If modern missiles can track targets from beyond visual range, how do their operators verify that they’ve acquired the targets they’re looking for?
In: Technology
In other words “How do you know what you are shooting at is actually a threat?”
Radar can pick up the signature of an aircraft which can help with identifying what it is, but it’s not really reliable (these exact capabilities are also highly classified so we don’t know exactly what modern radars are capable of in this regard)
Friendly aircraft are equipped with IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) a device that sends a signal on command to identify if it’s a friendly plane or not.
Powerful radars like AWACS are also used to scan threats on the battlefield, and radar operators can track where they came from to identify if the plane took off from an enemy airfield for example.
The problem though becomes Rules of Engagement
These are rules defined by commanders and politicians that pilots have to follow.
The most famous one is “do not fire unless fired upon”
They may for example apply a rule that says “You MUST visually identify a target before shooting” to prevent civilian causalities. For example in a contested air space they don’t want to accidentally shoot an airliner as that would result in a massive scandal.
So even though you have a beyond visual range capability the Rules of Engagement effectively forbid you from using it.
But this depends on the conflict. In a hot war such rules may not apply depending on the situation.
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