===== Hints on Air Launched Cruise Missiles? =====

Note:  Any reference to "CM" in this section is meant to apply to ALCMs.

For an ALCM to be JTCB (automatically) planned, the planning process must be able to compute the expected damage it can do to the candidate target.  This means the delivery aircraft platform (ex. bomber) must have an SCL containing the warhead munition, rather than the cruise missile "body" (platform) itself.  Setting the type code of (at least one of the munitions in) the bomber’s SCL to CM (for cruise missile) tells the model how to plan the cruise missile.  The quantity of munitions in the SCL tells it how many cruise missiles to plan.  For specific details on planning data, see Note 5.

How does it know which CM to use for the delivery aircraft platform’s munition?  In DataView >> AssetData >> Cruise Missile Warhead Data is a table (AIR_CM_PLTFRM_MUN_ASSOC) which provides a 1-to-1 mapping of Cruise Missile Warhead X (the "key") to the Cruise Missile platform (the "value").  Using the bomber’s SCL’s warhead adjudication data against the intended target allows for automatic JTCB planning by mapping the warhead to the cruise missile body.

In other words, JTCB will look up the appropriate SSPD for the munition ID in the launch platform SCL by using the "CM" code to indicate the need to find the actual warhead release platform (CM platform) in the AIR_CM_PLTFRM_MUN_ASSOC table.

The cruise missile platform in turn also has an SCL which allows the CM to deliver that munition to the target.  Only one SCL should be created for the CM platform; JTCB-planned missions don’t have a means to choose between multiple available SCLs.  Of course, preassigned missions allow users to choose a particular SCL manually.  It is advisable that the CM’s SCL have a single munition (see Note 2).

During execution, once the bomber launches the cruise missile, it is out of the picture.  Thus, at adjudication, the cruise missile’s SCL also has to contain the munition to be applied against the target, this time with the type code AG (air to ground).

__Note 1__:  For targeting to succeed, both cases (launching aircraft and cruise missile) must have Point Munition Discrimination data entered for the target.

__Note 2__:  Using an SCL for the CM which contains more than one munition is not allowed in the code for JTCB-planned missions, since they will expect one munition per CM.  However, it is allowed in the code for preassigned missions%%--%%though users should confirm it is their intention to have a "MIRV"-style cruise missile with multiple munitions.

__Note 3__:  Preassigned Missions skip the planning process, so technically the aircraft’s SCL doesn’t require the warhead%%--%%it could designate the cruise missile instead.  But for consistency, it is recommended to keep the warhead munition designation.  

__Note 4__:  What will happen if the bomber/launch platform’s SCL contains munition X, but the CM platform’s SCL contains munition Y?

JTCB will not plan that bomber’s SCL, because it cannot find the SSPD for the munition ID and CM platform in SSPD tables.  Preassigned missions will probably fly and execute, but that’s because the CM Flight BSE is built during mission execution, and does not pull the CM SCL "munitions" from the carrier platform.  Thus, the munitions consumption at the installation is probably incorrect.

__Note 5__:  

Air platform bomber/fighter (launching platform) SCL must have one or more Weapon Name Asset (warhead name) with Weapon Type as CM.  This SCL must be checked Plan in Asset Data Air Configurations to be considered during strike planning.  Standoff distance and GPS is defined here.



Cruise missile flight platforms and warheads must be associated in the AIR_CM_PLTFRM_ MUN_ASSOC  table – applies to both air and land launched and in the SCL/SCL_WPN/SCL_ASSET_CONFIG listings.



The Weapon Name Asset (warhead name) must have a genre of AMMOAIR and must be mapped to a Cruise Missile Platform (Data View>>AssetData>> Cruise Missile Warhead Data).



The Cruise Missile Platform (cruise missile) must have a genre of AIR_ASSET.  "Is Cruise Missile" must be checked, operating characteristics should support standoff range from launching platform SCL and must have an SCL with the CM warhead identified in launching platform.  Standoff distance and GPS is defined here.



GPS SSPD table must have pk values for the Cruise Missile Platform and the CM warhead.



__Miscellaneous Notes__:

  *  //At what point do CMs launch?//  From whichever is closer:  The standoff range on the CM, or the beginning of the route.  While the latter may drive the launch point closer than the standoff range, it is based on (a) the assumption that the route was selected to minimize the treat, and (b) it prevents the CM from flying through more risky threat areas to get to the target.
  *  //What route do CMs take to the target?//  Current as of SR1.06, CMs fly //direct// from their launch point to the target.  This will be amended with the SR2.00 to fly to the target via the route.
  *  //What altitude do CMs use?//  Related to the bullet above, following the route to the target allows users a degree of control over what altitude the CMs will use.  Note:  Here’s a couple glitches which will be fixed with SR2.00:  1. When the CMs launch from their launch platform, they determine the altitude they need to climb to is the launcher’s altitude%%--%%and then they climb that much higher than they currently are (as if they were climbing from 0 altitude up to the launcher’s altitude, but instead ending up twice as high as they should be);  2. Currently they fly a gradual descending glide path from their launch altitude to 0 altitude at the A2G adjudication point.  This has a negative effect on the ability of defending S2A to engage them.  (Short hint at a temporary workaround:  Make the CM SCL warhead a standoff munition, so the CM won’t be at 0 altitude when it adjudicates).  Both of these issues will be fixed with SR2.00. 
  *  //So if their altitude is changing/variable, what altitude is assumed for S2A adjudication?//  S2A adjudication will use a target Flight altitude which is the average of (a) the Flight’s altitude at the time of adjudication (which may be zero), and (b) the Flight’s altitude at the time it first entered the MEZ (which will be greater than zero).
  *  //What time do they launch?//  They //should// launch at the time which (based on the distance and speed) will allow them to hit their TOT (for inside a push).  Outside a push, a Flight will attempt to take off in the middle of its launch block.  Currently, the CMs errantly use this same logic, in effect "resetting" their TOT during execution (at launch).  This will be fixed with SR2.00.
  *  Finally, the ATO instructions for ALCMs were recently (SR1.05) added to the ATO Gen.  Since their flights aren’t planned until they are actually executing (launching), this was a little complicated (ex. to figure out which planning cycle they were planned for).  New with SR2.00 was be a change to simply plan the ALCMs at the same time as every other strike flight%%--%%during planning.