Just my opinion, but I think we have Rods from God. It’s not something we talk about, but I bet we have them. And if the nuclear exchange is happening, you use everything you have. Flight time is probably less than 5 minutes and there’s no way it get shot down. Bye Bye dam. Bye Bye about 300 million Chinese.
I think not.
- Status: No, the United States does not have an operational "Rods from God" (kinetic bombardment) system deployed in space.
- History: The concept—originally known as Project Thor and conceived during the Cold War—involves dropping telephone-pole-sized tungsten rods from low Earth orbit to strike targets at hypersonic speeds (up to Mach 10) using pure kinetic energy.
- Deployment/Usage: Because they have never been built or fielded by the U.S. or any other nation, they cannot be used.
South China Morning Post +3Why They Aren't Used or Built
- Astronomical Cost: Transporting heavy tungsten rods (weighing over 24,000 pounds each) and their satellite platforms into orbit is prohibitively expensive compared to traditional weapons.
Reddit·r/IsaacArthur +1
- Legal and Political Hurdles: While dropping metal rods from space technically skirts the 1967 Outer Space Treaty's ban on nuclear weapons in orbit, deploying space-based strike platforms violates the spirit of the treaty and would trigger severe international backlash.
YouTube·The Fat Electrician +2
- Practical Alternatives: Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and conventional bunker-buster bombs deliver similar or more reliable tactical results at a fraction of the cost.
Quora +1
Because I am ex military I understand intercept times and I can calculate a missile time of flight. That dam is far inland not an easy target. It would be like the PLAN attacking a dam in CO.
Note:
The ChiComs will drain down the 3 Gorges reservoir prior to serious hostilities. In fact, if they start doing that then war is probable.