U.S. Faces Choice on New Weapons for Fast Strikes

NY Times ^ | April 22, 2010 | DAVID E. SANGER and THOM SHANKER

[neverdem]

[jmcenanly]

bump

[ASA Vet]

[doc1019]

What a laugh, to think our gonad deficient president would approve this. Especially if it might affect his muslim brothers.

[Cicero]

If the Senate ratifies Obama’s surrender treaty, we are cooked. Now yet another screwball concession to Putin is revealed.

[17th Miss Regt]

Interesting graphic. Take out your atlas and look at the landmasses shown. The landmass on the left is the eastern part of Russia. The Gulf of Anadyr is prominent and you can see the base of the Kamchatka peninsula. The land mass to the right is Alaska. So the launch point is in Russia and the point of impact is in Alaska. An NYT wet dream. Just guessing that the NYT wanted to make Wasilla the target.

[ConorMacNessa]

Why don't we all just get down on bended knee and surrender - that's where this stinking Regime is taking us!

Lamh Foistenach Abu!

[Dallas59]

It would be racism to try and kill people with this. We need hugs and love. Just like Bammy says./s

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Yet even now, concerns about the technology are so strong that the Obama administration has acceded to a demand by Russia that the United States decommission one nuclear missile for every one of these conventional weapons fielded by the Pentagon."

Obama's response: "Only one?? I was thinking more like five nukes for every one of these new gadgets. We don't like being a military power, you know."

[libsrscum]

Even if the destructive power of such a weapon is akin to a nuke, I gotta believe you could still tell the difference between one of these and a nuke...

Would there still be an EMP? Radioactivity? Mushroom cloud?

[garjog]

What is the nature of the weapon? I think that I remember that it is just a rod of metal that is propelled at such high speeds that it becomes extremely explosive. Correct?

[neverdem]

Star Wars 2010? U.S. military launch space plane on maiden voyage... but its mission is top secret Prompt Global Strike?

Jayna Davis: The Tea Party, Timothy McVeigh, and Tainted History

Victor Davis Hanson: American Neutrality Toward Israel Invites Violence - When Israel is alone, its opportunistic enemies pile on.

Victor Davis Hanson: Obama and the New Civility - During the Bush years a dangerously heated rhetoric became commonplace. Now, lo! a new age has dawned.

Does anyone have any idea about what happened to Tolik?

Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.

[Candor7]

Thats what I remember too. It was called a kinetic force weapon.

[Nevermore]

What a laugh, to think our gonad deficient president would approve this.

Barry's new excuse: "Putin wouldn't let me!"

[MindBender26]

Two different systems.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks neverdem.

[grey_whiskers]

Dollars to donuts they'll have a "navigational error" and take out the Israeli nuclear reactor.

/sarc>

NO cheers, unfortunately.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[ThunderSleeps]

Even if the destructive power of such a weapon is akin to a nuke, I gotta believe you could still tell the difference between one of these and a nuke...

Yes. Couple of ways. First, the Russians have decent satellites. They'd get a launch warning, see it was only one ICBM. Then after a couple of minutes they'd get a refined launch and impact point prediction. They'd have to ask themselves, would we really be sending a nuke to {where-ever} ???

Or plan B. They know where our land-based missile fields are. Convert those to the conventional ICBMs. The subs and aircraft are much more "survivable" for our nuclear forces. Then simply tell the Russians, the North Dakota fields are conventional, (maybe even let them inspect them to assure themselves), you see something launching out of there, don't sweat it.

Would there still be an EMP? Radioactivity? Mushroom cloud?

EMP, no. Radioactivity, no. These would be conventional, chemical explosives. Mushroom cloud? Maybe a small one - that feature is merely a by product of a large explosion.

[ASOC]

Remember this?

The term we used in SAC (back when it still existed)was "Launch on Warning". Hence the caution.....