In defense of the US (missile related)

[rn79870]

Sometimes our technology rocks....

HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) -- The U.S. military intercepted a ballistic missile Thursday in the first such sea-based test since a Navy cruiser shot down an errant satellite earlier this year.

The military fired the target, a Scud-like missile with a range of a few hundred miles, from a decommissioned amphibious assault ship near Hawaii's island of Kauai.

The cruiser USS Lake Erie fired two interceptor missiles that shot down the target in its final seconds of flight about 12 miles above the Pacific Ocean.

The target was shot down about 100 miles northwest of Kauai about five minutes after it was fired.

The $40 million test showed Navy ships are capable of shooting down short-range targets in their last phase of flight using modified missiles the service already has, the military said.

The Navy and the Missile Defense Agency have demonstrated that ships equipped with Aegis ballistic missile defense technology can intercept mid-range targets in midcourse of flight.

Good job Navy!

[HashiriyaS14]

That is pretty cool.

It's silly that the Russians and others are worried about this in regards to eroding detente.

Detente exists because HUNDREDS of missiles, each with about a dozen MIRV, are pointed at one another. No missile defense system could reliably counteract that.

It could, however, prove invaluable in deflecting a single or few missiles from a rogue state.

I'm sure this will immediately go to Israel to help protect them against (if any) short-range ballistic threat from Iran or the like.

[Cold_Zero]

I was watching a show on Regan and they were talking with a head KGB agent during the 60's - 80's and he indicated that it was detente that nearly brought a pre-emptive strike on the United States. Apparently it was the perceived weakness during the Nixon- Carter administration that nearly brought us to total war. Regan developing the 'Nuclear Triad' helped push the Russians back on their heals and reduced the chance of a preemptive strike. He moved the SAC bombers based on the coasts with in Russian boomer range into the interior of the United States. The development of our nuclear boomers that were more reliable and able to launch sub based missiles further away from the Russian coast making it harder for the Russian fast attack subs to hunt them down. And developing mobile ICBM and tactical nuclear missiles so that the Russians would have to target more sites in order to take out all of our missile silos.

Back on topic... like the Nuclear Triad, a ballistic missile shield will encompass multiple platforms to bring down missiles. But this technology doesn't protect against a nuke being deployed as a dirty bomb or a singular non missile based warhead bomb.

[rn79870]

All our technology and we can't secure the borders. An invading army could walk in and raise he!! in the process.

[Cold_Zero]

I laughed at your comment at work.. My cube neighbors probably think... know I am crazy. I enjoyed your comment, I wish it wasnt so true.

[themadscientist]

And we can't keep Mexicans from running across the border? Something doesn't add up.

[OriginalWheelman]

And we can't keep Mexicans from running across the border? Something doesn't add up.

Apparently we could if it was PC to shoot missiles at them.

[themadscientist]

Mine the border.