Comments on: Falling hazel nuts https://didacticmind.com/2024/11/falling-hazel-nuts.html Strategic Defence of the Mantle of Responsibility Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:42:15 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Joe https://didacticmind.com/2024/11/falling-hazel-nuts.html#comment-9339 Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:42:15 +0000 https://didacticmind.com/?p=21298#comment-9339 “My understanding is that the primary exoatmospheric missile defence system used by the US for such things, is the SM-3 interceptor launched by the Aegis.”

All of their long-range interceptors use exo-atmospheric spacecraft: SM-3 Block I/II, THAAD, GMD.

That may also be a problem. Footage from elsewhere in Russia appears to show an in-atmosphere boost trajectory, with the missile in a sort of plasma bubble. If the boost phase happens in-atmopshere, none of our long-range interceptors can affect Oreshnik even if they catch it before payload release. Their kill vehicles aren’t designed for in-atmosphere intercepts. Would they even survive in-atmosphere deployment?

The next question involves total system range, and the breakdowns between each stage. If Ritter is right and the payloads are full hypersonic missiles with submunitions, separation could be far enough away that no Western interceptor could reasonably even reach that far.

Once the payloads are deployed, of course, we can’t do much against maneuvering hypersonics.

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