Loren Pechtel wrote:I think it's generally accepted that infrastructure is around planets, it's not deliberate human shield tactics.
Infrastructure is not, since the "human shields" are the ones operating that infrastructure. Putting long range defenses in with that infrastructure is definitely human shield tactics.
I completely disagree here--they can't shoot through a planet anyway. The planet is just as good a shield even if it's uninhabited, thus hiding behind it is not a war crime.
It turns out you're completely wrong here. Laser heads have enough standoff that an Earth-sized planet is only concealment, not cover. If the enemy can spot you with drones, they could launch missiles aimed 10k km over the surface of the planet and still easily hit your ships hiding behind the planet. It's no more difficult than hitting you while you have your wedge toward them. The only thing stopping your attacker from taking that shot is the civilians you're hiding behind.
ThinksMarkedly wrote:That would mean ground-based facilities would need to be forbidden everywhere, and not just cannons and missile batteries, but also barracks, command centres, depots, etc. Requiring any defensive equipment to be located not just out of orbit low, medium, high or geostationary orbits, but a full light-second away (Moon's orbit) would mean it's unmanageable for the majority of systems that don't have sufficient space technology. I think that fails the test of reasonableness.
Nonsense. One, guess where fixed missile launchers tend to be sited? Yup, on moons. Not ground level on the planet.
Two, the rest of that stuff doesn't matter, because
it can't shoot back. You have no need to bombard a barracks or command center from a light minute away because it doesn't have weapons to fire back as you get closer, so you can close to within energy or KEW range to hit them if necessary.
Again, I don't think you have to make it easy for your enemy to hit the targets from tens of millions of km away. If you can't hit accurately from that distance and make sure you don't hit the planet or civilian infra, then come closer. Through the gauntlet of fire.
You're absolutely reveling in the human shield tactic here. You, effectively: "Sure, you can shoot the artillery I have in the hospital parking lot. But you have to get your tanks within direct fire range to do it, or else you might hit my hospital! Guess you better like having hundreds of shells raining on you while you get close!" Cue evil maniacal laughter.
No. Even under the Geneva Conventions, it's legal to flatten the damn hospital under those circumstances and the war crime is on YOU for putting your artillery there in the first place (and under a strict reading of the Conventions, it also voids the protection of every other marked medical facility you own for the duration of the conflict). That latter half has never been used to my knowledge, but for damn sure the first half has.