Posted on 10/19/2007 5:01:51 AM PDT by Renfield
In yet another successful American test, a GBI (ground-based interceptor) from Vandenberg Air Force Base has destroyed a target missile launched from Kodiak, Alaska. This latest test not only shows that the American missile defense system will work, it is also going to create a problem for opponents. How? Because killing a defense program that is working is going to require a lot of explaining, since the Democratic majority in Congress has long been skeptical of the Administration's push for a national missile defense.
The successful test, though, poses a problem for them. It is easy to kill a program that is not going well, like the A-12 naval fighter, or one that clearly no longer has relevance to the world situation (see the Crusader self-propelled howitzer). Missile defense suffers from neither of these problems.
The successful test shows missile defense can work. The system as it now stands, with 13 operational ground-based interceptors, and plans to increase to a total of 18 by the end of 2007, is already sufficient to have neutralized China's force of 24 DF-5 ICBMs. How is this so, considering that China has 24 DF-5 ICBMs? Simple subtraction would seem to indicate that at least six ICBMs would get through to their targets in an attempted strike. Add in the fact that the total of ground-based interceptors will increase to 38 by the end of 2009, and that's enough to kill all of the Chinese ICBMs with some GBIs left over. This does not count Navy SM-3 missiles on three Ticonderoga-class cruisers and fifteen Arleigh-Burke class destroyers (a total of 55 by the end of 2009).
And the world situation is also leaving the impression that it may be a good idea to have the ability to take out an inbound missile. As of 2006, 25 countries had ballistic missiles and some are not exactly stable or their leadership is arguably not rational. Deterrence can only work against a rational opponent. Congress may not want to fund it, but they do not have the votes to override a veto, and by the time a new Administration takes over, the program will already have a lot of assets in place. Furthermore, the system is described as a counter to North Korea, which has, in the past, launched missiles over Japan. Iran is another country often sited, and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's statements since assuming office raise the question of what he might do with ballistic missiles as well.
Ultimately, the reasons missile defense systems will not be easy to kill, dismantle, and put away are both their progress, and there are very good reasons to develop them. As such, the missile defense system is probably not going to stop until the United States has completed it, rendering the ICBM obsolete.
That’s great, good technology, wonderful development efforts supporting the defense technological infrastructure. Too bad it is more likely that the next bombs will be delivered by truck.
bkmarked for later. thanks.
Sorry, but I’m told by Dems and Liberals (I know, redundant) that it CAN NOT work and the money would be best spent elsewhere.
Good Job, Coneheads!
It only needs to work well enough to induce uncertainty in the mind of a potential attacker.
By "they", I assume you mean the Congress ... the engineers working on BMD are extremely dedicated.
This was in the first paragraph... how could you believe my comment was directed at the engineers? And since when have engineers come out publicly for socialized health-care?
Just making sure ... I know some of those engineers, and I’m in awe of what they’ve accomplished in spite of the ‘rats in Congress. It makes me a bit touchy ... didn’t really mean to beat up on you personally. Sorry.
THANK YOU Ronald Reagan.
We've gone from 20% hit/kill probability per interceptor to over 90% hit to kill ratio probabilities on the SM-3's and GBI's with 93 of those interceptors deployed under President Bush...but that doesn't count the Aegis SM-2's that are currently deployed...and it doesn't count our airborne laser, either.
Which is to say, our deployed missile defenses can handle a first strike of over 100 ICBM's...and a larger ICBM attack would meet some resistance from our additional PAC-3 missile defenses, as well.
One should consider that fueling and opening the launch silo doors to more than 100 ICBM's would be a challenge for an enemy to keep secret from the U.S., too. Fail to keep those operations secret from us and our air assets will be hitting those silos with long range cruise missiles and other precision munitions.
The author of this article states that the ICBM may be obsolete. In my opinion, that's only an overstatement by a small amount.
The U.S. has an effective missile defense, strategic intel, and the ability to pre-empt a first strike against us.
Thank you President Reagan for the vision, and thank you President Bush for the courage and determination/dedication to deploy these abilities.
...also, it should be noted that so many radiation detectors have been placed at sea, in the air, and on security personnel at every entrance to the U.S. that Free Republic had to invent new idioms (stunned my beeber!) when one of our own FReepers was detained by agents while returning from radiation treatment for cancer.
The notion that enriched uranium can sneak into the U.S. by ship or truck is long ago outdated. There are news articles on the web about security stopping Mexican trucks carrying potting soil (Mexican soil, tiles, and bananas all contain detectable amounts of natural radiation), and there are other articles about security finding a briefcase left on a street corner that contained a brick made from Mexican soil.
We should also remember that back during the Cold War that both the U.S. and CCCP would "tag" interesting people with trace amounts of radiation so that satelites could track their movements. One has to wonder if such crude technology has improved 40 years later.
Shouldn't that be "cited?"
Or, maybe, "sighted?"
Fueling?
Do elaborate ...
Do elaborate ...
He probably was referring to the Communist Chinese DF-5s. They are liquid-fueled and have a considerable setup time. China was working on a solid-fuel replacement (DF-41?), but it hasn't been seen yet to my knowledge.
Typical liquid rocket fuels are cryogenic (e.g. liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen, etc.) that require certain storage abilities...therefor many ICBM’s sit unfueled until just before launch.
http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/SPACEFLIGHT/solids/SP13.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_fuel
Perhaps we should deploy a GBI site to a base in Japan, and use the next North Korean “test” as our test as well?
Thank you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.