                               Command : LAUNCH

 SYNTAX:
   [##:##] Command: launch <PLANES> [<orbit-DIRECTION> <orbit-ALTITUDE>]

SYNTAX:
   [##:##] Command: launch <CRUISE-MISSILES> [<target-SECTOR> [<ID-list>]]

The launch command is used to launch  missiles  or  satellites  from  sectors,
ships, shuttles, or submarines owned by you.  If there are nuclear warheads on
board the particular missile, you will be asked for targeting  data  for  each
warhead (also known as re-entry vehicle), including the target x,y.

LAUNCHING SATELLITES

Conventionally launched satellites can be placed in either stationary or nons-
tationary positions.  To be stationary, the direction must be specified as `h'
and the altitude must be 127.  To move in orbit at  each  update,  a  standard
movement  directions  must  be  specified.   Orbit altitude must be beyond the
atmosphere (which typically extends up to altitude 32), and be at or below the
edge-of-space maximum allowable altitude of 127.

                               Command : LAUNCH

Satellites can also be launched from space shuttles.  The shuttle will  deploy
the  satellite at its current altitude, and the satellite will assume the same
orbit as the shuttle.

LAUNCHING CRUISE MISSILES

Cruise missiles are actually more like very fast, low-flying  smart  aircraft.
Each  cruise  missile  has the unique ability to optionally recognize and lock
onto one specific tactical target within the target sector.  You will be asked
to  supply  a tactical target ID.  If you do not specify one, the missile will
simply do strategic damage to the sector.  If you do specify a  tactical  tar-
get,  the  missile,  once  it  reaches  the  target  sector, determines if the
requested ship or vehicle is actually there, and, if so, goes after it.

If you launch multiple cruise missiles with a single command, you can  use  ID
concatenation  slashes  to  create a list of multiple tactical target IDs (the
same way you would normally specify multiple ships or  planes).   Each  cruise
missile will be assigned a specific target from the list.

Cruise missile launches require petrol and shells.  The missiles in flight are

                               Command : LAUNCH

not affected by flak, but they can be intercepted.

LAUNCHING NUCLEAR WARHEADS

Nuclear warheads can be targeted to air-burst or ground-burst.   Ground-bursts
are  much  less effective against large area targets, but do massive damage to
the target sector, possibly knocking out hardened missiles before they can  be
used  in  retaliation  against you.  In the parlance of nuclear targeting doc-
trine, this is known as counter-force targeting.

Air-bursts are used in order to kill large numbers of civilians, to knock  out
industry  (by  flattening the factories), to take out lightly armored military
targets in a large area, and to generally wreak  havoc.   Nuclear  strategists
call this a counter-value technique.

Once all targeting data is entered, the launch command will notify  you  of  a
successful  launch,  targeting,  and  (if all goes well) the detonation of the
nuclear devices in their target sectors.  To avoid launch pad accidents, it is
generally  safer  to  use  100%  missiles than those which are less efficient.
Missiles that are less than 60% efficient cannot be launched.

                               Command : LAUNCH

Of course, things don't always go as planned!

Use `show blast <nuke-type>' to obtain a graph of the amount of damage that  a
particular size of warhead will produce.

Note that when you are first asked for the target sector you can  chicken  out
by hitting ^C (or your favorite abort character).

See also : build, planes, satellite, nuke-types, On Thermonuclear War by  Her-
man Kahn.

