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Originally Posted by Tchocky
Yeah, cool.
But wouldn't the area covered be very small, and given the speed of warheads, totally ineffectual except on a 1000+ fleet basis?
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This is a weapon to engage ballistic missiles in their boost phase (that is, when the rocket is just leaving the pad and heading on it's way up out of the atmosphere. It does not engage the re-entry warheads, nor does it engage smaller missiles/rockets (like AIM-9 Sidewinders and such. It only is for the "big stuff")). The laser has an extremely long range (over 1,000 miles, I belive) and pinpoint accuracy (according to the reports).
They are to be deployed in one or two-plane groups around ICBM "hotspots" (Like around NK's Rocket-launch area on Korea's eastern coast. It is to be the "second layer of defence" for ICBMs).
The layers being:
Pre: Negotiation, talking.
1: Destroying the rocket while it is still on the ground; first-strike
2: The ABL system to destroy the rocket on it's way up.
3: (possibly still experimental/not fully developed) ABM Satillites in orbit./Ground based, midcourse interceptor rockets.
4: THAAD
5: Patriot Missiles/ABM Standard Missiles
6: Just about anything that can shoot a projectile (or otherwise) upwards in a last-ditch effort.:p