The MIM-46 "Mauler" is an American surface-to-air missile designed for rapid engagement of low-flying aircraft and helicopters. Developed in the 1960s, it features a compact, lightweight frame with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead and a guidance system that combines beam-riding with terminal heat-seeking, ensuring versatility against a range of aerial threats. The missile's quick reaction time and fire-and-forget capability make it ideal for front-line air defence. American units, especially those in Eastern Europe, are beginning to be issued MIM-46 vehicles, while the missile itself has proven useful in other applications.
MIM-46 "Mauler" (Missile)
Abilities
Common Attributes - Mechanical
Beam-Riding
This primitive guided munition follows a radar beam which is manually pointed towards its target. They are not considered a type of Smart Munition.
EFFECT:
This munition follows a narrow radar beam emitted by the firing vehicle.
It may be fooled by chaff.
Heat-Seeking
This smart munition tracks its targets through an infrared seeker which locks on to hot surfaces such as engines, flares or occasionally the Sun.
EFFECT:
This munition can only target vehicles which are moving or have recently moved.
It may be fooled by decoy flares.
Smart Munition
The Cold War introduced a number of weapon systems designed to strike out at specific targets, either using their own sensors or through a data link.
EFFECT:
This munition cannot be mounted on a vehicle without a modern Fire Control System (FCS) to guide it. Typically, the presence of such a system is hinted at in the vehicle's description. However, the most surefire way of knowing is through the Electronics Technology 🔋 tag and/or the presence of either an Airborne Radar or a Surface Radar with (Missile Guidance) in its inventory description.
Unique Attributes
Sky Mauler - MIM-46 UA
The MIM-46 has been derided as "too complicated for mass production" and "finnicky". This might be true, but it is undoubtedly an impressive piece of technology; MIM-46 missiles are initially guided to their targets by an automatically tracked radar that allows it to perform Beam-Riding, while its final approach on target uses advanced Heat-Seeking sensors.
EFFECT:
This munition is immune to the effects of chaff and decoy flares, unless both are used in combination.