What is the meaning behind a weapon 'locking' on a target? I want to know the tech definition, not the basic?

Question

I understand that it basically allows a missile or other weapon accurate firing but what EXACTLY are the principles that allow weapons locking to be effective, what is the ideology and technology that makes it work? What are the parameters that have to be met to get a target lock on an object?

Answer 1

Weapons have a variety of ways of locking on to a target, and a variety of ways of discerning what is a real target and what is a decoy. As weapons advance, so do countermeasures. Some of the ways that weapons lock on to their targets include:



-Active radar guidance - the weapon has a self contained radar that seeks and locks onto its target, usually the first target that it detects.

-Anti-radiation homers look for a radar operating in a specific frequency range to target.

-Beam riders, simply fly in the path of a guidance beam until they hit something.

-Infra red seekers will target a heat source in a specific range, such as the exhaust heat of a jet engine.

-Semi active laser guided weapons look for a reflected laser beacon and home in on point of reflection.

-Semi active radar guidance is similar to semi active laser guidance, except that the weapon is looking for a reflected radar signal.

-TV or electro-optical guidance can be someone seeing where the weapon is heading and guiding it into the target by sight.

Answer 2

The guidance system of a missile (like mini radar) will fix on a signature (electronic or heat) that it picks up. Then, when fired, it constantly adjusts the missile to aim for that signature. The guidance system will have to be within the right range and have the object within its "field of view" to lock on to it. Also the object has to be giving off enough energy to be picked up by the targeting system.

Answer 3

Electronic signature - if the vehicle carries some form of kinetic propellant or on-board computing systems then it is a viable target for lock on.



That would be the case for heat-seekers, at least.