The Peacekeeper
In 1972, the US began work on the most advanced missile the world had ever seen. Code named the MX, this ICBM missile was built to make the Soviet Union shudder in fear. It had the capability to do far more than that, especially when it went operational in December 1986 as the LGM-118A Peacekeeper.
With 10 individual, MIRV warheads, each with the capability to land within 100 meters of their target, the LGM-118 became the world's most advanced and deadly missile. With decoys and advanced jamming and guidance systems the LGM-118 ensured that its nuclear payload would reach the target and decimate the enemy in such a way that their counterattack would be far less effective.
They were to be silo launched, a rail garrison plan being rejected by Congress, the most intelligent and capable democratic body in the world. Secondly, Congress would only ever limit production to 50 missiles, 500 warheads in total, but still not enough. Instead, the Peacekeeper was doomed for failure. Those in the country and those in Congress who wanted to see to it that the United States could not defend itself well would eventually win out.
START II, a treaty signed and ratified by the United States in 1993 and 1996, respectively, would nail this system down. It wouldn't be until 2000 that the Russian Duma ratified the treaty, which would eventually be bypassed by SORT, in 2002. Still, the Peacekeeper, which was slated for retirement under START II, was canned. As of 2005 only 10 remained in service and on September 19, those were gone.
We went into 2006, watching as the North Koreans sought nuclear missile technology, as the Chinese build up their missiles, as the Russians put their Topol-M into service, and as the Iranians seek that which the rest of the world has. Now we are left with the Minute Man III, a missile concieved and built in the late 1960s to defend ourselves.
It would make sense to retire the 50 newest, most advanced missiles in favor of the 500 older, less advanced, less capable missiles. So, we must bid our farewell to a missile so advanced that it has not been until now, with the Topol-M, that anything has come close to its capabilities. What was put into service in 1986 was finally matched in 1998, 12 years later. So, we should raise a glass to Congress and those inside our nation who would rather see it fade away and be annihilated then strive on and simply just say to ourselves, "Where has this country gone?"
With 10 individual, MIRV warheads, each with the capability to land within 100 meters of their target, the LGM-118 became the world's most advanced and deadly missile. With decoys and advanced jamming and guidance systems the LGM-118 ensured that its nuclear payload would reach the target and decimate the enemy in such a way that their counterattack would be far less effective.
They were to be silo launched, a rail garrison plan being rejected by Congress, the most intelligent and capable democratic body in the world. Secondly, Congress would only ever limit production to 50 missiles, 500 warheads in total, but still not enough. Instead, the Peacekeeper was doomed for failure. Those in the country and those in Congress who wanted to see to it that the United States could not defend itself well would eventually win out.
START II, a treaty signed and ratified by the United States in 1993 and 1996, respectively, would nail this system down. It wouldn't be until 2000 that the Russian Duma ratified the treaty, which would eventually be bypassed by SORT, in 2002. Still, the Peacekeeper, which was slated for retirement under START II, was canned. As of 2005 only 10 remained in service and on September 19, those were gone.
We went into 2006, watching as the North Koreans sought nuclear missile technology, as the Chinese build up their missiles, as the Russians put their Topol-M into service, and as the Iranians seek that which the rest of the world has. Now we are left with the Minute Man III, a missile concieved and built in the late 1960s to defend ourselves.
It would make sense to retire the 50 newest, most advanced missiles in favor of the 500 older, less advanced, less capable missiles. So, we must bid our farewell to a missile so advanced that it has not been until now, with the Topol-M, that anything has come close to its capabilities. What was put into service in 1986 was finally matched in 1998, 12 years later. So, we should raise a glass to Congress and those inside our nation who would rather see it fade away and be annihilated then strive on and simply just say to ourselves, "Where has this country gone?"
posted by The Forsaken Outlaw at
01:00
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home