Missile defence starts construction in '04

[Dr Mordrid]

It's not SDI...it's THEATER missile defence. Totally different in approach and techniques.

As far as targeting; they've already tested the missiles and the MTHEL ground based COIL laser systems. They work, especially the MTHEL laser which can target 8 or more incoming missiles at once.

It's due for deployment in Israel pretty soon and a solid state version is to be ready by 2007 for use in highly mobile platforms.

Also: the ABL (air born laser) system started flight tests last August, complete with its COIL laser...which can shoot down theater missiles during their boost phase; a time at which you don't have to discriminate between warheads and decoys.

Dr. Mordrid

[RedRed]

NO DOC THIS IS SDI, and nothing else.... this is NOT the laser system you hold so dear....

Paragraph 1 & 3 say this, quite clearly. It is an anti ICBM system, nothing elses.

The article talks about MISSILE defense and anti missile, missile systems.

The current success rate at the moment, btw is 5 hits out of 8!!! The article talks of 10 am systems - I reckon thats then defense against perhaps 2 missiles.... thats ok if they are comming in over alaska!!! - there is also talk of an additional 10 am systems being placed there - ohhhhhhh! that makes a whole 4 ICBMS to defend against.....

that assumes also the the weapon is not a MIRV and has not by then separated into 20 descrete warhads, targetted on 20 separate sites..... Putting it so far forward also assumes that the site wont be knocked out first.....




Even if it was theatre, Think of the practicalities....

you need a these little planes flying in a patternen 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, no further than what, 400 miles apart along the entire seaboard? nonsense! You have to give them permission to fire right away on any on any possible target... at any time... My calculation (in my head, admittedly), suggest that to protect the coastal borders of the US you would need (approx) 150 aircraft in constant flight - lets say you have one third in flight, one third on the ground and one third being refitted - that would be 450 planes.... that isnt going to happen with experimental tech.....



Dr M, did you actually read this article? I dont thiink so.... I would humbly suggest that you do read it before typing out your waffle again!

BTW - have you produced you paper on 'the weakness/pointlessness of the UN' yet that you were writing?

[thop]

not to forget that one of those things consumes the power of a small town. maybe they were tested in california?

[The PIT]

Just wondering where all these bits of radition will go when the missile is destroyed.

[RedRed]

over alaska and Canada, of course!

RedRed

[RedRed]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/24by7pa...l&siteid=50143
A short from another British Tabloid, seeing as you are so fond of them an'all!

For those who cant be bothered clicking on the link

Russia says it is sorry the US has decided to push ahead with its "Son of Star Wars" missile defence system.

Moscow believes the anti-ballistic missile scheme will destabilise international security and lead to a new arms race.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also said the project may divert resources from other threats like the war on terrorism.

full article (longer):

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm...ines.worldnews

Russai says the project "can lead only to the weakening of strategic stability, a new senseless arms race in the world, including the spread of weapons of mass destruction

and

The Bush administration intends to ask Congress to allocate almost £1 billion for 2004-2005, on top of the more than £5 billion already budgeted.

- senseless!

RedRed

[[GDI]Raptor]

This system isn't build to defend US from an Rusian attack, it's made to stop missiles from smaler "unstable" regimes like Iraq, Iran, North Korea

SDI was another program

[RedRed]

look, this project is designed to stop intercontinental ballistic missiles. Period. while not full SDI - it is a cut down version.

Apart from the USSR, china, the USA, who has them? there is no way in hell a roughe state is going to launce a mrbm - (mutually assured destruction). there is no way a terrorist organisation would be able to buy a ICBM/MRBM, the launching equipment and the nuke for the top of it..... all without the CIA/MOSSAD/KGB (or whatever they are called these days) finding out.

We are not even talking a weapon of scud proportions here - go figure 5 times the size (if you include all the launching equipment etc) it couldnt be launched, even from most ships, without being detected well in advance...

Theatre missiles (as in north Korea scuds) and even mrbm platforms cannot be attacked with the model proposed in the article posted by the Doc... - (the flight time of the missile is too short....) I mean for gods sake, they are going to be based in ALASKA!!!

read the articles....
RedRed

[Dr Mordrid]

If you had done ANY research at all you'd know that North Koreas current nuclear-capable missiles can hit Alaska, Hawaii and anywhere else in the Pacific rim of similar distances. Add a third stage, or an improved second stage, and everything west of the Rockies is ground zero.

Also a problem is that they seem intent on selling their missile technologies to whoever is willing to pay the price.

Dr. Mordrid

[Brian R.]

Come on. This defensive system is not for MIRVs or Russian ICBMs. Russia has so many missles that there is no defense against them. I don't understand why they even care unless it is strictly political in nature.

Also, no one can buy a MIRV-capable system. The only threat that I see is a single warhead missle from a ship.

Adding a stage to an existing missle is easier said than done also.

I think this whole thing is damn stupid. Not just stupid, damn stupid.

[The PIT]

More likely the attack will come from within as this has already proven very effective.

[Dr Mordrid]

Just annouced on the news: North Korea has been working on lightening their nuclear capable missiles with composite materials. Estimates are that this brings their range to 6000+ km in an arc that would include Phoenix Arizona and Milwaukee Wisconsin when launched from NK itself.

Not a long enough range 'eh? Pffftttt......

As for MIRV's; the Clintonistas approved for that technology to be transferred to China back in the mid 90's, which was what the China-gate scandal was all about. The responsible companies were Hughes and Loral, the chairman of which was a Clinton buttboy & contributor.

According to a Congressional report at the time the technologies transferred would allow them to make smaller warheads, the re-entry cones for same and MIRV "bus" which is the critical part of multiple delivery systems. Nothing much

IMO they chose the wrong grounds to impeach that SOB on

Any bets some enterprizing Chinese general has transferred that to NK like they did with their rocket technologies, which is how NK got this far so fast?

Dr. Mordrid

[Brian R.]

No verification on any of that speculation. Now it's the Bush buttboy's turn to screw this up by overreacting, just like was done in the Cold War period.

This whole defensive strategy preceeds Clinton by many years. It is not feasible. It is just a way to support the Republican's pork for defense.

[Dr Mordrid]

Verification? Well....

The Arms Control Association (armscontrol.org) lists North Koreas Taepo Dong-2 as being "in development" as of last April. They catagorize it as being capable of lifting 1000 kg and being intercontinental in range.

Lighten that payload and you drastically increase the range, and a nuclear warhead can be a lot lighter than 1000kg.

An attempt at launching a satellite last year with a variant of this missile failed due to the third stage not separating. The question is: are you willing to depend on their firing bolts failing for your safety? I'm not.

As for missile defence systems predating the current events and those of the 90's; thank God & Ronald Reagan the research started then. Otherwise there would be no defensive option at all....now or in the future.

Also: the Arms Control Assn. also lists Syria, Iraq and others as "customers" for NK produced missiles and Iran as one of their suppliers.

Then there is Irans own Shahab-3 MRBM with a range of ~5000 km plus and their recent re-starting of reactors capable of producing plutonium.

Doesn't that just give you a warm, tingly feeling all over?

Dr. Mordrid

[Brian R.]

Missile defense is still a pipe-dream. No amount of defensive missiles are enough. They should give up. Spend the money where it will do good instead of lining the pockets of the defense contractors (as Regan did to no effect except making them rich).