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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

gisterme - 09:40pm Jan 14, 2002 EST (#10769 of 10776)

rshow55 1/14/02 8:19pm

"...Would you be for that?..."

An affirmative answer to that would be like agreeing to dive headlong into a fog-bound morass, Robert. Who can even comprehend all your links to links to links even if they had time to read them again? I'm certain you can't. None of that stuff made much sense the first time around anyway. Why go through all that again? However, far be it from me to direct what you do; go right ahead and re-read all that junk...none of my answers to it have changed. You can re-read those too. :-) Try not to confuse yourself or fall victim to your own apparent brainwashing effort.

I just think you're trying to shout everybody down again, Robert. What I said here:

gisterme 1/2/02 8:58pm

is now re-proven. I notice that some of the other folks who had begun to participate in this forum during the time you were banned have all dissappeared since your return. That's a shame...the forum was beginning to reflect a bit of diversity and was becoming more interesting. It seemed ripe for some new ideas and other points of view. Yes, it's nothing less than a shame.

rshow55 1/2/02 9:06pm

"...I don't know whether I'll be banned, for posting this. If I'm not, I'll surely try to moderate my word count..."

"...If I were readmitted, I'd surely try to respond more moderately -- much more moderately..."

Those are YOUR WORDS, Robert. If a person demonstrates that their words are meaningless about one thing, why should anybody trust that person's words about anything else? But you continued:

"...For a lot of reasons. One, I feel a lot safer, as far as nuclear risks go, than I did January of last year..."

Your subsequent words belie that statement.

"...Two, things I put aside this year, because of my concern (right or wrong) for national risks, have to be done."..."

Must not have been very important things you put aside, eh, Robert?

"...Out."

No doubt about that.

Robert, you certainly have been less successful at reducing your wordcount than the US government has been at developing military technology, even MD technology. If the odds of developing a viable missile defense were as long as the odds seem of your voluntarily honoring your own words then I'd also say "It can't be done".

mazza9 - 09:49pm Jan 14, 2002 EST (#10770 of 10776)
Louis Mazza

I remember seeing film of our Minuteman III that was launched from Vandenberg. An operational missile would be selected at random from the fleet. It would be removed, carried to Vandenberg and then within so many hours it would be launched. This test assured that the missile was properly maintained and could hit its target, in this case the lagoon at Kwajelin where sensors in the lagoon would calculate its miss distance from its target point. 1/2 mile was a good CEP and many landed will within this limit.

When the Minteman III emerged from the silo at Vandenberg its body was blackened from the launch exhaust. Even today, these old pictures of launches in the 70s and 80s show the same blackening.

A mirved Minuteman III will shed its nose cone to expose the three warheads sitting on the "bus" which provides the final aiming through the use of trim thrusters. To try to affix a reflective coating to this assembly would be as time consuming and provide negligible protection. Todays radar would discriminate these articles and the attendant decoy ballons which would negate the decoy strategy. And as you said if a defense is present, the belligerent might decide it is too expensive to pay to the extra costs to enhance system performance, The laser might then mitigate against the offensive use of these weapons rather than permit their use.

LouMazza

lchic - 09:59pm Jan 14, 2002 EST (#10771 of 10776)

I'll opt to have my palms crossed with decal rather than silver, sounds much more reflective when you're in for the long haul and can no longer take up your bed and walk.

Mazza your 3minMan sounds like a dirty nuclear egg timer!

lchic - 10:18pm Jan 14, 2002 EST (#10772 of 10776)

G-eez you're tripeing it up! Time to move on from chitterlings gisterme 1/14/02 9:40pm.

mazza9 - 11:26pm Jan 14, 2002 EST (#10773 of 10776)
Louis Mazza

!chic:

Very.....DUH!

LouMazza

lchic - 03:43am Jan 15, 2002 EST (#10774 of 10776)

DUH Don't Underestimate Him/Her

Thanks!

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