The most amazing part for me, out of all of Tom Clancy’s stories occured in Red Storm Rising.
Clancy was describing a missile attack on a U.S warship. With multiple incoming, he describes the Phalanx integrated weapon system and how it went into what’s called a “deadly embrace” — where a control program prioritizing between two tasks. When it switches to either task the other task elevates to a higher priority thus causing no firing sequence as the turret bounces between each target.
Another, Clancy describe a ship “presenting her deck”, when a ship turns into a missile so that when it hits, it hits well above the water line, giving damage control a chance to save lives and possibly the ship. After the ship is hit, it will turn away and continue in a circle to keep the damaged hull out of the water.
They were both amazing passages.
I remember that too. Certainly software designers would foresee that scenario and deal with it, or so you'd think.