Versatility

As discussed in § 3, the observing program for VERITAS can only be accomplished in a timely fashion if the array can be divided in two or more sub-arrays for simultaneous monitoring of different regions of the sky. A sub-array of three or four telescopes is very powerful and performs almost as well as the full array for the detection of new sources and measurement of established sources above $\sim$250GeV. Above $\sim$250GeV, a sub-array also has comparable angular resolution to the full array and provides excellent performance for spectral studies. Some scientific studies, such as the long-term variability of AGN, can only be accomplished with a sub-array dedicated to monitoring one particular object for extensive time periods. It is anticipated that the array will be operated as two independent sub-arrays at least 50% of the time.