Exotic weaponry: Lasers, particle beams, and high-speed projectiles are expected to be the backbone of the SDI arsenal

As enemy intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) rise from their silos and submarines, an array of defensive weapons are alerted. The large, slow-burning ICBM boosters fall victim to the homing warheads launched from space-based rocket pods. Fast-burning boosters are impinged by lasers from other space platforms or from the ground. The same suite of weapons, along with space-based particle beams, engage postboost vehicles as they dispense warheads and decoys.