To SAM:
Not intended as "advice" but the footnote to post 770 does tell one obvious way the Gaza terrorists could (with a little help from Iran etc) at least double the effectiveness of the Gaza rockets. (A small nose mounted guidance package, like used to convert “dumb” bombs into “smart” bombs.)
To Buffalo:
The HE*, tungsten (or depleted uranium) bullets are mainly needed against targets with warheads inside steel packages. I do not know but think that is not the case with the current Gaza rockets. Thus, in post a week or so ago, I suggested the possibility of just using steel bullets to cut the cost of the less than 100 bullets (on average) needed to kill a current version of the Gaza rockets.
On your question: What about the excess projectiles that do not hit the incoming target?
The sitting of the CIWS would be near the defended area but on the Gaza side. I do not know, but expect that even if one holds fire until the rocket is at peak altitude that most of the bullets would make it to near the border with Gaza.** If not too many incoming, one could wait for rocket to go ballistic (fuel exhausted) before shooting but do so when it does. Then almost all the bullets would fall on the general sector from which they were launched. A few might injure some innocent Palestinians, but as they are just falling with terminal velocity, I think it would be a very rare bullet that killed one. Even if it did, this is clearly "collateral damage" associated with self defense, not like bombing a UN or NGO food storage warehouse.
One also must appreciate that this is not a "wall of lead" rappidly thrown up for a radial inbound cruise missile to fly into. The fire rate, in a brief burst is reduced by at least a factor of 30 from naval use so less than 100 bullets are used per target killed. Hell, in one of their stupid demonstrations the Hamas forces fire more than that skyward in a crowded street! The density of humans outside of the defended area near the Gaza border is very very low compared to the crowds in the street when Hamas idiots are firing skyward.
Personally I do not like to be in crowd watching the 4th of July fireworks. There is always some idiot with his little supply of private fireworks, and occasionally someone does get hurt. Thus, I can share your concern with where the bullets fall, but I think at least 1000 rockets would be shot down prior to one bullet even falling on a goat.
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*If CIWS fires HE bullets, that is news to me. - Seems almost impossible in that size bullet, with the CIWS initial acceleration, but then I thought a nuclear artillery shells were impossible too.
** Recall that my defensive plan has minefield strip along that entire border (about 50 meters wide, as I recall my own plan) and the fence posts have listen devices to detect tunneling under it.) Some of these mines could be set off by falling bullets or the microphone amplifiers / data transmitters damaged.
On the Israeli side of the mine field there is the “killer dog strip.” - Defense in depth again, against the “LL” (“Lucky Leakers”) that made it thru the mine field alive. I would not be surprised if the repair / replacement cost exceeded the cost of the bullets fired even though it would be rare that a falling bullet set off a mine, hit a mike’s solar powered amplifier or killed a dog. (The mike itself is deep in the ground below the fence post. If it is worth the cost of doing so, these amplifiers could be steel shielded from falling bullets.)
Initially, years ago, I had suggested that the mine field be occasionally patrolled to look for foot prints and check*** the acoustic monitors etc in a strip near the Gaza side fence about two meters wide, which was free of mines. Perhaps the armed drones could send video data back each day? – Everything in the end comes down to what is the most cost effective way to protect almost ALL Israelis – not let some be killed by the terrorist annually, unless the government policy needs some justification for the current High Kill Ratio retaliation, instead of true defense of Israel.
*** I had suggested compressed air jack hammers hit the ground at each fence post or between them monthly.
Israel has the resources and technical capacity to protect its citizens, if it chooses to do so, instead of retaliate for their deaths.