Lock-on after launch (LOAL) is an ability of missile systems to lock-on to a target after being launched from a carrier vehicle. The term is normally used in reference to airborne weapons, especially air-to-air missiles. LOAL is an important part of modern weapon systems as it allows a weapon to be carried internally to increase

stealth Stealth may refer to: Military *Stealth technology, technology used to conceal ships, aircraft, and missiles **Stealth aircraft, aircraft which use stealth technology **Stealth ground vehicle, ground vehicles which use stealth technology ** Stea ...

and then acquire a target once it has left a launching aircraft. LOAL systems normally rely on cuing from a helmet mounted sight or onboard sensors like

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

or forward-looking infrared (FLIR), and use a simple strapdown

inertial guidance system An inertial navigation system (INS) is a navigation device that uses motion sensors (accelerometers), rotation sensors ( gyroscopes) and a computer to continuously calculate by dead reckoning the position, the orientation, and the velocity (dire ...

to know where to look after launch. Examples of LOAL weapons include the Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile ( ASRAAM) and later versions of the AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missile. The older method of launch has retroactively become known as ''lock-on before launch'' (LOBL), although this term is not commonly used and is a backronym to distinguish it from the LOAL method.

References

* Aerial warfare strategy Air-to-air missiles Air-to-surface missiles Military radars {{Missile-stub