arms-d@ucbvax.ARPA (03/13/85)
From: Moderator <ARMS-D@MIT-MC.ARPA> Arms-Discussion Digest Volume 3 : Issue 13 Today's Topics: SDI Reference Request More on 'High Frontier' and Gen. Daniel Graham US, USSR nuclear arsenal strengths ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 7 Mar 85 11:59 EST From: sdl@MITRE-BEDFORD.ARPA To: linus!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!benson@MITRE-BEDFORD.ARPA Cc: ARMS-D@MIT-MC.ARPA Subject: Re: SDI Reference Request In-reply-to: Your message of Saturday, 2 Mar 1985 22:24-EST. There have been several references to SDI in the open literature. Air Force Magazine has had a number of good introductory articles: "Charting a Course for SDI" in the September 1984 issue, and "Special Section: Strategic Defense Initiative" (4 articles) in the February 1985 issue. Incidentally, there will an (unclassified) industry briefing-type conference, "A Close In Look At The Strategic Defense Initiative," sponsored by the Technical Marketing Society of America, being given in Washington, D.C. April 8-9, 1985, and in Orlando, Florida, April 15-16, 1985. Registration fee is $525 per registrant. For further information, contact TMSA Conferences, Torrance, CA, (213)534-3922. Steven Litvintchouk Mitre Corporation Burlington Road Bedford, MA 01730 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Mar 85 15:24:12 est From: Walter Hamscher <hamscher@MIT-HTVAX.ARPA> To: ARMS-D@MIT-MC.ARPA Subject: More on 'High Frontier' and Gen. Daniel Graham From the Boston Globe, p.6, Monday, March 11, 1985: BACKERS OF 'STAR WARS' LAUNCH FUNDING CONTEST By Fred Kaplan Globe Staff WASHINGTON -- Retired Gen. Daniel O. Graham, charman of High Frontier, a private organization promoting President Ronal Dreagan's space-based missile-defense programm, has resorted to an old fund-raising idea for his cause -- a sweepstakes. "Here's how everyone can win the grandest prize of all!" Graham begins in a letter, sent out to thousands of Americans, that offers a "$1000 cash give-away and "137 other valuable prizes" in what he calls the "Star-Spangled Sweepstakes." Written in the style of the Publishers' Clearinghouse mailings, the letter says, "I want to give you two very important reasons for getting in on this 'Star-Spangled Sweepstakes' right away. "For one thing, the sooner you enter, the better your chances of winning!" Furthermore, "everyone enjoys a sweepstakes. So it's an ideal way to reach great numbers of Americans with the facts about this plan to free mankind from the menace of nuclear confrontation." "This plan," the letter explains, is "President Reagan's plan to put a network of special satellites in space that would make all of us safe from nuclear missile attack!" The mailer asks for contributions to High Frontier, which has been pushing for a space-based defense system even longer than Reagan has, and which advertises a host of prizes that those who enter the sweepstakes can win. They include $5000 in gold coins, a Mercury Lynx, an RCA home entertainment center and Polaroid cameras. The mailing says, "You don't have to contribute to High Frontier to enter this sweepstakes -- but I really hope you will. Even a modest gift will permit these good people to reach thousands more Americans." It also says the prizes "will not be purchased with funds allocated for our activities to ensure a secure, 'missile-proof' America. Instead, they have been made available through the help and generosity of a group of special friends." A High Frontier spokeswoman said these "special friends" were donor who asked to remain anonymous. She said they contributed the prizes and paid for the printing, which was handled by a professional organization that prints many sweepstakes mailings. Graham has been director of Army Intelligence and the Defense Intelligence Agency. He recently attracted attention as a leading champion of Gen. William C. Westmoreland's unsuccessful lawsuit against CBS over its documentary that alleged falsification of intelligence estimates during the Vietnam war. <<< End of Article >>> ------------------------------ Date: 12 Mar 85 10:13:11 PST (Tuesday) From: Wedekind.es@Xerox Subject: US, USSR nuclear arsenal strengths To: Arms-D@MIT-MC.ARPA This table, bylined James Owens, appeared in Sunday's LA Times. Weapon System US Soviet Features STRATEGIC WEAPONS (range > 3,000 mi) ICBMs 1,032 1,398 30-min flight time; Warheads 2.132 5.800 most accurate; have Throwweight* (Mlbs) 0.45 2.1 close, continuous communications SUBMARINE-LAUNCHED 640 942 15-20 min flight time; BALLISTIC MISSILES increasingly accurate; Warheads 5,728 2,500 not in constant, close Throwweight* (Mlbs) 0.3 0.5 communication; highly survivable at sea BOMBERS 263 155 6-8 hrs flight time; Bombs/cruise missiles 3,280 420 highly accurate; (Throwweight* n.a.) recallable before halfway to dest'n; good survival if on alert; US faces substantial Soviet defenses while US defenses minimal TOTALS Launch vehicles 1,935 2,493 Both under SALT I Warheads 11,140 8,720 ceilings, but Soviets Missile haven't reduced to 2,250 throwweight (Mlbs) 0.8 2.6 limit called for in unratified SALT II * millions of pounds (sic). Throwweight is the product of payload weight multiplied by the range of a weapon, and is one measure of the "destructive potential" of a weapon. ------------------------ INTERMEDIATE RANGE MISSILES (1,000-3,000 miles) Missiles 109 378 US missiles have 1 war- Bombers (US count) 560 3,095 head; Soviet missiles (Soviet count) 555 461 3 warheads; older Soviet and British/ French systems excluded ------------------------ SPACE WEAPONS ANTI-MISSILE SYSTEMS GROUND-BASED Missiles 0 100 Soviet interceptors Radars 5 6 or 7 allowed by treaty. Radars phased-array type; built or being built SPACE-BASED Status Active rsrch Active rsrch Soviets started earlier, spent more; US ahead in key sensor, computer fields ANTI-SATELLITE SYSTEMS Status In development Operational Soviet system, ready Type Direct ascent Co-orbital since early 70s, is Range (alt.) 3,000 miles 3,000 miles slower & less flexible; first US test vs space target due in June ------------------------ Jerry ------------------------------ [End of ARMS-D Digest]