[mbynack]

THOR sends a 10 foot long, 1 foot diameter rod into a target at 12,000 fps. It sounds like it would be good for high value assets, but would be too expensive for large scale use. I also think that this violates the treaty that we signed limiting weapons in space.

[hchutch]

That can be dealt with.

It's not a weapon - it's a landscaping device. :)

[Kozak]

Yeah but the rods are cheap cheap cheap. A chunck of metal with a simple seeker head on it. The only real cost is getting it to orbit where big cheap reusable boosters come in. Think of being able to call down the Finger of God ANYWHERE on the planet within say 30 minutes, without risking a single US life. NO billion dollar delivery system like a Carrier or B-2. ( By the way why don't we modify large civilian transport aircraft for use when we have established air supremacy like we did over Iraq? They could haul a load of JDAM's cheap as well.) Won't replace every weapon we have but it would transform the battlefield.

As for the treaty consideration, all it takes is notification we are withdrawing from the treaty, and it SHOULD go the way of the ABM treaty. Someone is going to do this, and whoever does is going to control the high ground for a long, long time.