Claims of complete defensive success depend on the conditions under which a system operates. An illustrative attack by a hypersonic missile assumes that defenders fire two or three missiles to give the engagement several chances of success. The first interceptor can hit, but the defender does not plan on that outcome being certain. A report that every target was stopped can therefore conceal how many defensive missiles were expended. Engagement success and the effectiveness of individual shots need to be distinguished when interpreting such a claim.
Notable Point · 45:48-47:14
Successful interceptions can require several missiles
A hypothetical engagement distinguishes stopping every incoming target from achieving a hit with every defensive missile fired.