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Wargame simulates North Korean missile launch on US
Hat tip: Drudge. Edited for brevity.In a war game run here [Schriever AFB, CO] Tuesday, a country resembling North Korea launched six ballistic missiles at the United States and put to the test an antimissile system modeled after the one being developed by the Bush administration. "He resembled North Korea, but it dark and he was wearing a hat." The size of the salvo threatened to exhaust the U.S. arsenal of long-range interceptors, which was set at six in the game. When one of the interceptors missed, role players who were standing in for chains of authority stretching from the U.S. president to firing crews were confronted with the possibility that they might not have enough remaining interceptors to save both Anchorage and Boise, Idaho, and would have to choose one of them to protect. As things turned out, all the enemy missiles were destroyed in flight -- two were hit very early after launch by an airborne laser system -- and a Sophieâs choice was averted. You have the new high score! Please enter your initials: _ _ _ A missile fired from North Korea could reach the northwestern United States in 25 to 30 minutes. But detecting it and figuring out where it is headed, then computing a course for an interceptor, could require eight minutes or so, officials said. Only one U.S. interceptor was still available for firing. If the interceptors already airborne missed, U.S. authorities would have to choose between saving either Anchorage or Boise with the one that remained. Officials said that in real life, factors such as population size would weigh in such a decision. In this case, after the Anchorage-bound missile was hit, the remaining interceptor was fired for extra measure at the Boise missile, although that proved unnecessary. Save Alaska Paul! Besides, a Boise strike would take care of all those neo-Nazi camps. Many more details at story link--which is refreshingly free of my pithy comments. Posted by: Dar 2004-03-17 |
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