Minimum Range for Javelin?

[Krinks]

Can anyone tell me what (if any) the minimum firing range is for a Javelin missile? I had an AT unit on a rooftop, about 53m from a T-72, with LOS to the tank, but they did not seem to want to fire the missile.

I figured maybe there was a minimum range, so I moved the team to the next rooftop back, about 67m from the tank, and they fired right away.

Was this just something I did wrong, or is it a bug, or is there actually a minimum range?

Thanks

[SargeFry71]

The Javelin's minimum range is 65m for direct attack and 150m for top attack. Direct attack is the old-school "missile slam in the side" shot and top attack is the Javelin's special "missile through the roof" approach.

That's real life minimum range(s) but if I know BF at all I am pretty sure that those are the in-game ranges as well.

[metalbrew]

If you had AT4s and weren't indoors, they should have fired the AT4 instead. I believe the Javelins are modeled in the game to be fairly inaccurate under 150m as well, I see a lot more misses at close range.

[Krinks]

I can't remember if I had AT4's or not. How would I get them to do that? I'm assuming that I would target the T-72 and they'd take care of the rest?

Those minimums sound about right, since those were the ranges I was able to fire at. And, the Javelin did go directly to the target, rather than up and down on the top of the tank.

I don't know much about the military, but it constantly amazes me, the more I read, the more I see just how accurate BFC is making the games.

[metalbrew]

All US squads have 2 AT4s in the game, no need to acquire them like you do for the Javelins. Even if you didn't target the tank specifically the TacAI would hopefully prioritize the T-72 assuming they weren't cowering in the corner or running laps around the roof.

I'll say this, if I were personally 53m away from a T-72 I'd think twice about engaging it with an AT4. A tank brewing up 53m away isn't pretty and the squad would likely be damaged by shrapnel and concussion. However, if the alternative is being shot at by the T-72 I'd rather take my chances and suffer the shrapnel.

[average]

I would think twice because the AT4 isn't necessarily going to kill said T72 frontally (especially any variant with reactive armour, and perhaps not side on as well).

The AT4 isn't designed to go head to head with modern MBT's, your cruisng for a mobility kill, or maybe freaking the crew out, or having the tank put 125mm rounds through the cinder block wall.

If you did brew it up, then, well you might have problems, but remember, it has all that very thick armour between you and the ready racks cooking off and unless your rambo, you're going to be firing from cover.

That said you could stand up and let rip the AT4 and wait, and wait, and if you hadn't knocked it out, then get engaged with the co-ax, the nasty russian 12.7mm and the main gun.

[YankeeDog]

If you had AT4s and weren't indoors, they should have fired the AT4 instead. I believe the Javelins are modeled in the game to be fairly inaccurate under 150m as well, I see a lot more misses at close range.

Actually, if BFC got its homework right, US squads should be able to use the AT4 from inside buildings. The US Military is now in the process of upgrading to the AT4CS, which uses a water ballast to reduce the effective backblast. AIUI, the AT4CS can safely be fired from a reasonably large interior space. I don't know the exact specs, but my SWAG is that you probably still can't fire an ATCS from inside the broom closet, but you'd be OK firing it out the window of a decent-sized living room.

Since the AT4CS is already in use in Iraq, I would expect that by CM:SF's 2008 timeframe, the upgrade would pretty much complete.

*Disclaimer* I don't have CM:SF yet, so nothing above is based on what is actually in the game.

Cheers,

YD

[MikeyD]

Yes, you can fire AT4 from indoors. Its a bit annoying that they don't differentiate between AT4 and AT4SC on-screen (maybe they do 'under the hood', though).

If you've already 'acquired' Javelin you won't have much choice in the matter which weapon gets used. Even against a building! If your squad is carrying both AT4 and Javelin the AI will pick whichever weapon it wants to fire. And unless you're stuck indoors chances are its going to use Javelin. The AI's fondness for Javelin is compelling some players to wait til the last possible moment to Acquire, or to just pick up 1 or 2 missiles at a time.

[Bradley Dick]

Speaking of Tanks brewing up....

I was the military standard 300m away from a burning M1. In a ditch. When the M1 cooked off, which wasn't what I expected, it sent large chunks (over 2ft long) flying past me. One piece, at least 4ft long, seemed to kind of float towards us like a lazy pigeon before landing 50m past us. The tank caught fire, the MG ammunition cooked off like fire crackers, the round in the gun tube went off, and then, less than a second later, the entire track exploded at once. It was like a 70ton hand grenade. Really, quite beautiful.

[KG_AGCent]

I have had no end of trouble getting my strykerrs to lauch their javelins when I see them listed in the ammo loadout box at enemy armor regardless of range, either tank or APC when using the target command. My bradleys will fire ToWs at anything that moves, however. Anyone else notice this?

[Tofke]

here, 2 movies of javelin launch just for fun

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Dezg8aflMmk

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=u-dOJG4kXMA

[ August 11, 2007, 02:20 AM: Message edited by: Tofke ]

[PrezCartman]

Originally posted by KG_AGCent:

I have had no end of trouble getting my strykerrs to lauch their javelins when I see them listed in the ammo loadout box at enemy armor regardless of range, either tank or APC when using the target command. My bradleys will fire ToWs at anything that moves, however. Anyone else notice this?

KG,

The Javelins are not there for the Strykers to use, they are ammo for your infantry to pick up and use. When your infantry unit is mounted in the Stryker, move to the Special commands tab. You'll see a command for acquire, when you select it you'll see a list of everything available in the Stryker, to equip the Javelins, you need to the select the launcher unit at the top of the list, then select how many missiles you want. Then move the infantry in a position to fire the missiles. Acquire is also how you can give your guys extra ammo.

As for the Bradleys, yea they do seem a little eager to blast off those TOWs. What's most annoying is when the Tac AI launches at targets on a reverse slope and your missiles harmlessly slam into a hill top.

[Jaswolf]

Hello,

Some Javelin don't fly straight http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4eE6rfk3eU&mode=related&search=

[YankeeDog]

Originally posted by Jaswolf:

Hello,

Some Javelin don't fly straight http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4eE6rfk3eU&mode=related&search=

Well, no argument there; the Javelin follows a rather interesting flight pattern due to the soft launch, and top attack profile.

But the missile system in that video is most definitely not a Javelin. Launcher and missile are totally the wrong shape. Off the top of my head, I can't tell what it is. Looks kind of like an ERYX, but there are some significant differences. IIRC, that video has been posted here to the board before, and someone IDed it.

Cheers,

YD

[Bradley Dick]

Definitely not a Javelin.

There is a Javelin video of the missle going haywire and spiraling out of control. But the gunner didn't clear his topspace. As a result, his missle plowed through some tree branches. The tree branches smashed the seeker head. The smashed seeker head cause the missle to fly all over Hell and half of Georgia. Cool stuff.

[Jaswolf]

You're right, my mistake.

Maybe this one will do the trick:

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=glJ1sPhfbzU

All in all, i'm glad that both shots hadn't exploded.

Is there any safety measures that automatically cut off the exploding system if the trajectory become choatic ?

[Bradley Dick]

There's some sort of arming system, but I don't recall exactly when it takes effect. It makes sure that the warhead won't go off until the missle has flown a certain distance. Most explosive weapons have something similar.

[MarkEzra]

In Real World anti-insurgency combat is the Javelin used or even carried? What about AT4's?

If so what situations would they be used? eg: Populated areas?

[YankeeDog]

Judging by the number of YouTube videos, the AT4 is being used a fair amount in combat right now. Seems it's useful for extra HE kick in digging insurgent out of buildings.

Also a fair number of recent videos of javelins being used in both Iraq and Afghanistan, albiet generally at longer ranges, and in more open terrain than the AT$, as one would expect.

Cheers,

YD

[Bradley Dick]

I was never issued a Javelin outside of 2003. AT4's we were issued in mass quantities. And as a result, we used them for silly things.... like blasting holes through walls.