SACLOS

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The acronym semi-automatic command to line of sight ( s EMI a utomatic c ommand to l ine o f s ight ; German  semi-automatic control over sight ) refers to a method for controlling a military missile which, especially in anti-tank missile and aircraft missiles is used. With SACLOS, the shooter targets the target with target optics and maintains the line of sight during the missile's flight time. During this process, the target optics communicate with the missile's control electronics and steer it towards the target. It is the further development of the significantly more difficult-to-use MCLOS guidance.

The first generation of SACLOS systems communicates with the rocket by wire. During the flight, the missile unwinds an entrained wire that is connected to the target system. The system then uses the data transmitted by the optics to calculate the angle between the rocket and the target. These data are converted into control commands that are passed on to the missile's control unit via the wire.

Disadvantages of the wire connection are their range, which is limited by the length of the wire, and the susceptibility to obstacles that can interrupt the wire connection, for example trees or electrical lines. To circumvent these weaknesses, the systems were further developed so that control commands could be transmitted to the missile by radio. However, this technology is susceptible to electronic interference .

The current, third generation of control systems no longer requires control by the shooter. Rather, the target is captured and tracked with a radar or laser beam . The rocket is equipped with a sensor that detects this beam and independently guides the missile to its target while “riding” on the beam. The sensor is located either in the tip of the rocket, where it perceives the reflected signal on the target, or in the rear, where it records the signal from the emitter of the target acquisition technology ( beacon guidance ).

Examples of SACLOS-controlled guided missiles