Bad to worse? Russia threatens nuclear strike on Poland

The system consists of 10 'dumb' interceptors that have to physically collide with the warhead. A single MIRV overwhelms it.

 

or go to the grocery store, buy 10 mylar balloons. Cover the warhead in Mylar. Release the 9 balloons with the warhead. I like my odds.

 

Which is why it's a multi-tiered system that will intercept in the boost phase. And once you're in terminal, all countermeasures I know off become irrelevant and the PAC-3's, THAAD and likely a land based SM3 will come into play.

There are multiple kill KEI (Kinetic Energy Interceptors) warheads to deal with mid course interceptions on the fast track. (5 years to deployment imo)

 

That doesn't work for terminal or boost interceptions.

 

You like to read the Aerospace company press releases, huh?

Back in the real world, they still haven't had a successful test that didn't involve cooking the test beforehand. According to the Aerospace people I've spoken with, boost phase appears to be essentially impossible unless you are using lasers or have all of the launch location/time information beforehand and are right on top of the launch site for ICBM's.

Maybe eventually some of the more complex stuff might work on the back end, but with 30+ years of research, they still have nothing to show that really works. That is the bottom line.

 

not sure how credible this is but:

Here we should note that the interceptors that are being deployed are not boost-phase, they seem to be mid-course GBIs (they are too far from Iran, whose missile they are supposed to counter, to work as boost-phase interceptors). This seems to make their job easier -- interceptors will have much more time to reach their targets. But on the other hand, they will have to deal with countermeasures that are deployed on all Russian missiles. Not to mention that a couple of SS-19 missiles (each carrying six warheads) would quickly overwhelm the defense with its ten interceptors.


http://russianforces.org/blog/2006/05/missile_defense_interceptors_i.shtml

 

I mostly listened to Obering and his fairly open discussions on where we are now vs where we're going.

Yes, lasers are the answer to boost phase interception, even if there is still work going on with kinetic boost phase interceptors. That's what scares the hell out of the Russians. It wouldn't take much to have these knocking aircraft (VIP) out of the sky over Moscow from Poland.

 

I'm not sure who that is. I googled the name and found an Obering who is the Air Force General in charge of the missile defense program. If that is him, do you think that he is really a fair commentator when his whole identity and future is bound up in the success of the program?

That would be like listening to Dick Cheney talk about Iraq, or like reading what the program managers at Aerospace companies have to say about how great this or that newly funded system is going to be.

They have a vested interest in selling you something. At best, he probably really believes in missile defense and will tell a few little white lies or half-truths in order to try and get you on board.

 

Yes the current generation GBI are mid-course and I think they are the feeble link in what will be a comprehensive system. It's a foot in the door in Poland for when better systems come online and the most basic of defensive capabilities.

 

And assuming it actually works, if you are building that comprehensive of a system, the Russians suddenly have a point about it being used against them, and all of the US military is lying to America, Russia, and the rest of the world about what is going on.

 

There are no journalists exploring the authenticity of the information released... there is no one without a vested interest commenting one way or another. The military and the industrial complex has to work together and I fully recognize the corruption inherent in the system I don't get the idea behind deploying a system that doesn't work... If the GAO came out and said these tests are bogus and they're wasting your money I'd listen.

Further, I don't think this is in any way the best place to be spending money right now.

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4547883.ece

August 17, 2008
Russia is considering arming its Baltic fleet with nuclear warheads for the first time since the cold war, senior military sources warned last night.

The move, in response to American plans for a missile defense shield in Europe, would heighten tensions raised by the advance of Russian forces to within 20 miles of Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, yesterday.

Under the Russian plans, nuclear warheads could be supplied to submarines, cruisers and fighter bombers of the Baltic fleet based in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between the European Union countries of Poland and Lithuania. A senior military source in Moscow said the fleet had suffered from underfunding since the collapse of communism. “That will change now,” said the source.


“In view of America’s determination to set up a missile defence shield in Europe, the military is reviewing all its plans to give Washington an adequate response.”

The proposal to bring back nuclear warheads was condemned by Kurt Volker, the US ambassador to Nato, who said he knew of the threat.

“It is really unfortunate that Russia chooses to react by putting nuclear warheads in different places – if indeed it does that – when the rest of the world is not looking at some kind of old-fashioned superpower conflict,” he said.

The warnings came 24 hours after Russia told Poland that it could face a nuclear strike for agreeing to let the United States station components of the missile defense shield on its soil.

The Russian military also said it would ignore attempts to restrict the movement of its Black Sea fleet in and out of Sebastopol, in Ukraine. The Crimean port was emerging as a potential flashpoint in Russia’s efforts to prevent former Soviet countries on its borders from joining Nato.

This weekend Ukraine further angered Russian officials by offering to create a joint missile defense network with western countries.

The Russians have already indicated that they may point nuclear missiles at western Europe from bases in Kaliningrad and Belarus. They are also said to be thinking of reviving a military presence in Cuba.

In Georgia, Russian forces extended their reach across the west of the country yesterday, occupying several towns, seizing control of a main road and blowing up a railway bridge. Working with Abkhazian fighters they seized several Georgian villages and the Enguri power station. They pulled out of Igoeti, a village near the capital, after President Dmitry Medvedev signed a ceasefire agreement. The deal gave the Russians the right to continue patrolling “a few miles” inside Georgia. President George W Bush called the signing a “hopeful step”.

David Cameron, the Conservative leader, seized the initiative with a lightning trip to Tbilisi, becoming the first British politician to meet President Mikhail Saakashvili since the conflict began. Critics have accused government ministers of dithering.

Writing in today’s Sunday Times, Cameron says: “Russian armies can’t march into other countries while Russian shoppers carry on marching into Selfridges.”

 

If putin and the rest of the comrades fear the missle defence system, then they should take full advantage of Ecuador and other leftist countries shutting down U.S bases in their countries.

i've made a list of countries where the soviets are welcomed to place missles. ( to also help the fight against terrorism of course)

Chile, Nicaragua,brasil, peru, ecuador, paraguay, uruguay, bolivia, venezuela, argentina, guatemala, el salvador, honduras, cuba.


countries that would be against it:

49% of mexico... AMLO was so close, and all of colombia.

what's the right wing going to do? Kill our civilians again? =/

 

Yah...

At least 75% of those countries wouldn't want to get involved in a US-Russia dispute and would not be interested. Cuba and Venezuela possibly/probably. Beyond that I wouldn't bet on any of them wanting to get involved. Russia could probably buy a couple of the fence sitters, but some of the ones you've listed are just kind of absurd. Brazil? Not for all the tea in China, I'd bet. Argentina? Not happening. Mexico and Colombia? Never.

You seriously need to consider some anger management. Your rage at the USA consumes you and leads to strange, unrealistic comments like above.