New York Times on the Web Forums Science

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.

wrcooper - 02:48pm Aug 31, 2002 EST (# 4083 of 4100)

So have I been specific, or weren't you paying attention? Or are you just stalling?

I asked you for your sources with respect to your claim that the cost of developing countermeasures would be 1,000 to 1,000,000 times less than that for developing a BMD system. That range of numbers, since it spanned three orders of magnitude, struck me as fuzzy, and I was curious about how you came up with it.

So, once again, I ask you to tell me how you obtained those numbers. What's your source for the data? How did you calculate that range of cost?

Simple questions requiring nothing more than simple, direct answers.

Can you respond simply and directly? I'm wondering.

mazza9 - 03:04pm Aug 31, 2002 EST (# 4084 of 4100)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

Cooper:

Robert only answers questions that he deigns significant. He pontificates endlessly and when questioned just ignores it as any potentate would.

Cooper, to say that Al Quida would NEVER have an ICBM capability is a correct statement and that's why a whole new set of international behaviors are needed. The socialist world is lathering at the mouth with objections to pre-emptive interdiction. Of course, they weren't attacked by a non state who kills men, women and children with no rules binding them to the concept of fair play. Here's an interesting scenario. What if an deep Muslim Mole entered the French Military and worked his way to an assignment at a French Launch Control Center. Hello World War Four? Or worse still, lchic gains control of a French ICBM?

wrcooper - 03:12pm Aug 31, 2002 EST (# 4085 of 4100)

mazza9 8/31/02 3:04pm

He pontificates endlessly...

He insists on the virtue of checking and testing. I favor the scientific approach, too. That's why I've asked him to share with me the source for his claim that a BMD system would cost 10³ to 10⁶ times more than countermeasures. A simple question requiring only a simple, direct answer.

...[T]hat's why a whole new set of international behaviors are needed.

We have entered a new era. No doubt. But building a BMD is not the right way to deal with the new threats.

What if an deep Muslim Mole entered the French Military and worked his way to an assignment at a French Launch Control Center. Hello World War Four?

I would hope that the French have as many launch controls as we do. Retargeting and launching are complex events that can't just be hacked by a single individual. Not just any grunt can launch an ICBM. The "crazy man" scenario has been anticipated.

mazza9 - 04:20pm Aug 31, 2002 EST (# 4086 of 4100)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

Cooper

I was assigned to the 91st Stategic Missile Wing at Minot AFB. I learned some interesting things. For example, it was learned early in the deployment of the Minuteman Missile that those newfangled garage door openers, (early 60s), could trigger the opening sequence of a silo blast door. That was corrected and the infromation was "slipped" to the Soviets to insure safety and integrity of the launch system. A team of Boeing technicians were installing the launch control center hardware and one of the original air force teams was speaking of the two man control concept. One of the technicians said, "O yeah!" and using a paper clip and some rubber bands demonstrated how one person could launch a missile. Needless to say a major engineering change occurred. Please dno't say never when we are talking about the likes of North Korea or Iran and Iraq. They haven't the technical maturity.

As I've said before, the technical aspects of BMD are achievable. The militariation of space is where the political and philosphical land mines exist.

lchic - 05:02pm Aug 31, 2002 EST (# 4087 of 4100)

Why don't unexploded bombs - mines etc have an ID call system ..... 6 million ... 'Whoops there goes another one -- another one -- another one ... bury the dead ... send out for prosthetics!! ...

Why isn't 'detection for clearance built into those nasty little wigits!!

If those mines were seeded over the USA ... the Yanks would be 'in court' with lawyers ... claiming compensation for

Clearance (at USA rates of pay)
Injury
loss of income
loss of child
loss of mother
loss of father

So while you GUY(s) are waiting for anwers from Showalter .... here's an opportunity to put your maths to good use and place figures on this board ... go for it ...

(13 following messages)

New York Times on the Web Forums Science Missile Defense