Drones as missle defense?

I wonder if anyone has thought about using drones as a missile defense network. They could be equipped with E.M.P. rockets , air to air missiles lasers or maybe a combination of defense systems or drones types.

....ok this has nothing to do with space lol

I don't know, I can see a couple of connections to space...

1. These drones would communicate via satellite
2. The missiles they would intercept would likely be dropping from space (ballistic missiles typically travel on a trajectory that takes them through space).

To answer your question, though, I had always imagined land based (or ship based) interceptors, but I can see how the drone idea has merit. For one thing, they could be directed on very short notice to specific regions where threats were likely to emerge. A land based system is pretty much stuck wherever you build it.

Unless they are in space...

A "focused cluster laser" or mass "slug" would be much more effective...

missiles have a heat trail, and send out radar or use passive guidance that can be jammed by duplicating it's frequency and sending junk,

I'm sure the U.S Military has this as a plan

They have an entire agency devoted to it.

http://www.mda.mil/

The only practical ballistic missile defense system that is in active service, is the Israeli Arrow anti missile missile. Drones could be of use, though, in detecting and examining the incoming missile - especially to figure out if the payload is a nuke.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrow_%28Israeli_missile%29

Actually, the Patriot missile system, although originally designed for use against aircraft, can also shoot down ballistic missiles. It didn't do so well in the first Gulf War because the software was not designed for anti missile use, but AFAIK that's been fixed now. It's in service with several countries, although not currently in active use I think.

I'm not sure what a drone would add over a ground-based launch site for anti-missile missiles, unless it can hover over enemy territory, detect the launch, and shoot down the missile shortly after it's airborne. That would be really useful, but I don't see such a thing entering North Korean airspace undetected and unchallenged. It would be big and not very stealthy...

Early detection and target discrimination are two roles the drone should be well suited for. But I will admit that lugging around the actual interceptor hardware seems a little impractical. Still, I like the idea of the rapid mobility... always a plus when you're trying to stay ahead of the bad guys.

I suppose we either need drastically larger and heavier drones, or smaller and lighter hardware... the latter being vastly preferable.

As noted by JamesG above, a space-based anti-ballistic network would solve virtually all of the problems. I wonder if anybody has done a cost analysis of something like that in the last few years. I know it's the type of thing people discussed in the 1970s and 80s, but I haven't heard anything lately.

Seems to me there'd be some major diplomatic hurdles as well... something about putting weapons in space? Kind of silly how any dictator with a ballistic missile can put a weapon in space temporarily (on it's way to kill people indiscriminately), but we'd have a terrible time negotiating to put up a system designed to shield against such an attack.

I was thinking about this thing actually. It exists, although it's a manned aeroplane, not a drone.

Yeah, you're right all though the Patriot missile system was created as an antiaircraft missile, and then took on a anti missile role. The US Navy's Aegis system also can be used against missiles. The Arrow system is the only one in the world that was purpose built to defend against ballistic missiles, an in active service (there have been defense systems in the cold war based on nuking incoming missiles - just another reason to be glad the cold war is over).

Wow! Nice post.

It's funny how you can go for months and months with no idea what you want for your birthday and then suddenly... there it is!

Having 400 small lasers that focus on a tiny point would be better

Laser bloom is great for Zeropto but not so good for shooting things,

Yes, blooming is certainly an issue, but the more I read about the recently cancelled airborne laser system the more amazed I am at how much has already been accomplished by this program. Consider the following quote from Wikipedia:
Plans to make the system operational have apparently been scrapped because of budgeting issues and certain remaining technological hurdles. Still, considering the ABL's remarkable achievements, I imagine we haven't seen the last of this concept.