NMD test rigged?
August 2, 2001 10:06 AM Subscribe
NMD test rigged? Bashers, have at it...
These kinds of tests are always rigged. The goal of this kind of testing is not to figure out whether the weapon works; it's to convince Congress that it works so Congress will fund deployment. Then, once you have the weapons, you figure out how to make them work.
So the tests are always done under benign conditions to optimize the chance of a success. These aren't tests, they're demonstrations.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 11:37 AM on August 2, 2001
So the tests are always done under benign conditions to optimize the chance of a success. These aren't tests, they're demonstrations.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 11:37 AM on August 2, 2001
Follow Me Here had two essential links on this topic: Shrub Declares War on Public Information, dealing with the Indonesian-American diplomatic history book which turned out to be so embarrassing as well as the attempts to censor the professor in the missile-test case; and a moderately detailed Reuters report on the test.
posted by dhartung at 12:06 PM on August 2, 2001
posted by dhartung at 12:06 PM on August 2, 2001
Why has the media mostly ignored the story?
I'm not sure what media salon is referring to, but Frontline did a piece on this exact thing with three knowledgeable guests. Too bad the people at salon didn't see it.
posted by alethe at 12:41 PM on August 2, 2001
I'm not sure what media salon is referring to, but Frontline did a piece on this exact thing with three knowledgeable guests. Too bad the people at salon didn't see it.
posted by alethe at 12:41 PM on August 2, 2001
NPR has also featured the stories about the Indonesian history book and the professor in the missile tests within the last two weeks.
posted by briank at 12:55 PM on August 2, 2001
posted by briank at 12:55 PM on August 2, 2001
While I'm still wondering just what a "GPS beacon" would consist of (perhaps a reporter saying over and over, "I don't understand the Global Positioning System"), I can understand the use of the beacon in the target.
Quite a few weapons nowadays have complementary methods of attacking a target. The first is used to get them into the general area of the target (GPS or Inertial Navigation, say) and the second is a terminal seeker (infrared imaging, LADAR, millimeter wave radar, etc.) that is capable of searching a small area for a target. It's a case of: "fly here and then start looking around".
If the NMD is currently lacking the capability of putting their kill vehicle into the immediate area of the target, the beacon would serve the same purpose. I'm not that familiar with NMD, but I would bet that future plans call for honkin' big intercept, tracking, and guidance radars that can steer the kill vehicle close to its target. Once that's done, they don't have to require that their enemy play fair by attaching beacons to the incoming missiles.
posted by joaquim at 1:22 PM on August 2, 2001
Quite a few weapons nowadays have complementary methods of attacking a target. The first is used to get them into the general area of the target (GPS or Inertial Navigation, say) and the second is a terminal seeker (infrared imaging, LADAR, millimeter wave radar, etc.) that is capable of searching a small area for a target. It's a case of: "fly here and then start looking around".
If the NMD is currently lacking the capability of putting their kill vehicle into the immediate area of the target, the beacon would serve the same purpose. I'm not that familiar with NMD, but I would bet that future plans call for honkin' big intercept, tracking, and guidance radars that can steer the kill vehicle close to its target. Once that's done, they don't have to require that their enemy play fair by attaching beacons to the incoming missiles.
posted by joaquim at 1:22 PM on August 2, 2001
"I'm not sure what media salon is referring to"
I'm not sure either but one thing is certain, if it might be construed in any was as critical of the Bush Crime Family then FAUX News, Rush and MSNBC aren't gonna touch it!
Dhartung, Let's add to that list the fact that the White House is holding up the release of the Raygun papers. Probably has nothing to do with Iran-Contra and Poppy Bush (including all the recent appointments of his henchmen to the current administration), would it?
posted by nofundy at 1:24 PM on August 2, 2001
I'm not sure either but one thing is certain, if it might be construed in any was as critical of the Bush Crime Family then FAUX News, Rush and MSNBC aren't gonna touch it!
Dhartung, Let's add to that list the fact that the White House is holding up the release of the Raygun papers. Probably has nothing to do with Iran-Contra and Poppy Bush (including all the recent appointments of his henchmen to the current administration), would it?
posted by nofundy at 1:24 PM on August 2, 2001
Who watches Frontline? Who listens to NPR? (hint: the smartish, the urban, and the liberal) Those media outlets are preaching to the choir on this story.
The vast unwashed masses will not have heard of this part of the story. The media that Salon is referring to is the 6 o'clock news and USA Today.
posted by acridrabbit at 8:21 PM on August 2, 2001
The vast unwashed masses will not have heard of this part of the story. The media that Salon is referring to is the 6 o'clock news and USA Today.
posted by acridrabbit at 8:21 PM on August 2, 2001
What? No sex? No depravity? No excessive-cuteness? No footage?
It's no real big shock that the "mainstream" media have not touched this. Now, back to Biff for more on that Levy story . . .
posted by BoyWithFez at 8:42 PM on August 2, 2001
It's no real big shock that the "mainstream" media have not touched this. Now, back to Biff for more on that Levy story . . .
posted by BoyWithFez at 8:42 PM on August 2, 2001
Ha! Ha!
Good one BWF!
"Now for the latest on Clinton's zipper and why Brittany and Dole may become running mates!"
posted by nofundy at 6:33 AM on August 3, 2001
Good one BWF!
"Now for the latest on Clinton's zipper and why Brittany and Dole may become running mates!"
posted by nofundy at 6:33 AM on August 3, 2001
Who watches Frontline? Who listens to NPR? (hint: the smartish, the urban, and the liberal) Those media outlets are preaching to the choir on this story.
I'm not a liberal and I listen to NPR and watch Frontline - I didn't know I was in the minority ; )
posted by alethe at 5:18 PM on August 3, 2001
I'm not a liberal and I listen to NPR and watch Frontline - I didn't know I was in the minority ; )
posted by alethe at 5:18 PM on August 3, 2001
Actually, I listen to NPR as well and am as fiscally conservative as they come. I would think that a large part of the non-car talk audience is made up of conservatives (at least fiscally)...
posted by fooljay at 6:57 PM on August 3, 2001
posted by fooljay at 6:57 PM on August 3, 2001
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