Why a missile salvo can overwhelm a Kirov

The hypothetical attack uses 42 B-52s, each carrying at least four Harpoons, with electronic countermeasures supporting the strike. That salvo creates more incoming threats than a Kirov-led force can reliably intercept. Turning away, sacrificing escorts as additional defensive depth, and seeking land-based cover are treated as more realistic than trying to defeat every missile. Nuclear surface-to-air missiles would change the assumption of a conventional response, but the underlying problem remains the number of simultaneous engagements. Even a heavily armed force can be overwhelmed when the attacker sends more targets than its defensive system can service.