Hunter-killer sight
Hunter-killer is a military term traditionally used to describe an entity in which the roles of "sensor" and "shooter" are separated. However, in the case of unmanned aerial vehicles, it means the opposite: an aircraft system designed to find, identify and kill its target; the first purpose-designed hunter-killer UAV is the MQ-9 Reaper.[1]
Teams
A hunter-killer team's primary mission is to seek out and destroy the enemy, particularly in contexts where the enemy is attempting to evade detection rather than seek engagement.
Examples include:
- pairs of F-4G "Wild Weasels" and F-16Cs, where the F-4G "hunter" can detect, identify, and locate an enemy's radar and then direct the F-16C's weapons to the site
- M2 Bradley Infantry / Cavalry Fighting Vehicle often "hand off" fire missions to M1 Abrams main battle tanks
- one or more antisubmarine aircraft carriers and a number of escort vessels whose primary mission is to detect and destroy submarines
- Teams of scout and attack helicopters in highly effective "pink teams", such as OH-6 "Loach" or OH-58 Kiowa scout helicopters and the AH-1 Cobra attack helicopter during the Vietnam War
Submarines
Smaller submarines tasked with coastal defense are sometimes referred to as "hunter-killers" even though they may not operate in teams with other platforms. The United States Navy and the Royal Navy give their Nuclear powered hunter-killer submarines the hull classification symbol "SSN". Conventionally powered hunter-killer submarines, such as those operated by the Canadian Navy are given the hull classification symbol "SSK".
Aircraft
The USAF Hunter-Killer program is developing tactical unmanned combat air vehicles.
Armoured fighting vehicles
A hunter-killer sight in an armoured vehicle refers to a vehicle commander's sight which is independent of the gunner's sight and main armament. It allows the crew commander to scan an arc separate from the gunner, or for the crew commander to continue scanning while the gunner engages a target. With the press of a button, the crew commander can cause the gunner's sight and the main armament to slew onto his point of aim.
Hunter-Killer teams in armoured fighting vehicles also refer to teams of 19D (cavalry scouts) and 19K (armor, ie. Abrams Tanks) that go in search of enemy positions. The scouts are the "hunters" and flush the enemy into a designated kill zone where the "killers", or tanks, are waiting to bring the maximum amount of damage on the enemy as possible. It is an old but faithful battle plan that goes back as far as there has been organised warfare, and is highly effective.