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From what I've read recently, we are attempting to hit incoming missiles directly with our antimissile missiles. Why is it not practical to use a proximity fuse and use nuclear charges to destroy a missile in space?
From what I've read recently, we are attempting to hit incoming missiles directly with our antimissile missiles. Why is it not practical to use a proximity fuse and use nuclear charges to destroy a missile in space?
Deforest, Mathguy, what are your opinions here?
For starters an ICBM's speed might be something like 4 miles per second, if you blew something up next to it the missile could be gone by the time the shrapnel reached it unless it was flying directly into it.
As far as nuclear weapons they are banned in space by international treaty.
Spartan and Sprint missiles were conceived with thermonuclear warheads (in the megaton and low kiloton range, respectively). The problem is that setting off nuclear weapons will play merry hell with electronics due to EMP, and that will ironically hurt us way more than the Norks.
The US did the math while developing the Safeguard system back when the USSR was developing its first ICBMs, like North Korea is now. Even back then, when nuclear weapons were essentially considered just big bombs, the effect on the cities it was intended to protect was prohibitive. Also, it turns out that putting nuclear-tipped missiles in people's back yards is unpopular.
Fun fact - a local park where I like to run still has the foundation slabs for the ABM radar system it used to house.
Last edited by Dane_in_LA; 09-27-2017 at 09:56 AM..
You seriously have no other job other than war mongering??
That's not war mongering. That's a hypothetical and legitimate question. If you have a missile with a range of X and can't cross the Pacific and continent to reach an area of high population simple west to east trajectory, could it be possible to sling it over the pole?
Kind of like launching a craft to mars. It's like a bigger version of skeet shooting. Do you chase Mars or do you shoot ahead of Mars and use less fuel going ahead of Mars?
From what I've read recently, we are attempting to hit incoming missiles directly with our antimissile missiles. Why is it not practical to use a proximity fuse and use nuclear charges to destroy a missile in space?
Deforest, Mathguy, what are your opinions here?
So you're suggesting an areal mine field that'd be interesting and expensive... probably wind up knocking poor ET down and causing intergalactic warfare though. All he wanted to do was phone home and probe butts... LOL
Well first of all, you set a nuke off in space EMP would harm sattelites. That and it's banned... kind of would be suicidal to do that... radioactive fall out in upper atmosphere... not a good idea...
Personally what I would do, is get a satellite to orbit in sync with NK some how, watch their every move, learn of their missile sites, and work on a tracking and guidance system to knock airborn missiles out with. Alot of math involved with getting something like that perfected.
I'd develop a high speed claymore. Something packed full of armor penetrating debris, develop its charge using thermite so when it detonates, you don't have just flack/buckshot to hit the high-speed clay pigeon carrying a nuke... its white hot material burns through rendering the vehicle inoperable and neutralize the warhead.
There's always the idea of a "death ray", concentrated beams to super heat the vehicle to failure.
Leave the discussion to the non-ignorant, mmmkay? kthxbye
Yes I will. And you can attend rallies.
No countries other than US, China, Rus, India, Israel,France have missile capabilities of going over 6000 miles. So its BS to worry about NK on hypothetical issues.
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that'd be interesting and expensive... probably wind up knocking poor ET down and causing intergalactic warfare though. All he wanted to do was phone home and probe butts... LOL
