Ukraine-Russia Megathread 22

CARCOSA [they/them] · 3 years ago

Ukraine-Russia Megathread 22

aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them] · edit-2 3 years ago

Well China seems to have one operational model, North Korea has done some testing. And Russia now has combat tested ones. The US is still in the testing and development phase, they are aiming to bring their first models into operation sometime this year. But it's unlikely it will be as good as the already combat capable Russian ones for a while. The US government will definitely be pushing for it though.

ScaredAndAlone [any] · edit-2 3 years ago

So does this technology essentially make all missile defense systems the world over obsolete? (Edit: I mean like especially once the West has similar capability.) It sounds like anyone can nuke anyone else at any time so it hardly matters whether or not there are enemies directly on the boarder, at least in terms of missile attacks.

Frank [he/him, he/him] · 3 years ago

There's considerable question whether any missile defense systems actually worked in the first place.

TerminalEncounter [she/her] · 3 years ago

You see videos of iron dome working every once in a while, but their munitions are pretty jerry rigged. Nothing as technologically sophisticated as a hypersonic missile.

Frank [he/him, he/him] · 3 years ago

Iron Dome has a significant failure rate against qassam rockets that are literally welded together from junk lying around in Palestine.

Jamaicanstew [none/use name] · 3 years ago

So Star Wars II

aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them] · 3 years ago

Yeah, if the missile itself can fly at twelve times the speed of sound while making evasive maneuvers, air defence is now obsolete. Unless you're planning to use lasers to take out the missiles, but that technology is still far away. But yeah, nothing anyone can do to stop this kind of missile attack, conventional or nuclear. And the west has no equivalent as of now.

It also gives the target much less time to react and retaliate, if they can even retaliate before the missile hits.

ScaredAndAlone [any] · 3 years ago

Holy shit this truly is game-changing. Seems like this could even tip the balance of MAD to only the West being assured destruction.

Jamaicanstew [none/use name] · 3 years ago

Nah nato has enough nuclear subs and international force projection to hit the Russians. Also they are the ones who are open to doing a first strike

aaaaaaadjsf [he/him, comrade/them] · edit-2 3 years ago

In some ways maybe, but dead man's switches exist. And nuclear capable submarines.

ZZ_SloppyTop [he/him] · 3 years ago

Couldn’t you just coat the outside of the missile in a mirror and reflect most of the laser? Am I dumb?

MoreAmphibians [none/use name] · 3 years ago

That probably wouldn't work in the first place and the coating for a hypersonic missile needs to be able to resist the heat caused from moving at hypersonic speeds.

ZZ_SloppyTop [he/him] · 3 years ago

Seems like a solvable problem with modern material science, I’m just wondering if my base idea would work or not. Aren’t lasers completely countered by mirrors?

Tapirs10 [undecided,she/her] · 3 years ago

I mean reflective coatings only reflect some of the light not all. Also, that's literally the opposite of what you want to do for radar stealth.

ZZ_SloppyTop [he/him] · 3 years ago

Radar stealth doesn’t matter at Mach 12 does it? Even if they detect you it’s too late

keepcarrot [she/her] · 3 years ago

Just FYI, missile defence systems were never good. Their capacity to shoot down incoming cruise missiles has always been a last ditch effort. They've always been most effective against infantry scale anti-tank weapons which have to balance payload, range, and missile speed.