Article

2007-09-21 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

How Long Can a WMD-Armed SCUD Remain Fueled?

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Posted by 2007-09-21 00:48|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 The question was asked, but never answered in the comments. "Why would they be loading a warhead on a fueled chassis?". It does seem like a bad idea,

Why wouldn't we ask, why were they taking the sarin warhead off and what were they going to replace it with?

Posted by Skidmark 2007-09-21 01:22|| 2007-09-21 01:22|| Front Page Top

#2 Chem and bio are the poor man's WMD. We kept live nukes on the top of our missiles cause (1) it had a tendency to make the other guy concerned that we might actually use them and (2) the time between getting the warhead to the pad and installing it would waste a lot if not all the time necessary for installation before a first strike without warning could take out the facility.

The problem is that it requires material and personnel who can maintain the loaded round over an extended period of time. The American military programs for nuclear and chemical surety were very unforgiving and there were no margins of error tolerated. It's an old story. Give the generals the means to take down your neighbor, you also give them the means to take you down too. Now put yourself in the intrigue of the stereotypical ME strong man. How long would you want a loaded missile on standby given all the friends you've made in country. Just look what a few minutes and a window of opportunity did to Sadat.

So once you run a 'proof of principle' test in making your cheap man's WMD work, you probably want it separated in parts so no one person or little cabal has the ability to point it elsewhere without your specific knowledge and permission.

Posted by Procopius2k 2007-09-21 12:51|| 2007-09-21 12:51|| Front Page Top

#3 Procopius, It's my understanding however that the missiles in the silo's were not fueled at all times because it was simply too dangerous and too corrosive on the missile's fuel tanks to maintain it in such a state. ICBM's can be, I understand, fueled very rapidly because the corrosive elements (ie the oxygenators) are kept separate and then pumped in just before launch.

Posted by FOTSGreg">FOTSGreg 2007-09-21 15:34|| 2007-09-21 15:34|| Front Page Top

#4 FOTSGreg - that was true of early, liquid-fueled missiles, but since the introduction of the Minuteman I, all US missiles have been solid-fueled. No time wasted in fueling - can be launched in less than three minutes. Solid-fueled missiles, too, have a shelf-life, which is why we pull some out and replace them every so often.

Loading a chemical warhead on a fueled missile is tricky. Someone who knows more about it than I do is In From The Cold. Check out his observations for more info.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2007-09-21 16:58|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2007-09-21 16:58|| Front Page Top

#5 OP, thanks for the update. My information was woefully out of date (not that it shouldn't have been).

Posted by FOTSGreg">FOTSGreg 2007-09-21 17:22|| 2007-09-21 17:22|| Front Page Top

#6 OP-
Wanted to make a real quick note - the Titan II, which served till nearly the end of the Cold War, was always liquid fueled. A special fuel was developed that enabled Titan to stay fueled and ready 24/7 - the downside was that it was horrifyingly:
*Corrosive
*Sensitive
*and fatal to inhale.
There were at least two major accidents caused by the Titan's fuel, including the accident at Little Rock AFB in the early 80s that actually blew the missile's warhead more than a mile away from the silo when the fuel cooked off.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2007-09-21 19:56|| 2007-09-21 19:56|| Front Page Top

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