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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?

cskendrick - 11:37am Oct 13, 2001 EST (#10224 of 10250)
No vaccination without representation

mazza9 10/13/01 11:28am

Wow. Fifty cruise missiles? That's a good percentage of what the Navy's proposed arsenal ships are supposed to be able to carry.

I'd modify some B-1B's while we're at it. Give those pricey swanlike beauties a cost-effective mission at last.

mazza9 - 12:08pm Oct 13, 2001 EST (#10225 of 10250)
Louis Mazza

I was stationed at Minot AFB, (70-73) when our B-52s were being being outfitted for the first cruise missiles, (and replacing the Hound Dogs of the 50s era). The standard configuration was a rotary clip in the bomb bay with 6 missiles and six missiles on a pylon under each wing for a total of 18.

Boeing's 747 proposal was based on the 747 Freighter model and the same rotary clips would be slung from a track in the ceiling of the aircraft. There would be two tracks and an ejection port at the rear on both sides of the fuselage. The 747 could standoff several hundred miles and shoot off these missiles in volleys. I'm not actually sure of the 50 figure, since the clips are six packs it could have been 48 or as much as 72. Range, refueling, and targets would be the mitigating factor. I can assure you that the tactics changed significantly with the introduction of cruise missile technology from the old Hound Dog Days!

The Hound Dogs had a computer that had less computing power than today's sport watches and took a long time to program with, sometimes, hilarious results. On one mission one of our bombers was "attacking" a bombing range in Colorado. Of course, the missile was not fired but it's programming could be measured and a miss distance calculated. The SAC targeting crew reported to our aircrew that the missile had impacted in Wyoming. Miss Distance? A whole state!!!! Conversely, on an ORI mission, (where the grade really counts) a close friend of mine was awarded a Shack! A shack is where no discernible miss distance can be recorded. A patch depicting a bomb hitting an outhouse is awarded. A Shack for a Houndog was extremely rare and usually rated a mention in the SAC newsletter.

War is Heck!

LouMazza

cskendrick - 02:08pm Oct 13, 2001 EST (#10226 of 10250)
No vaccination without representation

mazza9 10/13/01 12:08pm

Great story. A Shack. I'd never heard that one before. I can only imagine that the award has been discontinued.

mazza9 - 06:31pm Oct 13, 2001 EST (#10227 of 10250)
Louis Mazza

The Shack was an unofficial award but acknowledged just the same since it was a measure of you "bombing acumen." During the ORI there would usually be a pool where people would bet on which crew would have the lowest miss distance for all weapons. I bet on my close friend who had "shacked" the Hound Dog. His crew cam back with a score of 500 yards for six weapons, (four internal bombs and two Hound Dogs). There were two shacks and 4 weapons that averaged a miss distance of 125 yards. A one megaton H-Bomb fused for a ground burst will dig a crater 1/2 mile in diameter and 1500' feet deep...So a 125 yard miss was inconsequential, (irony here!) I won 1/4 of the pool for that ORI and took home $550 which was a month's pay for a captain at that time.

War is heck. If this anthrax attack is traced to a certain nation then maybe a one megaton ground burst will be needed to tell the world that we are p*ssed!!!

LouMazza

freedom826 - 05:57pm Oct 15, 2001 EST (#10228 of 10250)

An editorial article in the Wall St.Journal today said that the powdered form of anthrax needs very sophisticated and expensive ($1+ million) apparatus for manufacturing it. Seems it is centrifuged and dried in air tight sterile environments. They go on to say that this sophisticated apparatus already exists in Iraq as it has stockpiled a lot of powdered anthrax in the past. Also, the deceased terrorist leader, Atta, visited Saddam Husein a few months ago. They suspect that the powdered anthrax is an import from Iraq.

cskendrick - 08:17pm Oct 15, 2001 EST (#10229 of 10250)
No vaccination without representation

freedom826 10/15/01 5:57pm

Plenty of labs in Asia, Europe, Russia and North America. Plenty of universities, hospitals, pharmaceutical research facilities, specialist clinics throughout the United States.

Could be kids with a grudge. Could be far right vigilantes with an axe to grind against liberal icons and politicians (its happening in Europe, too, so this latter theory is kind of weak right now). In any case, I think it's made close and distributed by infiltration of postage hubs. It is even possible legitimate mail is intercepted and compromised (thus the puzzlingly long delays between stamping and receipt.)

mazza9 - 10:38pm Oct 15, 2001 EST (#10230 of 10250)
Louis Mazza

"It is even possible legitimate mail is intercepted and compromised (thus thepuzzlingly long delays between stamping and receipt.)"

We've been penetrated. The lacksidaisical Clinton Administration, who thought it was more important to pardon terrorists rather than protect us from terrorists, is a part of the problem. The terrorist had 8 years to infiltrate. WTC was first attacked in '93 and all the other events of note were "ignored" by "Good Time Charlie". Now it's reported he wants to be an actor. Heck, he had 8 years of practice at acting the role of President.

Just goes to show that we lacked the intelligence then and must reestablish the human variety now.

LouMazza

ledzeppelin - 07:13am Oct 17, 2001 EST (#10231 of 10250)

reedom826 - (#10228)

You state " Also, the deceased terrorist leader, Atta, visited Saddam Husein a few months ago. They suspect that the powdered anthrax is an import from Iraq".

I note you do not say who exported the anthrax to Iraq in the first instant.....

Indeed one of the first issues that needs to be addressed before thinking of any defence shield. Would one be needed if the west was a little more careful in the first instant on picking its friends as we did with the Taliban when we wished to bite the Russians or Saddam when we liked him kicking Iran.....

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