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**gIWnXYkw** · 11-05-2007, 09:27 AM

The big problem is fuel consumption for the missile, hence the ballistic travelling routine. And if you can build a 20 megaton/second laser however, then I can build any damned missile I want.

It's certainly plausible that a missile could be faster than a ship, I'm just saying that it's not necessary (which you were implying).

We're talking at ranges where lasers suffer. Close up there is no way a ship is avoiding or run from a missile. They will have to just try to shoot it down.

Ability to avoid a missile depends more on relative velocity than relative position.

It says nothing. the laser has an effective range, and the missile has a greater effective range.

I believe I claimed that at the outset of the thread...

I'm betting that the aircraft vs missile stuff you are talking about happened from the stance of a missile fighting against gravity towards an aircraft going with it.

Nope. I can't find a cite right now, sorry, but I distinctly recall reading about at least a couple aircraft that, at the time they were deployed were faster than any surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles in existance. I think the SR-71 was one.

If you want I'll look more later.

in any event, it won't be the case in space most of the time.

I don't think you can make a claim like that. It might be the case in space or it might not. We haven't been considering the relative probabilities of each possibility.

11-05-2007, 09:27 AM	#37
gIWnXYkw Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 543 Senior Member	The big problem is fuel consumption for the missile, hence the ballistic travelling routine. And if you can build a 20 megaton/second laser however, then I can build any damned missile I want. It's certainly plausible that a missile could be faster than a ship, I'm just saying that it's not necessary (which you were implying). We're talking at ranges where lasers suffer. Close up there is no way a ship is avoiding or run from a missile. They will have to just try to shoot it down. Ability to avoid a missile depends more on relative velocity than relative position. It says nothing. the laser has an effective range, and the missile has a greater effective range. I believe I claimed that at the outset of the thread... I'm betting that the aircraft vs missile stuff you are talking about happened from the stance of a missile fighting against gravity towards an aircraft going with it. Nope. I can't find a cite right now, sorry, but I distinctly recall reading about at least a couple aircraft that, at the time they were deployed were faster than any surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles in existance. I think the SR-71 was one. If you want I'll look more later. in any event, it won't be the case in space most of the time. I don't think you can make a claim like that. It might be the case in space or it might not. We haven't been considering the relative probabilities of each possibility.
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