from Wikipedia:
Prompt Global Strike
Prompt Global Strike (PGS) is a United States military effort to develop a system that can deliver a precision conventional weapon strike anywhere in the world within one hour[1][2] just as an ICBM can do with a nuclear warhead.
Potential scenarios that would require a fast response, currently only available in nuclear weapons, include an impending North Korean missile launch or an opportunity to strike Al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan.[3] "Today, unless you want to go nuclear, it's measured in days, maybe weeks" until the military can launch an attack with regular forces, said Marine Corps General James Cartwright.[4]
The PGS system will be designed to complement Forward Deployed Forces, Air Expeditionary Forces (which can deploy within 48 hours) and Carrier battle groups (which can respond within 96 hours).[3] Possible delivery systems include:
a rocket like those of existing ICBMs, launched from the United States mainland, or SLBMs
an air-launched hypersonic cruise missile, such as the Boeing X-51
launch from an orbiting space platform
As of 2010, the Air Force's prototype is a modified Minuteman III ICBM.[4] In March of 2011, the Air Force Major General David Scott stated that the service had no plans to use a sea or land based ICBM system for Prompt Global Strike, as they would be expensive to develop and potentially "dangerous." Instead, efforts will focus on a hypersonic glider.[5] The next day the Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz said that it was still an option.[6]
The George W. Bush administration considered such a weapon, but shelved the idea because an ICBM-launched weapon may trigger the nuclear warning system of Russia.[7]
But the Obama administration and others believe such a system could allow the U.S. to shrink its nuclear arsenal while maintaining deterrent and quick strike capabilities.
It is currently unclear what designs or precautions would be certain to assure China and Russia, two countries with launch-detection systems and ICBMs, that a launched missile is not nuclear-tipped. Potential measures include a low-trajectory missile design or allowing Russian and Chinese inspection of missile sites.[4][3]
On 11 April 2010, United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates indicated that the United States already has a Prompt Global Strike capability.[8] Another recent development is the new START disarmament treaty signed on 8 April 2010, which sets new, lower limits on ballistic missiles and their warheads. The treaty does not distinguish between conventional and nuclear versions of weapons, meaning any ballistic PGS missiles and warheads would count toward the new limit. However, the U.S. State Department has stated that this does not constrain plans for PGS deployment since current plans do not come near the limits.[9]
Russian experts have said that the forthcoming S-500 missile defense system would include anti-hypersonic defenses.[10]
Warhead
The warhead is expected to be a maneuverable vehicle, weighing some 2 tons including the payload, and be able to deliver a unitary penetrator, numerous smart munitions or even UAVs.
See also
Anti-ship ballistic missile
ArcLight (missile), a DARPA program using US Navy ships to launch a smaller missile.
DARPA Falcon Project, an earlier conventional ICBM / hypersonic weapons program out of which Prompt Global Strike evolved.[11]
Air Force Global Strike Command
Project Thor, a proposed kinetic bombardment weapon in which an orbiting "tungsten telephone pole" is de-orbited to strike a ground target at orbital speed
X-37
Conventional Trident
References
1.^ Grossman, Elaine (2006-04-08). "Air Force Proposes New Strike Missile". Military.Com.
2.^ "In the works: A missile to hit anywhere in 1 hr". The Times Of India.
3.^ a b c David E. Sanger; Thom Shanker (28 February 2010). "White House Is Rethinking Nuclear Policy". New York Times (New York, NY). Retrieved 8 April 2010.
4.^ a b c Craig Whitlock (8 April 2010). "U.S. looks to nonnuclear weapons to use as deterrent". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
5.^ "Prompt Global Strike Won't Use ICBMs."
6.^ "Conventional ICBM Still an Option: Schwartz."
7.^ U.S. Faces Choice on New Weapons for Fast Strikes
8.^ 'Meet the Press' transcript for April 11, 2010 MSNBC "And we have prompt global strike affording us some conventional alternatives on long-range missiles that we didn't have before."
9.^ Conventional Prompt Global Strike U.S. State Department, 8 April 2010
10.^ Balmasov, Sergei. "Will S-500 system be good against Minotaur IV?" Pravda, 17 December 2010.
11.^ Goal of the "prompt global strike" program, as the FALCON program is also known, is to provide the ability to deliver a conventional, precision-guided warhead anywhere in the world within two hours.
External links
U.S. Looks To Non-Nuclear Weapons To Use As Deterrent
Hypersonic Cruise Missile: America's New Global Strike Weapon
U.S. Military Eyes Fielding "Prompt Global Strike" Weapon by 2015
And this, from the Congressional Research Service (CRS):
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/R41464.pdf
And also, this:
http://www.ndu.edu/press/lib/images/jfq-60/JFQ60_102-107-Haffa-Isherwood.pdf
Prompt Global Strike
Prompt Global Strike (PGS) is a United States military effort to develop a system that can deliver a precision conventional weapon strike anywhere in the world within one hour[1][2] just as an ICBM can do with a nuclear warhead.
Potential scenarios that would require a fast response, currently only available in nuclear weapons, include an impending North Korean missile launch or an opportunity to strike Al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan.[3] "Today, unless you want to go nuclear, it's measured in days, maybe weeks" until the military can launch an attack with regular forces, said Marine Corps General James Cartwright.[4]
The PGS system will be designed to complement Forward Deployed Forces, Air Expeditionary Forces (which can deploy within 48 hours) and Carrier battle groups (which can respond within 96 hours).[3] Possible delivery systems include:
a rocket like those of existing ICBMs, launched from the United States mainland, or SLBMs
an air-launched hypersonic cruise missile, such as the Boeing X-51
launch from an orbiting space platform
As of 2010, the Air Force's prototype is a modified Minuteman III ICBM.[4] In March of 2011, the Air Force Major General David Scott stated that the service had no plans to use a sea or land based ICBM system for Prompt Global Strike, as they would be expensive to develop and potentially "dangerous." Instead, efforts will focus on a hypersonic glider.[5] The next day the Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz said that it was still an option.[6]
The George W. Bush administration considered such a weapon, but shelved the idea because an ICBM-launched weapon may trigger the nuclear warning system of Russia.[7]
But the Obama administration and others believe such a system could allow the U.S. to shrink its nuclear arsenal while maintaining deterrent and quick strike capabilities.
It is currently unclear what designs or precautions would be certain to assure China and Russia, two countries with launch-detection systems and ICBMs, that a launched missile is not nuclear-tipped. Potential measures include a low-trajectory missile design or allowing Russian and Chinese inspection of missile sites.[4][3]
On 11 April 2010, United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates indicated that the United States already has a Prompt Global Strike capability.[8] Another recent development is the new START disarmament treaty signed on 8 April 2010, which sets new, lower limits on ballistic missiles and their warheads. The treaty does not distinguish between conventional and nuclear versions of weapons, meaning any ballistic PGS missiles and warheads would count toward the new limit. However, the U.S. State Department has stated that this does not constrain plans for PGS deployment since current plans do not come near the limits.[9]
Russian experts have said that the forthcoming S-500 missile defense system would include anti-hypersonic defenses.[10]
Warhead
The warhead is expected to be a maneuverable vehicle, weighing some 2 tons including the payload, and be able to deliver a unitary penetrator, numerous smart munitions or even UAVs.
See also
Anti-ship ballistic missile
ArcLight (missile), a DARPA program using US Navy ships to launch a smaller missile.
DARPA Falcon Project, an earlier conventional ICBM / hypersonic weapons program out of which Prompt Global Strike evolved.[11]
Air Force Global Strike Command
Project Thor, a proposed kinetic bombardment weapon in which an orbiting "tungsten telephone pole" is de-orbited to strike a ground target at orbital speed
X-37
Conventional Trident
References
1.^ Grossman, Elaine (2006-04-08). "Air Force Proposes New Strike Missile". Military.Com.
2.^ "In the works: A missile to hit anywhere in 1 hr". The Times Of India.
3.^ a b c David E. Sanger; Thom Shanker (28 February 2010). "White House Is Rethinking Nuclear Policy". New York Times (New York, NY). Retrieved 8 April 2010.
4.^ a b c Craig Whitlock (8 April 2010). "U.S. looks to nonnuclear weapons to use as deterrent". The Washington Post. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
5.^ "Prompt Global Strike Won't Use ICBMs."
6.^ "Conventional ICBM Still an Option: Schwartz."
7.^ U.S. Faces Choice on New Weapons for Fast Strikes
8.^ 'Meet the Press' transcript for April 11, 2010 MSNBC "And we have prompt global strike affording us some conventional alternatives on long-range missiles that we didn't have before."
9.^ Conventional Prompt Global Strike U.S. State Department, 8 April 2010
10.^ Balmasov, Sergei. "Will S-500 system be good against Minotaur IV?" Pravda, 17 December 2010.
11.^ Goal of the "prompt global strike" program, as the FALCON program is also known, is to provide the ability to deliver a conventional, precision-guided warhead anywhere in the world within two hours.
External links
U.S. Looks To Non-Nuclear Weapons To Use As Deterrent
Hypersonic Cruise Missile: America's New Global Strike Weapon
U.S. Military Eyes Fielding "Prompt Global Strike" Weapon by 2015
And this, from the Congressional Research Service (CRS):
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/R41464.pdf
And also, this:
http://www.ndu.edu/press/lib/images/jfq-60/JFQ60_102-107-Haffa-Isherwood.pdf
No comments:
Post a Comment