Uhm... Missile Defense, it Kinda Works

That's a trucked radar in Juneau (just like the one we just deployed to Israel), an Aegis ship (just like the one that shot down that toxic spy satellite), the massive SBX Sea-Based X-Band radar, and a huge permanent radar in CA (older than the planned Czech radar) --- all working together and feeding the fire control. And speaking of fire control, get this...

This is the future of air defense. It used to be a gaggle of B-36s, and later 52s. On alert. Subs. North Dakota.

This is the new " Marye’s Heights".

Posted by: Dave In Texas at 09:13 PM

Comments

1 Yes it works but can it beat this?

Posted by: JavaJoe at December 05, 2008 09:26 PM (Am6n/)

2 Ehhh, I get a newsletter from a professor on the East Coast that says Missile Defense is a waste of money. So there!

Posted by: The Voice of Authority at December 05, 2008 09:26 PM (S8oE8)

This was the first time an operational crew located at the alternate fire control center at Fort Greely, Alaska remotely launched the interceptor from Vandenberg AFB.

Sarah made it work.

Posted by: robtr at December 05, 2008 09:28 PM (uJzOr)

4 By the way I have been posting using both Safari and FF and I think it's cleaner using Safari or Chrome but I prefer the greater amount of features in FF. I like having a range of choices.

Posted by: Enter Sandman at December 05, 2008 09:31 PM (u+GQ4)

5 Speaking of a gaggle of B-36s, people don't realize how friggin' awesome that beast was.

STILL the biggest (in terms of bombload) bomber ever built. Could carry 80,000 pounds of sweet, sweet death from the sky. Is 80,000 pounds a lot? Consider that a fully loaded B-24 weighed about 60,000 pounds. That's Friggin' Awesome

Posted by: Arthur at December 05, 2008 09:31 PM (ClyE/)

6 Hey, my little hash thingie changed from S8oE8 to ClyE/. Can I make it change again?

Posted by: Arthur at December 05, 2008 09:34 PM (ClyE/)

7 Now comes the hard part. Working in a cut for General Dynamics and the Crown family so Obama won't kill the program.

Posted by: Jean at December 05, 2008 09:35 PM (HVRSA)

8 I think that Ft. Greely crew is actually Alaska National Guard on permanent, active status.

Posted by: Jean at December 05, 2008 09:36 PM (HVRSA)

9 Why Marye's Heights, Dave ?

Posted by: Carl in N.H. at December 05, 2008 09:36 PM (Mvcbt)

10 Replace the radios and bomb racks and we could use B36s today over Afghanistan. There are several proposals out there to convert air freighters into low cost bomb trucks.

Posted by: Jean at December 05, 2008 09:39 PM (HVRSA)

Thanks for the link, Dave.

btw fellow morons, this is actually Cuffy Meigs.

I started this new Ballistic Missile Defense blog, Closing Velocity, about a week ago and ported all of my old BMD posts over from Perfunction --- and this here Dave post is my very first Ace-o-lanche (w00t!).

Here's an explanation of my schizoid blogging decision here, if you care. Hold me.

Posted by: McKittrick at December 05, 2008 09:44 PM (uOvAE)

12 When I was a teenager I got to lay in the grass at the end of the runway at Mather AFB while a full wing of B-52's scrambled to takeoff right over my head. The earth shook and every molecule in your body vibrated. Unbelievable screaming.You could count the rivets on them, they were that close.The oil streaks glistened like sweat on their fuselages. Knowing they were armed with nukes made it even sweeter. Those Russkie bastards would never have stood a chance.

Nice memory

.

Posted by: torabora at December 05, 2008 09:44 PM (00AFZ)

#9 Why?

I'v stood there, on that promintory. And seen how Lee and his artillary commander made the most of the high ground.

Maryre's Heights. Horrid day.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at December 05, 2008 09:45 PM (eiOZw)

14 #12:

I just achieved. Thank you.

Posted by: Prosqtor at December 05, 2008 09:54 PM (eFvox)

15
This is the future of air defense. It used to be a gaggle of B-36s, and later 52s.

Epic fail, Dave.

Bombers are offense.

F-102, F-104 and F-106s were air defense. Along with a lot of other crazy shit during the '50s and '60s. I often wonder who were more crazy -- the people who designed those planes or the people who flew them. It almost always comes down on the side of the pilots because they had huge balls to fly the crazy stuff the designers gave them. But the designers were also pushed to the edge during the Cold War.

BTW -- the B-58 Hustler was way more cool than the B-36.

Posted by: Tinian at December 05, 2008 09:55 PM (Ohodx)

16 The future of "air defense"? Clue time for non-military types: "air defense" means defending your airspace (or perhaps what you think is your airspace) against any airborne threat.

The B-36 and B-52 (and B-47 and B-58, for that matter) were strictly for *strategic* defense. Big difference. And never mind about HUGE bombing capabilities of the B-36 mentioned earlier--you had to refuel to get across any ocean, unlike the 52, which I admit was rated to carry all of 5 tons less ordnance. Exactly how may tons of ordnance did the 36 drop in battle? Oh, right, NONE!

Anyway, on to the final analysis:

"Air defense" means protecting what you consider to be your airspace from intrusion by other air forces. Bombers have no sway in this dynamic. Bombing an enemy's airfield is a strategic endeavor. Air defense is, by definition, tactical in nature. Therefore, the only forces to consider for air defense are air superiority fighters, such as the F-15 Eagle (most common and most effective today), F-22 Raptor (newest but not yet proven in battle), and F-16 Viper (multi-role but still better at air-to-air than air-to-ground, at which everything else sucks compared to the A-10).

Just trying to keep the "smart" in the "Smart Military Blog" thingy.

Posted by: Brennan at December 05, 2008 10:01 PM (9kAmX)

17
@12

When I was a teenager I got to lay in the grass at the end of the runway at Mather AFB while a full wing of B-52's scrambled to takeoff right over my head. The earth shook and every molecule in your body vibrated. Unbelievable screaming.You could count the rivets on them, they were that close.The oil streaks glistened like sweat on their fuselages. Knowing they were armed with nukes made it even sweeter. Those Russkie bastards would never have stood a chance.

Nice memory

When my Dad was stationed at Fort Wainwright in '64 we would often drive along the airstrip at Elmendorf AFB. There was a road parallel to the main strip. When Mom wasn't in the car my Dad would race the B-52s with our Chevy Impala (327 small block). He'd bury the speedometer and keep up with the B-52s pretty well until they started to rotate. He told us to never tell Mom about it. It was pretty awesome and a great memory.

Posted by: Tinian at December 05, 2008 10:07 PM (Ohodx)

18 B-52s don't rotate.

Posted by: Brennan at December 05, 2008 10:09 PM (9kAmX)

19
B-52s don't rotate.

Well, smarty pants, the nose and front trucks raise before the rear at lift off.

Posted by: Tinian at December 05, 2008 10:12 PM (Ohodx)

20 Not when I've seen them.

Posted by: Brennan at December 05, 2008 10:16 PM (9kAmX)

21 Okay, you win. The front does raise slightly before the rear. But it's hardly a traditional "rotation." Nostalgia got to me. <sniff>

Posted by: Brennan at December 05, 2008 10:19 PM (9kAmX)

22 Anyone of y'all have current word on the development of the Airborne Laser program?

Posted by: Grimmy at December 05, 2008 10:34 PM (NnF4T)

23 Sarah made it work.

Word.

Joking aside though, I read an article recently about how strategic Alaska's location is, which most people (like me) aren't aware of. Besides the easy access to the Pacific and Asia, it's actually closer to Europe than our bases on the east coast are. Which is why the Air Force puts a lot of their best toys there.

During the election, the PDS media was always sneering at AK as a backwater, but that's because they msm are ignorant and hateful.

Posted by: stace at December 05, 2008 10:52 PM (JO0c/)

24 For sheer mind-blowing, ear-shattering ecstasy, not much beats being close up to a MITO (Minimum Interval Take Off) of B-52s. About 30 seconds apart. The first one goes straight out, the next bends left or right, the third goes the other way and the fourth tries hard not to pinwheel into the runway. That pilot in the fourth slot has to be good, given the enormous amount of turbulence he's fighting.

Posted by: JorgXMcKie at December 05, 2008 11:13 PM (iMgQD)

25 Now all we have to do is automate the entire system. It will be more effective that way. Trust me.

Posted by: Skynet at December 05, 2008 11:28 PM (I0qqk)

This is the new "Marye's Heights".

There are Irishmen strapped to the tips of the missiles?

Posted by: andycanuck at December 05, 2008 11:44 PM (CZaaY)

27 > Exactly how may tons of ordnance did the 36 drop in battle? Oh, right, NONE!

Which is why the B-36 is considered the most succesful bomber ever deployed by Strategic (Peace Is Our Profession) Air (But We'll Be Happy To Nuke You Anyway) Command.

Posted by: Arthur at December 05, 2008 11:45 PM (ClyE/)

28 Your authorized to proceed Skynet.

Posted by: Wintermute at December 05, 2008 11:56 PM (HVRSA)

29 Hey, don't get me wrong, the 36 was a beautiful piece of machinery. I marched by an awesome static display of one every day on my way to tech school 25 years ago.

Doesn't change what I said. It never dropped anything in anger. Which, in all deference to your point, was a good thing.

Posted by: Brennan at December 05, 2008 11:59 PM (9kAmX)

30 But we don't need missile defense anymore! Now that Obama's been elected, everybody likes us!

Posted by: elprez at December 06, 2008 12:14 AM (sba2Y)

Plenty of updates:

1. Reuters & rest of MSM deem the test a failure because the target didn't deploy the promised decoy.

2. CNN has video of the intercept ... and apes the same "failed decoy = failed test" meme.

Posted by: McKittrick at December 06, 2008 12:45 AM (uOvAE)

When I was in boot camp in 1970 at Orlando, FL the Buffs used to take off right above the parade ground. It was so damn loud you couldn’t hear a damn thing. What is really funny is that my father used to work on the electronics in theme and now by brother is working on them.

Posted by: Vic at December 06, 2008 04:57 AM (q8aAJ)

33 When my Dad was stationed at Fort Wainwright in '64 we would often drive along the airstrip at Elmendorf AFB.

Are you sure you don't mean Fort Richardson or Eielson AFB?

Elmendorf/Ft. Rich = Anchorage, Eielson/Ft. Wainwright = Fairbanks.

Posted by: Tim Horton at December 06, 2008 08:30 AM (5MeOO)

34 #10, there aren't enough of them left to do a bit of good (even if you got Walter Soplata's away from him, only B-36 in private hands), the range is shorter than a BUFF, and the maintanance is the most unholy motherfucker imaginable even if there was anyone left in the Air Force who knew how to work on rotary piston engines.

Posted by: SGT Dan at December 06, 2008 09:55 AM (Q6BTe)

B-36, AKA "Six turning and four burning."

When I was a little kid I saw one fly over, one of the early models with only the six pusher props. What a sound! That's what a 50-ton bumblebee would sound like, if that bumblebee had 6 4,300 cubic inch engines with a total of 168 cylinders, 336 sparkplugs, producing 20,000 horsepower.

Fucking-A, Tweety!

Posted by: sherlock at December 06, 2008 10:43 AM (8V5Ut)

BTW, if you want to see some B-36 action, rent "Strategic Air Command" with Jimmy Stewart. Also some B-47 shots too - that one was a pistol!

Stewart (whose whiney drawl gets old fast for me) is a pro baseball player who gets called back to active duty in the USAF. At the very opening of the film he walks out onto the diamond at spring training, and a B-36 flies over at about 500 feet. It is one of the early prop-only ones, and the only good quality film of one flying that I have seen. The sound is massive.

Posted by: sherlock at December 06, 2008 10:51 AM (8V5Ut)

Any time anyone tells me that Missile defense can't or won't work, I ask them if we wouldn't pay the same amount of money if it was only 50% effective.

So, you want 10 getting thru instead of 5? Seems to me that every one you stop is a REALLY good thing. Nice to get them all, but perfection or lack of it is no reason not to proceed.

#31 by those same definitions, the system would not be a success if Packistan launched two missles, the system stopped one and the other one failed on it's own. None hit us, but the targets messed up, so the system failed. HA. What total dumbasses.

Posted by: Mephitis at December 06, 2008 10:57 AM (17pTk)

38 <i>When I was a little kid I saw one fly over, one of the early models with only the six pusher props. What a sound! "</i>

I know. I was a kid, in San Antonio in the '50s, and would hear those things every day operating out of Kelly AFB. You'd see this tiny silver dot way up in the sky, almost at the limits of visibility, and there would be this low-pitched drone you could <i>feel</i> as well as hear.

Posted by: Paul Gordon at December 06, 2008 11:03 AM (M1ehl)

39 Its a good engineering exercise to keep our guys sharp, but the real "rogue nuke" if it ever comes, will come via FedEx, UPS, or sea shipping container.

Only a complete idiot would send a nuke with a return address hand written by Newton on it.

Posted by: Purple Avenger at December 06, 2008 11:23 AM (CwzFE)

40 VIDEO of the intercept with no whiny MSM editorializing.

Posted by: McKittrick at December 06, 2008 11:27 AM (uOvAE)

41 #40
Whoa! Holy Moly! Yeeeehaawwww!
Awesome!

Posted by: Derak at December 06, 2008 12:41 PM (Dm/qN)

42 #40: Bunk.

Posted by: Dead Career Sketch at December 06, 2008 01:16 PM (5MeOO)

43 I grew up a couple of miles north of Robins AFB in Georgia. It's a logistics base now, but it was SAC then, and it had BUFFs stationed there.

What a pretty sight it was to see, and hear, those bad boys coming and going.

Posted by: Andy at December 06, 2008 03:02 PM (B+HYX)

I would prefer to remember the REAL Fredericksburg battle.

Not a minor meeting. Someone from Texas should also.

http://tinyurl.com/6ehazm

Kemp

Posted by: kempermanx at December 06, 2008 03:03 PM (2+9Yx)

OK, B-36?? Here you are!!

http://tinyurl.com/6k397a

Jimmy Stewart was an actual Air Force General!

Kemp

Posted by: kempermanx at December 06, 2008 03:10 PM (2+9Yx)

46 If I'm not mistaken, that is a baseball bat up Vladimir, Kim, and Whateverthefuckidads' ass, simultaneously. I'm still working the math on that. BRB.

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