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I need to dig into this more cause I generally dislike kinetic weapons cause they are overhyped. But I have a few issues. Starship needs to launch, drop, proje
by ianburrell 4y ago
I need to dig into this more cause I generally dislike kinetic weapons cause they are overhyped. But I have a few issues.
Starship needs to launch, drop, projectiles, and then land. The problem is without of cross range fuel, it is likely to come within range of the enemy. Who will shoot it down and out the cost of whole Starship.
He mentions guidance but guidance is a huge problem with hypersonic missiles and orbital would be worse. Anti-ship are right out but GPS guided is probably doable.
He also mentions projectiles but it might be projectile. The problem is that it takes a large projectile to make it to Earth since smaller ones burn up. Smaller things can return from orbit but they use heat shields to slow down; ICBM warheads slow down to Mach 10. I haven't seen any studies about how projectile needs to make it down.
Also, using Starship like this is really destabilizing. It looks like a reusable ICBM. Starship can carry hundreds of nuclear warheads. Them coming down looks like a first strike. The enemy has to assume that they are nuclear not kinetic. This is why ideas of conventional ICBM for prompt strike fail cause of the risk.