« | The PCML (Person-Carried Missile Launcher) is a portable, short range, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile system. The PCML is a soft-launch system, allowing it to be used from within an enclosed room. Field Manual
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The PCML (full name: Person-Carried Missile Launcher[1]) is a 150 mm anti-tank missile launcher used by several BLUFOR and INDFOR factions in ArmA 3.
Overview[]
The PCML is a portable short-range, fire-and-forget, guided missile launcher.
It can only load missiles with 150 mm high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) tandem charge warheads, which are capable of striking targets at distances of between 20-800 metres away. The launcher comes with an integrated night vision-capable sight that has a magnification strength of 2x, and an integrated laser rangefinder. It is able to toggle between a direct-fire or overfly top-attack (OTA) mode.
The PCML's HEAT missile uses a shaped charge warhead like most ATGMs, which means that it has some utility against slat cage-protected vehicles (to a certain degree). This is because the initial blast will usually destroy the cage while the penetrator punches through to strike the vehicle's main armour.
However, engagements against even moderately armoured vehicles such as tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicles or Main Battle Tanks is a poor choice due to the low damage output of its warhead against said targets (especially in direct-fire mode). As such, it is the most effective against lightly-armoured ground vehicles.
Unlike the heavier Titan, the PCML locks onto targets using a visual sensor as opposed to infrared, and is able to acquire any kind of target regardless of whether it has a 'cold' or 'hot' thermal signature. Additionally, up to two spare missiles can be comfortably carried in any of the smaller backpacks without having to rely on another person to haul them.
However it should be noted that unlike the Titan family of ATGMs, the PCML cannot make use of SACLOS guidance. This means that missiles fired without a lock-on will not follow the user's crosshairs. Also, in stark contrast to the Titan, the PCML's visual sensor can be affected by poor weather and lighting conditions, which causes a reduction in the sensor's lock-on range. In the case of heavy fog, the PCML may not be able to lock onto distant targets at all.
Likewise, the missile itself only retains enough fuel for a flight time of eight seconds. Should it fail to hit a target before it runs out of fuel, it will automatically self-destruct mid-flight regardless of how close it was to reaching a target.
Overall, the PCML as an anti-armour system is arguably the least capable of the guided missile launchers in ArmA 3, being only marginally better than the RPG-7 in long range ambushes versus mobile armoured targets (and only when there is no one else to assist in ranging targets for the user).
While the PCML's lock on capability theoretically eliminates the need to manually predict a target's trajectory, the lengthy amount of time required to actually lock the target (if a lock-on is even possible at all due to the weapon's susceptibility to weather/terrain clutter), the presence of a minimum lock distance, and the ineffectiveness of the missile against heavy armour (necessitating multiple shots) makes this a moot feature in most cases.
Meanwhile, NATO's alternate (and unguided) AT launcher, the MAAWS Mk4, possesses greater penetration, a higher damage output, a faster engagement time, lighter to carry rockets, has anti-personnel munitions, and has faster flying rockets. Combined with the internal laser rangefinder on the Mod 1 variant, this results in the PCML being a mediocre AT system at best due to its inherent drawbacks.
Optics[]
The PCML's optical sight cannot be manually zeroed. It uses a fixed magnification but does feature an integral laser rangefinder and can switch between a day or night vision mode. Its reticle is partially illuminated, though only for the horizontal/vertical bars and dot at the centre of the reticle.
Without guidance, the red dot at the centre of the reticle approximately represents the point of impact for any targets at distances under ~ 130 metres. Beyond that, the reticle serves no purpose as the missile will gain altitude at distances under 300 metres, and the drop compensation markers do not apply due to the missile's relatively flat trajectory.
If the missile is being guided, then the reticle becomes effectively redundant as in both cases (direct-attack/overfly top-attack), the missile will adjust its own trajectory until it either strikes the target or misses/self-destructs.
Achieving a lock-on does not require pointing the red dot directly onto the target's centre-of-mass. The centre of the reticle approximately represents the limits of the launcher's sensor. Once the locking begins, it is only necessary to keep the target within the sight's reticle (up to the black border) as its off-boresight limit extends to 300 degrees.
Munitions[]
The PCML is only capable of loading and firing one type of missile. Each missile has a weight of 80 "mass" units:
Warhead | Damage type | Base damage value | Penetration depth (mm) |
---|---|---|---|
Primary | High-Explosive | 50 | N/A |
Secondary | Armour Piercing | 525 | 400 |
PCML missiles are always fired with an initial launch velocity of 40 m/s. It takes a further 0.8 seconds of flight time to attain a top in-flight speed of 180 m/s. The missile has enough fuel for a maximum flight time of 8 seconds. It will self-destruct if it is unable to hit a target within that timeframe.
The primary warhead has a blast radius of 2.4 metres and is only partially considered to be explosive (50%). Its kinetic submunition deals AP-type damage. It has a launch velocity of 1,000 m/s and an armour penetration depth of 400 millimetres.
Sensors[]
The PCML's missile relies on only one kind of sensor for guidance:
Visual Sensor[]
The missile can lock onto targets between 20-800 metres away, and is only able to track mobile vehicles that are moving at speeds of up to 126 km/h. The sensor's lock-on cone is restricted to a horizontal and vertical angle of 5 degrees.
Poor visibility conditions such as darkness or rain can reduce its lock-on range by 20% (down to 640 metres from 800). Fog can also cause a further reduction to its lock-on range; this reduction begins at 6% (800 down to 752 metres) and will steadily increase depending on how thick it is.
Flight Profiles[]
The PCML can toggle between two flight profiles:
Direct-attack[]
Missile uses a linear flight trajectory.
This is the default mode for the PCML's missiles.
Overfly top-attack[]
In overfly top-attack (OTA) mode, the PCML's missile will act similarly to being launched in direct-attack mode. However, it utilises a slightly different initial flight trajectory after launch.
Rather than homing straight towards the target's centre-of-mass, the missile will attempt to ascend to a height of 2.5 metres above the target. Upon reaching this point, the missile will detonate and strike the target with the warhead's kinetic penetrator submunition from above.[note 1]
Trivia[]
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Gallery[]
Video[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Although it does not consistently occur, the kinetic submunition may occasionally fail to inflict any damage to the target when OTA is being used. The factors that influence the likelihood of this happening vary, though being at an elevation lower than the target vehicle or using the PCML against a vehicle that has a low-profile turret bear the highest risk.
References[]
- ↑ ARMA 3 2013 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., Field Manual/Weapons/PCML, "The PCML (Person-Carried Missile Launcher) is a portable, short range, fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile system. The PCML is a soft-launch system, allowing it to be used from within an enclosed room."
- ↑ Saab 2020, NLAW - Anti-tank weapon, Saab, viewed 6 March 2023, <https://web.archive.org/web/20230120200300/https://www.saab.com/products/nlaw>. (archived link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kovařič, V 2018, SPOTREP #00079, Arma 3, viewed 7 September 2019, <https://dev.arma3.com/post/spotrep-00079>.
- ↑ van 't Land, J.J. 2022, SPOTREP #00102, Arma 3, viewed 17 March 2022, <https://dev.arma3.com/post/spotrep-00102>.
- ↑ van 't Land, J.J. 2022, SPOTREP #00103, Arma 3, viewed 17 March 2022, <https://dev.arma3.com/post/spotrep-00103>.
External links[]
See also[]
Weapons of comparable role and configuration[]
- MAAWS Mk4 Mod 1 (Alternate NATO counterpart, ArmA 3: Tanks only)
- RPG-42 (CSAT counterpart)
- NLAW (British Army predecessor, ArmA 2: BAF only)
NATO - Armoury (ArmA 3) | |
---|---|
Handguns | 4-five .45 • P07 9 mm* • Spectrum Device |
Submachine guns | Vermin .45 |
Carbines | MXC 6.5 mm* |
Assault rifles | MX series (MX*, MX 3GL*) • SDAR 5.56 mm • SPAR-16 series* (SPAR-16*, SPAR-16 GL*) |
Designated marksman rifles | Mk-I EMR 7.62 mm • MAR-10 .338* • MXM 6.5 mm • SPAR-17 7.62 mm* |
Sniper rifles | M320 LRR .408 |
Squad automatic weapons | MX SW 6.5 mm* • SPAR-16S 5.56 mm* |
Machineguns | SPMG .338 |
Launchers | MAAWS Mk4 Mod 1* • PCML* • Titan MPRL • Titan MPRL Compact |
Static | Mk6 Mortar • Mk30 • Mk32 • Remote Designator • Static Titan Launcher (AA, AT) |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. * denotes weapons also used or are exclusive to the CTRG sub-faction. Marksmen DLC | Apex DLC | Tanks DLC |
AAF - Armoury (ArmA 3) | |
---|---|
Handguns | ACP-C2 .45 |
Submachine guns | PDW2000 9 mm |
Carbines | Mk20C 5.56 mm |
Assault rifles | Mk20 5.56 mm (Mk20 EGLM) • SDAR 5.56 mm |
Designated marksman rifles | Mk18 ABR 7.62 mm |
Sniper rifles | GM6 Lynx 12.7 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | Mk200 6.5 mm |
Launchers | MAAWS Mk4 Mod 0 • PCML • RPG-42 • Titan MPRL • Titan MPRL Compact |
Static | M2 • Mk6 Mortar • Mk30 • Mk32 • Static Titan Launcher (AA, AT) |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Apex DLC | Tanks DLC |
LDF - Armoury (ArmA 3) | |
---|---|
Handguns | 4-five .45 |
Submachine guns | ADR-97 5.7 mm |
Assault rifles | Promet series (Promet, Promet GL, Promet SG) |
Designated marksman rifles | Promet MR 6.5 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | Mk200 6.5 mm |
Launchers | MAAWS Mk4 Mod 1 • PCML • Titan MPRL • Titan MPRL Compact |
Static | M2 • Mk6 Mortar • Mk30 • Mk32 • Static Titan Launcher (AA, AT) |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Apex DLC | Tanks DLC | Contact DLC |