The missiles are scary though. The concept is that you have nuclear (powered) cruise missiles that can just cruise/loiter around in space, at very high speeds,

The missiles are scary though. The concept is that you have nuclear (powered) cruise missiles that can just cruise/loiter around in space, at very high speeds, and with maneuverability until they are needed. For years. If you have sufficient coverage of those, they could be used to strike on very, very short notice.