hopefully 8 9 10 sources is enough.

If applicable, the full name(s) of the vehicle(s) affected.

Tigre HAD, Tigre HAP, Gazelle (Both)

If applicable, the difficulty setting (e.g. Arcade) in which the issue occurs.

All gamemodes

A detailed description of the fix you suggest.

I suggest giving all Mistral missiles high off-boresight seeker slaving aiming through use of optical tracking systems on the Tigre HAD, Tigre HAP, and Gazelle (Both).

They would behave exactly as shown with the AH-1Z with AIM-9L.

This will greatly enhance the tactical performance of Mistral on the Tigres and Gazelles which are suffering greatly since the massive MANPAD nerfs.

Attach the Client Log (CLOG) of the session in which the error occurred. If the problem is persistent, attach the latest one available.

2020_09_10_22_04_49__6636.clog

Attach your system's current Dxdiag Log.

DxDiag.txt

Thanks for your time, as always!

Edited February 5, 2021 by MaddDawg90
Fixed broken link with new version of file, and fixed some reformatting issues from this bug report being so old