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notageek
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 05 Jun 2008
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Location: Bangalore, India
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 Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 6:28 am Post subject: NATO plans to upgrade tactical nuclear weapons |
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Some say is expensive and unnecessary.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/11/nato-nuclear-weapons-upgrade
| Quote: | Nato's plans to upgrade the US's estimated 180 tactical nuclear weapons in western Europe are unnecessary, expensive and likely to exacerbate already difficult relations with Russia, according to a report.
The alliance is preparing to replace "dumb" free-fall nuclear bombs and ageing delivery aircraft with precision-guided weapons that would be carried by US F35 strike aircraft, according to a report from the European Leadership Network (ELN), a thinktank supported by former UK defence ministers including Lord Des Browne and Sir Malcolm Rifkind. |
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aidanjt
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Joined: 20 Feb 2005
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Location: Rep. of Ireland
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 8:30 am Post subject: |
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wtf do you need a precision guided nuke for? Even low yield means anywhere in 5 miles will do the job.
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| juniper wrote: | | you experience political reality dilation when travelling at american political speeds. it's in einstein's formulas. it's not their fault. |
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Prenj
n00b
Joined: 20 Nov 2011
Posts: 7
Location: Mostar, BiH
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 9:22 am Post subject: |
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| I'd argue that free-fall is still more reliable than anything flown by F-35. Especially if you intend to fly over Russia. |
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aCOSwt
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Joined: 19 Oct 2007
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 10:36 am Post subject: |
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On a very personal standpoint... I have always been in favor of the highest possible precision...
... Concerning our ennemies' weapons of course...
... I count no less than 3 strategic places in a 10Km range around the place I am posting from right now... 
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In theory there are no differences between theory and practice. In practice, there are.
Don't try to understand my posts. Immanuel Kant never did, he thinks that only music and laughter do not have to mean anything. |
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Old School
Apprentice
Joined: 20 Nov 2004
Posts: 231
Location: The Covered Bridge Capital of Oregon
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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| aCOSwt wrote: | On a very personal standpoint... I have always been in favor of the highest possible precision...
... Concerning our ennemies' weapons of course...
... I count no less than 3 strategic places in a 10Km range around the place I am posting from right now... |
Excuse me if I am wrong, but aren't you in France?
There is no guarantee which side France would take in a hypothetical war between the Russians and Europe.
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aCOSwt
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| Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Old School wrote: | | aCOSwt wrote: | On a very personal standpoint... I have always been in favor of the highest possible precision...
... Concerning our ennemies' weapons of course...
... I count no less than 3 strategic places in a 10Km range around the place I am posting from right now... |
Excuse me if I am wrong, but aren't you in France? |
You are absolutely correct.
| Old School wrote: | | There is no guarantee which side France would take in a hypothetical war between the Russians and Europe. |
Well... if you say so... then... I am definitely in favor of the highest possible precision concerning the weapons in general.
BTW... Excuse me if I am wrong but... aren't you in Oregon ?
"Fifty-Four Forty or Fight" Wasn't that what you said ? 
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In theory there are no differences between theory and practice. In practice, there are.
Don't try to understand my posts. Immanuel Kant never did, he thinks that only music and laughter do not have to mean anything. |
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BoneKracker
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 12:41 am Post subject: |
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| aidanjt wrote: | | wtf do you need a precision guided nuke for? Even low yield means anywhere in 5 miles will do the job. |
Simply put, higher-precision tactical nuclear weapons can be lower-yield, reducing unnecessary loss of civilian lives and the amount radioactive contamination.
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aidanjt
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 1:15 am Post subject: |
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| BoneKracker wrote: | | aidanjt wrote: | | wtf do you need a precision guided nuke for? Even low yield means anywhere in 5 miles will do the job. |
Simply put, higher-precision tactical nuclear weapons can be lower-yield, reducing unnecessary loss of civilian lives and the amount radioactive contamination. |
Free-fall iron bombs are very accurate with nukes of any yield thanks to modern avionics. It doesn't matter if you're off by 50-100 metres anyway, because even 20 tonne yield bomb will have an enormous blast radius, and in reality it'll land much closer than that. The main advantage of precision guided weapons is landing conventional explosives on moving targets. Static targets hard enough to require a nuke are stationary, so it really doesn't apply. This is just more war industry welfare.
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| juniper wrote: | | you experience political reality dilation when travelling at american political speeds. it's in einstein's formulas. it's not their fault. |
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BoneKracker
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 1:31 am Post subject: |
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| aidanjt wrote: | | BoneKracker wrote: | | aidanjt wrote: | | wtf do you need a precision guided nuke for? Even low yield means anywhere in 5 miles will do the job. |
Simply put, higher-precision tactical nuclear weapons can be lower-yield, reducing unnecessary loss of civilian lives and the amount radioactive contamination. |
Free-fall iron bombs are very accurate with nukes of any yield thanks to modern avionics. It doesn't matter if you're off by 50-100 metres anyway, because even 20 tonne yield bomb will have an enormous blast radius, and in reality it'll land much closer than that. The main advantage of precision guided weapons is landing conventional explosives on moving targets. Static targets hard enough to require a nuke are stationary, so it really doesn't apply. This is just more war industry welfare. |
You are correct. I'm not going into details, but there are sophisticated delivery methods, sometimes necessary in well-defended airspace, which require guided munitions to achieve reasonable accuracy.
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Oldthinkers unbellyfeel INGSOC.
-- Headline of a document on Winston Smith's terminal in his cubicle at the Ministry of Truth, seen briefly in the background in one scene of the movie rendition of Nineteen Eighty-Four. |
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wildhorse
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 16 Mar 2006
Posts: 148
Location: Estados Unidos De América
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Old School wrote: | | aCOSwt wrote: | On a very personal standpoint... I have always been in favor of the highest possible precision...
... Concerning our ennemies' weapons of course...
... I count no less than 3 strategic places in a 10Km range around the place I am posting from right now... |
Excuse me if I am wrong, but aren't you in France? |
No, he is not. He confuses kilo (k) with Kelvin (K). Got to be a US-Americanzky. |
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aCOSwt
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Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 2042
Location: Between the keyboard and the chair
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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| wildhorse wrote: | | Old School wrote: | | aCOSwt wrote: | On a very personal standpoint... I have always been in favor of the highest possible precision...
... Concerning our ennemies' weapons of course...
... I count no less than 3 strategic places in a 10Km range around the place I am posting from right now... |
Excuse me if I am wrong, but aren't you in France? |
No, he is not. He confuses kilo (k) with Kelvin (K). Got to be a US-Americanzky. |
zOMG 
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In theory there are no differences between theory and practice. In practice, there are.
Don't try to understand my posts. Immanuel Kant never did, he thinks that only music and laughter do not have to mean anything. |
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wildhorse
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 16 Mar 2006
Posts: 148
Location: Estados Unidos De América
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| Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 2:58 pm Post subject: |
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Blame it on the delicious red wine.  |
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