alan@sdcrdcf.UUCP (08/30/84)
Wayne offers some arguements against space-based beam weapons. > Let's put it this way. Say a race for space weapons begins (the sort > that knock out ICBM's). Sorry, the 'race' began at least 10 years ago. At that time, tho, it had only one entrant: the Soviet Union. In May 1977, Aviation Week and Space Tech. reported that a hugh, secret lab had been discovered in the USSR, that it was functional, and that the only reasonable interpretation the U.S. could make about its use was as a lab for space-based laser weapons. The magazine mentioned that the lab had been in operation since at least Nov. 1975. Within a few months, the Carter administration allocated funds out of the DoD for similar research. > If we could guarantee that there would be no > time when one power could be immune from attack from the other without > the other having the same immunity, that would be fine. Otherwise we > will eventually arive at a very dangerous position -- we can bomb the > Russians with complete immunity from their bombs. Think of what someone > like Reagan would do in a situation like this... It would be a subset of what Congress gives him the power to do; he can't (and doesn't want to) wage war without the approval of, and money from, Congress. > And I'm sure that the Soviet leaders > would think in exactly the same way. I have a good idea of what the typical Soviet leader would do too. This is why it's *critically* important to get there before the Soviets. > If the Russians have this > capability, you can be sure that if a conventional war starts, the first > thing they are going to do is knock out all of our communications > satellites, making us virtually blind and deaf But less blind and deaf then we would be without the satellites! Reagan *wants* the 'Russians' to have this capability (after we get it) to relieve their paranoia. It would make a nuclear attack by the U.S. on the USSR, as ill-advised as one by the USSR on the U.S. One of the *great* benefits of having the reconnaissance and beam-weapon satellites is that the Soviets almost *have to* strike at them first. When the free world sees its satellites being destroyed over the USSR, we will all know what it means, and will have extra time to protect or use our retalitory forces, before the USSR's first strike gets at them. Of course they will be the first prime targets; that's better than having our retalitory missiles be the first prime targets! The analogy works in conventional war. The prime targets are watch towers/radar, tanks/machine guns, but you don't, therefore, not use them. They give the infantry time to prepare. Just like with a watch tower, recon satellites reduce the chances of a surprise attack. Whether we like it or not, the USSR is building space-based beam weapons - and they aren't going to stop because we're scared of them. This is one thing you have to keep in mind when you consider what we should be doing in this area. Alan Algustyniak (ihnp4!sdcrdcf!alan) (allegra!sdcrdcf!alan) (cbosgd!sdcrdcf!alan)