Our Missile Defense

The current United States missile defense system has several parts:

First of all is the sea-based x-band radar platform. This is a huge floating oil rig converted to house the world's largest spherical radar. This has already been built and is currently in the Gulf of Mexico. It will be deployed to Adak, Alaska by the end of the year.

Second is the ground-based midcourse defense based in Fort Greely, Alaska and Vandenburg Air Base, California. This system has something like 8 interceptors, but will have 20 by the end of the year and the number will continue to grow. This system is basically operational.

Third is the Aegis cruisers, which are being converted to carry the sm-3 interceptor. One cruiser is already operational and is off the coast of Japan. Two more (for a total of three) will be added by the end of the year and more will be added until virtually all Aegis cruisers are capable of intercepting long-range (ICBMs) and mid-range missiles.

There are several other aspects of the U.S. missile defense that I didn't mention, but the above three are the only parts that are passed development and are into the testing and operational phases. The above three form a virtual shield which can protect the entire 50 states from a nuclear (ICBM) attack.

Sources: www.mda.mil and www.missilethreat.com (you can get a picture of the completed sea-based x-band radar at both websites)

This is kind of interesting and I was curious myself, so I found the above two websites.

[edit on 1-6-2005 by John bull 1]

thanks for the info
this is good to know.
i feel a bit safer today

I know i'm going to get killed for saying this, but... all of the above is thanks to George W.