Missile speed, turning circles and threat priority

An attacker can pass a defensive layer, so the response must consider the full range of threats. Very fast missiles receive priority for distant interception because a hit would be severe. The manoeuvring comparison uses a car moving slowly into a tight parking space: greater speed generally requires more turning room. On that reasoning, a high-speed weapon forced into a large correction can miss by a wide margin. Cruise missiles are treated as more flexible manoeuvring threats, though their lower speed gives more response time. A path clearly threatening the ship calls for a different response from one carrying the weapon well clear.