NakedWeasel
Posts: 500
Joined: 1/14/2014 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: emsoy There were some discussions about kinetic weapons being deployed from fast high-altitude bombers. When impacting at speeds of Mach 5 you don't need a warhead hehe. Ah, you may be alluding to Rods From God concept? Inert metal rods released from orbit, impacting the target vicinity at mach 25+? Yes, I love that concept. I have also imagined a concept that includes about 1000 liters of Chlorine Trifluoride in the base of a 6 meter-long DU-tipped tungsten spear, that adds a whole lot of "extra fun" at touchdown. Really nasty. The incendiary effect is of course necessary to defeat "agent" and to completely and irrevocably destroy anything that isn't vaporized by the KE effects. Quite affordable as well. The tricky part would be getting such a heavy thing into orbit to begin with. I couldn't begin to calculate what a DU/WC rod the size of a telephone pole might weigh at sea level, not to mention the flask of ClF3 in the tail. I suppose it would be quite a lot ( I actually did calculate it hehe... at about 20ft x 8in. A solid rod of WC weighs about 8500lbs. A solid tip of DU approximately 1ft long x 4.5in at the base, weighs approximately 125+lbs. 1000 liters of CFl3 would add about 2200 lbs, add a VERY SECURE and DURABLE steel container in the tail for an additional 500lbs. Add an additional 250lbs for GPS, steering thrusters, fusing, etc. Rounding up for S&Gs, equals about 11,500lbs. Certainly that is big fun- but only about half as much as I thought. It's doable... All this said, I think this type of weapon would serve as an adequate replacement for nuclear warheads in most counterforce roles. If I ever get my hands on the platform editor, we would see...
< Message edited by NakedWeasel -- 2/21/2014 10:49:01 PM >
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