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I think if it is something to do with our deterrence it’s more likely to be testing an anti ICBM weapon than carrying a warhead. The US stopped talking about

I think if it is something to do with our deterrence it’s more likely to be testing an anti ICBM weapon than carrying a warhead. The US stopped talking about missile defense because it’s destabilizing but they for sure did not stop working on it. With the MIRV warheads the only realistic intercept opportunity is in space.

dylan604 3y ago
I've played Missle Command, and once they separate, it's a nightmare! If there was a space based defense system, where would these items orbit? If it's a kinetic weapon, can something launched from geosync reach the target to cover the distance in time? Since most of the ICBMs would be coming over the pole, where else could you park your satellites that would be in position to defend against incoming missiles? Polar orbits are not stationary, so would you need a constant fleet of them over head like a Starlink constellation? Lost of questions that I've just never really slowed down to think about the logistics instead of just the old school "lasers are cool! pew pew pew!" that I thought about as kid when Ronnie Raygun was in office.
- jamiek88 3y ago
  Yeah exactly! Separation and dummy decoy warheads become an exponential problem and shooting through atmosphere is hard at hyper super mega sonic speeds. So interception in space but where, as you say. The only real 'near peer' nuclear threats are Russia and China so other than their 'boomers' (does China have that?) we should know which way they'll be coming from and their ballistic arc roughly. So we don't need global coverage 'just' GEO coverage of the parts we have intelligence on with pew pew laser line of sight which is of course lightspeed travel time and should be rapid aiming if there's enough of 'em. These might even be one shot weapons themselves perhaps even fission devices for the laser to have enough energy instantly available.

dylan604 3y ago

I've played Missle Command, and once they separate, it's a nightmare! If there was a space based defense system, where would these items orbit? If it's a kinetic weapon, can something launched from geosync reach the target to cover the distance in time? Since most of the ICBMs would be coming over the pole, where else could you park your satellites that would be in position to defend against incoming missiles? Polar orbits are not stationary, so would you need a constant fleet of them over head like a Starlink constellation? Lost of questions that I've just never really slowed down to think about the logistics instead of just the old school "lasers are cool! pew pew pew!" that I thought about as kid when Ronnie Raygun was in office.

jamiek88 3y ago
Yeah exactly! Separation and dummy decoy warheads become an exponential problem and shooting through atmosphere is hard at hyper super mega sonic speeds. So interception in space but where, as you say. The only real 'near peer' nuclear threats are Russia and China so other than their 'boomers' (does China have that?) we should know which way they'll be coming from and their ballistic arc roughly. So we don't need global coverage 'just' GEO coverage of the parts we have intelligence on with pew pew laser line of sight which is of course lightspeed travel time and should be rapid aiming if there's enough of 'em. These might even be one shot weapons themselves perhaps even fission devices for the laser to have enough energy instantly available.