Imagine you're in control of a battery of satellite controlled missiles. You have to eliminate 1 million hunters, at a distance of 1,000 miles. The hunters are deployed at a density of about 4-5 per square mile. Each of your missiles has a blast radius of a few hundred feet. Do the math.
1 sq mile = 27,878,400 sq ft
Blast area of 1 missile (500 ft radius) = 785,398 sq ft (assuming circular blast area)
# missiles per sq mile = 27,878,400 sq. ft / 785,398 sq ft = 35.49 ~ 36 missiles (I would have rounded down to 35 but that leaves approx. 8.6 acres untouched by missiles and a hunter could be on that land)
1,000,000 hunters based on 5 hunters per sq. mile takes up 200,000 sq. miles. (Assuming contiguous area)
Therefore to cover 200,000 sq. miles with 36 missiles per sq. mile would take 7,200,000 missiles (7.2 million)
I can't help it. I was curious. I have the “knack” and I'm an engineer. I think we will be able to defend our country.
:-)