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Gordon Chang - America's Anti Missile Defense System has a 56% failure rate

Posted on 3/12/17 at 2:59 pm
Posted by ChexMix
Taste the Deliciousness
Member since Apr 2014
25174 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 2:59 pm
Gordon Chang author of "Nuclear Showdown" said that we have anti missile defense systems in California and Alaska that have a 56% failure rate and that North Korea will be able to hold America ransom once it attaches nuclear warheads to their ICBMs.

This cant be accurate can it?
Posted by Bestbank Tiger
Premium Member
Member since Jan 2005
71383 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:03 pm to
I wouldn't be surprised. Hitting a missile with a missile is doable. It's like shooting down an enemy fighter - the plane can try to evade the missile but the missile can change direction and follow it.

The big problem is ICBMs travel at an extremely high speed.
Posted by Jrv2damac
Kanorado
Member since Mar 2004
65391 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:03 pm to
So we've failed to stop incoming missiles 56% of the time?
Posted by joshnorris14
Florida
Member since Jan 2009
45261 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:07 pm to
quote:

North Korea will be able to hold America ransom




What?
Posted by MrLarson
Member since Oct 2014
34984 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:07 pm to
Sounds like fear mongering to get more govt money. Just go in and kill tater tot and most senior officials
If they get that capability.
Posted by Crimson Wraith
Member since Jan 2014
24919 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:11 pm to
How does he know?

Seems like this would be classified data in the first place.


Posted by montanagator
Member since Jun 2015
16957 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:14 pm to
Wouldn't be shocked. Just as a physics problem its absurdly tough even pre MIRV.

Most of the publicized successful tests were pretty hilariously rigged.
This post was edited on 3/12/17 at 3:15 pm
Posted by Lsuchs
Member since Apr 2013
8073 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:17 pm to
quote:

56% failure rate


Doubt it. Everything public is usually low balled when it comes to classified military capabilities.

Not sure what the land based defense system is but Navy BMD destroyers have a higher rate than that.

Anti ballistic missles are cheaper and smaller than the ballistic missles that carry more fuel and larger payloads. You won't shoot one at an ICBM, you'd shoot a volley at X% per missle. Then a second volley, and a third if necessary
This post was edited on 3/12/17 at 4:12 pm
Posted by SpqrTiger
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2004
9275 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:22 pm to
Hell, I'm happy it's as high as 56%.

It beats the shite out of the 0% chance we had of shooting down icbm's in the Cold War days.

We can and should get better at this. I think we should invest bigtime in this technology.

Posted by WeeWee
Member since Aug 2012
40191 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:27 pm to
quote:

Gordon Chang author of "Nuclear Showdown" said that we have anti missile defense systems in California and Alaska that have a 56% failure rate and that North Korea will be able to hold America ransom once it attaches nuclear warheads to their ICBMs.

This cant be accurate can it?


Good enough for government work
Posted by northshorebamaman
Cochise County AZ
Member since Jul 2009
35528 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:30 pm to
quote:

North Korea will be able to hold America ransom

North Korea already has a delivery system that can hit any coastal city in the world. Its large merchant fleet. They know it would be suicide to use one. I'm more worried about them selling one to a nonstate entity.
Posted by Sidicous
Middle of Nowhere
Member since Aug 2015
17267 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:31 pm to
Well, during Gulf War 1 against Saddam, the Patriot system had only tested as something like 40-50%. It did better when actually needed though.

A quick Google shows 70% in Saudi Arabia and 40% in Israel.

That's against a slow moving SCUD. I would not expect much better results for another system against much faster ICBM's. But, that's one of the reasons for a huge military budget.

How much spending till we do get a missile defense system that can ensure we as a nation don't get hit by ANY enemy? Where do we cut that off?
Posted by Crimson Wraith
Member since Jan 2014
24919 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 3:48 pm to
EMP device would be more likely and harder to trace if fired from a sub.
Posted by Friscodog
Frisco, TX
Member since Jul 2009
4481 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 4:25 pm to
quote:

Gordon Chang author of "Nuclear Showdown" said that we have anti missile defense systems in California and Alaska that have a 56% failure rate and that North Korea will be able to hold America ransom once it attaches nuclear warheads to their ICBMs.


So why don't we shoot 2-3 missiles at an inbound warhead.. mathematically that should be a guarantee..
Posted by BestBanker
Member since Nov 2011
17490 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 4:29 pm to
Everybody Gordon Chang tonight.


You know you thought it.
Posted by AUstar
Member since Dec 2012
17059 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 4:30 pm to
quote:

This cant be accurate can it?


It is accurate if we are to believe NYT who wrote a long piece about this a while back. They quoted a similar figure if memory serves. Yeah, just found it:

quote:


The decision to intensify the cyber and electronic strikes, in early 2014, came after Mr. Obama concluded that the $300 billion spent since the Eisenhower era on traditional antimissile systems, often compared to hitting “a bullet with a bullet,” had failed the core purpose of protecting the continental United States. Flight tests of interceptors based in Alaska and California had an overall failure rate of 56 percent, under near-perfect conditions. Privately, many experts warned the system would fare worse in real combat.


I recommend reading the entire article. We are in some serious shite with NK: LINK
Posted by lsucoonass
shreveport and east texas
Member since Nov 2003
68486 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 4:42 pm to
its a hard task, I would think 56% may even be too high
Posted by lsucoonass
shreveport and east texas
Member since Nov 2003
68486 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 4:45 pm to
What I do know was the air defense artillery used to take down mortar rounds that were fired on a fob I was at only worked about 45-50% of the time. That was on 2013
Posted by USA Dan
Spanish Fort, AL
Member since Jul 2015
978 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 5:44 pm to
Here's our primary missile defense...



Posted by biglego
Ask your mom where I been
Member since Nov 2007
76547 posts
Posted on 3/12/17 at 5:46 pm to
44% is better than nothing. Shooting fast missile can't be easy.
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