Reduction in coverage of KEW (kinetic energy weapons) boost-phase-intercept system due to decreased booster burn time and increased commitment delay. Final report, November 1985-July 1986
A simplified model of a space-based kinetic-energy-weapon (KEW) Boost-Phase-Intercept (BPI) System was constructed to evaluate the effects on geometrical leakage (incomplete coverage) from countermeasures and responses to countermeasures. The reduction in KEW coverage due to decrease in ballistic-missile burn time and increase in commitment delay time is balanced against system responses that shorten the time taken by the KEW interceptor to reach the ballistic-missile booster: increasing interceptor velocity or shortening the distance to be traveled by the interceptor by lowering the altitude or increasing the number of KEW satellite platforms. Shortened booster turn time is calculated to be a very effective countermeasure against a KEW BPI system. Reduction to about 120 seconds negates a KEW system that has an interceptor velocity of 5 km/sec and a platform altitude of 500 km. Reduction to 150 seconds requires a factor of more than five increase in number of platforms to compensate. Increasing the interceptor velocity is a more effective counter-countermeasure than lowering the platform altitude. However, increasing the interceptor velocity to 7 km/sec does not reduce below 100 sec the booster burn time to negate the system.
- Research Organization:
- Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria, VA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 7096616
- Report Number(s):
- AD-A-175023/1/XAB; IDA-M-227
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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