Quote:
Originally Posted by Raellus
I wonder why designers/engineers moved away from that design philosophy and towards integrated/combo units
|
My guess: It's easier to train someone to use it and the hit probability is higher.
1st gen: fly a rocket using a joystick towards the target. More difficult if the launcher is offset from the line between operator and target. Even more complicated when the target is moving and you have to estimate distances and how hard to turn the missile.
2nd gen: keep the crosshairs on the target until the missile hits. The launcher will send commands to the missile to keep it on track (the missile has a beacon that the launcher "sees")
And now there are missiles like Javelin to take care of the problem of staying exposed guiding the missile.