Nuclear Games?

Politics • April 2010 • Views: 566

The administration yesterday unveiled its National Posture Review (NPR) nuclear strategy, which retains the U.S. nuclear triad of submarines, bombers and ICBMs but allows for only one warhead on the ICBMs.

In a major surprise the Administration announced that all U.S. ICBMs will be “de-MIRVed” to a single warhead each.

“De-MIRVed” means that each missile will now hold only one warhead.

A multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) is a collection of warheads to include “dummies” to confuse a potential enemy.

This is supposed to reduce the effectiveness of an anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system that relies on intercepting individual warheads.

Simply stated a MIRV attacking missile can have multiple warheads while ABM interceptors has one warhead per missile.

We may have just given away the farm…

Recent Pages by Bobibutu (Bob Dillon):
Rate Shock: In California, Obamacare to Increase Individual Health Insurance Premiums by 64-146% Court Says Egypt Legislature Illegally Elected MERS Spreads to Italy, Kills 3 More in Saudi Arabia Thousands Take to Streets in Turkey, Clash With Police China Blasts RP Gov't for Using Grounded Ship as Spratlys Outpost

Jump to bottom

8 comments

Gus Apr 8, 2010 9:38:35pm

Given away what farm? The limits are based on mutual reductions mutual limits:

Building on NPR analysis, the United States and Russia have agreed to mutual limits under the New START:

A limit of 1,550 accountable strategic warheads;

A separate limit of 700 deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs, and deployed nuclear-capable heavy bombers; and

A combined limit of 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers, SLBM launchers, and nuclear capable heavy bombers.

To other readers start by reading the actual document instead of reading a blogger’s opinion: 2010 Nuclear Posture Review

Bob Dillon Apr 8, 2010 9:50:11pm

re: #1 Gus 802

To other readers start by reading the actual document instead of reading a blogger’s opinion:

Yeah - just another blogger…

About Us
Poliquicks is a blog/website for a quick glance at major news items and opinions that may not have all the story in the network or cable news media concerning international relations, politics and military affairs. “Terrorism” is considered part of international relations.

The main contributor is H. Thomas Hayden, a retired Lieutenant Colonel, US Marine Corps, who served over 35 years with the Marine Corps, Defense Industry and civilian contractor in the Pentagon. His Marine Corps assignments included combat tours in Vietnam, Central America, Gulf War, Somalia, & Columbia and work assignments in Europe, Japan and the Middle East.

Tours in the Marine Corps included Special Operations, Intelligence Officer, Logistics Officer and MAGTF Plans and Operations Officer. His assignments included Branch Head, Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC), Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC); Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for SO/LIC; Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs; and, Senior Program Analysts at HQMC with the Joint Staff and DoD at the Pentagon. He was the Commanding Officer (CO) of MSSG-33 and later CO of BSSG-9. During the Gulf War he was the CO, Headquarters & Service Battalion, 1stFSSG, where he commanded all Rear Area Security Forces to include Military Police, Counter Terrorist Reaction Force and a Navy Port Security and Harbor Defense Group (NUSWU, EOD and US Coast Guard Port Security Unit). His battalion was raised to a brigade size task force of 2,300 men and women.

In the defense industry he became the President of a joint venture in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he traveled through out the Middle East.

He has a MBA (Pepperdine University) and a MA in International Relations (University of Southern California). He has written two books (SHADOW WAR: Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict and WARFIGHTING: Maneuver Warfare in the U.S. Marine Corps), and contributed to a third (Amphibious Assault: Manoeuver from the Sea – published in the UK), and is working on a fourth. He has written numerous magazine articles and he writes a guest opinion for the Florida/Georgia THE TIMES-UNION.

Gus Apr 8, 2010 9:58:09pm

re: #2 Bobibutu

OK, then I stand corrected he’s still wrong. His assessment of both NPR is overshadowed by the fact that both sides will be undergoing reductions.

Secondly, he states: So, if a non-nuclear state secretly obtains nukes or a rogue state now unknown to have nukes, throws a nuke at us, what will the Administration do – debate its options. That is incorrect. A non-nuclear state (NNS) has to remain non-nuclear in order to remain bound by the limitations of the NPT. There is no debate to be made. Once a NNS acquire nuclear weapons we would in theory have the option available immediately.

Bob Dillon Apr 8, 2010 10:04:15pm

re: #3 Gus 802

OK, then I stand corrected he’s still wrong. His assessment of both NPR is overshadowed by the fact that both sides will be undergoing reductions.

I will take his real world experience over your opinion and a piece of paper any day.

Gus Apr 8, 2010 10:20:05pm

re: #4 Bobibutu

I will take his real world experience over your opinion and a piece of paper any day.

That’s fine. I’m not necessarily here to convince you otherwise but feel I may provide a service for other interested readers in this public blog.

That “piece of paper” you speak of was signed by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates who was:

born Sept. 25, 1943, Wichita, Kansas. U.S. government official who served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; 1991–93) and as secretary of defense (2006– ) in the Republican administrations of Presidents George Bush and George W. Bush, respectively. Gates studied European history at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 1965. While earning a master’s degree from Indiana University in 1966, he was recruited by the CIA, and he joined the agency full time as a Soviet analyst after a two-year stint in the air force. Gates later received a doctorate (1974) in Russian and Soviet history from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.

In 1974 Gates joined the staff of the National Security Council, serving under Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Jimmy Carter until 1979, when he returned to the CIA. He rose to the post of deputy director of the agency in 1982, and Pres. Ronald Reagan nominated him to be director in 1987. Gates, however, withdrew because of questions about how much he knew about the Iran-Contra Affair.

He later served as deputy national security adviser (1989–91) to Pres. George Bush, and Bush nominated Gates for the CIA director’s post again in 1991. This time Gates had to defend himself against accusations that he had deliberately distorted intelligence information about the Soviet Union that he had presented to the Reagan administration. The Senate confirmed him in a 61–31 vote, making him the youngest director in the agency’s history.

His tenure ended little more than a year later, after Bill Clinton defeated Bush in the 1992 presidential election. Gates’s memoir, From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider’s Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War, was published in 1996. In 1999 Gates was named dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, and three years later he became president of the university.

In 2006, Gates was appointed secretary of defense by Pres. George W. Bush to replace Donald Rumsfeld, who resigned after heavy Republican losses in midterm elections were interpreted as a national referendum on the Bush administration’s handling of the Iraq War. Considered the opposite of Rumsfeld, who was seen as an ideologue bent on making the Pentagon do his bidding, Gates had the reputation of a pragmatist who could assess a situation and respond accordingly. He was easily confirmed by the Senate in a 95–2 vote.

In November of 2008, it was rumored that president-elect Barack Obama would keep Gates as secretary of defense for yet another term. On December 1st, 2008, he officially declared that Gates will continue to be part of the presidential cabinet in 2009.

Bob Dillon Apr 8, 2010 10:32:47pm

re: #5 Gus 802

Gus, Many pieces of paper have been signed over the centuries - Kings, Emperors, politicians, etc. And wars have been fought over them. Imagine that.

Yeah - I provide a service as well. Reality vs. wishful thinking and promises.

Dark_Falcon Apr 8, 2010 10:36:27pm

re: #6 Bobibutu

Gus, Many pieces of paper have been signed over the centuries - Kings, Emperors, politicians, etc. And wars have been fought over them. Imagine that.

Yeah - I provide a service as well. Reality vs. wishful thinking and promises.

I’m not a big fan of this either. But let’s take this down to the active thread, if me could. I’d like to broaden the discussion.

Curt Apr 9, 2010 5:43:15am

re: #3 Gus 802

OK, then I stand corrected he’s still wrong. His assessment of both NPR is overshadowed by the fact that both sides will be undergoing reductions.

Secondly, he states: So, if a non-nuclear state secretly obtains nukes or a rogue state now unknown to have nukes, throws a nuke at us, what will the Administration do – debate its options. That is incorrect. A non-nuclear state (NNS) has to remain non-nuclear in order to remain bound by the limitations of the NPT. There is no debate to be made. Once a NNS acquire nuclear weapons we would in theory have the option available immediately.

Gus802;
Your grounds for a 35 year vet, with and MA in the field is “wrong” are exactly what, beside a paragraph on a treaty just signed? I see his credentials, but I don’t see yours posted. But you plan to offer a valuable service to readers. Thank you for your offer. It would be better backed up with some actual experience of the situation, and not just you read a document or two and now have insight.

Such treaties have far more subtly in the actual application. You assume, because it says a nation has to stay non-nuclear capable, that the language on a piece of paper will prevent them from doing so in secret. I think the Marine LCOL can take you to school on such things as the treaty Hitler made with Stalin in the early days of WWII, and how Hitler was the one to blatantly violate it, even getting supplies from Russia, right up until the day of the attacks to the East. Yes, a Non-Aggression Pact that worked, because a few leaders put pen to paper. That’s history, that’s where these assessments come from, not from a idly engaged reader of some news.

That’s the issue. Other nations will figure out legal loopholes on how to exploit our President’s stated opinion. I predict we will see new proxy wars appear like never before, and, when the left scream not to be the World’s policeman, if we don’t do something like that, and stare them down, it will be the blood of US citizens, and anyone who gets in the way of the terrorists (we see how effectively this time in history has run around the flanks of the Geneva Conventions very successfully, to the advantage of the enemy), who will pay the price, so we can feel good that we’re not keeping anyone awake at night with the fact we have weapons to defend our interests and can use them if we need to.

Who has suffered, by actual body count, from us having the nuclear arsenal and the prior policies since WWII? No one, on either side. Kept a lot of nations honest. Your plan would be to let that evaporate. Can I assume so long as they don’t attack your home town with chemical or bio weapons, that’s just fine with you?

Auto

This page has been archived.
Comments are closed.

Jump to top

Create a PageThis is the LGF Pages posting bookmarklet. To use it, drag this button to your browser's bookmark bar, and title it 'LGF Pages' (or whatever you like). Then browse to a site you want to post, select some text on the page to use for a quote, click the bookmarklet, and the Pages posting window will appear with the title, text, and any embedded video or audio files already filled in, ready to go.
Or... you can just click this button to open the Pages posting window right away.
Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT LGF User's Guide RSS Feeds

Help support Little Green Footballs!