patryuji t1_iymfg69 wrote
Reply to comment by DanielNoWrite in Is it possible that nuclear defense technologies will surpass the abilities of nuclear weapons in the future, rendering them near useless? by Wide-Escape-5618
Right now, the best case defense is likely to try to detonate a nuclear weapon in air that will envelope the maximum number of incoming ICBMs to render them inoperable. So long as it is more than a few miles overhead, it should not injure anyone on the ground (this was tested several decades ago).
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EDIT: Since I made a somewhat less than credible claim, I realized I should edit this to add a link to support said claim:
https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2012/07/16/156851175/five-men-agree-to-stand-directly-under-an-exploding-nuclear-bomb
UniversalMomentum t1_iymrb63 wrote
The US has 4 major layers of ICBM defense. Mid-course interception appears to have the highest probability at up to 80% if a mid-course shot is available.
>The most reliable defense against ballistic missile attack is the U.S.’s Aegis Ballistic Defense (Fig. 2). The Aegis RADAR is manufactured by Lockheed Martin and integrated with the broader Command and Control and weapon systems aboard Aegis Class destroyers. The Aegis system is also available in land-based systems. The Aegis system is designed to combat short- and medium-range ballistic missiles through use of RADAR tracking and interceptor launch. The Aegis system has an approximately 80% intercept success rate.
Here is a good article explaining the different phases of Boost, Mid-Course and Terminal and a quick summary on systems design for each phase.
ghandi_loves_nukes t1_iynv39w wrote
Once direct energy weapons reach the multi-megwatt output ballistic missiles will become less of a threat. The Navy has already integrated a 250kw direct energy weapon with Aegis & had deployed them in the fleet.
GawainSolus t1_iyp5ymz wrote
Is that the laser that can function as anti Air?
ghandi_loves_nukes t1_iyqtojg wrote
yes, it's the anti-air laser currently installed on a few ships.
frobelmust t1_iyq3870 wrote
orbital laser pinpoint defence network can do it. in fact, the mirror side of the dyson sphere tech (which is only 10 years away), is a saturation level of hundreds of thousands of instant kill lasers on the inside of the dyson sphere. powered off the sunlight and battery arrays, point defense orbital lasers can destroy any quantity of icbms at launch, land , air or ocean. It guarantees peace on earth and the end of crime. These laser arrays can also instantly slay any criminal or dictator on sight.
niboras t1_iymg3bd wrote
You mean like missile command? Do they have to use a roller ball to target?
ghandi_loves_nukes t1_iynv72w wrote
Hell to the no for track balls, the operators always spill soda or energy drinks in the.
phileo t1_iymrruf wrote
Nuke nukes with nukes. Got it!
CotyledonTomen t1_iyo7tdq wrote
Wont that still spread fallout through air currents? I dont know if thats better, but isnt that what would happen?
patryuji t1_iyocp57 wrote
Check out the story I linked.
TLDR: with an air explosion you don't really get fallout because there isn't much matter (dirt, trees, asphalt, concrete, etc) to irradiate and spread during the explosion.
CotyledonTomen t1_iyofena wrote
Right but it says many died of cancer with 1 bomb, and nuclear war is a whole lot of bombs.
patryuji t1_iyozvmm wrote
Yes, many died of cancer (including others involved in the Nevada test sites).
Then again, 2 died in their 80s, 1 at 71, 1 at 63 and potentially 2 others are still alive and in their 80s (one of the 2 being the camera man).
Sounds like better odds than actually getting hit with a nuclear weapon.
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