Anti-Missile tests delayed again.

[yasin_khan]

If you had to pick just two sentences to capture the willful stupidity of the Bush administration's missile defense push, this pair from Global Security Newswire would do nicely:


The U.S. Defense Department has once again postponed flight-testing new elements of its missile defense system until the end of November.

Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Henry "Trey" Obering said, however, that the delay would not alter plans to begin operating the system in the next month or two.


Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), with the Armed Services Committee, asks the right question: "If you’re not confident enough to take a chance on a test, how can you say that this can engage successfully in a real operational mission?"



http://64.207.156.228/

 

[highsea]

Re: ANTI-MISSILE TESTS DELAYED AGAIN

From what I understand, the test was postponed due to a failure of a diagnostic computer that was part of the testing equipment.

The target missile was to be fired from the California coast, and the ABM system was to intercept from an island in the South Pacific. The failure of the test computer meant that the ABM missile would have to be returned to the States for (computer) replacement before the test could be run.

Since the computer that failed is not part of the deployed system, but part of the test equipment, the decision was made not to delay the deployment schedule (in Alaska).

The Senator's comments are just another example of US politics in motion. He knew perfectly well why the test was postponed, but as a political opponent of the system, he used the postponement as an excuse to claim that there was no "confidence" in the program.

The decision to postpone was the correct one, why would anyone run a test if they knew were not going to get the results because of a computer problem? The 2 previous tests were successful, so why delay the deployment? Stay on schedule and rerun the test when the computer is replaced. (I think about 6 weeks)

-CM

 

[berry580]

According to an article, it claimed US scientists saying the missile defence shield ain't practical. Sorry that I can't provide a link, as that was months ago and it forgot about its details in how they explain the faults.

Also, I heard that the Russian has made some 'break throughs' in technologies allowing a ballistic missile's projectories to be changed in course.
According to an article that I read, America's anti- missile system relies on estimating a hostile missile's projectory, and calculate where should the interceptor missile be inorder to intercept the hostile missile, but if the hostile missile can change its mid course projectory, then the America's missile shield is effective useless.

If this article is true, then firstly, the Americans are pretty naive, and spends money inefficently. Also, I can't believe how such an advanced system can be based on such a simple logic.

 

[srirangan]

Missile shield is a pretty new concept, we should all accept that we are going to see failures, innovations and then finally successes. Just because the US missile shield isn't 100% perfect right now doesn't mean US is f***ed up, as you quote berry.

Infact is there any other country which has mastered missile defence? No. Is there any other country which has made even the slightest progress on missile defence, other than US and her allies? No there ain't. Which means the US still has a huge lead when compared to the RoW. Don't forget the conventional military might, tech advances and pure power of the dollar that the US stiff has.

 

[adsH]

teh british are working on the same project too, we did have an indipendent project some time ago but it might be the same one,
berry its kind of naive to think That th US would have static plotted coordinates for interdiction of BMs since they have Patriots that can change corse and speed to get to there targets!! your forgetting that we're talking about the most technologically and resourcefully Rich country that has no shortcoming in political will to develop a system to counter the BM threat.

 

[berry580]

"Missile shield is a pretty new concept, we should all accept that we are going to see failures, innovations and then finally successes. Just because the US missile shield isn't 100% perfect right now doesn't mean US is f***ed up, as you quote berry."

Not saying it has f---ed up already, but just suggesting the program ain't in such a healthy state as we all thought. Also, if the Russians really made this break through and cashed it with its military arms customers, then the Americans has pretty much wasted their money.

"Infact is there any other country which has mastered missile defence? No. Is there any other country which has made even the slightest progress on missile defence, other than US and her allies? No there ain't. Which means the US still has a huge lead when compared to the RoW. Don't forget the conventional military might, tech advances and pure power of the dollar that the US stiff has."

Well all know American's technology are in front, you don't need to brag for them.

"teh british are working on the same project too, we did have an indipendent project some time ago but it might be the same one,
berry its kind of naive to think That th US would have static plotted coordinates for interdiction of BMs since they have Patriots that can change corse and speed to get to there targets!! your forgetting that we're talking about the most technologically and resourcefully Rich country that has no shortcoming in political will to develop a system to counter the BM threat."

Probably, but either way, I'm this technology with dramatically reduce the ABM system's effectiveness.
The Americans has seem to have been to so reluctant to test this system, and this'll suggest its practical effectiveness.

 

[srirangan]

If the Russians have countered it, the US will work on a counter for the counter. Such is the nature of this industry right from the days of swords and shields. Nothing new, innovations will keep coming from both sides.

 

[neel24neo]

If the Russians have countered it, the US will work on a counter for the counter. Such is the nature of this industry right from the days of swords and shields. Nothing new, innovations will keep coming from both sides.

sri you are absolutely right.in evolutionary biology this is known as the red queen effect.you have to run hard just to stay where you are.you develop a better weapon,your opponent adapts and develops something even better.the game goes on and on.its the game of life itself.

 

[berry580]

If the Russians have countered it, the US will work on a counter for the counter. Such is the nature of this industry right from the days of swords and shields. Nothing new, innovations will keep coming from both sides.

The problem is, even without countermeasures, the US AMB shield still doesn't give us an impression that it'll be effective. In that case, I don't think anyone would need to know what'll happen when there are counter measures (e.g Russia's ones).

Yes, I'm more than aware of this 'cycle,' but it looks like the Russian has found the Americans another question before they've fully finished the first question. Just like how the Americans has almost finished their 5th generation fighter while the Russians are still struggling to get funds to start their 5th generation fighter.