Question:
1. Do rail launchers require a guidance system?
My understanding from listening to my Dad who was in the USAF for 26 years, research in my local library, and online launch rails do not have guidance systems. So am I on the right track?
Maybe
I’m assuming that it is the launching system that has the guidance system, not just the physical attachment mechanism.
With a launch rail, it is possible to point the missile in the direction of the enemy and let it’s onboard homing system control the whole flight.
Alternatively, if it uses a target designator, that might not need a guidance system in the launcher.
However you can have a missile that is launcher controlled and on launch rails - I started this thinking of the Sea Skua missile, which does require a target lock by the launching helicopter, but a better example seems to be its then rival, the French AS 15 TT.
Phil Kitching