4 ms·

If it's heading at you at Mach 9, just dump a load of BB pellets against it.

by jhgb 5y ago

rbanffy 5y ago
Unless you dump a significant amount of BB pellets, you’ll still have high-speed missile parts flying in your direction.
- jhgb 5y ago
  At the altitude at which you can reasonably fly at Mach 9, destroying the aerodynamics of the vehicle means that you have low-speed parts of a formerly high-speed missile flying in your direction. And unless the interception happens in the zenith, whence they could just fall down on you, they won't keep flying in your direction for long.
  - sudosysgen 5y ago
    I don't understand your description. Where do you want to put shrapnel in front of the missile? Because you're not going to be able to do it until shortly before impact. Also, flight at Mach 9 can be done at low altitudes. Just not for very long and only once.
- pie420 5y ago
  Those high speed middle parts will get slowed down by insane air resistance down to sub Mach 1 speeds in a couple hundred meters would be my guess. Non-aerodynamic, non-propelled middle chunks are not a threat to battleships, especially compared to Mach 9 missiles.
  - sudosysgen 5y ago
    How do you shoot projectiles at a hypersonic missile within a hundred meters of impact? Also, I don't think you appreciate the amount of energy in a 5 ton missile going at hypersonic speeds. For it to slow down within 200m, it needs to basically stop in 0.075 seconds.
    - jhgb 5y ago
      > For it to slow down within 200m, it needs to basically stop in 0.075 seconds For non-aerodynamic fragments, this is not very difficult. Furthermore 0.075 seconds for a 200m braking distance seems too short unless you're flying at something like Mach 15. But you're not flying at Mach 15 if you're 200 m from a ground target because you can't fly at Mach 15 at a 0-200m altitude -- certainly not with something powered and guided and equipped with sensors. Maybe a solid metal rod could do that but this ain't it. So it seems quite reasonable to assume that 200 m off the target, the vehicle will be at a significantly slower speed, much like ICBM RVs don't impact their targets at Mach 25 either.
jcun4128 5y ago
Maybe it would be more like a missile intercepting this incoming missile then... I've seen some of those missiles that can turn 90 degrees and accelerate to some insane speed. Don't know if the sprint missile does the 90deg turn but I think another Russian missile does the 90deg turn after launching.
- Gravityloss 5y ago
  That's just after launch at basically no speed. Of course you must exit the launch tube along the direction of the tube (usually with launch charge) and then turn.

If it's heading at you at Mach 9, just dump a load of BB pellets against it.

by jhgb 5y ago

If it's heading at you at Mach 9, just dump a load of BB pellets against it.

Unless you dump a significant amount of BB pellets, you’ll still have high-speed missile parts flying in your direction.

jhgb 5y ago
At the altitude at which you can reasonably fly at Mach 9, destroying the aerodynamics of the vehicle means that you have low-speed parts of a formerly high-speed missile flying in your direction. And unless the interception happens in the zenith, whence they could just fall down on you, they won't keep flying in your direction for long.
- sudosysgen 5y ago
  I don't understand your description. Where do you want to put shrapnel in front of the missile? Because you're not going to be able to do it until shortly before impact. Also, flight at Mach 9 can be done at low altitudes. Just not for very long and only once.
pie420 5y ago
Those high speed middle parts will get slowed down by insane air resistance down to sub Mach 1 speeds in a couple hundred meters would be my guess. Non-aerodynamic, non-propelled middle chunks are not a threat to battleships, especially compared to Mach 9 missiles.
- sudosysgen 5y ago
  How do you shoot projectiles at a hypersonic missile within a hundred meters of impact? Also, I don't think you appreciate the amount of energy in a 5 ton missile going at hypersonic speeds. For it to slow down within 200m, it needs to basically stop in 0.075 seconds.
  - jhgb 5y ago
    > For it to slow down within 200m, it needs to basically stop in 0.075 seconds For non-aerodynamic fragments, this is not very difficult. Furthermore 0.075 seconds for a 200m braking distance seems too short unless you're flying at something like Mach 15. But you're not flying at Mach 15 if you're 200 m from a ground target because you can't fly at Mach 15 at a 0-200m altitude -- certainly not with something powered and guided and equipped with sensors. Maybe a solid metal rod could do that but this ain't it. So it seems quite reasonable to assume that 200 m off the target, the vehicle will be at a significantly slower speed, much like ICBM RVs don't impact their targets at Mach 25 either.

jcun4128 5y ago

Maybe it would be more like a missile intercepting this incoming missile then... I've seen some of those missiles that can turn 90 degrees and accelerate to some insane speed. Don't know if the sprint missile does the 90deg turn but I think another Russian missile does the 90deg turn after launching.

Gravityloss 5y ago
That's just after launch at basically no speed. Of course you must exit the launch tube along the direction of the tube (usually with launch charge) and then turn.