anti missile technlogy

is it against both balistic and cruse missile?, or it's more anti balistic and for cruse missile, you need new technology?

anti-cruise missile technology is also known as Surface to Air missiles

Originally posted by q_men
is it against both balistic and cruse missile?, or it's more anti balistic and for cruse missile, you need new technology?

Cruise missiles can be shot down with conventional SAMs because they fly at low altitudes are relatively slow and small. Ballistic missiles, depending on their range, can fly at extremely high altitudes (e.g. ICBMs actually orbit the Earth before deorbiting and slamming onto their target), pick up very high speeds (up to a couple of Machs on target impact, way higher during flight), are heavy and thus have greater momentum (p=velocityxmass). To hit and destroy one of these things requires not only a very high energy warhead and missile but also a very capable long range radar system that can track and locate their precise location so that they can be destroyed far enough to prevent damage to their targets.

Everyone assumes that the Patriot anti aircraft (and it was anti aircraft, not anti missle as believed) missle is the top of the line in air defence... its not, and it wasnt even the top of the line back in 1991. We fielded it because we knew that bio/chem weapons wouldnt be used in that conflict (Gulf war was totally planned out from the beginning).

The Patriot has been obsoleted, and is currently being phased out of service. Its replacement underwent live fire exercises in Isreal last week, and had a FAR better kill ratio than the Patriot.

Of course, missles are soon to be declared a dinosaur for antimissle defense.... we have been developing laser weapons for the last 20 years, and 3 months ago, in another joint US/Isreali exercise, a ground based laser took down a 155mm artillery shell in mid air.

However, our most effective air defense system is one that is currently in place, and the general public knowns nothing about it, although everyone has seen its effects..... HAARP