Re: Interceptor downs missile in test over Pacific

"Jerry Okamura" <okamuraj005@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
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<dezakin@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
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Earl wrote:
jgrove24@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote in
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El Castor wrote:
Interceptor downs missile in test over Pacific
Fri Sep 1, 2006 2:42 PM ET

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military shot down a
target ballistic missile over the Pacific on Friday in
the widest test of its emerging antimissile shield in
18 months, the Defense Department announced.

The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said it had
successfully completed an important exercise involving
the launch of an improved ground-based interceptor
missile designed to protect the United States against a
limited long-range ballistic missile attack.

It would impress if they tried it during a rain shower
and randomly launched a target..everybody knew the
target was fired, so no BFD.



There are 3 items needed to be able to intercept 24/7

1) a radar system capable of detecting the launch and
alert the defense forces.

We built that in the '60s to handle the Soviets -- all we
could do was eliminate the launching country.

2) an interceptor that works. Demonstrated both with Navy
system and land based system. The Navy missiles were
available some time ago.

3) a system of launch locations on high alert ready to
launch when needed.

Just a matter of building the launch tubes and have
rotating silos on call. Just a variation of what we had
before with SLBMs and ICBMs.


All the components exist or just need to be paid for. No
real technical issues, just political ones. Do the
politicians think you are worth protecting?





Back in the ancient days we could spot a soviet mass
launch, and get the word out to our facilities in time to
be of use.

Because of our close in SLBMs we could have HBombs
exploding in the Soviet Union about the time our cities
started to evaporate. And this was maintained 365/24/7 for
decades.

So now we just launch interceptors instead of city
killers. (SLBMs were targeted at air fields, radars and
other problems for the bombers -- but the Soviets, with
their poor roads put them in cities.)


Note that the military will never promise full protection.
It will do its best but Murphy is in command -- so some
missiles will get through, unless you are willing to pay
for 1000% overlap coverage. Insurance is expensive.

Balloon decoys add maybe 1% to the cost of a ballistic
missile and completely defeat interceptors. Its a total
waste of money.


What good does a balloon decoy? An ICBM when it is launched
already knows where it is headed isn't it? Is it going to
change direction because of some ballon decoy?




If they have a MIRV system (multiple independent reentry
vehicles) the ICBM has a bus holding around 8 warheads or
dummies.

After separation the bus coasts for a while then drops off an RV
changes direction a little, drops off another RV and continues.

So the RVs will be scattered over an area, both cross range and
down range..

But think about it -- if you have the assets, why bother with a
balloon, just use another RV. Balloons are of value only to a
power that has more missile slots than warheads. And missiles
are the expensive part.
.

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  • Re: Interceptor downs missile in test over Pacific
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  • Re: Interceptor downs missile in test over Pacific
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