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Politics : Ask Michael Burke
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To: Knighty Tin who wrote (122801)5/28/2010 3:57:59 AM
From: GuinnessGuy  Read Replies (1) of 132070
 
Mike,

They didn't land it per se. Once it runs out of fuel it ditches in some remote part of the Pacific Ocean. It runs out of fuel then it falls. I think that is true because in one press release they said that this flight was delayed by 24 hours due to a freighter being in the expected 'crash' area.

Whether they try to recover it isn't said although I strongly suspect that signals based data during flight gives them what they need to know at this point.

Interestingly, Tom Clancy has been claiming that this capability has been around for a while....at least in his novels. But he also claimed in a Charley Rose interview that a certain AF general confirmed it to him. Mind you, a wink-wink, nod-nod kind of confirmation.

If you believe him then these infrequent tests they've been doing on scramjets is just smoke and mirrors.

Frankly, I don't know what to believe, which is probably the way they want it anyway.

One thing is for sure, being able to launch a cruise-type missile from the USA(or thereabouts) and having it hit somewhere in central asia in the same amount of time it takes to launch from overseas bases has some advantages...not to mention the horrific speed that most, if not all, defensive missiles would find it impossible to shoot down.

Even if that isn't exactly the advantage they are seeking, rememeber that drone spotting OBL at Karnak(sp?) farms in Afghanistan. The big reason they didn't bother firing missiles on one occasion is that it would have taken hours to traverse the distance to target from their Burke(any relation? <G>) class destroyers.

Craig
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