U.S. 'Star Wars' laser plane successfully shoots down ballistic missile for first time

Mail Foreign Service ^ | 12:09 PM on 13th February 2010 | Mail Foreign Service

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

“Did they really have a 100MT bomb...?”

They CLAIMED they had one. They did detonate a 60MT in the early 60s, but they eventually came to realize what we knew earlier: a bigger bomb doesn't equate with much more damage. EG: Five 1MT bombs do much more damage than one 5MT.

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

“...the EMP Commission is wrong?”

Let's put it this way, whatever information the congresscritters used to draw their conclusions contradicts what we used in the military. Who do you trust more, congress, or the guys whose lives depend on being right?

I don't think we really disagree on the effects of a powerful EMP on our technology, just the size of the bomb required to create such an event.
(I'm guessing that this 10kt figure is now being used because that figure is one they've used for a few years now as an estimate of what the terrorists might be capable of.) So yeah, it might very well be a new pitch for research funding!

As for debunking the extreme alarmists, I'm doing my part right now; there are far better qualified individuals than I to correct congress.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

Ah, OK - hence why we goaded them with “one bomb for Russia”. We used to have smart people. I so hope there’s some kind of shadow government to these current loons.