Posted on 07/11/2017 4:43:05 AM PDT by Helicondelta
The boost phase to the release of the Reentry Vehicles, RVs, is a relatively short time and ends in ten minutes or less.
The flight profile of an ICBM last around 30 minutes so the entire powered and steered phase is one third (or less) of the flight and it is all contained within the ascent phase of the flight profile.
Destroying an ICBM containing MIRVs is basically impossible with our current technology. We have to focus on exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric intercepts, which means we must have many more missiles to deal with the individual RVs.
I guarantee people have been working for many years on figuring out how to stop ICBMs during boost phase but we are not yet there.
Perhaps the lasers will finally do that. They have been mounted on smaller and smaller test platforms.
That ABM system was before Reagan.
The Safeguard system, consisting of the Spartan (high altitude) and the Sprint (low altitude) missile systems were operational from Fall of 1975 and deactivated in very early 1976.
The only part of the system that was built and operational was in North Dakota and the Montana (not Wyoming) site was never completed.
We still use the Perimeter Acquisition radar site to track space objects.
The power of a laser decreases rapidly as the distance increases. Using a space-based system would be prohibitive due to not only the distances involved but trying to fire through all the water in the atmosphere.
To use a laser system to destroy an ICBM in boost phase we would either have to find a way to have many of them placed in close proximity to the launch sites or have many on station in the air 24/7/365, which is really expensive at this time.
We are finding ways to defeat these challenges and I hope we get some big breakthroughs quickly.
Thank You
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.