This is a brief guide on defeating all types of missiles in Nuclear Option. Modded weapons and environments have not been included.
Concept
Defeating IR (Infra-Red)
IR missiles are one of the most common anti-aircraft missiles found in standard combat. They can be launched from the air, land, and sea by a variety of launch systems. Two common IR missiles are the IRM-S1 and MMR-S3, which are short and medium-range missiles respectively. Most air-defense ground vehicles will launch defensive IR missiles such as the IRM-S1, while aircraft and ships commonly use larger missiles such as the MMR-S3.
=== Targeting ===
IR missiles target aircraft by searching for an IR heat source to lock on to. Most aircraft will have a heat source located at their engine nozzle, with multi-engine aircraft having one or more sources per individual engine. An IR missile, once launched, will only seek a single source.
The quality and possibility of an IR track depends largely on the approach angle and engine emission of the targeted aircraft. Aircraft that have lower-heat engines (such as turboprops) or engines with ducted exhaust (such as helicopters) often have an easier time defeating IR missiles. On the other hand, an engine with afterburner enabled will have a difficult time defeating an IR missile, as the resultant flare is incredibly easy to track. IR missiles track aircraft best when the IR source is directly exposed to them. This usually means an IR missile will have a higher-quality track when approaching from behind. Frontally, the IR signature is always reduced by a certain amount, but flying perpendicularly to the incoming missile
Ground vehicles also emit IR through heat sources, and it is possible for a player to target and hit a moving ground vehicle by letting a missile track the engine emissions. IR tracking cannot penetrate solid objects and must maintain line of sight. IR seekers also have a maximum field of view in their seeker head before a lock is unable to be held despite technically having line of sight with the target.
=== Countermeasure Defeat (Jet Aircraft) ===
IR countermeasures come in the form of dispensable flares. Flares burn extremely bright and can mask an aircraft’s infrared signature by confusing the incoming missile, or causing the missile to target it instead.
To defeat an incoming IR missile, the optimal standard procedure for jet aircraft is to attempt to angles as perpendicular as possible to the missile, throttle down (preferably to less than 10%), wait for the engines to cool (around 3 seconds) and then continuously deploy flares until the missile loses track.
It is always best to deploy flares as fast as possible, and it is important to remember that flares will last a short duration before being ineffective again. It is unwise for another missile to be launched in that window (as it would lose lock instantly) which gives the defending aircraft time to escape.
Engine throttle is especially important to consider when the defending aircraft has an afterburner enabled upon first launch. An afterburner is an easy target for IR missiles, and must be throttled down (and the engine allowed to cool) before flares are deployed. If afterburner or full standard power is still active, flares will be much less effective or not effective whatsoever. On the other hand, only one or two flare launches are required if the aircraft is at zero throttle and has fully cooled its engines.
=== Unconventional Defeat (Jet Aircraft) ===
For faster fixed-wing aircraft, it is also feasible to simply outrun IR missiles. Most launch platforms on the ground are stationary, and therefore the incoming missiles will have much less delta-V than usual. As a result, a relatively high speed can usually cause the missile to simply run out of energy. It is important to note that, unlike missiles which have a short rocket burn time, aircraft can continuously accelerate. Therefore, gaining height and/or flying directly upwards is usually very effective in kinetically defeating the missile.
IR missiles can additionally be defeated, as with most other missiles, by maneuvering out of line-of-sight from the seeker source (which can be done by flying behind terrain). Moreover, defeating IR missiles by intercepting them via other missiles or destroying the with lasers is also an option. If all else fails, a defending aircraft can jink a missile by flying perpendicularly and pulling up harshly right before impact.
=== Countermeasure Defeat (Turboprop or Turbine Aircraft) ===
Turboprop and turbine-powered aircraft such as recon aircraft and VTOLs usually have much lower heat signatures to begin with. When defeating via countermeasures, these aircraft do not necessarily need to throttle down or turn perpendicular to the missile.
=== Unconventional Defeat (Turboprop or Turbine Aircraft) ===
VTOLs and helicopters can also choose to maneuver behind terrain or buildings to break line of sight with the incoming missile. However, hovering aircraft must still keep in mind that the missile will continue in the same path even without a target, potentially still damaging the defender by airbursting nearby.
Defeating SARH (Semi-Active Radar Homing)
SARH missiles are a common medium or long-range defensive missile found in standard combat. They are typically launched from ground vehicles or naval vessels. Two common SARH missiles are the RAM-45 and R9 Stratolance. SARH missiles have a longer range compared to other seekers and as a result often carry a larger warhead to ensure target splash.
=== Targeting ===
SARH missiles target aircraft via guidance provided by a targeting radar. As the missile is semi-active radar homing, it will always be guided by a radar seeker that is not onboard the missile. Typically, the guidance radar is located at or near the launch site, either on the launch vehicle itself or through datalink with a nearby radar source.
The quality and possibility of an SARH track depends largely on the angle of the aircraft relative to the radar source, the power of the radar, distance of the track, and stealth properties of the aircraft. A defending aircraft with no external weapons and a stealth-oriented design, such as the KR-67 Ifrit, will be harder to target and attack with SARH missiles, and will also have an easier time defeating them. On the other hand, large aircraft, especially those with radar-reflecting features such as rotating propellers, will find it nearly impossible to prevent a radar lock.
Different search radars have different radar power outputs and therefore varying maximum tracking ranges. A small radar size or power output will result in a much shorter targeting range. Longer-range systems usually have a considerably larger radar array with higher output power, sometimes as a completely separate radar vehicle. No matter the radar’s strength, a direct line of sight is always required for a radar lock.
SARH missiles are capable of refining their tracking by utilizing faction datalink. However. datalink has an accuracy rating of roughly 200m in radial error, so it cannot be used directly for guidance. If the radar source is destroyed, SARH missiles are unable to switch to another radar source. Missiles will self-destruct after 2 seconds of losing radar guidance no matter what method of defeat was used.
=== Countermeasure Defeat (Jet Aircraft) ===
SARH countermeasures come in the form of a defensive jammer mounted to the aircraft. Not all aircraft come with this jammer due to its draw on the electric capacitor, which is also used by other systems such as radar, optics, and flight computers. Capacitors are refilled by engine generation, and will stop functioning when engines are off or destroyed.
The primary method of defeating SARH missiles is called notching. Notching involves flying perfectly perpendicular to the targeting radar and causing the aircraft to lose red-shift. All targeting radars utilize pulse-Doppler to determine the velocity, heading, and distance of the targeted aircraft, and flying perpendicular results in a loss of valuable data which can make missile guidance impossible. On stealthier aircraft or at longer ranges, simply positioning the aircraft’s heading to 90 degrees left or right of the radar source and flying perpendicular can cause the radar to lose lock. A yellow notching line will also appear when being targeted by an SARH missile to assist with notching.
At closer ranges or with aircraft that have external stores, notching is sometimes not enough to spoof a radar. In such scenarios, the defensive jammer must be used. The strength of the jammer depends on the current capacitor level of the aircraft and the distance to the radar. Defensive jamming temporarily masks and scatters the aircraft’s radar signature, lowering quality of the radar tracking and increasing the envelope and effectiveness for notching.
=== Unconventional Defeat (Jet Aircraft) ===
SARH missiles can also be defeated by moving behind terrain or flying lower than 20m/55ft above the terrain or water’s surface. Radars are unable to accurately track at low altitudes due to ground clutter, and the missile will miss. Using the defensive jammer can also assist when evading by height, as it drastically increases the radar floor. Longer-range radar missiles such as the R9 have a firing floor of 50m/164ft, and not fire upon aircraft lower than that altitude. While flying low, it is important to be wary of defeated missiles and to always maneuver slightly, as a disabled SARH will still continue traveling to the last predicted position, meaning it will successfully hit an aircraft flying perfectly straight.
SARH missiles can also be kinetically defeated by flying directly away from a longer-range launch, or flying directly upwards. Notching can also be achieved while flying upwards, making it advantageous for afterburner-capable jets.
It is also possible, although risky, to jink SARH missiles. By using the defensive jammer while flying perpendicular and pulling up harshly before impact, the tracking of the missile can be degraded to a point where it fails to pull up fast enough to hit the aircraft. However, with larger missiles usually equipped with an impressive warhead size, the defending aircraft will likely still receive some damage from the blast.
The radar source can also be disabled by using an offensive jammer such as the OJP-40 Jammer Pod, which will prevent any data being fed to missiles linked to said source until the jamming is stopped. Targeted jamming against the missile itself is partially effective in preventing data transmission, but will not void other incoming missiles guided by the same radar source.
=== Countermeasure Defeat (Turboprop or Turbine Aircraft) ===
Slower aircraft with rotating propellers or rotors typically have a much harder time losing a SARH lock due to the radar-reflecting nature of the spinning blades. However, there are alternate methods to defeating a missile. Notching is still effective, although can be difficult to perform in some cases and is not always enough.
=== Unconventional Defeat (Turboprop or Turbine Aircraft) ===
Rotary-wing aircraft, especially helicopters and VTOLs, can choose to hover in place to degrade or break a lock. Due to the pulse-Doppler tracking of targeting radars, staying still will be just as effective as a perfect notch. However, hovering aircraft must maneuver away after the lock has been broken, so that the now-disabled SARH does not continue to their last known position and hit anyway.
Turboprop aircraft are also often more maneuverable than their jet counterparts, and can more reliably escape under small terrain dips or other natural land features. Flying at a low altitude over water or flat land can also break a lock.
Defeating ARH (Active Radar Homing)
ARH missiles are a common air-to-air long-range missile found in standard combat. The only vanilla ARH missile as of now is the AAM-29 Scythe. ARH missiles often have a relatively long range compared to their aircraft-launched IR counterparts.
=== Targeting ===
ARH missiles target through active-radar homing. The missile contains its own targeting and guidance radar, meaning it can achieve greater terminal accuracy. However, the size of the missile and battery capacity limits the range and power of said radar. The AAM-29 in particular is limited to a maximum self-radar search of 10km, and is forced to follow datalink information before it can reach acquisition range of the target. When an ARH missile activates its own radar and disconnects from datalink guidance, this phase is known as ‘going pitbull’.
=== Defeat (Jet Aircraft) ===
Similar to how SARH missiles are defeated, ARH missiles can be spoofed by a combination of notching and defensive jamming. However, notching must be performed in relation to the missile itself instead of the radar source, which can be particularly difficult when the missile is closing in and constantly maneuvering at short ranges. Refer to the Defeating SARH section for more information on notching.
=== Defeat (Turboprop or Turbine Aircraft) ===
Similar to how SARH missiles are defeated, ARH missiles can be countered by hiding low on or behind terrain and losing line of sight. It becomes increasingly difficult to defeat an ARH missile once it closes within pitbull range, so slower, easily tracked are advised to position so that enemy datalink no longer has accurate updates, or so that the ARH seeker cone would not capture their radar signature once it goes active. Refer to the SARH section for more information on defeating radar missiles.
Defeating Optical
Optical missiles are traditionally used in air-to-ground or ground-to-ground combat, but can be rarely seen being used against stationary aircraft and helicopters.
=== Targeting ===
Optical missiles target via a visual identification and track. The missile contains its own targeting seeker and cannot be countered by traditional countermeasures. However, optical missiles still require line of sight in order to track a target. As most optical missiles are designed to attack ground targets, they have low maneuverability. This weakness can be easily exploited.
=== Defeat (Jet Aircraft) ===
Optical missiles will only be used against fixed-wing jet aircraft when they are on the ground as stationary or slow-moving targets. When an optical alert is received, it is best to take off as quickly as possible, or to gain speed while turning unpredictably. If completely stationary, it is best practice to simply exit the aircraft before the missile hits, and deploy again after impact to prevent any monetary loss.
=== Defeat (Turboprop or Turbine Aircraft) ===
Optical missiles may be launched by both ground and air vehicles when helicopters or VTOLs stay stationary or relatively stationary. When an optical alert is received, it is best to maneuver behind cover or terrain, and perform evasive maneuvers. Due to the low maneuverability of most optical missiles, they perceive little threat to smaller rotary-wing aircraft. It is important to note that most anti-ground missiles do not have any airburst or proximity fuse capability. Therefore, there is little risk in having an optical missile pass close to the defending aircraft while maneuvering, as long as direct contact is not established.
However, large stationary transports may still be hit by an unexpected attack. As there is a persistent threat of ground-launched ATGMs to large transport aircraft operating near a battle, it is best practice to always stay in motion unless actively deploying vehicles or supplies.
Defeating ARM (Anti-Radiation Missile)
Anti-radiation missiles are typically used against radar sources on the ground, such as anti-aircraft emplacements, search radars, and ships. However, rarely, they can be used against relatively stationary airborne sources as well. The most commonly used ARM is the ARAD-116.
=== Targeting ===
ARMs target radar emissions and home in indiscriminately on the first source they find. Due to the way ARMs seek targets, it is possible for a wayward missile to reacquire onto an airborne radar source.
=== Defeat ===
If the defending aircraft is moving fast, there is no need for evasion, as ARMs are designed to attack stationary targets and cannot maneuver to any meaningful degree. However, if the defending aircraft is rotary-winged or in VTOL mode, ARMs pose slightly more of a threat. In such a scenario, albeit unlikely, the ARM can be spoofed by simply turning off the emitting radar on the aircraft. The defending aircraft must then wait for the ARM to pass by before reactivating its radar, as it can reacquire a source at any time. There is no risk to staying relatively stationary while defending against an ARM, as they do not have any airburst capabilities.
Optionally, if it is necessary to have radar search and emissions still enabled (as with a hovering AWACS aircraft) for battlefield awareness, evasive maneuvers can be performed to jink the ARM. Slight corrections to course or acceleration in any perpendicular direction can cause an ARM to miss entirely.
And that wraps up our share on Nuclear Option: Defeating Missiles. If you have any additional insights or tips to contribute, don’t hesitate to drop a comment below. For a more in-depth read, you can refer to the original article here by offiry, who deserves all the credit. Happy gaming!