Carlton Meyer
Modern wire-guided missiles like the TOW, MILAN, and DRAGON are limited to direct fire. Since they cannot penetrate the frontal armor of main battle tanks, gunners must hope for a flank shot. There is also a chance that guidance wires may become entangled in trees and break during flight, especially when tracking a moving target. Another problem is that the gunner must remain exposed to enemy fire while guiding the slow missile for up to 20 seconds through a cluttered battlefield. Finally, the missile launch creates a large backblast which attracts enemy fire and warns tanks to manuever and seek cover.
These limitations can be avoided by converting wire-guided missiles into VIdeo-GUided Missiles (VIGUM)s so they can be fired indirectly like the larger EFOG-M systems. The basic idea is to fire the missile skyward and then use a video link to crash the missile into a target. The technology for VIGUMs already exists which allows them to dominate the modern battlefield from 40-4000 meters away.
Several modifications are required to convert current wire-guided missiles into VIGUMs. Testing is required to determine if the wire can carry a video feed back to the gunner. Otherwise, fiber optic wire will be needed. Second, since current missiles fly until they strike a target, a kill switch will be needed so the gunner can shut off the rocket motor above the target. As the missile falls, a minature color camera in the nose will provide a video feed via the thin trailing wires back to the gunner. This will provide a birds-eye view of the missile descent to the gunner's laptop computer, allowing him to guide the missile with a game joystick. The gunner can literally crash the missile into any target below.
Since the gunner is not required to maintain direct sight of the target to guide a VIGUM, it can be fired and guided from a protected position. The guidance wires cannot become entangled and enemy vehicles cannot hide in defilade. In addition, the falling missile would have a much larger target picture from above, and would strike into a tank's thin overhead armor. Infantrymen could also use VIGUMs offensively against crew-served weapons. In urban operations, VIGUMs could fly over or around buildings to strike any target with pinpoint accuracy.
Enhanced VIDGUMs would allow the color camera to be replaced with an Infra-red camera for use at night or during poor weather. The laptop could be replaced by a helmet-mounted computer video display to provide the gunner with a better image. The joystick could be replaced by a handheld "trackball" mouse. Accuracy may be improved by adding retarding fins which would pop-out when the missile motor is shut down, like those now used to slow the speed of aircraft bombs. This would slow its fall and allow the gunner a few more seconds to view the battlefield and select a target. Finally, low-cost simulators can provide gunners with unlimited realistic training.
VIGUMs are not a futuristic computer controlled "digital" weapon. They simply use low-cost commercially available video technology to allow a human gunner to conduct kamakazi missile attacks. Gunners will also learn from each attack; allowing them to recognize decoys, overcome countermeasures, determine if another attack is warranted, and provide instant intelligence to local commanders. VIGUMs are a revolution in military affairs.
Carlton Meyer
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21st Century Weapons
e-mail January 1999