So the government has decided to shoot down a dead spy satellite with an SM-3 missile.  I gotta say this is pretty cool.  Of course, the official story is that we don't want the hydrazine gas that it uses as propulsion to take someone out when it crashes on earth.  Anyone who thinks about it for two seconds will recognize the incredible propaganda opportunity that has fallen into the government's lap (pun intended).

The SM-3 has been tested several times for the role of theatre ballistic defense.  It is carried by Aegis outfitted ships such as the Ticonderoga and Arleigh Burke class.  Interestingly enough, it is also used by foreign navies including Japan.

All the tests, of course, have been under controlled circumstances.  Now, we have a chance to prove that it works in less than ideal situations.  This is about as close as we can get to running an actual interception without a rogue nation launching on us.  And that is most likely what all this is about - or at least if that isn't what it's all about it's certainly a nice fringe benefit.

The successful interception will hopefully make players like North Korea think twice about doing anything crazy.  The proven ability to intercept a missile may actually provide a deterrence, especially as long as they have limited inventories.

Posted by: jcallery at 10:37 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I heard some discussion on the radio today about the military's response to a nuclear attack on the continental U. S.  The assessment seemed to be that we are not ready for a catastrophe on the nuclear scale.  Which, to me, is not surprising.

I spent 5 years in the Navy, over 3 years of that on a nuclear submarine.  I know that handling nuclear, radioactive, and contaminated materials is not a simple matter.  You can not simply roll in to the scene of a nuclear catastrophe and expect to respond as you would normally do.  Everything must be handled differently in order to ensure the safety of the responders and to limit the spread of contamination.  The consequences of this was seen in the response at Chernobyl, where many of the casualties were first responders.

There are people available who would be better suited to work in this environment.  Typically, first responders in areas around nuclear power plants and Navy bases where nuclear ships are docked are better trained in dealing with these matters.  When I lived and worked in Groton, we routinely did exercises responding to a nuclear accident on a submarine at the base. 

Also, and perhaps more interesting, there are a lot of ex-nuclear Navy types like me who are around and would be more adept at working in those situations.  Maybe something like pairing up ex-nukes with first responders would help them do their job while the nuke makes sure that it is done in a way that will not result in their harm.  Of course, getting them all on some kind of emergency response list would be herculean task, but I'm sure that they would be ready and willing to help out should something of the magnitude of a nuclear attack happen.

Posted by: jcallery at 08:07 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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