R
RAYTHEON23
Гостин
кажи ми ми каде еAnti-missile satellites or other such space based interceptor systems, as is the case with anti-missile systems, do not pose a serious threat to a space based weapon platform. Any space based weapon system could conceivably be equipped with offensive or defensive anti-satellite systems to counter such a threat. While threat nations possessing space launch capabilities such as Iran and China could conceivably develop and employ anti-satellite systems, a space based weapon system could either destroy these systems in orbit or neutralize the launch facilities before launch can be accomplished.
This lack of defensive capability will no doubt be a cause of concern for many nation states. The United States will be in a position to act preemptively against any foreign state perceived to be a threat to national security interests. This could potentially affect the relationship between the United States and other nation states. There is a possibility that threat nations will be more likely to form alliances, and to act militarily whenever the opportunity exists. There is also a distinct possibility that threat nations will feel compelled to act, using weapons of mass destruction or other systems likely to be targeted by a space based weapon system, out of fear of losing that battlefield capability in the future. Ultimately however, the United States is in a position to counter any current aggressor with existing systems, and as such should not feel compelled to abandon the concept of a space based weapon system for political reasons alone.
The last issue regarding development of a space based weapon system is one of armament. Current weapons employed by existing strike aircraft, such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), would not be compatible as they are not capable of withstanding the heat of atmospheric reentry. This would result in a further research and development effort, imposing a further cost on the program.
Ultimately, kinetic weapons may prove to be the best choice for an aerospace weapons platform. There is no risk of premature detonation upon reentry, the weapons bay does not have to incorporate special cooling systems to ensure that warheads are not heated to the point of detonation during high-speed flight or atmospheric reentry following a cancelled strike, and they will possess enough kinetic energy to obliterate any target on the surface of the Earth.
THE B-3
One of the primary roles for an aerospace strike vehicle will be to serve as the USAF’s next-generation bomber, the “B-3.” However, even if the system is mooted as a long-range strike platform, it will by nature be capable of performing a plethora of missions if given the right equipment. Certainly, the strike mission is of the most importance. That being said, given the quick-reaction nature of the craft, it could also be used in an intelligence gathering capacity. This could help to reduce the current dependency on expensive to maintain satellites. The craft could also be employed in an anti-satellite capacity if given rudimentary targeting sensors and an appropriate offensive weapon system.
When designing the next-generation bomber, the follow-on to the B-2A, there is one question that will invariably arise. Should it be a low-observable aircraft, another “stealth” bomber? Given that it has already been determined that the next-generation bomber should be an aerospace craft, the answer is no.
Stealth technology is certainly a very valuable asset, as the recent combat performance of systems such as the F-117A and B-2A will demonstrate. The problem is that it is, for the most part, physically impossible to make a hypersonic stealth aircraft. Even if the aircraft is restricted to operating within the confines of the Earth’s atmosphere, certain physical attributes will virtually eliminate any chances of bestowing low observable characteristics on the aircraft. Consider the three main aspects of stealth technology: radar signature, infra red signature, and electronic signature.
An aircraft’s electronic signature, or the level of detectable electronic emissions emanating from the aircraft, is typically the easiest by nature to control: designers can simply eliminate or greatly reduce the number of detectable emitters on the aircraft. A prime example of this would be Lockheed’s F-117A. The F-117A’s offensive sensor suite consists primarily of two passive infra red sensors and a laser designator. Infra red sensors are passive and therefore do not radiate emissions which could be detected and tracked by an enemy, and laser designators, while they are active emitters, give off emissions in quantities which are still very difficult to detect or track. A strike aircraft can, therefore, employ passive or hard to detect offensive sensors and still retain a high degree of accuracy.[29] The problem areas for making a high-speed aircraft stealthy are, therefore, primarily concerning the radar and infra red signatures of the aircraft.
An aircraft’s radar signature, measured in square meters, is defined as “the ratio of the scattered power density in a given direction (usually the backscatter) to the incident power density normalized so as to be independent of the distance R at which the scattered power is measured.”[30] In simpler terms, RCS is the amount of radar energy reflected by a target which returns to the transmitting emitter. This reflected energy is then interpreted by computers to determine the location of the objects which generated the returns, providing radar operators with a “picture” of the area which they are scanning.
When dealing with an orbital strike platform, radar detection by a hostile nation becomes less important. First, radar detection of threat systems is necessary in order to prosecute an engagement with radar-guided surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) or to direct interceptors towards their target. As neither of these systems represents a threat to an incoming strike aircraft cruising at orbital velocity above the atmosphere, radar detection can be effectively overlooked as it pertains to a threat aspect. Second, there is the issue of early warning. A hostile nation state could employ radar in a conventional environment to detect incoming aircraft and defend or relocate sensitive items which may be targeted.
Defensive systems employed by hostile nation states have already been determined to be of no concern where an aerospace craft is concerned, so the primary concern becomes relocation of targeted items such as mobile missile systems. The issue then becomes one of reaction time. If an aerospace craft can launch from CONUS and reach a target in Iran in thirty minutes, for example, the question is as follows: how much reaction time will the Iranian air defense network have before the craft is overhead?[31]
