> very long range missiles alwasy attack from very high altitude striking target top down, you think that if you give active radar warhed path to search with few km width it will not lock on from a perfect...a perfect angle? it can lock on, but depending on the timing, it is possible that by the time if locks onto the plane, its target is already performing evasive manouvers and the missile is kinematically defeated. basically, if this probability cloud is too big, it could start its search in the wrong part of it and by the time it's looking in the right direction it's too late to hit the plane, but it can still send the information through the network. and then the 2nd missile comes in, having not only had a longer time to correctly orient itself, but also it doesn't have to turn on its radar until the last moment. which might trick the missile warning instrument for a second or two depending on how sensitive it is and possible some other factors i don't know about. and the plane is already manouvering to dodge the first missile. there's a lot of probability and geometry involved.
Croatia