salvos

Salvos refer to the simultaneous or near-simultaneous discharge of multiple weapons or launchers against a target or area. The concept is used in artillery, naval gunfire, and missile systems to increase hit probability, saturate defenses, and overwhelm enemy coordination. A true salvo fires all selected weapons at the same moment, while a short or spread salvo deploys weapons in rapid succession within a brief time window to control dispersion or counter countermeasures.

Implementation relies on fire-control and data-link systems to synchronize timing and aim. Modern systems use centralized or networked fire-control to coordinate multiple tubes, pods, or launchers. Accuracy and effectiveness depend on payload dispersion, ballistic or flight paths, and target movement. Some salvos may incorporate programmed delays to account for weapon behavior or to produce a desired pattern of impact.

Salvos are used in several contexts: naval gunfire salvos to deliver massed fire on surface targets or shore targets; artillery salvos to quickly saturate an area; and salvo launches of missiles or rockets to overwhelm air defenses or to threaten multiple engagement envelopes.

Countermeasures include dispersion, decoys, point-defense systems, and rapid maneuvering to reduce concentration. In modern warfare, salvos remain a standard tactic for achieving volume of fire and rapid target denial, while reducing exposure time for operator crews.