KINECTIC BOMBARDEMENT

[Alpha1]

KINECTIC BOMBARDEMENT




A kinetic bombardment is the act of attacking a planetary surface with an inert projectile, where the destructive force comes from the kinetic energy of the projectile impacting at very high velocities"

The idea is that an orbiting inert projectile with a guidance system can be used to target systems on the ground.

^^ this image is from GI JOE Movie it shows kinetic bombardment of Central London from one of the seven orbital weapons in space, dubbed "Project Zeus". The projectile is a hollow platinum tube filled with a tungsten rod and appears to be a pole shaped object with a motor, very much in line with the speculated design of such a weapon. Instead of an explosion, a violent earthquake appears to take place, which is again a characteristic of kinetic bombardment.(??????????????)
For example: an orbiting tungsten telephone pole with small fins and a computer in the back for guidance

The system described in the 2003 United States Air Force (USAF) report was that of 20-foot-long (6.1 m), 1-foot-diameter (0.30 m) tungsten rods, that are satellite controlled, and have global strike capability, with impact speeds of Mach 10.

• · the weapon would inflict damage because it moves at orbital velocities, at least 9 kilometers per second
• · With 6-8 satellites on a given orbit, a target could be hit within < 12–15 minutes from any given time, less than half the time taken by an ICBM and without the warning. Such a system could also be equipped with sensors to detect incoming Anti-ballistic missile-type threats and relatively light protective measures(what???) to use against them (e.g. Hit-To-Kill Missiles or megawatt-class chemical laser)
• · The highly elongated shape and high density are to enhance sectional density and therefore minimize kinetic energy loss due to air friction and maximize penetration of hard or buried targets like SILOS and bunkers
• · In the case of the system mentioned in the 2003 USAF report above, a 6.1 m × 0.3 m tungsten cylinder impacting at Mach 10 has a kinetic energy equivalent to approximately 11.5 tons of TNT (or 7.2 tons of dynamite).
• · The larger device is expected to be quite good at penetrating deeply buried bunkers and other command and control targets.(bunker buster)
• · Deployement of such weapons is neither prohibited by outer space treaty , ABM treaty or salt

Realy hard to detect because

• · Sheer speed ; 10 mach , Some other sources suggest a speed of 36,000 ft/s (11,000 m/s),
• · Small radar cross section
• · Launch is difficult to detect. Any infra-red launch signature occurs in orbit, at no fixed position. The infra-red launch signature also has a small magnitude compared to a ballistic missile launch
• · NO Warning contrary to the case of ICBM

The question is how would they fare in a bunker buster role against other weapons like Nuclear EPWs and other conventional weapons?

How practical are they?
Do they have a concievable role in modern day military?

 

[Alpha1]

@gambit @jhungary @Slav Defence @Secur @jaibi @AhaseebA

 

[Kompromat]

Trick is metallurgy, most metals will melt and incenirate at that speed + impact velocity.

 

[Alpha1]

Trick is metallurgy, most metals will melt and incenirate at that speed + impact velocity.

Thats why metals like Tungsten who's melting piont melting point is high [3,422 °C] are supposed to be used

 

[Kompromat]

It looks good on paper, in reality however one must also take into account the atmospheric factors which have evolved to burn anything penetrating the planet at that speed. Since the gravity is the source of propulsion here, it will be as hard to reach the ground intact as trying to penetrate through the atmosphere via fuel carrying rockets.

 

[AirRodgers]

to expensive and not practical, you know how much it cost to put anything in orbit..
This type of impact velocity can be achieve with a RAILGUN...

 

[Falcon29]

What's with these sick ideas of humans destroying our civilization?

 

[Alpha1]

to expensive and not practical, you know how much it cost to put anything in orbit..
This type of impact velocity can be achieve with a RAILGUN...

Yes but despite the cost it has many advantages too

• Only seven such systems can cover the globe
• rail gun has far far less rang and is cumbersome

 

[Amaa'n]

may i ask what sort of destruction are we looking at, in due result of this weapon striking the city 
in simple words - i dont see the cost benefit ratio here

 

[AirRodgers]

7 system, so how many of these projectile can be fire from these 7 system...assuming you have 7 system each have 16 missile.. So only 112 missile to cover the entire planet., that not much at all.

 

[AirRodgers]

may i ask what sort of destruction are we looking at, in due result of this weapon striking the city 
in simple words - i dont see the cost benefit ratio here

This weapon system would be a great system for Russia or China...Its a weapon system that have the ability to one shot a super carrier, even than the Chinese DF21(impact velocity of mach 10) can do the same job at a much cheaper cost...

 

[Kompromat]

This weapon system would be a great system for Russia or China...Its a weapon system that have the ability to one shot a super carrier, even than the Chinese DF21(impact velocity of mach 10) can do the same job at a much cheaper cost...

And how do you plan to hit a moving object that is not exactly easy to detect at sea in the first place?

 

[Alpha1]

This weapon system would be a great system for Russia or China...Its a weapon system that have the ability to one shot a super carrier, even than the Chinese DF21(impact velocity of mach 10) can do the same job at a much cheaper cost...

And how do you plan to hit a moving object that is not exactly easy to detect at sea in the first place?

Infact the weapon's sensors would almost certainly be blind during atmospheric reentry due to the plasma sheath that would develop ahead of it, so a mobile target could be difficult to hit if it performed any unexpected maneuvering., so no flight path correction during re entry

 

[Alpha1]

7 system, so how many of these projectile can be fire from these 7 system...assuming you have 7 system each have 16 missile.. So only 112 missile to cover the entire planet., that not much at all.

They are probably not weapons of mass destruction... they can be used against a hardened target like a SILO, and can be deployed quicker than an ICBM and is realy hard to detect... those are som huge advantages... Enemy silo based BMs can be destroyed before they are launched

 

[AirRodgers]

And how do you plan to hit a moving object that is not exactly easy to detect at sea in the first place?

Since its a satellite base weapon system you would think looking down it could spot a 100 ton carrier and target it.