Ground Based Stinger Missiles against Incoming Bombs Dropped from High Altitude, and Missile Separated Warheads

I am seeking the opinion of experienced military personnel on some questions I had regarding a hypothetical method to intercept incoming bombs dropped from high altitude, and high altitude missile separated warheads. I’d greatly appreciate any time you could spare to respond.

1. How many stingers would be necessary to take out one or several of the largest bomb types currently available, in terms of their destructive power, that descend onto a target from a high altitude, solely under the influence of gravity ? Would it be possible to use stingers ? If not, is there a viable alternative ?
2. What could be the range in terms of size and surface geometry of such bombs that could be successfully intercepted by such stingers ? What could be the range in terms of size and surface geometry of each separated warhead that could be successfully intercepted by the stingers ?
3. What area of the bomb would the stingers have to strike in order to successfully destroy it while it is descending - center of geometry, center of gravity, mid-section, head-on ? Similarly for separated warhead.
4. Could such high altitude objects – bombs and separated warheads - be detected by a high altitude loitering UAV equipped with suitable stand alone radar sensors, with the latter transmitting the incoming object’s trajectory information to a stinger system on the ground, to enable successful intercept and destruction of the object at a low altitude point ? If this is viable, how high would the UAV have to fly ? Would it be viable to arm the UAV with air to air stingers as well ?
5. What simulation and CAD programs, by name, could be used to adequately test and develop the concept ? What software programs could be used to develop a prototype of the UAV ?
6. Could it be possible to develop a man-portable version of the UAV and the ground mounted stinger system ? – that is, weight and size effective enough for transport by infantry, without the aid of a vehicle.

Thank you for your time.

Stingers can't target gravity weapons because they use passive IR for targeting.

WD, your fly is open.

I don't understand, am I wrong?

No you're correct. No IR source(heat) = nothing for the Stinger to track. There may be a possiblity of using a Radar guided system against a gravity bomb but those bombs are usually very numerous (especially cluster minutions) and the missiles are too few to catch them all. I don't believe a system exists that could be effectively deployed in the manner you suggest. That is not to say that an effective system couldn't be developed but it would have to be something other than a system that uses IR detection, that's certain. Whether it could be made cost effective will be another big concern, I would think.

Wouldnt the friction from the speed of the missle generate enough heat for targeting?

However if your talking about an ICBM, theres just no way it would be moveing way toooo fast.

Dear Members,

Hitting the arrow in flight is always the worst option. Getting the archer is always preferred if possible. But that is not always possible.

Back in the 1980s General Dynamics offered a land version of the US Navy's Phalanx 20mm CIWS for defense of important items -- ie command centers, Patriot radar units, etc. It would basically destroy incomign missiles and bombs. The US Army is now looking at it again because of the fact that the Russians are offering ultra-high speed Krypton anti-radar missiles for export.

Finally, the first known interception in combat of a bomb by a missile was during the Falklands War in 1982 when an Argentine Roland battery got a lock on a Sear Harrier and transfered it to a bomb that Sea Harrier had released in a loft release.

Jack E. Hammond

Originally Posted by jackehammond

Dear Members,

Hitting the arrow in flight is always the worst option. Getting the archer is always preferred if possible. But that is not always possible.

Back in the 1980s General Dynamics offered a land version of the US Navy's Phalanx 20mm CIWS for defense of important items -- ie command centers, Patriot radar units, etc. It would basically destroy incomign missiles and bombs. The US Army is now looking at it again because of the fact that the Russians are offering ultra-high speed Krypton anti-radar missiles for export.

Finally, the first known interception in combat of a bomb by a missile was during the Falklands War in 1982 when an Argentine Roland battery got a lock on a Sear Harrier and transfered it to a bomb that Sea Harrier had released in a loft release.

Jack E. Hammond

Sounds liek the M167A2 PIVADS.

What about digital recognition of the incoming missile warhead or bomb, could that not be a workable strategy in such a scenario ?
Stingers are supposed to about US 40,000 per piece, so would not having greater numbers deployed per target be feasible ?

think about development costs offsetting the potential benefit.