Thor could be built fairly cheaply and it's much less complex than an ICBM and the nuclear devices making up payload of one. You could put both small and large rods on one platform or just use different platforms. These things could shower a tank formation and totally destroy it without risking any friendly lives. Much better than using tactical nukes.
To deorbit them you could simply use a small explosive in the rear of the rod or a sort of coil gun on the launcher (depending on the complexity level you want). Accuracy problems? Yes, they would have to be worked out. Someone said that the Orbiter was flown in... That's right, it's flown in. It glides, has to avoid burning up. A metal rod doesn't have any fragile organic internals to protect or wings to have ripped off. It's meant to destroy itself.
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Originally Posted by hammo1j
I think there are far cheaper and accurate ways to achieve the military capability of this device.
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Yes, and each of those ways costs a few hundred thousand dollars to expend, not counting the fighter/bomber delivery system, and puts one or more humans in harm's way. Thor isn't nuclear so there won't be any fallout. It can't be hit on the ground. It's moving very fast and it's fairly small, you'd need to use a nuke to reliably fry it in orbit... And if you had hundreds of these, it would be very hard to knock them out without having your silos destroyed by counter-battery fire.
Regarding the original topic of the thread: Currently the most reliable way would be to use a low-residue nuclear missile to knock it off course, if not destroy it. That or try to hit it with a conventional explosive-tipped missile which would be much harder. Lasers could work but not as well as trying to shoot down an launching missile or incoming warhead. Remember, it's just a metal rod basically. No volatile fuel to release or pressure tanks to weaken and have it tear itself apart. - Colt