Originally Posted by
KenV
I have great trouble imaging the above with a terminal sensor/targeting system with the precision needed to hit a moving CVN, to say nothing of doing it in an intense defensive EW environment. And that completely ignores an Aegis anti-missile system targeting that 6+ metric ton re-entry vehicle which contains the above.
Aside from the imagination, anti-ship ballistic missiles are recognised as a credible threat. The sensor/targeting systems tend to be multispectral these days to provide both all-weather capability and anti-jam capabilities. Back in the 70's the US mastered the art of terminal manoeuvring and active radar homing on the Pershing II missile, but time and technology has marched on.
Regarding the movement of a CVN - well in truth they really don't move all that much when compared to the inbound speed. At say 13m/s it takes around 25 seconds for the stern of a cruising CVN to pass over the same spot vacated by the front of the flight deck. The maximum lateral displacement it can achieve in that time is also not a lot.
By contrast the kinetic penetrator of the inbound weapon can be nudging 7000m/s (over 13,000kts) making a CVN look almost stationary, with just a small amount of lead to calculate. The other concerning aspect of such speed is that even a direct hit from an intercepting missile may do little to influence the final trajectory - in the same 25 seconds that it took the ship to move its own length the inbound will complete its final 75 miles. Of course, MIRVs complicate matters further.