Article

2004-11-17 Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia

The "New Form" of Russian Nuclear Missile

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by PlanetDan 2004-11-17 8:59:07 AM|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 "unlike those held by other countries"

It's coal powered.

Posted by Chuck Simmins 2004-11-17 9:43:23 AM|| [http://blog.simmins.org] 2004-11-17 9:43:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Can it fly faster than a laser?

Posted by Anonymoose 2004-11-17 9:57:49 AM|| 2004-11-17 9:57:49 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 The issue isn't how fast light travels from a laser, it's the time needed to identify and lock onto the missile as a target. Identifying could be hard if the propulsion system is significantly different from existing missiles. Locking on could be hard if the missile were able to maneuver while in flight (i.e. isn't simply ballistic).

Posted by rkb 2004-11-17 10:00:54 AM|| 2004-11-17 10:00:54 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 How about a little SCRAMJet-powered interceptor, scarecrow?

Posted by BH 2004-11-17 10:11:48 AM|| 2004-11-17 10:11:48 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Anything that can propel four tonnes of warhead is going to use enough energy that some of it will be readily detectable. We may new new instruments, but that's not a daunting proposition.

Posted by Tom 2004-11-17 10:15:52 AM|| 2004-11-17 10:15:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Looks like we'll need to tweak the Zionist Death Ray, again.

Posted by Seafarious 2004-11-17 10:15:58 AM|| 2004-11-17 10:15:58 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 and they are telling us this because.....???

Posted by 2b 2004-11-17 10:34:16 AM|| 2004-11-17 10:34:16 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 2b - Because they are fierce and mighty and want some RESPECT. We never call them anymore, or threaten then with Capitalist Aggressive War, or show up for long lunches at the SALT XXIII meetings.

They are lonely.

Posted by Laurence of the Rats 2004-11-17 10:41:27 AM|| [http://www.punictreachery.com/] 2004-11-17 10:41:27 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 The Russians have turned to making grand claims rather than doing. I'm waiting with baited breath for the Mars landings they're planning sometime in the next year or two. Unless they forgot of course.

Fact is if the thing goes suborbital it's the same as every other missile and can be shot down. If it hugs the ground it's gonna use up a ton, ton, ton of fuel to get to target.

Posted by rjschwarz 2004-11-17 10:55:57 AM|| [http://politicaljunky.blogspot.com] 2004-11-17 10:55:57 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 They still can't make a good toaster-oven.

Posted by Dreadnought 2004-11-17 12:07:14 PM|| 2004-11-17 12:07:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 This is just more of Putin's Rodney Dangerfield policy. Bullying Ukraine. Putting more troops in Central Asia. Big talk about missiles.

Yawn. Come back and talk to us when you've figured out how to put down a ragtag insurrection within your own borders, one that should have been suppressed ten years ago.

Or talk to us when your third-world resource economy has figured out how to create a rudimentary banking system instead of forcing your citizens to stuff all their cash under mattresses.

Or maybe when you've managed to keep your far eastern governors from becoming independent dictators who are falling into the Chinese orbit.

Posted by lex 2004-11-17 12:12:56 PM|| 2004-11-17 12:12:56 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Anything that can propel four tonnes of warhead is going to use enough energy that some of it will be readily detectable. We may new new instruments, but that's not a daunting proposition.

However, characterizing that energy signature will take time and, depending on the boost mode and its maneuvering options, may not be a trivial sensor/software exercise, even if theoretically quite possible.

The Devil is in the details on these things ....

Posted by rkb 2004-11-17 12:37:06 PM|| 2004-11-17 12:37:06 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Oh, yeah? Well the US still has missles that can easily penetrate the Russian missile-defence system.....uh, nevermind.

Posted by 98zulu 2004-11-17 12:38:54 PM|| 2004-11-17 12:38:54 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 ...and there's always the Matthias Rust Stealth Cessna if all else fails.

Posted by Dar 2004-11-17 1:06:09 PM|| 2004-11-17 1:06:09 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Bet it's just an follow on to old Soviet cold launch technology, which makes perfect sense if you think you can reload.... Jeezbus, you still get an indication of launch at about 100 ft above the silo... but it's good PR.

Posted by Shipman 2004-11-17 5:48:50 PM|| 2004-11-17 5:48:50 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 it's good PR
aka dezinformatsiya

Posted by lex 2004-11-17 5:59:40 PM|| 2004-11-17 5:59:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 They still can't make a good toaster-oven.

Maybe but they do make very reliable, albeit low-tech, launch vehicles.

Posted by AzCat 2004-11-17 6:17:41 PM|| 2004-11-17 6:17:41 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 Ah the famous Topol M. The one that, so it is reported, didn't make Gorby lose sleep over Reagan's SDI program...

Ask Condi...

Я понимаю. Ничего, ничего, пожалуйста. Ничего страшного

Posted by True German Ally 2004-11-17 6:37:53 PM|| 2004-11-17 6:37:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 We're actually talking about their German launch vehicles, aren't we?

Posted by .com 2004-11-17 6:44:35 PM|| 2004-11-17 6:44:35 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 No it's their launch vehicles, designed by their Germans, as opposed to our launch vehicles, designed by our German, using a camera invented by their Germans, stolen by us.

Clear?

Posted by H Hughes 2004-11-17 7:54:12 PM|| 2004-11-17 7:54:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 But YOUR Germans were better than THEIR Germans :-)

Posted by True German Ally 2004-11-17 8:01:39 PM|| 2004-11-17 8:01:39 PM|| Front Page Top

#22 *rimshot*

I was waiting to see if you'd take it, TGA, lol!

And Howard, baby, if you weren't dead I'd suggest you need to get out more, heh. BTW, they imploded the Desert Inn - looking for some new digs?

[Digs - get it? *little rimshot*]

Posted by .com 2004-11-17 8:24:55 PM|| 2004-11-17 8:24:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#23 To quote the Reporter character in the end-scene from the 50's sci-fi classic THE THING - "WATCH THE SKIES", and the horizon and the ocean! Those seeming light streaks/flashes streaking across the darkness of space or rising from the sea is GLOBAL MISSLE DEFENSE, not meteors, comets, or St. Elmo's fire, etc., AND THE COMMIES KNOW IT. With reports of JAPAN, TAIWAN, and Singapore, etc. asking to be part of GMD, and being surrounded by mostly pro-US/Wes/Democracy states in CENASIA, the Commies know the clock is ticking against them.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2004-11-17 11:26:34 PM|| [http://n/a] 2004-11-17 11:26:34 PM|| Front Page Top

23:15 JonS
10:22 2b
10:22 2b
23:57 .com
23:54 someone
23:54 Frank G
23:51 .com
23:47 CornÃ®liÃ«s
23:44 .com
23:35 mojo
23:30 mojo
23:29 Kalle (kafir forever)
23:26 JosephMendiola
23:16 .com
23:16 JonS
23:15 JonS
23:14 OldSpook
23:11 Frank G
23:07 Frank G
23:06 .com
23:06 Frank G
23:05 .com
23:00 Mike Sylwester
22:58 Alaska Paul