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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?

Read Debates, a new Web-only feature culled from Readers' Opinions, published every Thursday.

rshow55 - 04:47pm Apr 22, 2002 EST (#1674 of 1675)

Whenever there are problems with reliability of function (and these are very important) -- the most powerful way to increase the efficiency of a society is to reduce misinformation to increase reliability.

manjumicha2001 - 04:50pm Apr 22, 2002 EST (#1675 of 1675)

rshow:

Although I have been consistently surprised by the depth of your scientific knowledge (not surprised anymore since learnig your impressive arcademic background) and the skillful use of web-based information, your occasional references to forumnites as representing some important government officials gives me a pause re: your credibility. I specifically recall that you actually thought I was some kinda of Bush offical and that you claimed one of your online forumnites was Bill Clinton ! What's up with that?

Anyway, back to NMD issue, asssuming that the mid-flight interception is problamatic due to the easy countermeasures and the laser-based system has technical limitations for practicial use, how about the booster-phase interception by sea-based anti missile system (enhanced version of current aegis system)? Would appreciate any critical thoughts you might have on them...

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense