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2003-12-31 -Short Attention Span Theater-

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Posted by RW2004 2003-12-31 1:51:35 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 This is actually good news in a way. The newer models likely have better (read: much more tamperproof) payload "brains" for detonation and targeting, and the crypto built into the ignition interlocks is a likely a great deal more secure, especially against hijacks and "accidental" launches. Good US and Japanese digital cryptographic and electronics, and solid Russian engineering.

Don't bother asking me how...

Interesting nuance in the press release if you know how/where to look for such things.

Think about the verbiage referring to "lifts off faster" "more difficult to spot and intercept". Think about how ineffective that is against US tracking satellites with things like thermal detectors, and realtime synthetic aperture radar, and a lot of classified processing and comm stuff that cant be talked about here. Also think why a quick flight time is needed - certainly not for an over-the-pole trajectory. Now think of who might have a hard time tracking a fast-launched missle on a lower trajectory that would need to be "harder to detect".

Somone that might be nearby, perhaps a ways to the east of them? Wonder if they wanted to remind the dragon that this old bear still has teeth?

Posted by OldSpook 2003-12-31 2:53:45 AM|| 2003-12-31 2:53:45 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Good analysis Old Spook.

Posted by chinditz 2003-12-31 8:33:49 AM|| [http://chinditz.blog-city.com/] 2003-12-31 8:33:49 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 OldSpook Didn't the US share the early versions of the passive action lock thingy with the Russians back in the early '60s?

Posted by Shipman 2003-12-31 9:36:41 AM|| 2003-12-31 9:36:41 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 U.S. military analysts equate the missile, known as the SS-27 in the West, with the American Minuteman III, the older of the two land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles in the U.S. inventory.

...They deploy a missile that's the equivalent of forty year-old technology, and I should shake in my boots? I think OPs right - this ain't for us, it's for the PRC.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2003-12-31 12:31:16 PM|| 2003-12-31 12:31:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 I'm just interested in whether they actually got the guidance for the CEP down to under several kilometers.

Posted by Val 2003-12-31 2:07:05 PM|| 2003-12-31 2:07:05 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Back in the days, the Soviet Union had roughly 7000 military radars dispersed throughout their territory, including the 3000-mile range Hen House radars that protected Moscow from threats coming from France, Britain, and China. I wonder if they still have them and if they are operational.

Posted by RW2004 2003-12-31 2:17:48 PM|| 2003-12-31 2:17:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Maybe Ivan's been reading Tom Clancy's "The Bear & The Dragon"...

Ed

Posted by Ed Becerra 2003-12-31 7:14:16 PM|| 2003-12-31 7:14:16 PM|| Front Page Top

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