General Discussion Thread

Long and short stories from the 1984 movie
Johnnie Lyle
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Johnnie Lyle »

Matt Wiser wrote: Fri Oct 27, 2023 2:08 am Even a Mk-76 blue practice bomb will leave a sizable dent in a car (or hole in the pavement). Imagine an inert Mk-82 500-lb. doing the same thing...
Who says your have to drop it.

Dispatch a survey team to identify the ideal aiming point of their complex, to minimize the collateral damage if you do decide to drop - with full authorization to describe what they’re doing and why.
Poohbah
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Poohbah »

Johnnie Lyle wrote: Fri Oct 27, 2023 2:39 am
Matt Wiser wrote: Fri Oct 27, 2023 2:08 am Even a Mk-76 blue practice bomb will leave a sizable dent in a car (or hole in the pavement). Imagine an inert Mk-82 500-lb. doing the same thing...
Who says your have to drop it.

Dispatch a survey team to identify the ideal aiming point of their complex, to minimize the collateral damage if you do decide to drop - with full authorization to describe what they’re doing and why.
Conspicuously paint target mark on roof of station owner's car.
Wolfman
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Wolfman »

Poohbah wrote: Sat Oct 28, 2023 4:10 pm
Johnnie Lyle wrote: Fri Oct 27, 2023 2:39 am
Matt Wiser wrote: Fri Oct 27, 2023 2:08 am Even a Mk-76 blue practice bomb will leave a sizable dent in a car (or hole in the pavement). Imagine an inert Mk-82 500-lb. doing the same thing...
Who says your have to drop it.

Dispatch a survey team to identify the ideal aiming point of their complex, to minimize the collateral damage if you do decide to drop - with full authorization to describe what they’re doing and why.
Conspicuously paint target mark on roof of station owner's car.
I’d say a Mk-76 would be the perfect warning to that station that Uncle Sam is very upset with them…
“For a brick, he flew pretty good!” Sgt. Major A.J. Johnson, Halo 2

To err is human; to forgive is not SAC policy.

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Matt Wiser
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Matt Wiser »

Agreed.

Well, more UXO found, and of the SS-18 variety. A road crew building in a new housing development near Eldorado Springs, MO, found a warhead. The road site is less than two miles from a LCC for Midgetman ICBMs (in 1985, it was Minuteman-II). The AIr Force was called, who then called NEST, and they confirmed it was an SS-18 warhead, rated at 550 KT. The area is being searched again, and this is also the sixth or seventh time a dud ICBM warhead has been found in the Whiteman AFB/351st Strategic Missile Wing field.
The difference between diplomacy and war is this: Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell so elegantly that they pack for the trip.
War is bringing hell down on that someone.
Poohbah
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Poohbah »

Matt Wiser wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 4:07 am Agreed.

Well, more UXO found, and of the SS-18 variety. A road crew building in a new housing development near Eldorado Springs, MO, found a warhead. The road site is less than two miles from a LCC for Midgetman ICBMs (in 1985, it was Minuteman-II). The AIr Force was called, who then called NEST, and they confirmed it was an SS-18 warhead, rated at 550 KT. The area is being searched again, and this is also the sixth or seventh time a dud ICBM warhead has been found in the Whiteman AFB/351st Strategic Missile Wing field.
"Okay, so cut the white wire, then cut the black wire, and then cut the red wire, and it's rendered safe."

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"You know, I just want it on the record that this is an extremely poorly designed bomb, and we should say something to someone when we get back to Whiteman."
Matt Wiser
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Matt Wiser »

Poorly designed or not, enough of them initiated on Invasion Day over LCCs.
The difference between diplomacy and war is this: Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell so elegantly that they pack for the trip.
War is bringing hell down on that someone.
clancyphile
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by clancyphile »

Matt Wiser wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 7:39 am Poorly designed or not, enough of them initiated on Invasion Day over LCCs.
Is it wrong that I'm curious as to whether any kids found one for show-and-tell, as was the case with a San Diego-area school whose staff got on a first-name basis with local EOD teams?
Wolfman
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Wolfman »

Matt Wiser wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 4:07 am Agreed.

Well, more UXO found, and of the SS-18 variety. A road crew building in a new housing development near Eldorado Springs, MO, found a warhead. The road site is less than two miles from a LCC for Midgetman ICBMs (in 1985, it was Minuteman-II). The AIr Force was called, who then called NEST, and they confirmed it was an SS-18 warhead, rated at 550 KT. The area is being searched again, and this is also the sixth or seventh time a dud ICBM warhead has been found in the Whiteman AFB/351st Strategic Missile Wing field.
Ouch! Well, better safe than sorry…
“For a brick, he flew pretty good!” Sgt. Major A.J. Johnson, Halo 2

To err is human; to forgive is not SAC policy.

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jemhouston
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by jemhouston »

Matt Wiser wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 4:07 am Agreed.

Well, more UXO found, and of the SS-18 variety. A road crew building in a new housing development near Eldorado Springs, MO, found a warhead. The road site is less than two miles from a LCC for Midgetman ICBMs (in 1985, it was Minuteman-II). The AIr Force was called, who then called NEST, and they confirmed it was an SS-18 warhead, rated at 550 KT. The area is being searched again, and this is also the sixth or seventh time a dud ICBM warhead has been found in the Whiteman AFB/351st Strategic Missile Wing field.
I thought post war there was a search around the ICBM fields looking for duds.
Wolfman
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Wolfman »

jemhouston wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 3:42 pm
Matt Wiser wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 4:07 am Agreed.

Well, more UXO found, and of the SS-18 variety. A road crew building in a new housing development near Eldorado Springs, MO, found a warhead. The road site is less than two miles from a LCC for Midgetman ICBMs (in 1985, it was Minuteman-II). The AIr Force was called, who then called NEST, and they confirmed it was an SS-18 warhead, rated at 550 KT. The area is being searched again, and this is also the sixth or seventh time a dud ICBM warhead has been found in the Whiteman AFB/351st Strategic Missile Wing field.
I thought post war there was a search around the ICBM fields looking for duds.
I guess they didn’t find everything…
“For a brick, he flew pretty good!” Sgt. Major A.J. Johnson, Halo 2

To err is human; to forgive is not SAC policy.

“This is Raven 2-5. This is my sandbox. You will not drop, acknowledge.” David Flanagan, former Raven FAC
Poohbah
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Poohbah »

Wolfman wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 3:48 pm
jemhouston wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 3:42 pm
Matt Wiser wrote: Sun Oct 29, 2023 4:07 am Agreed.

Well, more UXO found, and of the SS-18 variety. A road crew building in a new housing development near Eldorado Springs, MO, found a warhead. The road site is less than two miles from a LCC for Midgetman ICBMs (in 1985, it was Minuteman-II). The AIr Force was called, who then called NEST, and they confirmed it was an SS-18 warhead, rated at 550 KT. The area is being searched again, and this is also the sixth or seventh time a dud ICBM warhead has been found in the Whiteman AFB/351st Strategic Missile Wing field.
I thought post war there was a search around the ICBM fields looking for duds.
I guess they didn’t find everything…
After 38 years, most of the thermonuclear goodness has decayed, thank God.
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jemhouston
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by jemhouston »

The stuff they're made of leaking into ground water isn't safe.
Matt Wiser
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Matt Wiser »

No, it isn't. An area of about five miles from every Whiteman LCC is now going to be searched (again). I would also expect a similar search around the unhit LCCs that survived at Minot, Grand Forks, and Ellsworth.

If you'll recall, once we got our hands on the firing plot after the Rump Soviet State went away, we found out they didn't target Malmstrom, F.E. Warren (Minuteman), McConnell (Titan), Little Rock (Titan being deactivated), and Davis-Monthan (Titan deactivated). And all of the LCC initiations were airbursts: they didn't want fallout contaminating the farmland they wanted to exploit for themselves.
The difference between diplomacy and war is this: Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell so elegantly that they pack for the trip.
War is bringing hell down on that someone.
Matt Wiser
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Matt Wiser »

Two more dud warheads were found today: one about 3/4 mile north of the first, the other a mile SE. Both same as the first, from an SS-18 and rated at 550 KT. Naturally, Missouri's House and Senate members are asking some very pointed questions.
The difference between diplomacy and war is this: Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell so elegantly that they pack for the trip.
War is bringing hell down on that someone.
Belushi TD
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Belushi TD »

How did they miss the warheads the first time? I assume that they managed to bury themselves fairly deeply, and were thus somewhat shielded from previous detection means. If so, how did the recently found warhead get found?

I assume that the equipment we have almost 40 years later is much more sensitive, but did they not know how many warheads they were looking for?

Thanks
Belushi TD
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jemhouston
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by jemhouston »

Matt Wiser wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 3:05 am Two more dud warheads were found today: one about 3/4 mile north of the first, the other a mile SE. Both same as the first, from an SS-18 and rated at 550 KT. Naturally, Missouri's House and Senate members are asking some very pointed questions.
I'm hoping the US House and Senate Armed Service and Energy Committees are asking questions as well.
Wolfman
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Wolfman »

jemhouston wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 1:16 pm
Matt Wiser wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 3:05 am Two more dud warheads were found today: one about 3/4 mile north of the first, the other a mile SE. Both same as the first, from an SS-18 and rated at 550 KT. Naturally, Missouri's House and Senate members are asking some very pointed questions.
I'm hoping the US House and Senate Armed Service and Energy Committees are asking questions as well.
Somebody’s goose is about to be cooked…
“For a brick, he flew pretty good!” Sgt. Major A.J. Johnson, Halo 2

To err is human; to forgive is not SAC policy.

“This is Raven 2-5. This is my sandbox. You will not drop, acknowledge.” David Flanagan, former Raven FAC
Poohbah
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Poohbah »

Belushi TD wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:05 pm How did they miss the warheads the first time? I assume that they managed to bury themselves fairly deeply, and were thus somewhat shielded from previous detection means. If so, how did the recently found warhead get found?

I assume that the equipment we have almost 40 years later is much more sensitive, but did they not know how many warheads they were looking for?

Thanks
Belushi TD
The SS-18 could carry as many as 14 RVs. It could be that they overloaded the Whiteman birds and then forgot to load the 14 RV program into the flight computer. The Whiteman strike was a fiasco, and everyone involved probably creatively rewrote the records to send some other poor dumb bastards to Gulag instead of themselves...
Wolfman
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Wolfman »

Poohbah wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 3:53 pm
Belushi TD wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:05 pm How did they miss the warheads the first time? I assume that they managed to bury themselves fairly deeply, and were thus somewhat shielded from previous detection means. If so, how did the recently found warhead get found?

I assume that the equipment we have almost 40 years later is much more sensitive, but did they not know how many warheads they were looking for?

Thanks
Belushi TD
The SS-18 could carry as many as 14 RVs. It could be that they overloaded the Whiteman birds and then forgot to load the 14 RV program into the flight computer. The Whiteman strike was a fiasco, and everyone involved probably creatively rewrote the records to send some other poor dumb bastards to Gulag instead of themselves...
And then they got shot when that duplicity was discovered…
“For a brick, he flew pretty good!” Sgt. Major A.J. Johnson, Halo 2

To err is human; to forgive is not SAC policy.

“This is Raven 2-5. This is my sandbox. You will not drop, acknowledge.” David Flanagan, former Raven FAC
Poohbah
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Re: General Discussion Thread

Post by Poohbah »

Wolfman wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 8:11 pm
Poohbah wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 3:53 pm
Belushi TD wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:05 pm How did they miss the warheads the first time? I assume that they managed to bury themselves fairly deeply, and were thus somewhat shielded from previous detection means. If so, how did the recently found warhead get found?

I assume that the equipment we have almost 40 years later is much more sensitive, but did they not know how many warheads they were looking for?

Thanks
Belushi TD
The SS-18 could carry as many as 14 RVs. It could be that they overloaded the Whiteman birds and then forgot to load the 14 RV program into the flight computer. The Whiteman strike was a fiasco, and everyone involved probably creatively rewrote the records to send some other poor dumb bastards to Gulag instead of themselves...
And then they got shot when that duplicity was discovered…
And the guys who shot them got shot for having been deceived in the first place...
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