Question about system Shtora on Russian armour.

[AlexD]

Hello, I played not so far ago in H2h game, Russians vs Ukraine, and during this game my tanks and bmp-s equipped with electro-optical jamming system Shtora got 3 missiles, Barrier, Kombat, and perhaps one ATGM Fagot. In all this cases this EO jamming system is fail, rockets is hit my armour with catastrophical results. Can I ask if someone know, what is the approximate probability of triggering infrared illuminator on Shtora in such situations(in CM:BS, not in reality), after launching rocket in my side? Is this 50 % or even lower? When Laser Warning is received, Is this system does not have absolute probability to activate, as it should be? So why so plenty cases of fails is happend ,bad-tec-luck or what? Some techical desctiptions of system Shtora provide about 80 percent of the shooting down missiles with laser homing.

Edited October 22, 2015 by AlexD

[womble]

Knowing how often the system activates is not the same as knowing how often it should protect against an incoming missile. So even if it activates every time it gets triggered by the LWS, it's not a perfect counter.

Note also that 3 is a very small sample size, and "technical descriptions" can vary in level of optimism in their assessment of use in battlefield conditions from "mild" to "screaming insanity". If you want anyone to try and make an accurate assessment of in-game behaviour, you'll get a better response if you do some testing for yourself. It's dead easy to set up a shooting gallery in the editor; just remember to make the targets "Fanatic", and play hotseat so you can give them a short Target Arc to stop them shooting back.

[c3k]

Aren't the shtora eo elements on the front of the turret? That facing may cause what you're seeing.

[Kinophile]

Really,  from the front only? That sounds a bit daft. There's already so much frontal  protection, why not cover the sides? 

[A Canadian Cat]

It seems the detection system has 360 degree coverage but the EO emitters have 20 degree coverage (those two boxes next the main gun).  The idea is if the detection system detects a laser range finder then the turret automatically turns to face it and that allows the EO emitters to disrupt the missile.  That's the simplified version any way.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shtora

[Kinophile]

So,  you could essentially ruin their gun lay if you give them a target from direction A,  then used a LRF from perpendicular direction B to cause the turret to slew. 

I presume there must be some sort of manual override, but it could still be a good distraction; especially with alternating,  oppositely placed LRFs... 

[akd]

Shtora has two separate parts: laser detection / automatic smoke countermeasures and EO Jammer.  EO jammer isn't going to help against laser-beam riding missiles, AFAIK.  Missiles that EO Jammer is effective against (older SACLOS ATGMs) are passive and aren't going to be detected by Shtora LWR.  (Probably current Shtora LWR wouldn't detect low power beam-rider emission either.) Defense against these missiles relies upon either facing a potential threat with the EO Jammer on continuously, or detecting the launch of the ATGM visually and turning turret to face and turning EO Jammer on.  Presumably the former would be typical combat use.

[panzersaurkrautwerfer]

1.  All things in armor design are compromises.  There's a finite price or impact on other systems for each thingy you strap to a tank though.  Given the practicality of mounting a jammer that is strictly directional, placing it on the part of the tank most likely to be facing the enemy is the best engineering solution.  The various bolt-on EO jammers the US uses for instance, are much the same in that they're usually forward facing and mounted to the roof of the turret.  

2. As adk pointed out, the EO jammer is only moderately effective.  It doesn't affect certain kinds of guidance, and a lot of the SACLOS missiles no longer are as affected by it.

3. In regards to using LRFs to play "spin the turret."  I could only really see it working with an IFV type unit, like you're using one IFV to cause the turret to slew away from another IFV that's putting a missile into the air.  In terms of tanks, the amount of time from lase to sabot in the air is pretty short, so you're better off just plugging whatever you just lased (or in event of target obscuration putting the round on point of aim*)

*If the tank is stationary, that means under all that smoke is still the same thing the gun was pointed at.  If the tank is moving slowly, more or less same deal.  If it's moving quickly, then give it a minute at it might be clearing the smoke, and he has to clear the smoke too to get a shot on you.