Starship Countermeasure Systems
Countermeasures are active measures employed to defend spacecraft from attack, most notably from missile and torpedo attacks. The only viable counter for energy weapons is active shielding and armor, however some of the systems described below can assist with reducing detection or throwing off targeting.
Active Counter Measures
Defensive Missiles
Most battleships are equipped with strictly defensive missile tubes, which, unlike the offensive tubes, are typically spaced around the ship at different alignments, usually allowing for counter measures to be fired in any direction. Most active counter measures are launched from the same tubes.
The standard defensive missile favored by the Crimson Blade (and often exported with few restrictions) uses a standard rocket motor for the first stage. It then has four impactors equipped to independent, scaled down motors. Guidance is handled by sensors and motors on the first stage, while the second stages are fired at fairly close range. There is no warhead, but the second stages kill with kinetic energy.
Because of the second stage, defensive missiles can reach speeds much higher than typical weapons, up to 82 PSL.
Radio Flares
Similar to the use of terrestrial flares