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Missile Defense

Russian military leaders have expressed concern about US plans for a national missile defense system. Will defense technology be limited by possibilities for a strategic imbalance? Is this just SDI all over again?

(6143 previous messages)

almarst-2001 - 01:58pm Jun 27, 2001 EST (#6144 of 6169)

midmoon 6/27/01 11:24am

"Natzism was a great threat to the free democracy and the communism was,too."

True. But that was NOT the reason for the war. One should be seariously brainwashed or dishonest to make such a claim. as an example, the US had no problems dealing with and supporting of and even establishing some of many brutal dictatorships. Even after WWII in Europe, it had no problem supporting the Franco in Spain. Or placing the Military junta to rule the Grece. Or the very far from free and democratic rejimes of Turkey. Not to mention Latin America, Far East, Middle East and Africa.

"The major difference between the German Natzism and the Russian communism was that the former was based on racism(the superiority of the Arians) and the latter on nationalism."

Russian Communism have had a great many bad things, but NATIONALISM was NOT one of them. Where this idea came from?

"were merciless autocracy not going without the sacrifices and bloods of the mankind,the Jewish's for the former,the Russian's and East European's for the latter."

Do you claim that only autocracy" is capable of such things? If you do, it again shows eaither lack of knowlege and understanding or intellectual (politely;) dishonesty. One should only examine the Colonial history of Europe, the brutality of British and Americans against German civilian population or the American wars in Asia to recognise it.

"As for the Vietnam war,the horroble thing was that the US could not defeat the Vietcong.

The US must have won the war so long as it had involved.

As Hobart Rowen cited, it was the self inflected wounds for the US.

If it had been otherwise,the these day's rouge nations can not have any thought to dare to the US as we see now."

You stated it all clear, didn't you?

"Why should the US let the NATO allies to give money to Russia for its junk missile technology ?"

Why then should Russia lose its only other customers, even the US may dislike them? Isn't it a "normal business practice";)?

gisterme - 02:05pm Jun 27, 2001 EST (#6145 of 6169)

rshowlater wrote: "...The resolution of an electro-optical system depends on many things, but is limited by wavelength -- and radar waves are MUCH coarser than light waves. The resolution of the best radars may, therefore, be much worse than the angular resolution of Space Telescope..."

WRT radar, don't forget that the USAF now uses ground based radar to track orbiting objects down to a size of about 1" in diameter. However, infrared sensors like those that would likely be used to track rocket boosters use wavelengths much shorter than the optical and therefore have much better theoretical resolution than optical sensors. Of course, as you say, optical sensors have far better resolution than radar.

If your human muscles aren't strong enough to lift the 4,000 lbs, then use your human brain to build a machine to do it for you. Likewise if your human eyes aren't sharp enough to see what you want, build a machine to see it for you.

WRT optics, dirac's reference to "adaptive optics" is not BS;

http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/:3636/realpublic/inst/ao/about/aospecs.html

Adaptive optics is yet another way to use our "force of cleverness" to overcome seemingly insurmountable problems.

gisterme - 02:13pm Jun 27, 2001 EST (#6146 of 6169)

midmoon wrote: "...Why should the US let the NATO allies to give money to Russia for its junk missile technology ?

It does sound not so good a idea.Doesn't it?"

Wanted to say the same thing myself, midmoon but am trying to be polite. :-)

Still, even a Scud is accurate enough to hit a city...

almarst-2001 - 02:55pm Jun 27, 2001 EST (#6147 of 6169)

gisterme 6/27/01 2:13pm

See my reply to midmoon;)

By the way,