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Originally Posted by Isto
For example, there are two missiles incoming, and both of them separate to 24 (x 2 = 48) smaller Warheads before coming to range of Laser Weaponry)
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Current UK laser weapon accuracy is being able to put 50KW onto a target about the diameter of the 1 EURO coin (25mm~) at 1 km distance.
If you have to separate your main munition into submunitions at say 2 km distance to present a credible target to the laser; the laser has inflicted virtual attrition -- because now wind is going to cause drift, unless you make the submunitions powered/controlled, which drives cost up and reduces # per missile.
So it's a vicious circle you're starting.
I think we're all going to converge on some sort of hybrid Air Defense/General Support vehicle where you have:
1.) 75-100 KW laser for general trash duties (popping drones, shooting down random stuff, destroying UXO in place etc)
2.) 70mm Guided Rocket Pod filled with 40~ 70mm HYDRA type rockets with either a laser guidance kit (cheap) or millimetric wave radar gudiance (expensive). Ukraine is already using laser guided 70mm Hydra-type rockets in airburst/proximity fuze mode against Iranian Shaheed drones.
https://greydynamics.com/vampires-in...rocket-system/
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Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS) rockets. The APKWS is a 70mm laser-guided rocket that cost US$27,500 per unit.
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The reason I selected a 70mm rocket was that if we put a 40mm Case Telescoped Gun with proximity airburst rounds onto the platform, people will start using it as a general purpose support vehicle, driving it up onto the battlefield to hose down houses and buildings we don't like, which isn't optimal as stuff that shows up on the battlefield for direct fire roles gets shot at.
With 70mm laser guided rockets, you don't even have to have the system be in direct line of sight for engaging ground targets; someone could have a laser designator and guide in the rocket; allowing more "covered area" than a 40mm CTA gun.
3.) Active Radar Effectors -- Modern Digital reprogrammable AESA radars which you'll need to find and target drones anyway -- can be reprogrammed easily for electronic attack -- sending short, focused hyper intense bursts of radar energy -- to fry ("zap") relatively unshielded drones during periods of extremely bad weather where the laser range is reduced.