US Successfully Test Fires Anti-ICBM Interceptor.

[PACOX]

WASHINGTON (CBSLA.com) — The Pentagon said it has successfully shot down a mock warhead over the Pacific with an interceptor missile launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in Central California.

This is the first time the United States has launched a missile to try and shoot down an incoming intercontinental ballistic missile or ICBM.

It has been described as trying to hit a bullet with a bullet-traveling faster than the speed of sound.

“This is important because the ground-based missile defense system has not been tested before with an ICBM, it’s been tested with shorter range missles which don’t travel as fast,” said Bruce Bennett, one of the nation’s leading experts on strategic nuclear warfare.

Rest of the article is political.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2017/...andenberg-afb/

Summary: US successfully shoots down a test ICBM, a huge accomplishment in rocketry and defense. Like the article said, its like trying to hit a bullet with a bullet

[Jonnusthegreat]

Inb4 ICBMs are now programmed with evasive maneuvers!

[Nasukkin]

Why go through all the trouble of firing a fake nuke when North Korea could serve one up for us at any moment without us having to spend a dime of taxpayer money? Shoot down one of Kim's clay pigeons; that'd make better practice AND send a message.

[Vizardlorde]

Fuck yeah! This kind of stuff is truly amazing, imo. The level of technical precision required from those coding the software and designing the interceptor is insane. These kinds of military advancements are my favorite as they are completely defensive in nature. Saving lives without any lost is always the best case scenario.

Fucking physics wizards and programing magicians.

[Aquinan]

Giant shotgun on a rocket basically?

[Independent voter]

If Kim Jong-un fires a missile at Tokyo and we shoot it down, there's going to be a lot of angry stuff headed his way.

[Kellhound]

Hitting a missile you know is coming is one thing, hitting a surprise package is another.

[Lady Dragonheart]

That's excellent news.

[oplawlz]

Hitting a missile you know is coming is one thing, hitting a surprise package is another.

There's no such thing as a surprise intercontinental ballistic missile, at least not coming at North America.

[derpkitteh]

Hitting a missile you know is coming is one thing, hitting a surprise package is another.

that's why in the real situation they won't just be firing one. it'll be multiple per each target.

i'm glad we have this though. we need more defensive technologies like this.

[Kellhound]

There's no such thing as a surprise intercontinental ballistic missile, at least not coming at North America.

Compared to knowing exactly when and where, and the exact flight path, of an incoming missile weeks in advance, yeah a surprise ICBM is still a surprise ICBM.

[bladeXcrasher]

Hitting a missile you know is coming is one thing, hitting a surprise package is another.

They shot down a warhead, significantly smaller than the entire missile. These things can fit in a 55 gallon drum. They also undoubtedly started tracking after the missle was fired and the rocket stages had already dropped away leaving the MIRV package only. Only after a single warhead began re-entry would it be destroyed, only going off the articles wording and knowing how these thing's work.

[KeirAdish]

Why go through all the trouble of firing a fake nuke when North Korea could serve one up for us at any moment without us having to spend a dime of taxpayer money? Shoot down one of Kim's clay pigeons; that'd make better practice AND send a message.

probably to ensure that if lil' Kimmy ever gets one across the Pacific that our defenses actually shoot it down.

Its always best to test-fire your cannon before you deploy it.
Otherwise you don't know for certain that it will even work.

[Kellhound]

that's why in the real situation they won't just be firing one. it'll be multiple per each target.

i'm glad we have this though. we need more defensive technologies like this.

Here is the thing, we dont have very many of them, 30 to be exact. Given its "success" rate, you are looking at 3 missiles per ICBM at minimum if we are VERY lucky AND they cant maneuver. In some ways, a semi-functional defense is worse than no defense.

[bladeXcrasher]

Why go through all the trouble of firing a fake nuke when North Korea could serve one up for us at any moment without us having to spend a dime of taxpayer money? Shoot down one of Kim's clay pigeons; that'd make better practice AND send a message.

Because we launch missiles with nothing but telemetry packages for testing and certifications any way.

[BananaHandsB]

Why go through all the trouble of firing a fake nuke when North Korea could serve one up for us at any moment without us having to spend a dime of taxpayer money? Shoot down one of Kim's clay pigeons; that'd make better practice AND send a message.

Didn't think that one through, did ya?

[derpkitteh]

Here is the thing, we dont have very many of them, 30 to be exact. Given its "success" rate, you are looking at 3 missiles per ICBM at minimum if we are VERY lucky AND they cant maneuver. In some ways, a semi-functional defense is worse than no defense.

this is why we should pull back from the nonsense shit and actually put that military spending to use on defensive shit instead. if we quick stirring our dick in the middle east, we'd be able to put all that money into this important shit.

[Kellhound]

They shot down a warhead, significantly smaller than the entire missile. These things can fit in a 55 gallon drum. They also undoubtedly started tracking after the missle was fired and the rocket stages had already dropped away leaving the MIRV package only. Only after a single warhead began re-entry would it be destroyed, only going off the articles wording and knowing how these thing's work.

Actually, all we know is it hit an "ICBM Class target", not that it hit an advanced MIRV warhead sized target.

[lockedout]

Why go through all the trouble of firing a fake nuke when North Korea could serve one up for us at any moment without us having to spend a dime of taxpayer money? Shoot down one of Kim's clay pigeons; that'd make better practice AND send a message.

I wonder how accurate though.

[Kellhound]

this is why we should pull back from the nonsense shit and actually put that military spending to use on defensive shit instead. if we quick stirring our dick in the middle east, we'd be able to put all that money into this important shit.

So, you want to start a new nuclear weapons arms race?