I even remember reading about how the Soviets planned to chain detonate nukes over Moscow in the event of an exchange to destroy incoming ICMBs.
GMD is only capable of taking out 10-20 missiles at once. Russia and China both have hundreds of missiles, and if the DPRK isn’t there yet they will be soon. GMD is essentially useless at preventing a first strike. It was ostensibly meant for if a rogue state managed to launch a handful of ICBMs at the US, a scenario that really isn’t likely. What it would be useful for, is if the US were to strike first and take out the majority of the enemy’s missiles on the ground. To be clear, I don’t think that is why the US built it, and that isn’t part of the strategic thinking. But that possibility is exactly what Russia and China suspect about GMD. Hence their expansion of new weapons.
That's why I suspect the US never stopped developing nuclear tipped ABMs with the Sprint I and II programs. They just went dark. It's the only logical way to defend against the only existential threat we face, and DC is gonna be first struck so you can bet the political class is incentivized to develop this.
Why keep it secret? Well first it interferes with MAD which is very destabilizing. Also its good to hold your most important cards close to your chest. And there's the fact that the public would be uncomfortable with the idea that our plan to survive involves so much radiation being thrown around. A lot of incentive to not talk about it...
Also, nuclear-tipped ABM systems aren’t some sort of super power. Remember that all of this is happening in space at very high speeds. The Nike Zeus had to get within a kilometer of the target warhead before detonating. It’s not like you could throw a couple of these up and knock hundreds of incoming warheads out of the sky.
Or is there another option now, with the necessary coverage? From space, via SAT? Some sort of 'dent-detection' in the electromagnetic field instead, be it natural, or man-made?
The latest hype is around “hypersonic glide body” type weapons. Where instead of traveling a straight ballistic trajectory they have small control surfaces and are capable of maneuvering. Ironically, though, having to maneuver like that makes such missiles slower, not faster, than an equivalent ballistic missile. And their maneuverability isn’t exactly huge, because at those speeds even small turns will impose significant g forces. So there’s this weird tradeoff between speed and maneuverability.
Combine this with facilities like these https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safeguard_Program and have modular mini nuke breeders on site, powering atmospheric capture of CO² to turn them into synthetic fuels. Pharaonic Profits!1!!
I suggest: https://cnc.fandom.com/wiki/Firestorm_wall_section
But this still has to get reliable ännärdshy from somewhere, so the possible synergy between modular mini nuke plants to power on site atmospheric capture of CO² to produce clean synfuels still applies!1!!
Or maybe we could have an HVTC (High Voltage Teslatronic Current) atmospheric supersmartgrid, made out of a network of these.
(Bzzzt Brrzzzzt Bzzzt Brrzzzzt)
And then when finally Ukraine bombs Russia back a little, somehow Russia's the victim and now they have to escalate?
What cry-bully narcissist cunts.
Why? It’s a missile. It’s meant to be fired on short notice.
It’s a bit academic, of course, why Russia decided to reveal the existence of this missile now, and employ it in Ukraine. It’s not like there’s only one reason why Russia did this.
Putin knows that wouldn't happen, he's concerned about his own arsenal being neutralized.
With the missiles that the US and the GB gave them to use against Russia and that is the escalation.
Before that Ukraine made many strikes into Russian territory with Ukraine-made missiles and drones.
