The only issue with that is if that was the case -- and you're probably referring to a proximity fuse blast -- is what we're seeing at the very start of the video happened at way too low of an altitude, almost immediately post-launch. I find it hard to believe the missile would detonate right after firing like that. That looks more like a disintegration after some malfunction TBH.
The 2nd and 3rd launch looked perfect. They even followed the exact same course and might've hit the same, single incoming missile, like they're supposed to.
The PAC-3 is really designed to be part of a layered or tiered SAM system that works in tandem with another higher altitude system such as THAAD since its range is only for the terminal phase of incoming ballistic missiles. Until the THAAD comes to Saudi Arabia, this is the way they'll do it (and it seems to be getting the job done despite one or two having issues) and then they'll have a complete intercepting system where they should be able to intercept these at a much higher altitude.
It's also designed to fire a pair of missiles per incoming target. The first one takes out the target and the 2nd destroys the debris for low fallout. You can easily see the 2 missiles that scored hits do exactly that in the video. So they worked perfectly.
1. Once in the vicinity of the target, the missile detonates its proximity fused warhead.
Following is the process a PAC-3 firing battery uses to engage a single
tactical ballistic missile with two PAC-3 missiles.
- A missile is detected by the AN/MPQ-65 radar. The radar reviews the speed, altitude, behavior, and radar cross section of the target. If this data lines up with the discrimination parameters set into the system, the missile is presented on the screen of the operator as a ballistic missile target.
- In the AN/MSQ-104 Engagement Control Station, the TCO reviews the speed, altitude, and trajectory of the track and then authorizes engagement. Upon authorizing engagement, the TCO instructs his TCA to bring the system's launchers into "operate" mode from "standby" mode. The engagement will take place automatically at the moment the computer defines the parameters that ensure the highest probability of kill.
- The system computer determines which of the battery's launchers have the highest probability of kill and selects them to fire. Two missiles are launched 4.2 seconds apart in a "ripple".
- The AN/MPQ-65 radar continues tracking the target and uploads intercept information to the PAC-3 missiles which are now outbound to intercept.
- Upon reaching its terminal homing phase, the Ka band active radar seeker in the nose of the PAC-3 missile acquires the inbound ballistic missile. This radar selects the radar return most likely to be the warhead of the incoming missile and directs the interceptor towards it.
- The ACMs (attitude control motors) of the PAC-3 missile fire to precisely align the missile on the interception trajectory.
- The interceptor flies straight through the warhead of the inbound ballistic missile, detonating it and destroying the missile.
- The second missile locates any debris which may be a warhead and attacks in a similar manner.
You're right. My bad. Besides the one that looked like it disintegrated shortly after takeoff, the other one that dramatically changed it's course and came down looked like a number of things could've happened. Either the seeker failed for some strange reason or it could've been something as simple as one of the fins sticking after a spring broke or any of a thousand possible critical parts. The latter seems more likely because of the dramatic turn it took and headed for the ground.