this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
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All targeting solutions for sublight speed are computable.

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[–] Korkki@lemmy.world 26 points 1 year ago (2 children)

It's not about the targeting computers not being powerful enough. It's about the counter missile not being fast enough and the hypersonic missile being able to zig-zag like a cruise missile, but with similar speeds as ballistic has in it's decent phase.

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They don't need to be as fast. They're not going in the same direction.

[–] Korkki@lemmy.world -4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Then how does it react when the missile is going 3x as fast and sweeps right when the counter missile is sweeping to left towards the missiles previous position and misses, in that case it needs to be faster than the incoming missile itself. Yes, the speed would not be a problem towards a predictable trajectory, that's how ballistic missiles are intercepted even if they go super fast. it's basically a high school math problem in that case to calculate the point of interception in a firing solution. It's also fine if missile can change course, that's how cruise missiles are shot down, because the counter-missile can still race with them when they turn, but when the missile is fast and can change directions mid flight then it doesn't much help how fast the computer calculates if the hardware can't react fast enough. it's basically like if your mind were able to move at superhuman speed but your body is still human and you get shot and only thing you can really do is to watch the bullet approaching but being unable to dodge fast enough.

[–] mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The issue with hypersonic missiles is that they go so fast that the air around them heats up enough to become a plasma. This prevents radio, microwave, and infrared based comms and radar systems from working. So any proper hypersonic missile is stuck with using either optical sensors (which require a ton of processing power and is slow) or inertial sensors (which aren't very accurate due to drift) in order to plot its course.

The Russians are the only ones with "hypersonic missiles" because they're using a different definition. Theirs are just ballistic missiles that move at hypersonic speeds, which by definition can't change course and have a huge IR and radar signature, so it's not that difficult to set a slower patriot missile to be in it's way to intercept.

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Slower objects are more nimble. They don't have to fight inertia.

I can throw a rock at a moving car. It can swerve, but I can easily throw another and it can't swerve again quickly.

[–] Chickenstalker@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

> hypersonichu

> ziz zag

Kek