Quote:
Originally Posted by ollie1983
Operationally a TLAM strike would be near impossible to meaningfully intercept. With that effective range, their speed, small physical size and contour following guidance, they would be near impossible to stop without airborne interceptors being placed at the right time to find and hit them. It would still be no small feat to hit a missile tracking the ground at low altitude using air to air missiles given the effect of ground clutter on radar.
Even SAM and AAA on the ground at the intended target would have seconds to make a shot. CIWS on the seas is one thing, but on land it is a another matter entirely.
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On the other hand, if you launch your missiles from a long distance they can be picked up early by radar (especially if they're flying in a group) and the enemy will have sufficient time to scramble some jets. And I'd assume that for a flight of fighters shooting down 10 missiles is a matter of minutes, considering they fly in a straight line and relatively slow (to a supersonic fighter jet). If I were a pilot I'd even forget the missiles (TLAMS might be too small for them to intercept) and just deal with them using guns.
But if you fire them at closer range even if they are picked up by radar there's not enough time to intercept them.