Missile Defense System flunks test

Hesten · Post by **Hesten** » February 15, 2005, 6:32 am

And here are for all you guys that love your pipe dream missile defence system. Yet another 85 million$ down the drain.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/02/14/miss ... index.html

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » February 15, 2005, 8:46 am

godamn, why the hell do these conservatives now a days LOVE to throw money away in the name of fear? i used to think i was fiscally conservative in the terms of government spending, but in modern days even fucking liberals can balance a budget much better then conservatives, give half of that money for better equiptment/living/salary conditions for the troops and throw the other half on top of a plan to reduce the defecit

if were expanding our national debt to create a system in the name of defense that we will likely never have to use from terrorist then THE TERRORIST ARE WINNING

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » February 15, 2005, 9:36 am

Or it could be something along the lines of what Reagan, and to a lesser extent Carter did. Make an effective offense so expensive it either bankrupts the other side trying to achieve parity, or forces them give up before trying. That was the real goal of Reagan's buildup of conventional forces, and not something that will work this time.

In N Koreas case they don't have the money to do much, that's why this upsets them so badly. Who else are they going to bomb and find international sympathy besides the US?

If you don't have many missles and there's the chance that some of them may be shot down, it'd be hard to justify the bother.

Aruman · Post by **Aruman** » February 15, 2005, 10:52 am

Xzion wrote:godamn, why the hell do these conservatives now a days LOVE to throw money away in the name of fear?

You know, I was thinking the same thing about the space program... I mean why are we throwing all this money into it?

Other than getting ooh and ahhh results... what does it really do for us.

I am talking about the deep exploration stuff BTW. Look at how much we throw into that every year. We've been spending quite a bit of money on the deep space program, and gotten what exactly?

The same thing goes for all this money we throw at other countries. What has it gotten us?

People that bite the hand that feeds them.

(Yeah, I am being sarcastic)

miir · Post by **miir** » February 15, 2005, 11:07 am

The missle defense budget is 2/3 of the entire Nasa budget.

Nasa gets on average a 2-4% yearly budget increase.
The missle defense program, under Bush has received 25-60% yearly increases in the past few years.

Fash · Post by **Fash** » February 15, 2005, 11:24 am

well gee.. maybe with all that inreased funding, they'll get it to work.

i lose much respect for anyone who disses the space program... if you don't think it is important for us to get a leg off this planet... you're seriously missing a few screws... let earth not be the final resting place of humanity.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » February 15, 2005, 11:35 am

i hope so.

one nuke even missing a west coast target would cost the economy billions in panicked stock prices alone.

this might be worth it. i hope it isnt largely def. contractor pork.

So to clarify my jumbled statement, i think in theory it is a great idea, though it doesnt necessarily seem like we altogether that close to implementing a marginally reliable system.

Midnyte_Ragebringer · February 15, 2005, 12:15 pm

Yeah! Those fuckers in government shouldn't try and research anything unless they can see into the future and know that their first attempt will be 100% sucessful. I don't know why our government tries to invent things that might make us safer if someone should attack us or even try and prevent such an attack by it's mere exsistence. Those fuckers!!!

masteen · Post by **masteen** » February 15, 2005, 12:18 pm

Because they're not Voronwe. This technology is decades away from being ready for actual deployment.

I still say we'd be better off with a couple orbiting missile platforms. If DPKR or whoever gets too uppity, we could glass them before they even knew missiles were on the way. The best defense is a good offense. Undetectable launching platforms would do A LOT to dismay pissant nuke powers.

Lynks · Post by **Lynks** » February 15, 2005, 12:22 pm

masteen wrote:Because they're not Voronwe. This technology is decades away from being ready for actual deployment.

Before anyone says Masteen is full of shit, I will just say that I talked to a few engineers here and they would all agree with that statement.

Its just not possible to create what they want to achieve right at this moment. Its like wanting to invent a computer before electricity was discovered.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » February 15, 2005, 12:28 pm

didnt the professor build a radio out of a coconut?!?

nice fucking try lynks!

Lynks · Post by **Lynks** » February 15, 2005, 12:29 pm

But that was different!

miir · Post by **miir** » February 15, 2005, 12:50 pm

Realistically, what is the current threat of a nuclear or bio/chem weapon being launched at the USA via ICBM?

There are a vast number of cheaper and more economical methods of delivering a payload like that with a much lower risk of detection.

I still stand by my opinion that a proactive defense (intelligence, negotiation and diplomacy) should be promoted....This failure prone missle defense system is an enormous money sink that likely won't become a reliable reactive defense for several decades.

Akaran_D · Post by **Akaran_D** » February 15, 2005, 1:03 pm

I hate to agree with him, but I'm largely going to support what Miir just said - with one addition.

While I'm not thrilled with the current system, I think the ideal behind it is a viable one. In all honestly, I'd like to see 50-75% of the money going to the MDF going to the CIA/NSA and the like to increase our knowledge and understanding of the rogue elements in the world around us.

At the same time, a point-to-point MDF system would be a great investment (station a platform or fifteen with the ability to identify targets and then either launch an interceptor around 'hot spot' areas that are likely to be part of a ballistic flight plan -or- stop them with {sci-fi shit aside} laser or concentrated sound displacement that would have the same result) if nothing else than a show of force - if you can't hit us, do you want to piss us off type of deal.

Deward · Post by **Deward** » February 15, 2005, 1:45 pm

The money woudl be much better spent in black ops and intelligence security. If AMerica is hit with a nuke, it won't be launched from another country. It will be carried on someone's back across the Rio Grand.

Aruman · Post by **Aruman** » February 15, 2005, 2:29 pm

Fash wrote:well gee.. maybe with all that inreased funding, they'll get it to work.

i lose much respect for anyone who disses the space program... if you don't think it is important for us to get a leg off this planet... you're seriously missing a few screws... let earth not be the final resting place of humanity.

Try reading the

Aruman wrote: (Yeah, I am being sarcastic)

next time Fash.

Midnyte caught on to what I implied. He is the only one who expressed what I was thinking anyway.