Extreme Range Strike Capability

[Steve Walmsley]

Shame missiles burn all their fuel in one go, 'twould be amusing to have a missile design that accelerated to some predetermined fraction of c, then coasted to an assigned point in space before burning the remainder of its fuel in course corrections and final acceleration to target. MIRV the coasting delivery bus for extra fun and games. Set up a pdc or twenty and just start a non stop bombardment from across the depths of space.

What you could do is design a two-stage missile. The first stage would be super-long-range wth a slow but very fuel efficient while the second stage would be a normal missile.

Steve

[Bandus (OP)]

Have some commercial engine ships set up as tugs.  The civvies will be pretty much nothing besides engines and fuel.  They can haul your combat ships out there and then wait for the battle.  Once you win they tow the ships back.  I would probably go with fighters for the actual combat with carriers being towed as it would give you plenty of flexibility.  If fighters don't appeal to you there is always the gunboat option.  build the gunboats for short range flights (1-2 days) have them loaded with missiles and see what you can do.  They are small enough that you may be able to get them into launch range without being seen.

Now that is an I hadn't considered. Very interesting thought, indeed. Thank you!

[Zatsuza]

>Project military force
>Project Mass Packets.


But yeah, I'm toying of the idea of ultra-long range combat right now-- multistage missiles designed to be blind-fired, usually as a first-strike weapon. I'd pick up stuff with passive sensors and launch them towards a waypoint where I expect them to be. By the time they get there, I could have several other salvos in flight and enough time to reload from a collier before the enemy detects my ships, if they detect them at all. Or, as the first salvos start arriving I can move some cruisers for more high-speed missile salvos.

I think I'd end up wasting quite a few salvos though.