There are 12 in the broadside, I put the (9) in the launcher name myself, as a note of the launcher size. With 3 FCs, I can also launch them as 3 salvoes of 4, to complicate enemy PD. I gather they like using the 3-1 setting, so 4 unit sub salvoes will maximise the chances of some getting through.
I'm kind of stuck with low tech stuff, since this is the start of the game, so there's not so much I can do about it. Yes, smaller missiles fire faster, in larger salvoes, which is all good, but I'm deliberately placing heavier ASMs on the PDC, because it gets a native increase in fire rate on the launchers. I have a dinky little size 6 design with 4 WH for spacegoing applications. With my current tech, a ship based Sz 6 launcher actually has a 90 sec launch cycle...
>> Your PDC can still work, if it can keep shooting longer than the enemy can shoot down your ASMs, i.e. if the enemy runs out of missiles before you do. This makes it necessary, however, to have your PDC survive that long, therefore, more AMM launchers are needed.
I can see any ship that would represent a threat from way out, and with 50m km range, I've got time to shoot a *lot* of missiles. As it happens, a target advancing at 5000km/s would reach the PDC just as the last missiles in the magazine launched, now I have a 30 salvo load. The AMMs won't be alone, either. There are 2 twin meson turrets (with power now, natch), and there will be at least 2 PF flotillas on station for extra protection, once I can get them up, plus whatever fleet elements are present. I think it likely I'll leave a fair size squadron over Earth for some time.
This isn't meant to be a one-base-to-defend-the-Earth deal, it's just what I can do with what I've got. It's adequate for driving off smallish FF fleets, or low tech early warships perhaps, but it's mostly a fixed supplement to what I can put in space. A last line of defense, not the first.
I'd really like to place a PDC on Luna, to take advantage of the lack of atmosphere, but I don't think I can, as it's not colonisable. Shame
>> The weight of fire is not enough to meet the threats that are out there
If some super-teched alien comes swanning into Sol by 2027, I'm pretty much screwed whatever I do, so I'm just not going to worry about it. This PDC will keep alien survey ships and light warships off me, which is all that's required of it