Pentagon Has Far-Reaching Defense Spacecraft in Works -Pincus at WP

[Rose Siding]

The Pentagon is working to develop a suborbital space capsule within the next five years that would be launched from the United States and could deliver conventional weapons anywhere in the world within two hours, defense officials said.

This year, the Falcon program will test a launcher for its Common Aero Vehicle (CAV), an unmanned maneuverable spacecraft that would travel at five times the speed of sound and could carry 1,000 pounds of munitions, intelligence sensors or other payloads. Among the system's strengths is that commanders could order a CAV -- an unpowered glide vehicle -- not to release its payload if they decided not to follow through with an attack.
...
While most public attention today focuses on meeting threats abroad with traditional land, sea and air forces, the Falcon program reflects how the Bush administration is increasingly looking to space to meet dangers it anticipates.

The use of space "enables us to project power anywhere in the world from secure bases of operation," says the Pentagon's national defense strategy, which Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld signed on March 1. Among the key goals in the strategy paper are "to ensure our access to and use of space and to deny hostile exploitation of space to adversaries." The strategy paper, done every four years, provides the policy basis on which the armed services plan their research, development and acquisitions of weapons systems. This year's strategy, Rumsfeld wrote, "emphasizes the importance of influencing events before challenges become more dangerous and less manageable."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38272-2005Mar15.html

[peacebird]

1. militarizing space is a bad move....

Is the US now preparing to move beyond being the worlds bully and into being the worlds dictator?

here I thought the bully aspect was bad enough...

you know - somehow I don't envision the rest of the world politely succumbing to this, and as the world OWNS the US and our debt - I fear there may just come a time when they say "sayonara, suckers"

and I must admit that I would not blame them in the least.

[Rose Siding]

4. We just have all this extra cash laying around

What else can you get for the country that has everything?

[bemildred]

2. More drool from the defense whackos.

We can already blow shit up anywhere in the world.
This will add nothing.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. "dubbed "prompt global strike" - but they want to do it QUICKER!

.
.
.

Also from the article:

"John E. Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, a nongovernmental defense think tank, said yesterday that the Falcon and CAV programs will allow the United States "to crush someone anywhere in world on 30 minutes' notice with no need for a nearby air base."
__________________________________________

Ideally of course, they'd like every newborn implanted with an explosive device so they could destroy them INSTANTLY

next logical step, no? :shrug:

[Imperialism Inc.]

7. "Gee, I wish we had one of them doomsday machines, Stainsy."

--from Dr. Strangelove

[bemildred]

8. Pretty much. I think they are mentally deficient.

Or insecure or something. The problem isn't a lack of ability
to blow shit up, to kill and destroy, they are already just great
at that, but they can't seem to grasp that that doesn't provide
control, which is what they really want, and can't have. It's like
the guy whose wife is dumping him so he buys a big gun and kills a
few people, his wife, his kids, some bystanders, and then blows his
own brains out. Futile and moronic. These guys make themselves
pathetic in the name of being a big swinging dick.

[mom cat]

3. I am sure this is the reason God created space..So dimson could

:nuke: anyone he did not like.

[TheWraith]

6. Correct me if I'm wrong...

But don't ballistic missiles do much the same thing in less time and with less research?

[bemildred]

9. Bingo, I think you have it. nt

[Trillo]

10. So this is why they retired The Blackbird.

I wonder how much Black budget has already been used on this?

[leesa]

11. Oh give it up already! The US is NO LONGER a world power

Get over it.

[Zynx]

12. I'll see that and raise a can of ball bearings

*SPLAT*

[expatriot]

13. It's like Santa Claus comin' to kick the children of the world's ASSES n/t

[countmyvote4real]

14. Sounds like they’re remarketing Reagan’s fallible “Star Wars” proposal.

All these years later, it still doesn’t work as conceived. No wonder they can’t get other nations to literally buy into a “stupid” bomb program. And while I’m on this metaphor, there is no such thing as a “smart” bomb. Just ask the people of Iraq.

A bomb is a bomb is a bomb.

bomb n
1. a missile containing explosive or other destructive material
2. a device that contains explosive material, especially one designed to explode after some time
3. bomb or Bomb the atomic bomb considered as the absolute weapon of mass destruction
4. U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand a performance that is a commercial or artistic failure (informal)****
5. a long high forward pass, especially one that results in a touchdown (informal)
6. a container holding a compressed gas
7. U.K. a great deal of money (informal)
8. a device that contains radioactive material and is used to beam therapeutic radiation at a patient
9. a solidified rounded or teardrop-shaped mass of lava from a volcano.
Also called volcanic bomb
10. something or somebody extremely good or exciting (slang)

v
1. vti to drop bombs on people or places, or attack or destroy them with bombs
2. vt to destroy or damage a building by placing an explosive device there (often used with “out”)
3. vi to fail badly as a performance (informal)
4. vt to defeat somebody or something overwhelmingly (informal)
5. vi to move exceptionally fast, especially in a vehicle (informal)
6. vi to fail suddenly (informal)****


**** I don’t know how to format text on DU so this is my way of highlighting in lieu of bold, italic or underline text.

[daleo]

15. This is one reason Canadians don't go along with Ballistic Missile Defense

So called, anyway. Ballistic Missile Defense (which won't work)naturally leads to weaponization of space (which might, in a technical sense, but probably not in a political sense).

[Zerex71]

16. Because everyone knows al Qaeda operates from space.

Jackasses! More moronic behavior from the Department of Imbecilic Government.

[htuttle]

17. This sounds like something out of a James Bond movie

Except that the United States is playing the part of Ernst Stavro Blofeld.



Here's the plan. We get the warhead, and we hold the world ransomed for.....One MILLION dollars!!

[rooboy]

19. LOL n/t

[rooboy]

18. Best defence against it is to develop biological weapons. nt/

[chlamor]

20. Fly the Friendly Skies

then duck for cover. It's Rummy's world.

[The_Casual_Observer]

21. The only way to end this spiral of madness will be the destruction

of the planet.

[EFerrari]

22. Maybe the whackos will hop the Mothership and go home? n/t

[ausiedownunderground]

23. Does anyone know where that missile fired from Alaska finally landed?

You can't scare us anymore! Bring on your worst! Although i'm dissapointed Pike from Global Security used the words "Crush". The whole thing will fall from space and "crush" some poor unfortunate soul! Pentagon, Hollywood and complete waste of US taxpayers money are now "Synonimious"! with the rest of us.

[tlcandie]

24. If you truly dig for info about this .. YES, you are correct....

the US is looking to dictate the whole world via space. Determining who is allowed in and out of space and building nuclear power plants for mining on other planets.

[DeepModem Mom]

25. kick