psCargile wrote:While spacebased munitions have the advantage of gravity boosted kinetic energy, they lack tactical immediacy due to each orbit having its own defined speed.
Interesting conclusion. But there are a lot of variables that would have to be considered in reaching that conclusion.
For example:
1. How fast is the target relative to the spacecraft that would attack it, and,
2. How maneuverable is the target relative to spacecraft that would attack it, and,
2. How many micro-spacecraft are in how many different orbits vs how many targets can attempt to climb into orbit at the same time, and,
3. How much do a thousand micro-space craft already in orbit cost vs the cost of a thousand targets capable of climbing up the gravity well, and,
etc., etc. etc
The bottom line here is a battle ship is much slower, has much shorter weapons range and can be destroyed by a few airplanes.
Airplanes, that is craft that fly through the air at high speed ( compared to ships ) made the most expensive, and must survivable ocean based weapon system obsolete because of the cost differential, range differential, and speed differential that were all in favor of aircraft over battleships.
Any weapon system that has the same advantage over land/sea based ballistic missiles will make such ballistic missiles obsolete.
Ballistic missiles require between 10 and 30 minutes ( depending on range ) to climb up the gravity well, out of the atmosphere and reach the top of their ballistic arc, high in outer space, before falling back to earth.
Micro spacecraft cost a tiny fraction of the cost of a ballistic missile and many of them can be deployed per low cost rocket launched from a high flying airplane months or even years before any conflict.
Space is the high ground, and any country that can place enough micro spacecraft in orbit to deny the use of space to any earth based enemy will control space.
Short range Ballistic missiles, medium range Ballistic missiles, and long range Ballistic missiles all require access to space to work. The side that controls space will be able to use Ballistic missiles, the side that does not will be denied the use of Ballistic missiles.