Hypersonic Cruise Missile: America's New Global Strike Weapon - Page 6

**Lzen** · 01-18-2007, 01:03 PM

Hypersonic Cruise Missile: America's New Global Strike Weapon
The mission: Attack anywhere in the world in less than an hour. But is the Pentagon's bold program a critical new weapon for hitting elusive targets, or a good way to set off a nuclear war?

By Noah Shachtman
Diagrams by Kakofonia
Published in the January, 2007 issue.

A tip sets the plan in motion — a whispered warning of a North Korean nuclear launch, or of a shipment of biotoxins bound for a Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon. Word races through the American intelligence network until it reaches U.S. Strategic Command headquarters, the Pentagon and, eventually, the White House. In the Pacific, a nuclear-powered Ohio class submarine surfaces, ready for the president's command to launch.

When the order comes, the sub shoots a 65-ton Trident II ballistic missile into the sky. Within 2 minutes, the missile is traveling at more than 20,000 ft. per second. Up and over the oceans and out of the atmosphere it soars for thousands of miles. At the top of its parabola, hanging in space, the Trident's four warheads separate and begin their screaming descent down toward the planet. Traveling as fast as 13,000 mph, the warheads are filled with scored tungsten rods with twice the strength of steel. Just above the target, the warheads detonate, showering the area with thousands of rods-each one up to 12 times as destructive as a .50-caliber bullet. Anything within 3000 sq. ft. of this whirling, metallic storm is obliterated.

If Pentagon strategists get their way, there will be no place on the planet to hide from such an assault. The plan is part of a program — in slow development since the 1990s, and now quickly coalescing in military circles — called Prompt Global Strike. It will begin with modified Tridents. But eventually, Prompt Global Strike could encompass new generations of aircraft and armaments five times faster than anything in the current American arsenal. One candidate: the X-51 hypersonic cruise missile, which is designed to hit Mach 5 — roughly 3600 mph. The goal, according to the U.S. Strategic Command's deputy commander Lt. Gen. C. Robert Kehler, is "to strike virtually anywhere on the face of the Earth within 60 minutes."

The question is whether such an attack can be deployed without triggering World War III: Those tungsten-armed Tridents look, and fly, exactly like the deadliest weapons in the American nuclear arsenal.

Continued here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/tech...w/4203874.html

durtyrute · 08-15-2012, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

No.

Well, that's a relief!

**BigRedChief** · 08-15-2012, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amnorix

The double the budget is an exaggeration (obviously), but the talking points on the right have got it clear about how Obama must be nuts to cut defense spending when something like THIS could happen...

http://freebeacon.com/silent-running/

I hardly need to take you on a tour of conservative websites, but a brief bit of effort on Google shows no shortage of such views.

Big ****ing things are out. We dont need big ****ing things. We need light and fast. There will never ever be a war in the ocean anymore. There will never be another war that we need to ensure the navy can supply the war by militarily protecting the whole path from the USA to the war zone.

The way we fight the next war will not include a bunch of huge navy ships.

**BigRedChief** · 08-15-2012, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Get the the shingles vaccine after the shingles have gone into remission. No more shingles. Good luck!

THIS!

RINGLEADER · 08-15-2012, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frazod

Well, so much for that. Lost over the Pacific after a few seconds of flight.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/...-over-pacific/

Bummer, but that's what it looked like from my vantage point.

01-18-2007, 01:03 PM
Lzen Supporter Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Jan Quadrant Vincent 16 Casino cash: $2020692	Hypersonic Cruise Missile: America's New Global Strike Weapon Hypersonic Cruise Missile: America's New Global Strike Weapon The mission: Attack anywhere in the world in less than an hour. But is the Pentagon's bold program a critical new weapon for hitting elusive targets, or a good way to set off a nuclear war? By Noah Shachtman Diagrams by Kakofonia Published in the January, 2007 issue. A tip sets the plan in motion — a whispered warning of a North Korean nuclear launch, or of a shipment of biotoxins bound for a Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon. Word races through the American intelligence network until it reaches U.S. Strategic Command headquarters, the Pentagon and, eventually, the White House. In the Pacific, a nuclear-powered Ohio class submarine surfaces, ready for the president's command to launch. When the order comes, the sub shoots a 65-ton Trident II ballistic missile into the sky. Within 2 minutes, the missile is traveling at more than 20,000 ft. per second. Up and over the oceans and out of the atmosphere it soars for thousands of miles. At the top of its parabola, hanging in space, the Trident's four warheads separate and begin their screaming descent down toward the planet. Traveling as fast as 13,000 mph, the warheads are filled with scored tungsten rods with twice the strength of steel. Just above the target, the warheads detonate, showering the area with thousands of rods-each one up to 12 times as destructive as a .50-caliber bullet. Anything within 3000 sq. ft. of this whirling, metallic storm is obliterated. If Pentagon strategists get their way, there will be no place on the planet to hide from such an assault. The plan is part of a program — in slow development since the 1990s, and now quickly coalescing in military circles — called Prompt Global Strike. It will begin with modified Tridents. But eventually, Prompt Global Strike could encompass new generations of aircraft and armaments five times faster than anything in the current American arsenal. One candidate: the X-51 hypersonic cruise missile, which is designed to hit Mach 5 — roughly 3600 mph. The goal, according to the U.S. Strategic Command's deputy commander Lt. Gen. C. Robert Kehler, is "to strike virtually anywhere on the face of the Earth within 60 minutes." The question is whether such an attack can be deployed without triggering World War III: Those tungsten-armed Tridents look, and fly, exactly like the deadliest weapons in the American nuclear arsenal. Continued here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/tech...w/4203874.html
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