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Orbital BombardmentOrbital bombardment is the act of attacking a planet, moon or other such object from orbit, in the sense of not being suborbital like an ICBM. The Soviet Union has had a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System deployed from 1968-1983. The SALT II treaty (1979) prohibited the deployment of orbital weapons of mass destruction: - '' Each Party undertakes not to develop, test, or deploy:
- (...)
- (c) systems for placing into Earth orbit nuclear weapons or any other kind of weapons of mass destruction, including fractional orbital missiles;
The missile was phased out in January 1983 in compliance with this treaty. Orbital bombardment systems with conventional warheads may be allowed, but do not seem very efficient. Science fiction Orbital bombardment systems have also featured in speculation and science fiction, including systems as powerful as would require a level of technology beyond the current one. The presence of an atmosphere on a target may burn up projectiles and disperse beam weapons, presenting some practical difficulties. Mass drivers have been presented in several science fiction works as being particularly well-suited to the task of engaging in orbital bombardment. An effective orbital bombardment, if it is possible to engage in one, is regarded in science fiction as one of the most devastating forms of attack. Unless planetary shielding is allowed by the setting and in use, effective countermeasures require either a superior space-based force or a significant number of ground-to-space weaponry, typically very easy to spot and destroy. In the absence of either, orbital bombardment can continue until the attackers run out of ammunition. Worse, those capable of such a feat are also more than likely to possess nuclear weapons at the least. In science fiction, numerous planet killers operate using this method.
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