3 ms·

Most interceptor systems are designed to hit missiles in the middle of their flight plan. For the US, that means over the Atlantic or Pacific ocean. So the wa

Most interceptor systems are designed to hit missiles in the middle of their flight plan. For the US, that means over the Atlantic or Pacific ocean. So the warhead(s) likely break up and their radioactive materials are dumped into those oceans and the atmosphere above them, either in mostly intact chunks of debris, or in the form of dust when they burn up. If they did detonate (unlikely but not impossible) it would be well away from populated areas... Bare in mind that no one has actually managed to intercept

readonthegoapp 4y ago
don't missile get intercepted now all the time?
- chx 4y ago
  GP is talking of ICBMs and AFAIK no one ever fired one of those in a war thanks God. The Iskanders Ukraine shoots down are short range.
  - gggggg5 4y ago
    Has there been a single documented interception of an Iskander ballistic missile? Iskander-K cruise missiles have almost certainly been intercepted, yeah.
- LatteLazy 4y ago
  As the other commenter says I mean ICBMs. No one has intercepted one of those yet. It's a very difficult task compared to other missiles... The US navy say they managed to intercept an "ICBM like" test missile. But I don't think they've released any actual details so we wait to see.
  - chipsa 4y ago
    On the one hand, the speed makes the interception harder. On the other hand, Ballistic Missiles are ballistic. They don't maneuver, they go exactly as Newton says they go.
- gggggg5 4y ago
  Cruise missiles, not ballistic missiles.
  - readonthegoapp 4y ago
    ok, so now at least i understand what the flight trajectory differences are between the two, i understand they are two distinct things, i looked up the definition of 'ballistic, and apparently a lot of people wonder these same things. Difference between Ballistic & Cruise missile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG0OOQr2bbw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG0OOQr2bbw What Happens If You Try To Shoot Down A Nuclear Missile Mid-Air? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEjw-hbcbSY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEjw-hbcbSY

readonthegoapp 4y ago

don't missile get intercepted now all the time?

chx 4y ago
GP is talking of ICBMs and AFAIK no one ever fired one of those in a war thanks God. The Iskanders Ukraine shoots down are short range.
- gggggg5 4y ago
  Has there been a single documented interception of an Iskander ballistic missile? Iskander-K cruise missiles have almost certainly been intercepted, yeah.
LatteLazy 4y ago
As the other commenter says I mean ICBMs. No one has intercepted one of those yet. It's a very difficult task compared to other missiles... The US navy say they managed to intercept an "ICBM like" test missile. But I don't think they've released any actual details so we wait to see.
- chipsa 4y ago
  On the one hand, the speed makes the interception harder. On the other hand, Ballistic Missiles are ballistic. They don't maneuver, they go exactly as Newton says they go.
gggggg5 4y ago
Cruise missiles, not ballistic missiles.
- readonthegoapp 4y ago
  ok, so now at least i understand what the flight trajectory differences are between the two, i understand they are two distinct things, i looked up the definition of 'ballistic, and apparently a lot of people wonder these same things. Difference between Ballistic & Cruise missile https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG0OOQr2bbw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG0OOQr2bbw What Happens If You Try To Shoot Down A Nuclear Missile Mid-Air? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEjw-hbcbSY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEjw-hbcbSY