NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/sci/military/12794

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-24 | 1.7 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Brian Lane)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Space based combat--the next frontier
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 24 Jan 93 15:52:50 GMT
Sender: [e-mail] (Sci.Military Login)
Organization: North Carolina State University
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From Brian Lane <[e-mail]>

ok....here's a question for all you military buffs out there...
This is actually for a story i'm writing but I figured that the military
folks here could give me a good estimate...
If we consider combat in space in say...the next 50 years...there are three
limitations: the effectiveness of the weapon, the effectiveness of sensors
to detect the target , and the effectiveness of fire control to aim the
weapon so it can hit the detected target.
Let's say that two sides have somehing the size of a naval destroyer out in
deep space somewhere. how close would they have to be before radar could
pick the other ship up, how about passive sensors (what kind of sensors
would they be?)?  How close would they have to be to get an adequate fire
control solution? (I assume the energy weapon they'r using (laser or some
other energy weapon) would have a longer range than the fire control.)

I'd appreciate it if replies were sent in e-mail (and i'd post a edited
compendium of the results), as I don't get on here often enough to avoid
the reader's clearing of messages.

thanx!
Brian
[e-mail]
Raleigh, NC