The mission: Attack anywhere in the world in less than an hour.

[472 R/T SE]

Found this interesting.

Hypersonic Cruise Missile: America's New Global Strike Weapon
The mission: Attack anywhere in the world in less than an hour. But is the Pentagon's bold program a critical new weapon for hitting elusive targets, or a good way to set off a nuclear war?

By Noah Shachtman
Diagrams by Kakofonia
Published in the January, 2007 issue.

A tip sets the plan in motion — a whispered warning of a North Korean nuclear launch, or of a shipment of biotoxins bound for a Hezbollah stronghold in Lebanon. Word races through the American intelligence network until it reaches U.S. Strategic Command headquarters, the Pentagon and, eventually, the White House. In the Pacific, a nuclear-powered Ohio class submarine surfaces, ready for the president's command to launch.

When the order comes, the sub shoots a 65-ton Trident II ballistic missile into the sky. Within 2 minutes, the missile is traveling at more than 20,000 ft. per second. Up and over the oceans and out of the atmosphere it soars for thousands of miles. At the top of its parabola, hanging in space, the Trident's four warheads separate and begin their screaming descent down toward the planet. Traveling as fast as 13,000 mph, the warheads are filled with scored tungsten rods with twice the strength of steel. Just above the target, the warheads detonate, showering the area with thousands of rods-each one up to 12 times as destructive as a .50-caliber bullet. Anything within 3000 sq. ft. of this whirling, metallic storm is obliterated.

If Pentagon strategists get their way, there will be no place on the planet to hide from such an assault. The plan is part of a program — in slow development since the 1990s, and now quickly coalescing in military circles — called Prompt Global Strike. It will begin with modified Tridents. But eventually, Prompt Global Strike could encompass new generations of aircraft and armaments five times faster than anything in the current American arsenal. One candidate: the X-51 hypersonic cruise missile, which is designed to hit Mach 5 — roughly 3600 mph. The goal, according to the U.S. Strategic Command's deputy commander Lt. Gen. C. Robert Kehler, is "to strike virtually anywhere on the face of the Earth within 60 minutes."

The question is whether such an attack can be deployed without triggering World War III: Those tungsten-armed Tridents look, and fly, exactly like the deadliest weapons in the American nuclear arsenal.

Continued here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/tec...aw/4203874.html
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[Drache]

At least they are only using tungsten rod warheads instead of conventional or nuclear ones! 

[Charger_Fan]

Damn, that's gonna obsolete my "nuke-n-pave" bumpersticker.

[hemihead]

Cool. Sooner the better!

[Shakey]

What happens if the President's in the middle of getting blown by one of the interns?   

[MichaelRW]

What happens if the President's in the middle of getting blown by one of the interns?   

It'll take 62 minutes. 

[Charger_Fan]

What happens if the President's in the middle of getting blown by one of the interns?   

It'll take 62 minutes. 

[Rocky]

You mean they can destroy 3,000 square feet in under an hour?  Like they they couldn't do that for the past 25 years?

I like the idea of dropping a daisy cutter and clearing 1sq Km (thats 10,764,961sq ft).  That would really only take a few hours, and the technology has been around for over 40 years.

[is_it_EVER_done?]

Actually the weapon itself, or another version of basically the same thing, was one that was proposed during the Reagan administrations SDI (star wars) research, as a non nuclear missile/satelite destroyer.

Though the weapon itself sounds like an excellent approach, I have to wonder about the intelligence (or lack thereof) of those in the Pentagon and government that think that using a launch platform that has been exclusively a nuclear ICBM delivery system, would elicit anything less than a nuclear response by the potential target nation or it's allies? PARTICULARLY considering that the probable target country will be "new" to the nuclear game, won't have any experience at nuclear "sabre rattling", won't have ANY of the safety meassures that have been honed by the super powers over the last 50 years, and will probably be controlled by zealot extremists that are happy to die for their cause (and take EVERYONE ELSE with them).

I find it funny and disgusting that Reagan was highly criticised by nearly everyone for trying to render nuclear, or even conventional "push button" warfare obsolete through rendering the deliver systems useless, but such a ridiculous idea as this is not only considered, but will probably be produced.

Perhaps we should institute a law that requires at least a minimum of tested and proven intelligence from our elected officials (and their appointees). That way the morons (no matter how popular), couldn't wipe us out with the push of a button.

[Vainglory, Esq.]

You mean they can destroy 3,000 square feet in under an hour?  Like they they couldn't do that for the past 25 years?

I like the idea of dropping a daisy cutter and clearing 1sq Km (thats 10,764,961sq ft).  That would really only take a few hours, and the technology has been around for over 40 years.

Did you miss the "thousands"?  That's thousands of 3000 sq. ft. areas destroyed in under an hour.

I for one think it's sweet.  Wish we wouldn't have to use it, but it's nice to be prepared.

[Drache]

is_it_EVER_done has a point though! If I was say some small brand new nation that got a nice shiny toy from Russia or North Korea and I just got warning that a Patriot II was fired at me by the U.S. I'd immediately fire my new toy at them! Lets see what is worse... millions of metal rods hitting the ground or a megaton nuke.... 

[Troy]

You mean they can destroy 3,000 square feet in under an hour?  Like they they couldn't do that for the past 25 years?

I like the idea of dropping a daisy cutter and clearing 1sq Km (thats 10,764,961sq ft).  That would really only take a few hours, and the technology has been around for over 40 years.

Did you miss the "thousands"?  That's thousands of 3000 sq. ft. areas destroyed in under an hour.

I for one think it's sweet.  Wish we wouldn't have to use it, but it's nice to be prepared.

I read that as 4 warheads with thousands of rods in each. The "kill zone" is 3,000 sq ft per warhead when it detonates.

Troy

[hemigeno]

Well, the warheads had better be accurate then.  3,000sf is only an area 55 feet square. Even if there are 4 of them, that's only 110'x110'.  I'm surprised - for all the hype, I figured the kill zone would have been larger.  Maybe I've just watched too many movies, I dunno.

[Orange_Crush]

Actually the weapon itself, or another version of basically the same thing, was one that was proposed during the Reagan administrations SDI (star wars) research, as a non nuclear missile/satelite destroyer.

Though the weapon itself sounds like an excellent approach, I have to wonder about the intelligence (or lack thereof) of those in the Pentagon and government that think that using a launch platform that has been exclusively a nuclear ICBM delivery system, would elicit anything less than a nuclear response by the potential target nation or it's allies? PARTICULARLY considering that the probable target country will be "new" to the nuclear game, won't have any experience at nuclear "sabre rattling", won't have ANY of the safety meassures that have been honed by the super powers over the last 50 years, and will probably be controlled by zealot extremists that are happy to die for their cause (and take EVERYONE ELSE with them).

I find it funny and disgusting that Reagan was highly criticised by nearly everyone for trying to render nuclear, or even conventional "push button" warfare obsolete through rendering the deliver systems useless, but such a ridiculous idea as this is not only considered, but will probably be produced.

Perhaps we should institute a law that requires at least a minimum of tested and proven intelligence from our elected officials (and their appointees). That way the morons (no matter how popular), couldn't wipe us out with the push of a button.

Exactly....

[Afflyer]

You ALL must realize that this kind of weapon is absolutely USELESS if your enemy is safely hunkered down in his underground bunker network, a THOUSAND feet below the surface!!!!  They've got 'em over there.

Bradley 

[Troy]

Wonder if the reporter is just another dufus who can't tell the difference between a 3000' radius (within 3000 ft) and 3000 square feet? I can't imagine that you'd fire a 65 TON missile from 6000 miles away into space at 13000 mph to have it pelt a house with shrapnel. Of course, it's supposed to be "accurate to 30 ft" so I don't think it was designed to waste 8 city blocks. Maybe not.

Troy

[Rocky]

You mean they can destroy 3,000 square feet in under an hour?  Like they they couldn't do that for the past 25 years?

I like the idea of dropping a daisy cutter and clearing 1sq Km (thats 10,764,961sq ft).  That would really only take a few hours, and the technology has been around for over 40 years.

Did you miss the "thousands"?  That's thousands of 3000 sq. ft. areas destroyed in under an hour.

I for one think it's sweet.  Wish we wouldn't have to use it, but it's nice to be prepared.

OK sorry, I reread the article and as Troy has pointed out that there are 4 warheads that are capable of taking out 3,000sq ft. EACH,  That makes 12,000sq ft.  Still much smaller than 10,764,961sq ft.  actually it is 10,752,961sq ft smaller.  Thats just over 897 times smaller than said Daisy Cutter.

Rocky

[Troy]

Hmmm, after reading about these kinetic warheads it is highly probable that he really meant 3000 sq ft (62' diameter). The kinetic energy of a chunk of metal traveling at 19000 fps is frightening to say the least. I doubt that the blast radius could be too large since there wouldn't be time to spread at that velocity. I shouldn't keep using the word "blast" since there are no explosives but that's the best way I can describe it.

Troy

[Charger74]

But you must also remember the kinetic energy that those rods are going to possess.  Yeah a building may be a hundred feet under ground, but when you got something twice as hard as steel traveling  at those kind of speeds, there is not much they are not going to punch through.  Also think about this, what does a meteor do when it strikes the ground???  It leaves a big crater does it not?  So what's going to happen to everything in the area when thouse hit?   Big holes and not much standing.   Also, the good thing about this, no RADIATION.  Means you can move in afterwards, clean up and rebuild.

[MorePwr]

seems like this missile could be adapted for anti missile defence. it'd be nice to blow up their missiles on their turf instead of waiting for them to get in range of the Patriot system, directly over our heads.

[Charger_Fan]

seems like this missile could be adapted for anti missile defence. it'd be nice to blow up their missiles on their turf instead of waiting for them to get in range of the Patriot system, directly over our heads.

That would be good.

[Chargen69]

We could have started WW3 anytime in the last 50 years.

[Rolling_Thunder]

You ALL must realize that this kind of weapon is absolutely USELESS if your enemy is safely hunkered down in his underground bunker network, a THOUSAND feet below the surface!!!!  They've got 'em over there.

Bradley 

Thats what Force Recon is for

[MorePwr]

You mean they can destroy 3,000 square feet in under an hour?  Like they they couldn't do that for the past 25 years?

I like the idea of dropping a daisy cutter and clearing 1sq Km (thats 10,764,961sq ft).  That would really only take a few hours, and the technology has been around for over 40 years.

Did you miss the "thousands"?  That's thousands of 3000 sq. ft. areas destroyed in under an hour.

I for one think it's sweet.  Wish we wouldn't have to use it, but it's nice to be prepared.

OK sorry, I reread the article and as Troy has pointed out that there are 4 warheads that are capable of taking out 3,000sq ft. EACH,  That makes 12,000sq ft.  Still much smaller than 10,764,961sq ft.  actually it is 10,752,961sq ft smaller.  Thats just over 897 times smaller than said Daisy Cutter.

Rocky

Jeez guys, I think the highlight of this weapon is its ability to travel from it's launch point to anywhere on the planet in less than an hour. and because of it's speed, probably pretty hard to defend against. not so much it's kill area.  The Daisy cutter is cool for clearing jungles and psychological warfare. but kinda useless on the battle field. forty year old technology is just that. forty years old. obsolete.