this is the War Room!
Posted on 11/12/2007 8:46:04 AM PST by tlb
fiscal 2008 defense appropriations bill.
The $459 billion bill provides $100 million for a new "prompt global strike" program that could deliver a conventional, precision-guided warhead anywhere in the world within two hours.
The new program, dubbed Falcon, for "Force Application and Launch from CONUS,". The agency describes Falcon as a "a reusable Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle (HCV) capable of delivering 12,000 pounds of payload at a distance of 9,000 nautical miles from [the continental United States] in less than two hours."
The vehicle would be launched into space on a rocket, fly on its own to a target, deliver its payload and return to Earth. In the short term, a small launch rocket is being developed as part of Falcon. It eventually would be able to boost the hypersonic vehicle into space. But in the interim, it will be used to launch small satellites within 48 hours' notice at a cost of less than $5 million a shot.
Conferees added $100 million above the Bush administration's request for nearly $200 million to accelerate "space situational awareness." That is code for protecting U.S. satellites in space and being able to attack the enemy's satellites.
"Counterspace systems" that would warn of impending threats to U.S. satellites, destroy or defend against attackers, and interrupt enemy satellites are in the Bush budget for $53 million. Conferees gave them another $10 million.
One research project of $7 million in that category is directed at "offensive counterspace," described as designing "the means to disrupt, deny, degrade or destroy an adversary's space systems, or the information they provide."
Another $18 million would go for research into a second-generation counter-satellite-communications system; it would explore and develop capabilities "to provide disruption of satellite communications signals in response to U.S. Strategic Command requirements,"
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Wing attack. Plan R.
Hopefully, Admiral Ozzel won’t be in charge of the program. Coming out of light speed too close to the system would make a clean bombardment impossible. He’s as clumsy as he is stupid.
With weapon systems like this, enemy leaders will have to live in motorhomes that never stop for anything except refueling. Now that’s my kind of weapon system!
this is the War Room!
Continued hypersonic R&D. Applications are decades away.
Isn’t this sort of thing what ICBMs are for?
R&D in search of a mission.
Two hours? Why not just have a bunch of missiles floating in space, uploaded in bulk, then plop them out of orbit when need be?
Is this related to the “Rods from God” concept?
You have 15 minutes to decide...
A recoverable manned, rocket launched, hypersonic bomber would fly a very different different profile and keep peoples fingers off the big red button...
How does that money look to you now? Accidental holocaust vs. $200 billion...
Various treaties preclude space-based weapons.
The ChiComs know how to shoot down satellites.
More than likely it will be remotely controlled.
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