So, that's an only if they seriously mess up due to underestimating us, right?
Depends. We have AWACS style vessels with some pretty long range radar. Getting the fighters close enough is where it gets tricky.
In order to successfully hit a target you really need an active radar lock and active terminal guidance from a fire control system.
The active sensor lock is the easy part.
The fire control range is affected by ECM - each level will reduce the range of the fire control by 10%, but ECCM on our end will counter that. Emu tends to build fire control systems with extra range for compensate for this, and we have the Radiant giving us a tech boost in this area. We are probably good here.
On the missile end you need:
- Enough fuel endurance to cross the distance.
- Enough speed to make sure the target cannot outrun it.
- The capability to penetrate the defenses.
The missile range and speed are both issues. They are faster than older generations of missiles (at least, the bus) and apparently outrange us significantly. We can try and send fighter sorties out on the flanks and circle around them, though. Our launch platform is still fast and can stay at a fair amount of range, and if missiles end up running in from multiple directions at once running away gets a lot harder. Plus, because of their tiny size fighters can get in closer than regular ships. They are harder to detect and thus harder to fire at.
We have no idea of what their defenses look like though, and we need something to launch the fighters with. Both of which are problems, because our carriers are vulnerable to that just-launched missile strike.