UEEF / UEG Missiles

Missiles are a staple item of military equipment. With the Haydonites having come to grips with this and adapting rapidly to the UEEF / UEG's trump card, this staple seems to be on the decline. Air-to-Air and Air-to- Surface combat has all but regressed to resemble the bygone days of Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen. As with any form of military weapon system there is the inevitable dance of system development, counter measure, system improvement, counter measures ad infinitum ad nauseum.

Rather then follow a reactionary mindset, and adopt the tactics of the past, one must adopt a revolutionary mindset and overcome and adapt via technology improvements. To that end these missile systems are being introduced into the UEEF arsenal. Some of them are old designs revitalized with new technology, others are wholly radical systems designed to render current Haydonite countermeasures obsolete, that is, until the cycle begins anew.


Information has been reprinted from Cheethorne's Design Factory. Very Cool Stuff! Shameless Plug!


Guidance Systems:

Certain missile types have the option of different styles of guidance, and in the UEEF many of these are plug and play, particularly now with the Haydonites having adapted quite rapidly to the propensity of UEEF missile usage. This by and large only applies to Medium, Long Range, and Cruise Missiles. (Short Range and Mini Missiles have a stock single seeker head, usually, Active Radar or Infrared guidance.)

Legend:

  • MM: Mini Missile
  • SRM: Short Range Missile
  • MRM: Medium Range Missile
  • LRM: Long Range Missile
  • CM: Cruise Missile
  • MB: Medium Bomb (Typically 500lb)
  • LB: Large Bomb (Typically 1000lb)

Missile Guidance Systems

Smart Guidance (SMRT):

Smart Missiles are able to dodge attacks directed towards them and the missile can return and attempt to strike a target again if they miss during the first pass. Smart missiles must have another autonomous guidance system installed and they are programmed to fly far apart from other missiles so cannot be destroyed as a volley. All smart missiles automatically have the special features of IFF Identification and Loiter Capability. Volleys can all strike the same target or they can each veer away to hit a different targets.

  • Bonuses: +5 to strike, +5 to auto-dodge, and 2 attacks per melee. If the missile loses track of its target, it will continue to attempt to lock on with the same target until it runs out of fuel.
  • Platform: MB, LB, MRM, LRM, CM.

Brilliant Guidance (BRLT):

Brilliant guidance is a more advanced and powerful version of smart guidance using a limited artificial intelligence. Brilliant Missiles are able to dodge attacks directed towards them and the missile can return and attempt to strike a target again if they miss during the first pass. Expert missiles must have another autonomous guidance system installed and they are programmed to fly far apart from other missiles so cannot be destroyed as a volley. All expert missiles automatically have the IFF Identification, Loiter capability, and Surface Skimming guidance systems. To be effective, this guidance system must be combined with other guidance systems to generate any bonuses.

  • Bonuses: +6 to strike, +7 to auto-dodge, and 3 attacks per melee. If the missile loses track of its target, it will continue to attempt to lock on with the same target until it runs out of fuel.
  • Platform: MB, LB, MRM, LRM, CM.

Optical Guidance (OPT):

This guidance uses an optical system to visually lock on to the target. These weapons can easily be directed towards multiple targets if the launch system allows multiple targeting at the same time. These weapons need to be directed to the location of their target because they only have the ability to see targets at a limited distance and have a relatively small arc of search. These weapons can be tricked by changing the targets profile. These weapons are almost always equipped with thermal imaging that can see through obstructions such as the smoke, fog, and gas.

  • Bonuses: +3 to strike
  • Penalties: If the target undergoes a drastic change in appearance, this guidance system will lose track of the target.
  • Platform: SRM, MB, LB, MRM, LRM, CM.

Neutrino Homing (NTH):

This guidance detects and tracks neutrino emissions generated by nuclear fission reactors, nuclear fusion reactors, anti-matter reactors, fusion thrusters, ion thrusters, plasma explosions, fusion explosions, nuclear explosions, and anti-matter explosions. The guidance system can be set to track the strongest neutrino signature or a specific neutrino signature.

  • Bonuses: +3 to strike
  • Penalties: If the neutrino source disappears, this guidance system will lose track of the target.
  • Platform: SRM, MRM, LRM, CM.

Infrared Homing (IRH):

This guidance detects the infrared or heat radiation given off by a target. These weapons can easily be directed towards multiple targets if the launch system allows multiple targeting at the same time. These weapons can be tricked by flares and strong heat sources.

  • Bonuses: +3 to strike a target from the direction of a large heat source, such as the engines of an aircraft, but only +2 to strike from any other direction.
  • Penalties: If a larger heat source that is near to its original target suddenly appears, this guidance system may try to target the larger heat source, roll to strike the original target and if it fails, then the missile will automatically go after the new target.
  • Platform: SRM, MRM, LRM, CM.

Command (CMD):

The weapon is controlled by a radio signal the gives the weapon directions to hit its target. Weapons can be guided to different targets by using either separate radio channels or by codes designating the specific weapon that is being directed. This means that when using this system to hit different targets at the same time, at short ranges only two or three separate targets can be targeted in this manner. This system is limited to the range of the radio signals, although control could pass to other directing signals. This system is vulnerable to radio jamming and if jammed, the weapon will either detonate or continue on its current course as an unguided missile or bomb.

  • Bonuses: Gains the strike bonus of the launching vehicle.
  • Penalties: If communications between the missile and the launching vehicle is jammed, this guidance system will lose track of the target.
  • Platform: MM, SRM, MRM, LRM, CM
  • Note: Missiles of this type are best employed on multi-crew aircraft such as a Horizon-V, Legios, or VF/A-6B.

Anti-Radiation (AR):

This guidance has a special system that tracks electromagnetic signals. This is normally used to target radar transmitters, but can be used to home in on radio, microwave, and other similar signals as well. These weapons can easily be directed towards multiple targets if the launch system allows multiple targeting at the same time. This guidance system is a special purpose system and will only target active transmitters; therefore the best defense is to shut the transmitter off.

  • Bonuses: +3
  • Penalties: Cannot be used to target transmitters that are not active. If the target suddenly deactivates its emitter, this guidance system will lose track of the target.
  • Platform: SRM, MRM, LRM, CM

Active Radar Homing (ARH):

This guidance is a tiny radar system that allows the weapon to guide itself to a target. The guidance system can be detected by any system that detects radar signals. These weapons can easily be directed towards multiple targets if the launch system allows multiple targeting at the same time. These weapons are vulnerable to being tricked by chaff systems, can be jammed by active jamming systems, and have penalties to strike radar stealth vehicles. Many ARH systems have a home on jam function that allows them to target the source of a jamming signal. If this function is used, the system targets the source of the jamming signal and receives its normal bonus to strike.

  • Bonuses: +3
  • Penalties: Cannot work when being actively jammed and has a penalty of -5 to strike any radar stealth vehicles.
  • Platform: SRM, MRM, LRM, CM

Missile Features / Abilities

Loiter Capability:

This feature is only available for missiles and is also relatively inexpensive. This allows the missile to wait until a target comes back into view. This feature is especially useful for Anti-Radiation missiles and for missiles used in space. The missile will loiter until it runs out of fuel. An older missile that made great use of this feature was the AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow.

  • Type: Special, does not take up a guidance system slot.
  • Bonuses: The missile gains 1 attack per melee. If the missile loses track of its target, it will continue to attempt to lock on with the same target until it runs out of fuel. In space, missiles with these features automatically shut down their engines and stop accelerating until they reacquire their target.
  • Platform: MRM, LRM, CM,
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