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Seems like a pretty simple installation. They are just monitoring (see the Brazilian installation). If they really do need them, why not just contract it out to
by steve19 13y ago
Seems like a pretty simple installation. They are just monitoring (see the Brazilian installation). If they really do need them, why not just contract it out to a US firm, who simply relay the data. That should satisfy the spies.
Is an accurate Russian GPS competitor really that bad? Its not like ICBM's need ultra precise positioning. By the time nukes start falling ... its already all over.
- dchichkov 13y agoWell, would you want some nice flock of Russian drones flying all other the place? With no ability to block navigation on these drones? I'd think not. On the other hand Russia is probably the last country you should worry about. Nobody there is really interested in provoking the US to military actions. People in power in Russia have kids studying and living abroad, all over the place. In US, Europe, New Zealand, UK, etc.
- joeyo 13y agoEven if this installation somehow enhanced Russian military (and I presume they will launch the satellites regardless), surely having the installations on US soil is a _benefit_ to the US. They can be monitored and, if necessary, shut down much more easily than if they are on foreign soil.
- venomsnake 13y agoNow now, that requires clear thinking,subtlety and finesse. Things that post 9/11 US Intelligence Industrial Complex top brass is severely deficient from.
- njharman 13y ago> would you want some nice flock of Russian drones flying all other the place? Why not? Other countries aren't out to "get you". You have far more to fear from your own government than foreign nationals or governments.
- Zancarius 13y ago> Its not like ICBM's need ultra precise positioning. By the time nukes start falling ... its already all over. I'm pretty sure that due to the nature of an ICBM's flight path, they can't use GPS. AFAIK, they all use extremely precise inertial navigation systems.
- frenchman_in_ny 13y agoNot the flight path per se, but altitude over 60,000 feet and/or speed over 1,000kts are limiting factors for GPS. [0] That said, there are certain GPS devices that can bypass the limits. [1] [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoCom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoCom [1] http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/09/bypassin-us-gps-limits-for-active-guided-rockets/ http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/09/bypassin-us-gps-li...
- andrewaylett 13y agoI'm fairly sure that's an 'and', not an 'or', per your reference [0].
- Zancarius 13y agoI should clarify that by "flight path" I meant trajectory, e.g. altitude. Which is still curiously its flight path to the target.
- toomuchtodo 13y agoOptical tracking system to triangulate star positions, i.e. star trackers. http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/missile/icbm.htm http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/missile/icbm.htm https://www.opci.com/ocns.htm https://www.opci.com/ocns.htm
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- Zancarius 13y agoNear as I can tell, only Chinese missiles currently use star tracking devices [1]. US and Russian ICBMs use inertial guidance. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DF-31 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DF-31