[ckozlowski]

Yup, that's certainly one. I see this technique as simply one more tool in the toolbox. Air defense (and really, all of warfare) is not a single "this thing is better than the rest" but a system of things that work in conjunction with one another. This system has advantages (passive, cheap, portable) and disadvantages (short range, clear weather only). It's good and useful work, and could conceivably be part of a larger system.