How do "fire and forget" weapons differ from "fire and flee" weapons?
"Fire-and-forget" weapons are identified as the future of global military technology, but they are easily confused with "fire-and-run" weapons.
The fundamental difference between the two types of weapons.
Fire-and-forget weapons are precision-guided weapons capable of autonomously locating their intended target without any external intervention.
Thanks to this advantage, immediately after launching the weapon, the delivery/launching device (aircraft, vehicle, artillery, etc.) can instantly maneuver to find another target or avoid enemy retaliation.
Fire-and-forget weapons are equipped with an electronic computer that acts as a "brain" to detect and identify targets, as well as to guide and automatically steer the weapon toward the target.
Furthermore, due to the combination of multiple guidance methods (radar, infrared, etc.), they are capable of operating in all weather conditions with a high probability of hitting the target and can be launched from outside the direct defensive fire range of the enemy.
However, this type of weapon should be distinguished from launch-and-leave weapons. Launch-and-leave weapons also allow for immediate mobility of the launcher/delivery device, but require target designation (using laser, radar, etc.) from another source until the target is hit.
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The BGM-109 Tomahawk ground-attack cruise missile is a typical fire-and-forget weapon. |
The history of the development of launch-and-forget weapons.
The 1970s saw a steady improvement in the accuracy of weapons hits. The 1980s were the decade of advanced target detection and tracking technology. As a result, aircraft became more vulnerable to being destroyed during attacks.
One of the secrets to survival is hitting the enemy and then quickly getting out of the way. But doing so requires the right weapon systems. This is the context that led to the concept and weapon systems known as fire-and-run or fire-and-forget weapons.
The "fire and forget" concept was first introduced in the United States in the late 1960s. Even then, there was a program in the US to develop fire-and-forget anti-tank missiles for use on helicopters.
In 1971, the US successfully tested a laser-tracked missile, and by 1973 had invested in perfecting a modular anti-tank missile, meaning a missile capable of using various guidance systems (laser, infrared, radar, etc.) – this was the Hellfire missile.
According to preliminary data, the AGM-114 Hellfire missile weighs 45.4 - 49 kg; its range is 500 - 8,000 m (potentially up to 20 km if fired from a jet aircraft). In reality, with its laser-tracking guidance system, the missile can only be launched without the launcher, meaning it's essentially a "launch-and-run" weapon.
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AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missile. |
In 1978, the US focused on the WASP program, a research program for an air-launched anti-tank missile capable of autonomously seeking its target.
The missiles will carry radar seekers operating in the millimeter wave, functioning well in all weather conditions, capable of launching multiple missiles simultaneously, each individually programmed to attack specific targets. They are considered true fire-and-forget weapons.
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AGM-124 WASP anti-tank missile. |
The rapid development of advanced technologies, especially electronics, is a prerequisite for the development of precision-guided weapons in general, as well as launch-and-forget weapons in particular.
The electronics industry now allows for the creation of guidance devices and sensors small enough to be fitted even inside artillery shells.
However, another difficulty was distinguishing the target's distinctive features against a backdrop of other objects. This problem was solved around the mid to late 1980s.
The first "fire-and-forget" weapon used by the US was in 1984 in Libya: the HARM (High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile).
HARM has a much higher speed than the American Shrike missile that was used in Vietnam, and moreover, it can accurately remember the target coordinates after the radar is switched off.
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AGM-88 HARM high-speed anti-radar missile |
In the Gulf War, in addition to the HARM missile, other launch-and-forget weapons were deployed, such as the British TLAM anti-radar missile and, most notably, the Tomahawk cruise missile.
In the short term, the number of launch-and-forget weapons is projected to increase rapidly, and their cost will become significantly more affordable. These are considered the primary weapons of future warfare.
