Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:31:00-2:31:44

Infrared guidance as a complement to naval radar

Infrared search and missile seekers add a second way to find targets whose radar signature is difficult to detect.

Fleet Air DefenceInfrared Search And TrackMulti Mode SeekersNaval RadarStealth AircraftSurface-to-Air Missiles
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Question

Are infrared-guided missiles launched from ships less effective than radar-guided weapons?

Short answer

The preference is for infrared as an additional tracking and engagement method, including against targets with low radar signatures, rather than the only method.

Notes

Infrared search and track adds another way for a ship to find aircraft or missiles. A target with a low radar signature still has heat emissions, so radar stealth does not settle whether infrared sensors can detect it. The preference here is to build infrared tracking into missiles as an additional guidance method or backup. The preferred combination preserves more than one way to track and engage a target.