Posted on 04/17/2008 3:59:39 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
The United States has agreed to provide Israel with access to its BMEWS (ballistic missile early warning system). The half century old system uses radars and satellites to monitor the planet for ballistic missile launchers (specifically ICBMs, but any large missile launch is detected.) Twice before, in 1991 and 2003, the U.S. allowed Israel to plug into BMEWS (to get warning of Iraqi missile launches). This time around, BMEWS will give Israel warning about any Iranian ballistic missiles headed west.
Early on, BMEWS consisted of long range radars that could spot warheads coming over the north pole (from Russia). When SSBNs (ballistic missile carrying nuclear subs) entered the Russian arsenal in the 1970s, BMEWS had been augmented by satellites equipped with heat sensors that could detect the enormous amount of heat generated by a ballistic missile launch (or any large explosion, like an above-ground nuclear weapons test). These satellites cover the entire planet, while the radars only cover part of the Middle East. In all, 23 of these DSP (Defense Support Program) satellites have been launched (the latest last Fall). The 2.3 ton DSP birds are being replaced by SBIRS (Space-Based Infrared System), a network of four stationary orbit (like DSP) and 24 low orbit, heat sensing (infrared) satellites that will provide more detail than the DSP birds. SBIRS should be fully operational in another five years.
(Excerpt) Read more at strategypage.com ...
It appears that they do it based on threat assessment rather than just a regular thing.
Seems it was.
Yah...that was MY first reaction....DUH. What took us so long???
Oh. .....still.
“It appears that they do it based on threat assessment rather than just a regular thing.”
There are a number of things that are suggesting that things are about to heat up in the ME.
I suspect that either the US or Israel are about to do something about Iran’s nuclear program.
We simply cannot allow an apocalyptic maniac to get his hands on nuclear weapons.
Yes indeed there are.
I do not profess to know anything about these systems or the technology. From the article, it looks like they are getting more and more sophisticated and able to tune into what they need to tune into, but are still working on this and are some years away from where they think they can be in detecting a launch. Yet they have decided to go ahead at this time and to let it be known.
I’d like to think the Bush administration will do everything it can to militarily aid Israel, Taiwan, South Korea and Colombia in the event that the next president’s last name is Obama. Those four democracies are likely to be the first casualties of a Marxist American presidency.
Main Entry: be·muse
Pronunciation: \bi-ˈmyüz, bē-\
Function: transitive verb
Date: 1735
1 : to make confused : puzzle, bewilder
2 : to occupy the attention of : distract, absorb
3 : to cause to have feelings of wry or tolerant amusement
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