What About A Phalanx Type Defense?

[VegasGeorge]

My late father-in-law worked on the Phalanx project at General Dynamics throughout its entire development. So, I got to hear a lot about it. Now, as I sit in my tank watching an incoming round grow bigger and bigger on my screen before it blows me to bits, I wonder why I have no last ditch defense. If I can see the round coming, surely a Phalanx type weapon could destroy it, or knock it off its trajectory, before it got to me. Why aren't modern main battle tanks equipped with such a weapon? Just wondering.

[Gibsonm]

Lots of them either are deployed or they are being tested.

Apart from ERA (a passive system), they just aren't modelled in SB.

Doing a search (here and on the broader Internet) for "Active defense measures" (both soft and hard kill) will probably flood you with YouTube videos, etc.

[BigBadVuk]

Yes, there are dozens of them, and some are quite futuristic :cool3:

[Invader ZIM]

A salute to your father in law VegasGeorge, I had an opportunity to work on the C-RAM systems, which are the land based versions of Phalanx.

You can see them shooting down multiple mortars here in this video.

But they aren't very portable as you might notice.

This is Trophy:

Arena:

Iron Curtain:

Quick Kill:

K-2 APT:

I'm sure there's others, but as you can see a few countries are working on them for vehicle protection.

[Tacbat]

Why aren't modern main battle tanks equipped with such a weapon?

$$$

[Captain_Colossus]

Of course, a system like that is not under control in the way procedure are built in between a TC and gunner identifying targets and making sure there are no friendlies in the way; one of the risks to a system like that is shellacking your own side.

A Phalanx type system in particular seems very dangerous to exposed crews, supporting infantry, light vehicles, possibly even air crews- as the Russians also propose the means to overwhelm or dazzle active defense systems either with false signals or just merely saturating the environment with lots and lots of projectiles, imagine multiple gun systems spraying fire everywhere. From a computer's point of view, it's just dispassionately detecting, tracking, defeating incoming rounds, but to perhaps a lot of the friendlies in the area, the experience is more personal and real.

[VegasGeorge]

Just an aside, but on several occasions when I've seen an incoming round headed my way, I've tried moving my tank to get out of its path. I've never been successful doing that. Has anyone managed to scoot soon enough to avoid being hit?

[Gibsonm]

Well given that the muzzle velocity of a M829 family of rounds (the APFSDS that the M1A1 and M1A2 fires) is about 1,600m/s and the DM53 (the German equivalent) is about 1,700m/s, I doubt you saw it coming.

Perhaps a ATGM?

In that case if you a quick and jink you can often avoid being hit. The safer option though tends to be to suppress the firer, pop smoke and move.

[Rotareneg]

You can easily see incoming rounds in SB, if you're looking in the right direction:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NiH6-m5OaKY#t=735

In real life I'd think they'd be a lot harder to see considering how small the AP darts are.

[Captain_Colossus]

Just an aside, but on several occasions when I've seen an incoming round headed my way, I've tried moving my tank to get out of its path. I've never been successful doing that. Has anyone managed to scoot soon enough to avoid being hit?

I've done it- usually not from a dead stop unless I were positioned on a reverse slope and not much exposed above the ridgeline. But it is possible to anticipate at far enough distances if you're moving laterally at a good clip already to suddenly stop and the round goes wide. The computer seems to have some routine that allows it to dodge shots in Instant Action- the vehicles will stop suddenly and move again.

However, this seems artificial not the least because you're stopping or turning a 60 ton tank on a dime with a single key press. In real life the command link to the driver just wouldn't be as nimble and so quick, in other words, the synergistic interaction between all crew positions means the single player is able to control or act as multiple crew members in a very efficient way.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Captain_Colossus

[Viper-3]

For ATGMs there used to be what we called the "Disco Light" device which confused incoming anti tank missiles. Pretty sure it only worked or was intended to work on guided weapons. The Blackhawk used to have it mounted as well as our HQ66 tank and HQ66 Brad. The Aviation Commander had one on his bird as well.

At most only three armored vehicles in 24th / 3rd Inf had one. looked goofy and sat real high above the ISU on the Bradley and above the loaders hatch on the M1. As far as shooting down something incoming as far as I know the Marine LAV AD vehicle is the best chance with its gatling cannon. Even still, shooting down a SABOT would be pretty hard.

[Invader ZIM]

That is pretty high up on the Bradley for the AN/VLQ-6

[Lt DeFault]

...the synergistic interaction between all crew positions means the single player is able to control or act as multiple crew members in a very efficient way.

Too true. Many times I've been caught out in the open (yes, poor planning on my part) and have been able to "juke" out of the way of a shot that a real driver would not have seen coming. Some here may remember one of my first TGIFs in which, having unfortunately chosen the losing side, I decided to charge the enemy company with my one remaining T-72 while my stunned comrades looked on. As I recall, I made it about a third of the way across the valley before they were able to hit me. And even then I think it was just luck. :sonic:

Of course, the mission designer can always disable certain positions, including external view.