Cruise Missiles Radar Signature

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    • Cruise Missiles Radar Signature

      One of the best aspects of the game is how the different units differentiate with Radar signatures or High and Low. There is, however, one exception that really needs to be corrected.

      Cruise Missiles are very small, when compared to Ballistic Missiles, or other aircraft, and are designed to fly low, under radar, and be launched from an assortment of aircraft.

      Yet they have a High Radar signature, meaning they are visible to anything and everything with a radar capability. This is particularly irksome when trying to use them against Naval vesicles.

      Frigates get Low signature recognition at high levels and that's fine, but Cruise Missiles are handy capped in their ability due to the High signature, when attacking Cruisers and other low level craft.

      Consider the fact that a weapon that can be launched from a Drone (Radar signature Low) has a Larger Radar signature than the vehicle that fired it????

      Please make this minor adjustment, so Cruise Missiles can be more affective against Ships and other targets.

      Thank you!

    • Mourdeeb wrote:

      . . .
      Cruise Missiles are very small, when compared to Ballistic Missiles, or other aircraft, and are designed to fly low, under radar, and be launched from an assortment of aircraft.
      . . .
      1) What's your authoritative source for these claims?

      2) Reality is irrelevant. This is a game, not a simulation. Suggesting that Dorado create a more accurate simulation misses the point of CoN.

      CoN is obviously supposed to mimic reality enough to making playing easy to imagine, but beyond that accuracy is way down the list of important features

    • In reality Cruise missiles in fact have higher radar signature than many modern jets and Aegis systems can pick them up at 70 miles (modern radar is that good and can pick up stealth planes at 20 miles). Anti ship cruise missiles are pretty good size.

      Tomahawk CM has a radar cross section of .5 Meter sq vs 1 meter sq for a Super hornet. F-35 is .005 M sq and still picked up within 20 miles.

      Your point about flying low is correct; anti ship missiles do use active radar guidance to hug the water and then pop up for attack last 20 miles to keep below radar due to earth curvature; so they are more difficult to attack. But aegis would still get off a SM-2 as data linked into AWACS which gives further radar due to seeing over the horizon and/or fire with CWIS if missile wasnt intercepted.

      But in game the low HP of a CM is the issue over radar cross section as even point defense of 1 - 2 Frigs will destroy a CM. Thats why I love when people build only destroyers.

      So to beat AA on Con; increase CM level to 4 which boosts to like 12 HP and have chance to get through ship AA, but would still require launching multiple staggered CMS
      "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him "

      aka ...The killer formerly known as BuckeyeChamp

      The post was edited 1 time, last by The Pale Rider ().

    • KFGauss wrote:

      Mourdeeb wrote:

      . . .
      Cruise Missiles are very small, when compared to Ballistic Missiles, or other aircraft, and are designed to fly low, under radar, and be launched from an assortment of aircraft.
      . . .
      1) What's your authoritative source for these claims?
      2) Reality is irrelevant. This is a game, not a simulation. Suggesting that Dorado create a more accurate simulation misses the point of CoN.

      CoN is obviously supposed to mimic reality enough to making playing easy to imagine, but beyond that accuracy is way down the list of important features
      As far as an "authoritative source for these claims?"
      britannica.com/technology/cruise-missile

      "cruise missile, type of low-flying strategic guided missile."

      "the cruise missile was designed to have a very low radar cross section and to hug the ground while traveling at a relatively slow speed to its target."

    • The Pale Rider wrote:

      In reality Cruise missiles in fact have higher radar signature than many modern jets and Aegis systems can pick them up at 70 miles (modern radar is that good and can pick up stealth planes at 20 miles). Anti ship cruise missiles are pretty good size.

      Tomahawk CM has a radar cross section of .5 Meter sq vs 1 meter sq for a Super hornet. F-35 is .005 M sq and still picked up within 20 miles.

      Your point about flying low is correct; anti ship missiles do use active radar guidance to hug the water and then pop up for attack last 20 miles to keep below radar due to earth curvature; so they are more difficult to attack. But aegis would still get off a SM-2 as data linked into AWACS which gives further radar due to seeing over the horizon and/or fire with CWIS if missile wasnt intercepted.

      But in game the low HP of a CM is the issue over radar cross section as even point defense of 1 - 2 Frigs will destroy a CM. Thats why I love when people build only destroyers.

      So to beat AA on Con; increase CM level to 4 which boosts to like 12 HP and have chance to get through ship AA, but would still require launching multiple staggered CMS
      Of course Stealth Aircraft are going to have very low signatures, but when comparing modern standard fighter jets, like an F-16, for example, having a Radar cross section of 5 meters sq. and a cruise Missile with a Radar Cross section of .5 meters sq. and they both have a radar signature of High.

      The Cruise Missile should have a low signature. Naturally advanced radars will still pick it up and the game accounts for that as well, with advanced Frigates and other craft acquiring Low signature detection at higher levels.

    • Teburu wrote:

      japan samurai wrote:

      When is a good time to get CMs than? Because there are times they just stack destroyers so much their defence still stop CMs in the end
      You just need to actually upgrade the missiles until they have enough HP
      Even with Upgrading the Missiles, if your opponent has upgraded Frigates and keeps a stack of 5 nearby, it renders any fleet impervious to cruise missiles. Max Cruise Missile Hp is 15 and Frigates have an attack of 4 when maxed out. Place a fleet of 5 anywhere in a 100 range and nothing can get through.

      This also brings up the point that Missiles must be fired individually. You cannot Stack them when attacking, so they just get picked off one by one.

      If someone has an all Destroyer fleet or an all Cruiser fleet, you can hit them, but any Frigate group will make cruise missiles worthless.

    • Mourdeeb wrote:

      Teburu wrote:

      japan samurai wrote:

      When is a good time to get CMs than? Because there are times they just stack destroyers so much their defence still stop CMs in the end
      You just need to actually upgrade the missiles until they have enough HP
      Even with Upgrading the Missiles, if your opponent has upgraded Frigates and keeps a stack of 5 nearby, it renders any fleet impervious to cruise missiles. Max Cruise Missile Hp is 15 and Frigates have an attack of 4 when maxed out. Place a fleet of 5 anywhere in a 100 range and nothing can get through.
      This also brings up the point that Missiles must be fired individually. You cannot Stack them when attacking, so they just get picked off one by one.

      If someone has an all Destroyer fleet or an all Cruiser fleet, you can hit them, but any Frigate group will make cruise missiles worthless.
      that is false; only pointdefense is that absolute
      I am The Baseline for opinions

    • Mourdeeb wrote:

      One of the best aspects of the game is how the different units differentiate with Radar signatures or High and Low. There is, however, one exception that really needs to be corrected.

      Cruise Missiles are very small, when compared to Ballistic Missiles, or other aircraft, and are designed to fly low, under radar, and be launched from an assortment of aircraft.

      Yet they have a High Radar signature, meaning they are visible to anything and everything with a radar capability. This is particularly irksome when trying to use them against Naval vesicles.

      Frigates get Low signature recognition at high levels and that's fine, but Cruise Missiles are handy capped in their ability due to the High signature, when attacking Cruisers and other low level craft.

      Consider the fact that a weapon that can be launched from a Drone (Radar signature Low) has a Larger Radar signature than the vehicle that fired it????

      Please make this minor adjustment, so Cruise Missiles can be more affective against Ships and other targets.

      Thank you!
      Radar signature of cruise missiles is not an issue at all in my opinion(from gameplay perspective). To be honest, I dont think there is anything that needs change on cruise missiles. Just use them in a smart way and you will be fine.