What does a hard kill system do?

• A. Confuses and/or diverts the missile with jammers, decoys, obscurants, and signature reduction measures.
• B. Engages and destroys enemy missiles or projectiles before impacting the intended target.
• C. Absorbs the impact by deforming armor plates to dissipate energy.
• D. Provides passive protection by blocking the projectile with a barrier.

Answer: (B)

Hard kill systems actively stop a threat by destroying the incoming missile or projectile before it can reach the target. They do this by intercepting and neutralizing the threat with a destructive force in flight, so nothing reaches the asset. This differs from soft kill methods, which aim to confuse or misdirect the threat using jammers, decoys, obscurants, or sensor signature reductions. Armor or barriers that simply absorb impact or block the projectile are passive protections and do not actively destroy the threat.