BS isn't vunerable to air in RL. They have a full battery of sams with the radar guided vulcans at each corner. One of the BS's was attacked by missiles from all angles a couple dozen times and the close in system never let one through. This is also not counting a BS in RL has a whole fleet of escorts.
The reason they are retired is cost. They are preserved incase we need them because of the amount of firepower they can put out. It is the equal destructive power of a loaded B52 every 60 seconds on target from up to 30 miles out. I think the leveling power is a city block every 60 seconds. This is also not counting the full load of cruise missiles it carries and nuclear ordn.
The real deal kinda makes a freelancer BS look pretty pathetic.
![[Image: RHShroom2.png]](http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj219/I_m_rdy/Shrooms/RHShroom2.png)