ICBMS

Re: ICBMS

feeds@yuku.com (Michael Hoddy) — Sun, 11 May 2008 08:20:42 GMT

After the US withdrawal from the ABM Treaty, the Russians stopped dismantling SS-18's, so there are still a number of SS-18 with MIRVs still deployed, mostly or completely the later R36M2 version. However, these (along with the SS-19's if I'm not mistaken) will expire over the next 10-12 years or so, leaving the Strategic Rocket Forces almost entirely made up of road-mobile and silo-based SS-25/SS-27 variants, right now single warhead, but possibly with a MIRV version in the...

Re: ICBMS

feeds@yuku.com (taschoene) — Sun, 11 May 2008 07:23:04 GMT

pukalshik wrote:
I think that was not about SS-18s that are the silo rockets with well-known position. That was about another rocket (do not know the name) that used standard railroad vagon as starting position, so it was impossible to detect where it was in the country until it was prepared to start.

The anxiety about SS-18 was that its 10 MIRVed warheads theoretically allowed the Soviet Union to kill all of the...

Re: ICBMS

feeds@yuku.com (pukalshik) — Sat, 10 May 2008 19:03:53 GMT

I think that was not about SS-18s that are the silo rockets with well-known position. That was about another rocket (do not know the name) that used standard railroad vagon as starting position, so it was impossible to detect where it was in the country until it was prepared to start.

Re: ICBMS

feeds@yuku.com (A G Williams) — Sat, 10 May 2008 16:21:08 GMT

OK, thanks.

Re: ICBMS

feeds@yuku.com (taschoene) — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:14:10 GMT

Initially, Peacekeeper was to be withdrawn under START II, in exchange for the USSR withdrawing its heavy-throw-weight SS-18s. While START II never technically went into force, the US had a policy of acting as though the treaty was in force.

Now that START II has been superseded by the Moscow Treaty, which only limits warhead numbers, economics plays a major role. It costs less to maintain a single missile type, so it makes sense to get rid of either Minuteman or Peacekeeper....

Re: ICBMS

feeds@yuku.com (A G Williams) — Sat, 10 May 2008 09:56:44 GMT

As a matter of curiousity, why have the old Minutemen been kept in operation while the newer Peacekeepers were disposed of?

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website: http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk
and discussion forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/autogun/messages/

Re: ICBMS

feeds@yuku.com (taschoene) — Sat, 10 May 2008 05:10:36 GMT

I understand that the current plan is to continue incremental upgrades to Minuteman III and keep it in service through 2040.

ICBMS

feeds@yuku.com (NoOneFamous) — Thu, 08 May 2008 22:47:15 GMT

Currently the USAF controls all remaining Minuteman III ICBMs. Is there a replacement missile being considered?