What Exactly Is A Missile Shield? by Riverlove

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

What Exactly Is A Missile Shield?

POSTED BY: RIVERLOVE
UPDATED: Thursday, November 13, 2008 14:02
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Thursday, November 13, 2008 8:08 AM

Medevev & Putin are asking Obama now not to carry out Bush's plan to install a missile shield in Eastern Europe. They had recently also threatened to put their own missiles in Cuba or Venezuela.

So what are we really talking about here? My understanding is that these "shields" are just a series of defensive missile launchers (something akin to the old Patriot missiles) that can potentially shoot down other incoming missiles.

What's wrong with a countries like Poland and Czech Republic wanting to defend themselves or prevent any possible future Soviet-esque expansion efforts to re-build the old USSR?

Is Russia really desperate now because the price of oil has fallen by 67%. What else do they sell....weapons. This seems like a real mess for Obama to be walking into.

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Thursday, November 13, 2008 8:42 AM

HERO

Quote:
Originally posted by Riverlove:
So what are we really talking about here? My understanding is that these "shields" are just a series of defensive missile launchers (something akin to the old Patriot missiles) that can potentially shoot down other incoming missiles.

What's wrong with a countries like Poland and Czech Republic wanting to defend themselves or prevent any possible future Soviet-esque expansion efforts to re-build the old USSR?

The problem, from the Russian perspective, is that it allows countries like Poland and the Czech Republic to defend themselves (and much of Europe) against possible future Soviet-esque expansion efforts to re-build the old USSR.

I'd think that would be obvious.

I note for the record that the purpose of the shield is to defend Europe from a missile strike from a rogue state like Iran. The ability to defend against Russian missile attacks (and thus provide strategic security for NATO intervention in a Russian-Ukraine conflict) is purely coincidental.

Pay no attention to the man (and his army) behind the curtain.

H

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Thursday, November 13, 2008 9:18 AM

OUT2THEBLACK

Missile Shield--Discourages uninvited incursions into defended zones .

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Thursday, November 13, 2008 9:38 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Quote:
I note for the record that the purpose of the shield is to defend Europe from a missile strike from a rogue state like Iran

Then why not put it in Turkey?

In any case, missile shields, for the most part, don't work. It's like trying to shoot a bullet out of the air with another bullet.

---------------------------------
Let's party like its 1929.

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Thursday, November 13, 2008 9:50 AM

RIVERLOVE

Quote:
Originally posted by out2theblack:

Missile Shield--Discourages uninvited incursions into defended zones .

I've seen that before. My ex-girlfriend said it was an antique juice-maker that accidentally fell in "there" a few years ago. I can tell you that it does work, because now I walk at a 45 degree angle.

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Thursday, November 13, 2008 9:54 AM

HERO

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
Then why not put it in Turkey?

The original plan called for stations in Turkey and Bulgaria. Turkey declined and Bulgaria lacked the ability to pay their portion.

The Czech Republic is home to a large, Soviet built command bunker that was designed to serve as the Western Strategic Theater's air operations center. This (relatively) modern (1980s) facilty is being converted to a state of the art tracking center. In other words they had some unique real estate they were offering at a low price (free).
Poland is very supportive of the whole business, so they got the other big slice of the tracking pie.

I note for the record that tracking is part. The missiles can be put anywhere...or even make use of mobile launchers. I further note that Anti-ballistic missile technology has been around since the 1960s (hence the defunct ABM Treaty). Presumably the technology is better now then it was then. I doubt they could stop the Russian's new hyper-velocity (aka really fast) missile, but then Russia can't build many of those and the payloads are very small. Nor can they stop a large scale attack. The purpose is strategic deterrant against Russian aggression in Ukraine or Baltic.

H

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Thursday, November 13, 2008 10:01 AM

RIVERLOVE

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
Quote:
I note for the record that the purpose of the shield is to defend Europe from a missile strike from a rogue state like Iran
Then why not put it in Turkey?

In any case, missile shields, for the most part, don't work. It's like trying to shoot a bullet out of the air with another bullet.

The Patriots were pretty effective in shooting down Scud missiles, but Scuds are not very sophisticated like nukes. It seems like an un-necessary provocation to the Ruskies. Iran a'int gonna be firing off any long-range missiles into Europe anytime soon. The second one was detected, the countries of NATO would launch a counter-strike and obliterate Iran. Besides Iran has closer neighbors they want to attack first. By the way, dumb question, but does America have a missile shield?

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Thursday, November 13, 2008 10:04 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

So far our testing of ABM has about a 40% success rate, and even then the tests had to be skewed to produce "success"

Quote:
For example, as a substitute for radars required for an operational system, the mock warhead is equipped with both a C-band transponder and a global positioning system (GPS) beacon, which provide information on where the target is.

www.armscontrol.org/act/2002_01-02/misdeftestjanfeb02
I'm sure the Russians will be so kind as to provide that for us.

---------------------------------
Let's party like its 1929.

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Thursday, November 13, 2008 1:55 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

So let me ask this question:

How would WE react if Russia decided to start putting their own "missile shields" in place in, say, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico? Wouldn't we see that as, at the very least, a veiled threat, if not an overt one?

Seems they have a similar reaction to us doing it on THEIR borders. And last time I looked, Poland really wasn't very close to Iran, or threatened by them in any way, shape, or form. Ditto the Czech Republic.

Mike

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Thursday, November 13, 2008 2:02 PM

RUE

I have a vote and I'm not afraid to use it!

"The Patriots were pretty effective in shooting down Scud missiles, but Scuds are not very sophisticated like nukes."

The original Patriot touted as the "SCUD buster" in 1991 wasn't nearly as good as the hype.

"Although the Army initially claimed Patriots successfully intercepted 80 percent of the Scuds they fired against, a congressional report concluded that Patriots downed Scuds just four times in 47 firings."

The improved Patriot of 2003 was reported to have bought down 8 missiles - out of an unknown number of launches.

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Silence is consent.

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