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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?

lunarchick - 04:44am Apr 5, 2001 EST (#1986 of 1989)
lunarchick@www.com

Yugoslavian Intellectual (Alexis) discusses former Serbian Leader's arrest Wednesday-Audio

Britain-Blair may be disagreeing with the USA re this matter.

rshowalter - 05:33am Apr 5, 2001 EST (#1987 of 1989)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

The Guardian does a fine reporting job - often when no one else will. Some perceptive comments here.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,2763,461545,00.html The US expels some Russian spies. It's the old chess game ...To be useful, intelligence must first of all be intelligent

by Martin Woollacott Friday March 23, 2001 The Guardian

The Special Reports on "Russia" and "George Bush's America" are nicely done.

rshowalter - 05:56am Apr 5, 2001 EST (#1988 of 1989)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

almarst-2001 4/4/01 8:32pm

" The milestone was the first "light test" of the Track Illuminator Laser at a facility El Segundo, Calif. The TILL, one of four critical lasers in the ABL, was the first to demonstrate that it can project powerful pulses of light on a small section of a missile and obtain data of the target's speed, elevation and probable point of impact.

Note how very early in the control logic, and also ask exactly what the errors of x, y, z axis velocity and position are using most optimistic theoretical assumptions, for this lasar, on the geometry of targets in question. Also note probable size of "facility".

Have you ever played with fancy optics? Used a microscope? Used a telescope? Considered angular spread, through atmosphere? Angular resolution of sending and recieving, even if this spread was 0, for the arcs involved in the moving targets at the distances involved?

Ever tried to aim anything reliably to microsecond of arc - quickly? Has anybody you know ever, by chance had the experience of setting up a scientific experiment involving lasars, where the optics has to be aligned so that it can yeild usable information?

If "airborne" means "on an airplane" have you considered the vibrations on the airplane - as angular perterbations limiting the quality of sending, recieving, and what the vibration does to data on the resolutions required here? (Again, ever worked with a microscope?) If "airborne" means "on a satellite" - have you considered the problems of "stable angular position" of the satellite when ANYTHING has to move on the satellite - for the angular resolutions of interest here.

This report is not a sign of strength, but is evidence of the weakness of the technical base of the program.

rshowalter - 06:16am Apr 5, 2001 EST (#1989 of 1989)
Robert Showalter showalte@macc.wisc.edu

almarst-2001 4/4/01 8:09pm

As you perhaps know, I had my own problems with Bill Clinton on a one day meeting with him on September 25 ---- starting with my statement of rshowalt 9/25/00 7:32am and ending on rshowalt 9/25/00 5:28pm . I've been critical of him at other times. If he'd done some things differently, the whole world would be better off. He also did well on a lot of things, in my opinion.

Without discounting some of your reservations about him, Bill Clinton can often be enormously constructive, he is surely the most competent and representative negotiating lawyer who has ever been President of the US (with both the strengths and weaknesses American negotiating lawyers have) and things he knows could be enormously useful to Russia, and the whole world.

I'd never say "defer to him" but I would say that his opinions and insights are always worth listening to (to judge for yourself) and the possibility that Clinton is working perceptively and in good faith should be considered carefully, with regard to particular cases at hand.

If Putin knew the things about complex cooperation and communication in the western tradition that Clinton knows, Russia would be richer and the whole world might be safer.

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