Editing VB-Missiles (section)

==Two-staged Missiles, Drones & Buoys==
''"Drone" is a general term for a missile with a less powerful but fuel-efficient engine. A "buoy" is a missile without an engine.''

A two-stage missile contains one or more smaller missiles (the second stage) that are launched when either:
* the first stage reaches its target, or 
* the first stage comes within a predefined distance of the target. That's the Separation Range set during design of the first stage.

The second stage has to be researched by your scientists before you can select it in the menu.

There is no limit to the number of stages. You can design a three-stage missile by adding your two-stage missile as a second stage to a new missile, and so on.

===Drones===
A drone is generally a type of missile with a fuel-efficient, but slow engine and no agility. It is designed for great range and can be used as sensor platform or as as very long-ranged missiles with terrible to-hit chances, or to carry submunitions (fast and small missiles for the final attack run).

====Long range Anti Ship Drone====
Since drones usually have fuel-efficient engines, they can have ranges exceeding 1 billion kilometers while the average missile sits around 50-100 million. The downside to using them like this is that their hit chance is very low due to low speed and perhaps low agility. Also, it might be difficult detecting targets at that range.

====Submunitions (MIRV) Drone====
A drone that carries within it one or more smaller missiles that make up the second stage that, when near its target, will split off at much higher velocity to their final target. You select the distance from the target when the second stage (the submunitions) will separate when designing the first stage. The second stage inherits the first stage's target. Sensors are optional, as with normal missiles.

See the example ''Submunitions (MIRV) Drone'' below.

===Buoy===
A Buoy is a missile without an engine. It can be used as a mine, early-warning sensor or a geosurvey-probe.

====Mine====
Mines are very cost-effective two-stage weapons for jump-point defense without dedication of ships. The first stage is a buoy with a sensor and releases its payload of one or more missiles when an enemy is detected within the separation range setting.

To deploy mines, create a waypoint (usually at a jump point) and move your ship there, then use the Fire Missiles button on the Task Group screen, or set a waypoint and use the Combat interface to fire at the waypoint when your ship is on it.

====Sensor buoy====
Sensor buoys, having just a sensor and a reactor, are good if you want a look at a system to see if there is any activity without risking a ship. Just put a waypoint on the jump point, drop one of these on the waypoint and go back home while this tells you everything that is occurring in the area.