GWX request, if not too late

One of the things I've noticed, in the stock game and all the mods (so far), is that I don't ever really need an audible or text notification that a target is sinking. In fact, all I ever need to detect if a ship has been critically damaged and is about to start its journey to Davy Jones locker is my UZO or 'scopes . . .

. . . because the lock auto-unlocks . . .
. . . or is impossible to re-lock.

Especially with the NYGM damage mod making it more difficult (and more realistic) in terms of ship damage vis-a-vis sinking, it's a bit irksome and disappointing to be intently observing a crippled ship, trying to decide if a coup de grace torpedo is needed, only to decide that, yes, it is . . . only to target the ship and go to lock onto it, and realize that, since I can't lock onto it, it's gonna be a goner after all.

One time when that happened I saved the game and, out of curiosity, hung around to see how much longer it took to actually sink. 30 -40 minutes later it finally slid under the billowing waves.

I'm going to hazard a guess that this is something hardcoded and unfixable but, on the off-chance that I'm wrong . . . I'll ask.