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2005-11-23 Science & Technology

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Posted by Steve 2005-11-23 10:05|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Boost phase intercept, I take it? Hence the IR.

What about AFTER the incoming missle has MIRVed?

"Hint: Bend over, put your head between your knees...)

Posted by mojo">mojo 2005-11-23 10:16|| 2005-11-23 10:16|| Front Page Top

#2 Hummm.... can't figure how they fit a missle that size into the VLS tubes. Then again, none of my business.

Posted by Shipman 2005-11-23 13:53|| 2005-11-23 13:53|| Front Page Top

#3 Ship - public info on the SM-3 is available here:

http://www.raytheon.com/products/standard_missile/

Posted by PBMcL 2005-11-23 15:15|| 2005-11-23 15:15|| Front Page Top

#4 I'll bet this scenario could easily be flooded with more targets than it could handle. Each launcher (MK 41 Vertical Launching System) carries 2 missiles... and the verbiage brags that one can be prepped while the other is fired - does that mean the "system" can fire and control 2 missiles? Or not? Does one have to "complete" before the other can be fired?

And more...

How many launchers per ship?
How are the computers that control the missiles set up? Slaved to the launcher or general ship's computers?
How many missiles can be successfully controlled in flight simultaneously?
How many ships do they presume should be on-station?

Even presuming a 100% firing to kill ratio, Iran has, at least, several dozen launch sites - probably many more.

Posted by .com 2005-11-23 16:31|| 2005-11-23 16:31|| Front Page Top

#5 LOL, say the majik word .com

Posted by Shipman 2005-11-23 18:36|| 2005-11-23 18:36|| Front Page Top

#6 The basic concept of anti-missile defense is the layered defense, which is the flip side to ballistic missile overkill.

However, you can only effectively layer if you have both distance and means available. That is, layering doesn't work as well on shorter distances, or when you have no place to put your defenses.

North Korea, therefore, is "easier" to layer then Iran, because the US can have Japanese area defenses and mid-Pacific defenses and Alaskan defenses. This would force them to try something difficult, like putting their missiles on a cargo ship to get it closer to our coast. The US Navy would have something to say about that.

Iran is more problematic because most of its targets are closer, and have both land and sea between them and Iran. If they shoot at a sea target, then the land-based anti-missile defenses are shooting laterally to the missile; if a land target, then the sea-based defenses have to do the same.

Given that they have considerable choice in their targets in the region, and that their targets are closer, probably means that we also have to use airborne defenses, such as 747-based lasers, to improve our shoot-down odds.

Their counter to this would be a massive nuclear and conventional launch from many different locations to many different targets as a salvo. Our response would be used to program their second salvo to take advantage of any weaknesses in our defenses.

This means that our defenses have to be capable of taking down wave after wave of missiles flooding out from Iran, many of whom are conventional or dummy.

Posted by Anonymoose 2005-11-23 18:53|| 2005-11-23 18:53|| Front Page Top

#7 I can't see Iran becoming an ICMB heavy or even a major IRBM player. Too expensive. Persian and Paki nukes are for show and skare.

Posted by Shipman 2005-11-23 19:10|| 2005-11-23 19:10|| Front Page Top

#8 From what I understand of the AN/SPY-1 capabilities with the SM-3 is that it can fire and control up to 20 (give or take a couple) missiles at 20 different targets. The initial problem the original block SPY-1 sets had were that they could not launch a second salvo at the same target until the target was verified killed. I believe this has been overcome currently and when/if the navy moves to the SPY-2 and SPY-3 sets it will be even more capable of handling more launches simultaneously while tracking the inbounds.

Posted by Valentine 2005-11-23 20:47|| 2005-11-23 20:47|| Front Page Top

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