Putin seems to think that his nuclear cruise missile will be an awesome weapon because it is hard to predict or track. If they are getting enough superheated air to get decent speeds, it will have a stupendous infrared signature. Amy satellite with IR capacity will be able to vector in jets for intercept. Sidewinders will see that signature and gasp, "Mom!"
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Nuclear Cruise Missiles
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I had a friend who was in the Navy as a ROTC cadet. He was on a carrier when a senior chief demonstrated with the heat-seeking head of a Sidewinder - detached from the engine, sitting on a cart on one side of the hangar deck. The chief lit a match, waved it out, and carried it up and down the far side of the hangar. And the Sidewinder head tracked on it - the servos were clicking. My friend said one could almost hear the Sidewinder muttering "Goddamit it! Where's my engine?"
ReplyDeleteThe plasma generated at hypersonic speed also interferes with any kind of signal transmitted to or from the missile, like the radio blackout when Apollo and Shuttle reentered atmosphere. Thus targeting data can’t be updated in that phase if flight, nor warnings about interceptors received.
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