[ShadowBanThis01]

Not to mention that this simply moves the initial conflict to space, where adversaries can deploy DE satellites to destroy ours... and THEN launch missiles.

It's incredible that 40 years after Reagan and the "Star Wars" defense plan, we finally have entities doing what seemed obvious even to high-schoolers at the time: just make the missiles zig-zag.

[ryan_j_naughton]

what seems obvious is still very difficult. Zig-zagging at hypersonic speeds creates insane G forces on the projectile.

[ShadowBanThis01]

But you only have to nudge it a little to make the "bullet hitting a bullet" untenable, especially if you do it after countermeasures are launched.

[LorenPechtel]

Zig-zagging burns energy. Staying in the atmosphere burns energy. Even without burning up energy on maneuvering missiles are mostly fuel--and the tyranny of the rocket equation applies. (Note that this is not a problem for terminal maneuvering--the missile can trade it's velocity for maneuvering at that point while only incurring the penalty of bringing along the control surfaces.)