why the hell are we not shooting these things down? Will somebody please tell me?
We only got so many missile interceptors, they are extremely expensive, we can’t afford to wast them on missiles we know are not going to hit us.
That said a demonstration might be in order to inform north Korea of the futility of launching missiles against us.
Patriot PAC-3 is designed to shoot at a warhead coming down very near it. The Japanese have the Patriot. The missile was shot overhead. For that you need the Navy’s mid-course ABM system built around the Aegis Radar & Standard-3 missile. We currently don’t have a boost-phase anti-missile system as Obama canceled the airborne laser system.
More than that, however, the missile defense radars develop a target plot with a projected impact zone. If the missile isn’t projected to hit anything they let it go. That’s my understanding, andyway.
if we shoot at it and miss the round could end up hitting Russia or China, or if it impacts over Japan or SK it showers debris over those countries.
nothing is as easy as it sounds.