Tutorial 3 - ASuW weapons

[chrisol]

Hi,

Could someone help me out ?

I'm just playing through tutorial 3 and have reached the enemy surface vessel. I set my ship to auto-attack but then received the rather disconcerting message (as my 6 missiles were about to reach the target) that:

Weapon (RIM-162A ESSM) cannot have its target illuminated... self-destructing.

Could someone explain:
a) why this is ? (ie why the missile cares whether the target is illuminated or not in this instance)
b) what can I do about it ?

Thanks
Chris

(great game btw, found setting missions for the various tutorial tasks both easy and educational !)

[DuckofTindalos]

The ESSM (Enhanced Sea Sparrow Missile) is a semi-active missile that needs to have a fire control radar pointing at its target to hit it. Use Harpoon instead.

[Primarchx]

You were shooting over the island? I just saw this on Baloogan's game stream yesterday. What happens is the missiles require terminal semi-active guidance, ie a radar director on your ship has to have a line-of-sight to the enemy ship when the missiles hit. Because the island is in the way (ie it's taller than your ship and between it and the target), you can't do this. Therefore your missiles lack the guidance they require to strike the enemy ship.

[chrisol]

No, wasn't over the island... but had turned off my radar to try to avoid being targeted (and let the helo do some spotting) - though it's possible the missiles were fired when the radar was on and then was off by the time they arrived.

I got a bit confused by the message then - as it read to me like the problem was the target was being illuminated rather than the problem being it wasn't.

Thanks for such a quick response,
Chris

[RoryAndersonCDT]

The first half of Baloogan Campaign Episode 4 focused on the ASuW Tutorial. I made the exact same mistake you did... ESSM missiles do not have their own sea search radars, they need to be guided onto the target.

Episode 4

[*]Part 1 ASuW Tutorial
I start off the ASuW Tutorial. The star of the show is a Arleigh Burke Flight IIA, a modern USN Guided Missile Destroyer. I make a few target location measurements and defend my DDG against an air attack.

[*]Part 2 Rocket Torpedo and Cruise Missile
First a rocket torpedo for a close creeping sub, then six Tomahawks for Ammo Bunkers! I also plot a course specifically to avoid shore artillery battery’s capability. “The Soviets don’t make boats that aren’t dangerous!” I also analyse the surface contact on the other side of the island, with GIGANTIC Anti Ship Missiles!

[*]Part 3 The Ineffective Airstrike
I attack the hostile missile frigate with laser guided Hellfire II from my SH-60B Seahawk. Due to my lack of timing I prevent the Seahawk from maintaining a laser lock on the target during the terminal stage of the Hellfires’ flight. I then get frustrated and launch 10 ESSM missiles at the target forgetting that ESSM require terminal radar illumination as they are semi-active radar homing missiles. Overall I waste quite a few missiles to ZERO effect.

[*]Part 4 The Naval Bombardment
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM, BOOM BOOM BOOM! I close to within range of my 5 inch gun and open a can of whoopass on a artillery battery emplaced near the shore. My second air strike approaches their target and slows to a hover ready to unload the last of my Hellfires.

[*]Part 5 The Effective Airstrike
My Seahawks release their Hellfires! The laser target designators turn on at the terminal phase of the missiles’ flight! Chaff bursts into the air trying to spoof the laser! A few Hellfires get though to impact the hull of the boat! The USS Stockdale then closes in for the kill while one of the Seahawks keeps an eye on the enemy ship.

[*]Part 6 The Inbound Vampires
Nightmare! Six inbound Siren ASM were launched off of the target ship. I’m doomed if I’m unable to shoot them down. 6 missiles inbound, only 4 anti-missile-missiles to go around. What to do… What to do….

[*]Part 7 The Five Inch Gun
Having defeated the target’s attack on my ship I close in for the kill. Not many countermeasures exist for 100+ five inch shells airbursting around your boat!