SAAW 86 Anti-Air

The Mitchell SAAW 86 is a rocket launcher in Battlefield 2142. This anti-air weapon was built with a low-density steel composite and has a CPU-controlled balance system for maximization of portability. It fires guided rockets at air targets, but may also be used against ground targets as well.

Battlefield 2142
In Battlefield 2142, the SAAW 86 Anti-Air is one of two unlockable weapons for the Engineer Kit, the other being the Pilum H-AVR. It is an uncommon weapon because it does little damage to ground targets and it cannot lock on to them, while the Mitchell AV-18, Sudnik VP and even Pilum H-AVR can all be used against enemy air with a bit of practice. That's not to say that SAAW is useless - it does what it's designed to do well. Unlike other anti-vehicle weapons it actually holds two rockets and has an automatic locking mode which means you don't need to steer/lead the projectile. Finally, the fact that SAAW is unpopular is one of its greatest strengths - nobody expects to have to deal with it, so even if you don't manage to destroy any enemy aircraft you will cause some serious confusion, frustration and wasted ADS for the enemy team.

As with other launcher weapons, the SAAW can instantly kill enemy infantry. The potentially increased lethality of the two-round cartridge is balanced by the weapon's poor aim without weapon lock.

Locking onto enemy aircraft requires about two continuous seconds of training the weapon reticule. On detecting a valid aircraft (including UAVs belonging to either team), the weapon beeps intermittently; when lock is achieved, the weapon emits a solid tone. With active lock, the fired round will chase after its target. If lock is lost due to intervening terrain or buildings, the rocket will fly upward, though it can be directed against other lock targets. One rocket will do roughly 50% damage to enemy gunships and 35% against air transports, though it's about as fast as any other rocket so the enemy aircraft might simply run away from it. The rockets also self-detonate after about 450 meters, which coincides with the weapon's tracking range. The SAAW's tracking system remains active whether the user has ammo or not, so it can be used to pester enemy aircraft.

The SAAW appears in-game as an apparent secondary function of each faction's main anti-vehicle weapon. The EU version shares the same model as the Mitchell AV-18, but it is slightly darker in color and has an LCD screen on the side of the barrel while the AV-18 does not. The PAC version uses the Sudnik model with the console's aircraft button lit/flashing.