Kinetic Bombardment – The Answer to Global Strike

[gute]

I remember reading about this a few years ago – the use of telephone pole size tungsten rods dropped from space onto far away targets requiring immediate destruction. Advocates have also described the use of crowbar size rods. I like the idea and hopefully we are looking into it. This Wikipedia link describes it in more detail http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment

Of course the militarization of space is a concern, but I believe it is inevitable. How much something like this would cost is unknown, but I’m sure it would be big bucks. The upside – the ability to strike anytime and anywhere. The downside – collateral damage, weapons race.

[condottiere]

I'm not an engineer, but I read that crowbar sized rods could take out MBTs. I suppose it depends on guidance and how high the payload delivery platform needs to be. If sub orbital, a vehicle that can reach that height would bypass that militarization clause.

[jkcompton]

Seems to me like there would be a significant guidance problem in being able to hit any moving targets.

There's also a creeping feeling - such a system would enable a strike anywhere on the globe, with very little to check the extension of such power. So I'm inclined to think it would push us even further along the path of continuous low-intensity involvement, rather than having to make a decision that carries some weight.

That said, there's always a plus to having a serious strike advantage. And perhaps its a good counter to the growing A2AD capacity elsewhere in the world.