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I'm curious about the PR strategies at play when governments either saber-rattle or keep secrets. Announcing breakthrough, surprising even, HAWC tech seems to

I'm curious about the PR strategies at play when governments either saber-rattle or keep secrets. Announcing breakthrough, surprising even, HAWC tech seems to clue in opponents about what sorts of countermeasures they'd want to start developing. By contrast, the US has held the high-altitude Aurora/SR-72/whatever tech very close to the vest for decades, when it's pretty much obvious that a new generation of high altitude replacements for U-2/SR-71/etc have been in the works or operational for a long time. Could this be economic trolling/baiting like what in the 80's, (in part?) contributed to the USSR bankrupting itself trying to keep up with cold war tech?

doovd 5y ago
> contributed to the USSR bankrupting itself trying to keep up with cold war tech? Source?
- Iv 5y ago
  It is probably a reference to the SDI program, also called the Starwars program. Note that the economic impact on USSR is just speculation. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative#Controversy_and_criticism https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative...
  - imglorp 5y ago
    Yes, and yes that remark was speculative.
- marktangotango 5y ago
  It was known as "the strategy of technology" and there's been a lot of controversy if really was as effective as many claim. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy_of_Technology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy_of_Technology
- qaq 5y ago
  USSR was spending majority of it's GDP on mil., hard to imagine it was not a major factor.
sudosysgen 5y ago
Given the fact that other governments are fielding hypersonic scramjet missiles, I don't think so.
masklinn 5y ago
> Announcing breakthrough, surprising even, HAWC tech seems to clue in opponents about what sorts of countermeasures they'd want to start developing. It's pretty hard to hide hypersonic devices these days, and the concept is not exactly a secret: Russia and China are testing devices, and multiple other countries are working on developing their own.
- sudosysgen 5y ago
  Russia is not really testing devices per se anymore, they are preparing for mass production of hypersonic air breathing missiles. We don't know too much as for China.
  - eunos 5y ago
    > We don't know too much as for China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DF-ZF https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DF-ZF
  - jhgb 5y ago
    > they are preparing for mass production of hypersonic air breathing missiles ...or so they say. Of course they've been preparing for mass production of T-14 and Su-57 for quite some time now. Any day now they'll get them, I'm sure...
    - sudosysgen 5y ago
      T-14 is ready for mass production, it's just too expensive for the broke Russian government to buy enough of them. 3M22 unlike Su-57 has actually achieved it's goals. It has already been fired from ships and hit targets while achieving it's speed and altitude goals. Su-57 has not been able to achieve it's goals of being stealthy or being reliable so there is no reason it would be readied for mass production.
      - shadilay 5y ago
        If I remember correctly it was claimed that the Su57 was too good and that's why they we're cancelling serial production.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
zozin 5y ago
Hypersonics aren’t new tech, they were tested and developed decades ago by the US. It’s only recently that they’ve made a reappearance. Why do you think it took only 2 years for multiple military branches to spin up and test multiple separate missile designs? I would argue that Russia/China are playing the PR game in order for the US to appear behind in terms of missile technology.
newsclues 5y ago
There are offensive weapons that you advertise so that the enemy wastes resources to defend against. Having nukes for MAD is useless if no one knows you have a credible threat.
- lamontcg 5y ago
  "Of course, the whole point of a Doomsday Machine is lost, if you keep it a secret!" I sorta suspect that this is more about the fact that the US knows this isn't a secret to China and Russia, so they're using it as an opportunity to brag domestically and get more funding.
twistedpair 5y ago
MAD worked out pretty well. Sometimes the best outcome of a weapon system is that it's never used. Reminds me of the Doomsday Machine in Dr. Strangelove. > The Whole Point of the Doomsday Machine is Lost if You Keep it a Secret!

doovd 5y ago

> contributed to the USSR bankrupting itself trying to keep up with cold war tech? Source?

Iv 5y ago
It is probably a reference to the SDI program, also called the Starwars program. Note that the economic impact on USSR is just speculation. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative#Controversy_and_criticism https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative...
- imglorp 5y ago
  Yes, and yes that remark was speculative.
marktangotango 5y ago
It was known as "the strategy of technology" and there's been a lot of controversy if really was as effective as many claim. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy_of_Technology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategy_of_Technology
qaq 5y ago
USSR was spending majority of it's GDP on mil., hard to imagine it was not a major factor.

sudosysgen 5y ago

Given the fact that other governments are fielding hypersonic scramjet missiles, I don't think so.

masklinn 5y ago

> Announcing breakthrough, surprising even, HAWC tech seems to clue in opponents about what sorts of countermeasures they'd want to start developing. It's pretty hard to hide hypersonic devices these days, and the concept is not exactly a secret: Russia and China are testing devices, and multiple other countries are working on developing their own.

sudosysgen 5y ago
Russia is not really testing devices per se anymore, they are preparing for mass production of hypersonic air breathing missiles. We don't know too much as for China.
- eunos 5y ago
  > We don't know too much as for China https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DF-ZF https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DF-ZF
- jhgb 5y ago
  > they are preparing for mass production of hypersonic air breathing missiles ...or so they say. Of course they've been preparing for mass production of T-14 and Su-57 for quite some time now. Any day now they'll get them, I'm sure...
  - sudosysgen 5y ago
    T-14 is ready for mass production, it's just too expensive for the broke Russian government to buy enough of them. 3M22 unlike Su-57 has actually achieved it's goals. It has already been fired from ships and hit targets while achieving it's speed and altitude goals. Su-57 has not been able to achieve it's goals of being stealthy or being reliable so there is no reason it would be readied for mass production.
    - shadilay 5y ago
      If I remember correctly it was claimed that the Su57 was too good and that's why they we're cancelling serial production.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

zozin 5y ago

Hypersonics aren’t new tech, they were tested and developed decades ago by the US. It’s only recently that they’ve made a reappearance. Why do you think it took only 2 years for multiple military branches to spin up and test multiple separate missile designs? I would argue that Russia/China are playing the PR game in order for the US to appear behind in terms of missile technology.

newsclues 5y ago

There are offensive weapons that you advertise so that the enemy wastes resources to defend against. Having nukes for MAD is useless if no one knows you have a credible threat.

lamontcg 5y ago
"Of course, the whole point of a Doomsday Machine is lost, if you keep it a secret!" I sorta suspect that this is more about the fact that the US knows this isn't a secret to China and Russia, so they're using it as an opportunity to brag domestically and get more funding.

twistedpair 5y ago

MAD worked out pretty well. Sometimes the best outcome of a weapon system is that it's never used. Reminds me of the Doomsday Machine in Dr. Strangelove. > The Whole Point of the Doomsday Machine is Lost if You Keep it a Secret!