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From Warhammer 40k - Lexicanum
that low altitude, slow approach stuff is a bit stupid, tbh
==Overview==
The Deathstrike launcher represents the largest threat offered by any mobile Imperial Guard missile system. Mounted on the Chimera chassis is a single '''Deathstrike Missile''', an inter-continental solid fuel rocket with a range measured in thousands of kilometers. This missile can carry a variety of payloads, though by far the most common is a [[plasma]] warhead: upon Upon detonation these missiles can annihilate entire armies in a raging fireball that vaporises flesh in an instant. Others can carry deadly biological pathogens or specialised [[Titan]]-killer warheads, while the rarest of all are the deadly [[Vortex Missile]]s. These doomsday weapons of apocalyptic capability use [[Dark Age of Technology]] knowledge to tear holes within the fabric of reality upon their explosion, creating a [[warp rift]] which destroys everything it touches.{{Fn|1}} Most of the missiles carried by Titans can be modified to be fired from the Deathstrike launcher as well.{{Fn|6}}
The deployment of a single Deathstrike Missile Launcher is a complicated procedure that requires a huge investment of resources and many religious and administrative rituals by the [[Adeptus Mechanicus]] and [[Administratum]] respectively. As such, the deployment can take months to complete. Moreover the large lumbering launch vehicles often require their own dedicated escort and presents foes with a valuable and soft target. For the Departmento Munitorum, simple logistics has precluded its deployment in all but the most extreme circumstances.{{Fn|5}}
Use of these weapons is strictly controlled, with sanction for their use controlled by [[Segmentum Command]] and the launch codes held by loyal and iron-willed [[Lord Commissar]]s.{{Fn|4}}
Tactical Deathstrike missiles are equipped with complex robotic guidance systems allowing them to choose and pursue their own targets. When fired the missile climbs high into the air, up to where its cameras can survey the whole battlefield; the onboard computer then selects an objective and dives back to the surface. Reentry is very inaccurate, and if the missile fails to hit the target directly in its fall it will remain 10-20m above the ground, dodging terrain and incoming fire in order to reach its goal in a slow nap-of-the-earth flight. As a result the missile never misses, except when running out of fuel.{{Fn|6}}
==History==
