Sell The Whitehouse to Trump

[choff]

If his replacement goes down the exact same path and also drops dead from a mosquito bite, maybe the next guy starts thinking there's a jinx on the war path.

And maybe the replacement decides an engineered long latency virus is the best deniable way to take us down several notches.

Between your belief that anything helps Putin is good and real, and everything that helps America is a neo-con conspiracy, I know you an invidious idiot, choff.

At least I didn't have the brilliant Rhodes Scholar insight to gift N. Korea with nuclear capability in the first place. It's too bad the U.S. and Russia couldn't form an actual alliance, only the military/industrial complex can be happy with the current state of affairs, but hey, it keeps the beast fed.

[williatw]

Then you would have to invent the 10MW laser.

Or maybe it already has been...

An airborne megawatt (MW) average power Free-Electron Laser (FEL) is now a possibility. In the process of shrinking the FEL parameters to fit on ship, a surprisingly lightweight and compact design has been achieved. There are multiple motivations for using a FEL for a high-power airborne system for Defense and Security: Diverse mission requirements can be met by a single system. The MW of light can be made available with any time structure for time periods from microseconds to hours, i.e. there is a nearly unlimited magazine. The wavelength of the light can be chosen to be from the far infrared (IR) to the near ultraviolet (UV) thereby best meeting mission requirements. The FEL light can be modulated for detecting the same pattern in the small fraction of light reflected from the target resulting in greatly enhanced targeting control. The entire MW class FEL including all of its subsystems can be carried by large commercial size airplanes or on an airship. Adequate electrical power can be generated on the plane or airship to run the FEL as long as the plane or airship has fuel to fly. The light from the FEL will work well with relay mirror systems. The required R&D to achieve the MW level is well understood. The coupling of the capabilities of an airborne FEL to diverse mission requirements provides unique opportunities

https://www.osti.gov/scitech/biblio/841301

Above is dated 12 years ago. The navy is supposed to be balls out determined to get a functional/practical FEL:

US Navy plans for scaling Free electron lasers to megawatt weapon systems





I would think a pulsed 10MW FEL laser would be better....firing at say max rate of 10Hertz 10 millisecond bursts. Basically like a bullet (or Star Wars type blaster) of sorts. Would make the power requirements easier (10M x (10/1000) x 10) = 1MW max power required. Generator input power plus capacitor; when you deplete the capacitor would have to "recharge"; hopefully after missile(s) destroyed.


https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/03/u ... ctron.html

[ladajo]

As far as I know FELwas killed in bugdet battles. A victim of uncertain payoff in adequate timeframes.

[paperburn1]

AGM- XXX ... problem solved if he is really dumb enough to move his toys to the coast for range.
Personally I think this is another "Glorious Victory" shot for the anniversary date.

[choff]

The cure for Russiaphobia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7M4y8jEn_s


During the cold war era, anyone who knew me would tell you I was paranoid anti communist anti USSR.

Cold wars been over a long time, we cooperate with them on the ISS and Afghanistan, Trump was right to want rapprochement.

[williatw]

As far as I know FELwas killed in bugdet battles. A victim of uncertain payoff in adequate timeframes.

Well considering the president who was in power probably not surprising:

Navy’s Depleted Aircraft Will Take Years to Rebuild After Obama-Era Defense Cuts
Nearly two-thirds of Navy strike fighters unable to fly

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1372&p=128562&hilit ... ft#p128562

Any Prez who would allow our state of readiness to degrade this much for him cancelling the FEL laser program would be quick work to him.

[ladajo]

You might say that FEL died with a whimper, due to starvation. Jefferson has since repurposed the lab is my understanding. At least the infrastructure is still serving a use.
The biggest issue for aquisitions and existing force been the continual budget punting via CRs. The cuts have been brutal on readiness. Tempo has gone up while O&M has gone down. M has been bled dry to fund O. While new kit keeps being pushed right. The fact the navy is seriously considering recommissioning OHPs t gap fill is a huge tell.

[paperburn1]

Bringing back those ships does not seem to be a real solution but maybe a stopgap at best. I was under the impression they were retired because of the lack of ability to preform in some of the critical areas of support . They do seem to have the advantage in survivability compared to the new ships. I don't know; just throwing money at it seems problematic at best. The guys in the head shed need to think this one through very well before pulling the trigger. I thought they were all going to be sold off to foreign navies anyway.
Disclaimer: I am a air-winger ; what do I know about black shoe life.

[williatw]

Korea Nuclear Test Furthers EMP Bomb

Pyongyang reports 'EMP might' of nuclear arms

"Our hydrogen bomb—whose power as a nuclear bomb can be adjusted at will from tens of kilotons to hundreds of kilotons according to the targets of strike—is a multifunctional thermonuclear warhead which not only has enormous lethality and destructibility, but also can even carry out super-powerful EMP attack over an expansive area through detonation at high altitudes according to strategic goals," the report said.

Peter Pry, a former CIA analyst who has been active in urging greater defenses against EMP attack, said a congressional commission on EMP has been warning for years about the North Korean EMP threat.

According to Pry, the Congressional EMP Commission warned that nationwide blackout and subsequent disruption from an EMP strike could kill 90 percent of the U.S. population through starvation, disease, and societal chaos.

"North Korea knows this, which is why state media describes their new nuclear warhead as capable of both blasting cities and EMP," he said.

William R. Graham, chairman of the commission, also has warned that North Korea’s two satellites orbiting over the U.S. could be armed with EMP weapons and detonated over the United States or U.S. allies.

Pry said despite the increasing danger from EMP, the commission will cease functioning Sept. 20 unless its charter is renewed.

"No one at the Pentagon or DHS has asked for the EMP commission to be extended," he said, adding that the commission has produced the best expertise on the threat.

The commission has urged the United States to harden the nation's electric grid and other critical infrastructure against EMP attack. But those efforts have been thwarted as the result of lobbying from the electric power industry that opposes the cost of expensive upgrades and stockpiling of transformers and other equipment.

http://freebeacon.com/national-security ... -emp-bomb/

[ladajo]

First off, DPRK knows little to nothing about the reality of EMP attacks. All they have to go on is hearsay. Without their own testing to learn the actual realities of the weaponeering behind its use, they are blowing smoke.

The rest of the quotes you posted are politically motivated misrepresentations. I really loved the one about how the two DPRK "satellites" could be orbital weapons that could be used for an attack. Made me smile. A measure of cluelessness in many regards in his statement... however, as with most all political rhetoric, it pleads it's case as 'prove a negative'.

[williatw]

First off, DPRK knows little to nothing about the reality of EMP attacks. All they have to go on is hearsay. Without their own testing to learn the actual realities of the weaponeering behind its use, they are blowing smoke.

The rest of the quotes you posted are politically motivated misrepresentations. I really loved the one about how the two DPRK "satellites" could be orbital weapons that could be used for an attack. Made me smile. A measure of cluelessness in many regards in his statement... however, as with most all political rhetoric, it pleads it's case as 'prove a negative'.

I hope you are right about the technical aspects Ladajo... hope it (weaponized EMP) is really, really hard to do and all that. But I think the commission is trying to imply something to the effect of how do we know for certain the "satellites" launched by North Korea aren't secretly orbiting nukes? Maybe there is some sort of technical information about such you know that we can reasonably rule out that possibility?

The primary reason I posted the link however is this part, which to me says it all:

The commission has urged the United States to harden the nation's electric grid and other critical infrastructure against EMP attack. But those efforts have been thwarted as the result of lobbying from the electric power industry that opposes the cost of expensive upgrades and stockpiling of transformers and other equipment

This is the part that troubles my sleep if anything does; typical US political machinations at work. Ignore the recommendations, bury them and for good measure disband the committee making them so we can pretend it all never happened.

[ladajo]

But I think the commission is trying to imply something to the effect of how do we know for certain the "satellites" launched by North Korea aren't secretly orbiting nukes?

This is the "prove a negative argument".

As for technical aspects of using an orbital weapon, here are some thoughts...

1. The platform needs to be in a useful orbit, or be maneuverable.
2. The platform requires space tracking and surveillance support or organic reliable position reporting in order to conduct targeting.
3. The platform requires a ground control segment and link to manage its operations (there is a time aspect to this as well as geographic, beyond the actual functional process itself).
4. The platform needs to be able to perform a controlled deorbit, or payload release in order for the payload to reach an altitude useful for desired EMP effects.
5. Deployment of the payload needs to include a means to ensure proper fusing for desired effects at the right time.
6. There needs to be a weapon, with a useful shelf life, on the platform.
7. The platform needs to survive until employment either organically, or with protection against external interference.
8. The weapon needs to survive until employment either organically, or with protection against external interference.
9. The target set need to be susceptible to desired effects.

There are many more, however these provide a decent baseline of positives to prove, in order to make the case that either or both of the "two satellites" could employ a weapon for EMP effects.

[mvanwink5]

A shipboard nuke in a harbor, a sub with a nuke missile or just on board - sail into a harbor or close to the coastal city, suicide missions. You know the possibilities better than I.

The scenario is NK invades SK or threatens nuking SK if they don't surrender, and threatens to blow up X major US (or China?) port cities if interfered with.

Given all the past meaningless US words lil'Kim has no reason to believe the gutless, kick the can, DC mob will go to the mat over SK. This is a so called democracy and hands change every 4 to 8 years and Kim can wait out Trump until Obama lite gets in. Heck, it could be a Gore who is worried most about climate change.

The risk is not Kim, it is DC vicissitudes. This is not if, but when. MAD only works if the nuke nation does not wish to wager against the risk of suicide from a retaliation. Substitute ayatollah of Iran for Kim and the problem rolls on if Kim succeeds at this point. Obama gave Iran ??? billions reported to be 150 + change. Could be Michelle after Trump.

China also has bacon on this fire. Suppose Kim succeeds with a SK gambit, then has real money and tech.

And... so many and's and if's. It won't be long, probably after the mid terms. Always politics. DC septic swamp.

[paperburn1]

He is right, even if he launched and struck his weapon is not big enough to affect too many people and he just missed a prime opportunity if he was going to do it.. EMP from LFT is not a big worry. maybe one day but not right now or the near future. NBC school graduate circa 1984.

[williatw]

The risk is not Kim, it is DC vicissitudes..

Yes it is like disbanding (or allowing to expire) the commission to even study the problem of EMP let alone do anything about it. Sure there were similar commissions/studies prior to 9-11 that tried to raise the alarm about how inadequate our security measures were that were willfully ignored. Nothing of any consequence will be done about defending against EMP attacks until after said attack; let's just hope it proves to be survivable.

This is not if, but when. MAD only works if the nuke nation does not wish to wager against the risk of suicide from a retaliation. Substitute ayatollah of Iran for Kim and the problem rolls on if Kim succeeds at this point. Obama gave Iran ??? billions reported to be 150 + change. Could be Michelle after Trump.

Right.. even if President Trump tried to harden our infrastructure against EMP (and other types of assaults like cyber) he as you say might get replaced by another Obama/Carter...or wait for it President Al Franken. Someone who would happily if not gleefully undo everything Trump tried to do, on this and other things. Say for instance he (Trump) gets the wall built, he leaves office. Wonder how good President Michelle Obama (or Franken) would be at maintaining said wall? Probably about as good as Obama was at maintaining our naval aircraft's readiness. The term willful neglect comes to mind.