(Disclaimer: this is what happens when A&D starts researching ICBM's. But please read the following concerns before calling me a retarded pinhead.

This design is more of a quick draft then a full design. It tries out a concept that is possibly wank and possibly useless.

I am entirely aware that space based weaponary is ridiculously expensive and provides no (military) benefits over ground based nuclear weapons platforms. But hold on, because I do have a few legimate reasons why I want this. The most important one is diplomacy. Having space weaponary is something special, something not everyone can afford. The idea of that this guy over here named Dystopianus has several nukes flying over your head, that can be released at any time, sure can help in diplomacy. The pen is mightier then the sword, but it is best if you bring both the pen and the sword, if you catch my drift. ;)

As for realism, the system is based on conventional technologies for launching sattelites in space. The only difference is that the missile itself is the sattelite, and does not return to earth unless it is about to unleash its nuclear weaponary.

It depends on the overall costs wheter I am going to deploy this. It the overall cost is more then a completely equipped infantry division, I'm not going to do it. Maybe developing this together with other nations, or developing an export variant for other nations, would be enough to cope with the costs, even though exporting something like this would be quite unrealistic. Nevertheless, I would gladly like to know how much all of this would cost me.

And as a final notice, many parts were guesstimating. Do not hestitate to correct me if I'm wrong on certain statements; I barely know anything about this subject.

So far goes the disclaimer. Now go ahead and say what you want, but remember to be nice please. I am somewhat afraid of NSD's usual criticism.)

Ægis Orbital Defense System
Missile weight: 270 (metric) tonnes. (loaded)
Sattelite weight: 70 (metric) tonnes. (loaded)
Total length: 30 meters
Diameter: 3.1 meter at base
Operational range: Unlimited
Guidance system: Remotely guided
Launch platform: Silo launch or train launch
Cost per missile:

--R-819 reentry vehicle--
Weight: 25 (metric) tonnes.
Accuracy: 300m CEP
Explosive power: 38 megatonne
Guidance system: Pre-programmed flight path, GPS correction, fluid stabilised.
Detonation mechanism: Airburst

--R-818 reentry vehicle--
Weight: 8 (metric) tonnes
Accuracy: 300m CEP
Explosive power: 850 kilotonne
Guidance system: Pre-programmed flight path, GPS correction, fluid stabilised
Detonation mechanism: Airburst

--R-817 reentry vehicle--
Weight: 7 (metric) tonnes
Accuracy: 300m CEP
Explosive power: 44 tonnes
Guidance system: Pre-programmed flight path, GPS correction, fluid stabilised
Detonation mechanism: Airburst

--R-816 reentry vehicle--
Weight: 9 (metric) tonnes
Accuracy: 300m CEP
Explosive power: N\A
Penetration: 60 meters of reinforced concrete
Guidance system: Pre-programmed flight path, GPS correction, fluid stabilised
Detonation mechanism: Direct impact

The ÆGIS orbital defense network is the latest addition to the Dystopian arsenal, and without doubt its most fearsome weapon.

The ÆGIS system conists out of a series of unmanned low-orbital MIRV ICBM's launched from ground based facilities, such as silo's, platforms, or even the more mobile train based networks. A single computer, located deep inside one of Dystopianus' most secure command facilities, controls the orbital defence system.

The missiles use several traps to launch themselves into orbit as efficiently as possible. The start fase uses two additional side mounted boosters to bring the missile up in the air, and after a short time these boosters fall off and the main rocket engine takes over. Once low-orbit has been archieved, this main engine is also detached and the remaining projectile uses its steering rockets to steer its way to enter a course around the planet. When the projectile is safely in place around orbit, it does not consume any fuel anymore, considering there is no friction is space. Essentially the missile will become a sattelite, and can stay in space for years to come. The rocket boosters will only steer when tasked to do so; for example, in order to evade rubble that might damage the sattelite.

When the payload it carries needs to be brought to bear, the ground control will automatically calculate the course a missile will have to take to reach the target. Then the computer calculates which orbital missile is currently in the best position to reach the target, and signs over the calculations to that missile. The missile will re-engage its steeting rockets and exit its course around the earth. Gravity shall pull the missile downwards, onto the target of choice.

In mid-flight, the missile will release its MIRV warheads. MIRV's are projectiles capable of choosing their own targets in mid flight; like guided cluster projectiles. This way the area of impact can be spread out. The missile system is capable of being equipped with three different standard MIRV's. The missile can either carry three R-819 nuclear hydrogen warheads for the sheer and utter destruction of entire nations, or 10 R-818 nuclear warheads for widespread disperal of nuclear munitions in order to cause more casualities.

In addition to that, there is also the R-817 missile that carries 10 "Thermobaric Bomb of Increased Power", also nicknamed "Father Of All Bombs" (FOAB). These deadly bombs are the size of the R-818 projectile. Although this one does not hold the power of a nuclear projectile, it still provides devestating effect on the target, and is a useful projectile when large civillian targets such as cities should be avoided or when use of nuclear weapons might infringe on certain diplomatic factors.

Another warhead, the R-816, is of a special "bunker buster" design, and is designed to take down enemy command bunkers and nuclear missile silo's with utmost accuracy. This way a nuclear attack can be avoided prematurely. The R-816 does not has an explosive charge, relying or pure penetration: that makes it virtually useless against soft targets, but rest assure that no bunker will be safe.

The R-820, a neutron weapon, is currently in the works: little information about it is available, other then that it will be a neutron bomb. The Dystopian missile defence force however is not much interested in the weapon, and the project might be cancelled soon.

Each warhead is very difficult to take out, due to the comparetively small size of the warheads and the amazing speed at which the MARV's travel. Each MIRV also carries chaff, flares, and electro-optical jamming pods. Disabling this projectile before it impacts is virtually impossible.

In short, Ægis can deliver its deadly payload anywhere, at any time.

Pardon the bluntness, but your research seems to have proven wrong on a few points.

Most of all, the launch to orbit weight ratio. To orbit 100t, you need something closer to 1:25 ratio, for one. And an overall 1:10 is just silly.

This is just a FOBS. You need to rework this thing from the ground up.

You aren't going to train launch these rockets. They are going to be the size of a Saturn V with the payload you want. If the Saturn V was a perfect cylinder, it would have a volume of 8856.6 cubic meters. Again, assuming the perfect cylinder, has a volume of 905.26 cubic meters. How do you fit similar payloads into a rocket a tenth the size?The Saturn V's LEO payload was just under 4% of its total mass. With yours its 39% of the total mass.

There is no need for a 38 megaton warhead. You would be better off with a lot more smaller ones and decoys.

Get rid of the R-816 reentry vehicle. Radar won't be able to tell the target its not nuclear, and they'd probably glass you if it flew over them. Same reason the US dropped the conventionally armed Minutemen and Tridents from the Prompt Global Strike project. You launch these things and everyone in the flight path would fire at you. Every single country tracks everything in Orbit. They will know which of your satellites are weaponized, and if you launch even remotely close to them, they'll take you down, even if they aren't the target.

Others will be able to tell you more, but before they get here, do a lot of research and redo the entire thing.

You are both right, thanks for the help. As I said, the stats were mostly guesstimating. So I'll just reduce the sattelite weight to 70 tonne. I don't know how that relates to power to weight ratio or volume to mass ratio or whatever, I really have difficulty with that kind of calculations. So if I'm wrong please correct me or present me with a more appropriate number.

@ Binary: I will keep the R-816 for conventional bunker busting against non-nuclear, but I won't use it very often now that you helped me with this.

The same goes for the larger warhead, because it is a terrifying weapon. Besides maybe some others in my region really want it.

It is not exactly like a FOBS. This missile is meant to stay in space for prolonged times. Just so that I can call it a space weapon, and so that it will be safer from enemy intervention.

You need to make it bigger anyway. The launch vehicle is still way to small. It should be well over 1500 tons if not in the 2000 ton range. Seriously. No train launching. You'll want this thing to be 2-3 times as tall and wide. A rocket this size and weight would have a payload of under 10 tons, not 70.

Oh! That changes things... Seems like my estimations were really far off. So, 1500 metric tonnes then, and keeping the other stats the same?

I also think my re-entry vehicles are either too weak or too heavy, are they? Because SS-18 is simmilar (that's what this thing is based off) and also carries 10 MIRV's of simmilar power, but is much lighter.

The ratio for getting stuff in LEO is 1:25, if using LH2+LOX. If using solid fuel, more like 1:32-1:40.

Dig up Lyras' FOBS thread, it's somewhere around, for more data.

You have really shitty CEP and the warheads should be redone. :|||||

Not much to add but is the mention of a wire guidance system a typo/atrifact from a previous use of the stat block? Or is it actually intentional?

^ this. I mean right? Are you really trying to make a wire guided ICBM?

Sounds perfectly reasonable. Now my V-2s won't go to Kabul instead of London anymore!

I should change the weight to 1500 tonne then, but that wasn't the intention of my design. I think my problem is this:

I think that this might explain why my payload is so heavy.

Izi: how should the CEP be done then? The warheads will be redone, but first I need to know how heavy an average re-entry vehicle is.

Crookfur: I thought wire-guided was needed to bring a sattelite into space... So I did the same here. The re-entry phase is pre-programmed however. What should it be then?

PS: My apologies for the absurd amounts of fail in my design. I hope with the help of you guys I can turn this into something useful after all.

A lesser man would read on SS-19 and get specs from there, but if a design is too Teutonic to work, a greater man knows the true solution is to make it even more Teutonic! Make the standard rail gauge in your nation so wide that you can only afford one rail line, and place the gigantic rocket on it, together with 3,000 of staff including two bordellos.

No. I have a better solution. This thing was designed to be an affordable space weapon, so an affordable space weapon it will be.

No more train launches, and weight limit of 300 tonnes.

A wire guide missile is a missile that is guided by signals sent to it by wire that are attached to both the missile and the launcher. You aren't seriously suggesting that you have cables attached to your ICBMs, are you?

TOWs in spess

several dozen kilometer long wire, don't you know?

Oh, right. I thought wire guided and remotely controlled were the same thing.

I still need quite some help on this, I am kind of stuck on this hopeless design. Maybe I'd better just do a proper commision or something rather then continuing this shitty noob design. But as long as there still is hope, I will continue it.

Well there is not real point to this tbh. Its basically a long duration FOBS system.