Qatar adquiere el Patriot

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) ha firmado un contrato FMS (Foreign Military Sales) por valor de $2.4 billones, para la producción del sistema Patriot con destino a un nuevo cliente: Qatar. La adquisición es parte de un proyecto de recapitalización y modernización de las fuerzas armadas anunciado en marzo de 2014.

Con este nuevo cliente son ya 13 los gobiernos que disponen de este sistema defensivo antimisiles. En palabras de Dan Crowley, presidente de la división de sistemas de defensa integrados de Raytheon, "Este contrato supone otra muestra de la confianza depositada en Patriot por numerosos países de todo el mundo."

La fabricación de los sistemas englobados bajo este contrato se llevará a cabo en las factorías Raytheon de Andover (Massachusetts), El Paso (Texas) y Huntsville (Alabama), e incluirá la última versión del sistema de lanzamiento, que se diferencia de sus predecesores principalmente en estas ventajas:

• Más potencia de computación
• Mejor sistema de procesamiento de radar
• Mejor interface hombre-máquina
• Menor coste durante el ciclo de vida

Raytheon: Contrato de $491 M para el AMRAAM

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) ha firmado un contrato por valor de $491,478,068 para la producción del misil avanzado aire-aire AMRAAM® y otros artículos relacionados, con destino a Corea del Sur, Oman, Singapur y Tailandia.

David del Fresno Consultores

http://daviddft.wix.com/david-del-fresno

Rusia: Exito en las pruebas del Yars

Hace unas horas, el Ministerio de defensa ruso ha anunciado que el ejército ha disparado hoy con éxito el misil balístico intercontinental RS-24 Yars: "El ICBM fue lanzado a las 11:02 hora de Moscú (0802 GMT) y alcanzó su objetivo en el campo de tiro de Kura, ubicado en la península de Kamchatka"

¿Qué es el RS-24 Yars?

Básicamente, este nuevo ICBM de tipo MITRV es una versión modernizada del RS-12M2 Topol-M, y está concebido para reemplazar poco a poco las unidades RS-12M Topol y RS-18 Stiletto, en respuesta al escudo antimisiles desplegado por Estados Unidos en Norteamérica y Europa. Rusia ha criticado en múltiples ocasiones este escudo, aduciendo entre otros motivos que parte de sus bases están situadas en países europeos de la antigua órbita soviética.

Mide 23 metros, consta de tres etapas, usa combustible sólido y lleva ojivas de reentrada múltiple. Se le considera el más avanzado misil estratégico ruso, por dos motivos:

• Es capaz de impactar contra sus objetivos a distancias de hasta 11.000 kilómetros, por lo que cuenta con capacidad suficiente para atacar territorio estadounidense.

• Está dotado de varios elementos y subsistemas que le permiten evitar la defensa antimisiles de cualquier adversario

¿Qué significa MITRV?
MITRV es el acrónimo de Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle, y quiere decir que se trata de un misil armado con ojivas múltiples de guiado autónomo. Las ojivas múltiples son una de las técnicas empleadas para reducir la eficacia de los antimisiles, al multiplicar el número de atacantes simultáneos. Este misil puede portar entre 3 y 10 ojivas nucleares de 150 a 300 kilotones cada una.


¿Donde está desplegado este misil?

• Actualmente ya se encuentran desplegadas 15 unidades en las bases militares siberianas de Novosibirsk y Tomsk, y un número indeterminado de unidades en la base de Téikovo, al noreste de Moscú.

• Para 2015 se prevé desplegar estos misiles en dos bases más, y se prevé realizar 16 lanzamientos de prueba. El nuevo sistema se convierte así en la principal fuerza de choque de las tropas misileras de Rusia.

¿Cómo queda entonces la situación?

• Rusia ha incrementado el número de ensayos de sus armas nucleares en los últimos meses, en medio de la tensión por la crisis en Ucrania que ha derivado en fuertes sanciones económicas contra Moscú.

• Los misiles intercontinentales, los submarinos nucleares y la aviación estratégica conforman la tríada nuclear rusa en su programa de rearme, que contempla el gasto de unos 700.000 millones de dólares en armamento hasta 2020.

Iran insiste en adquirir el S-300

Según ha afirmado hace unas horas el ministro de defensa de Iran, su gobierno insiste en conseguir el sistema ruso de misiles S-300, en virtud del contrato firmado en 2007 entre Rusia e Iran, que obliga a Rusia a proporcionar cinco sistemas S-300 a la república islámica.

Sin embargo, en 2010 Moscú se abstuvo de cumplir con sus obligaciones bajo el pretexto de que estaban incluidos en la cuarta ronda de las resoluciones del Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU contra Irán. Para compensarlo, Rusia ha ofrecido a Iran el sistema anti misiles balísticos S-300VM "Antey-2500", a lo que Iran se ha negado rotundamente: Se firmó la compra del S-300, y quieren el S-300. De momento el acuerdo está en proceso de resolución judicial, ya que la negativa de Rusia ha entregar los sistemas bajo contrato ha impulsado a Irán a presentar una queja ante la Corte Internacional de Arbitraje de Ginebra contra la empresa de armas rusa Rosoboronexport.

India prueba su nueva bomba planeadora de 1 Tonelada

India ha probado hoy su nueva bomba planeadora de una tonelada, capaz de alcanzar objetivos localizados a 100 km. de distancia. La bomba de precisión fue probada en la bahía de Bengala y se lanzó desde un avión de la Fuerza Aérea Hindú. Guiada por su sistema de navegación a bordo, se deslizó a lo largo de casi 100 km antes de dar en el blanco con "gran precisión", según ha informado la Organización de Investigación y Desarrollo de Defensa (Defense Research and Development Organization - DRDO). Según el Dr. G Satheesh Reddy, Director del Laboratorio Imarat, encargado del desarrollo de la bomba de planeo, "India se ha hecho autosuficiente en el área de bombas de precisión guiadas."

A diferencia de los misiles, las bombas de planeo no tienen motor a bordo y son por lo tanto mucho más baratas de construir y mantener que los misiles. Su funcionamiento se basa en pequeñas aletas de control que dirigen el arma hacia el objetivo siguiendo un rumbo marcado por el ordenador a bordo conforme a los datos proporcionados por el buscador con que cuenta esta bomba. El buscador en sí mismo puede ser óptico, de infrarrojos o una combinación de los dos. Por si esto no bastase, el ordenador puede recibir datos vía satélite para alcanzar su objetivo con máxima precisión. Gracias a su alcance de 100 kilómetros, esta nueva bomba de planeo puede ser lanzada por el ejercito de la India hacia objetivos terrestres que estén más allá del alcance de la mayoría de misiles tierra-aire disponibles actualmente por los ejércitos de China y Pakistan. En otras palabras, esto significa ni mas ni menos que podrían lanzar un ataque desde un caza y escapar antes de entrar en el radio de alcance de los misiles tierra-aire del enemigo.

David del Fresno Consultores

http://daviddft.wix.com/david-del-fresno

India prepara la tercera prueba del Agni-V

En la base militar de Odisha están llevandose a cabo los preparativos para el tercer lanzamiento del misil Agni-V, los próximos 7 u 8 de enero, en presencia del Primer Ministro. Si las pruebas resultan satisfactorias, el misil pasará a formar parte del arsenal hindú a lo largo de 2015.

Características principales:

Etapas: 3

Alcance: 5.000 Kilómetros

Munición: Nuclear. 1.360 Kg.

Dimensiones: 17 metros de longitud y 2 metros de ancho

Peso: 50 toneladas

Lanzadera: Móvil

Cabezal: MITRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehícles)

David del Fresno Consultores

http://daviddft.wix.com/david-del-fresno

La Armada China amenaza a la US Navy

De acuerdo con recientes informes, China planea ampliar su armada hasta 351 buques para el año 2020. Para algunos analistas militares, esto supondría una clara amenaza a la supremacía norteamericana en el Pacífico, de no ser porque en lo referente a portaaviones China tan sólo cuenta con uno (el Liaoning, de fabricación ucraniana) y Estados Unidos cuenta con once.

Sin embargo, existe otra amenaza latente para la supremacía militar norteamericana en la región, y su nombre es DF-21D: Un misil balístico antibuque, diseñado para alcanzar desde tierra objetivos localizados a una distancia de hasta 900 millas náuticas (1.600 Km).

Otra amenaza para la US Navy es la que representan los submarinos, ya que China cuenta actualmente con 60 unidades desplegadas en la región, mientras que la US Navy tan sólo cuenta con 32. Por si esto no bastase, China prevé contar con hasta 80 unidades en la zona para el año 2020, algunas de ellas armadas con misiles nucleares JL-2, capaces de alcanzar objetivos localizados a más de 4.500 millas náuticas (8.300 Km)

USA: 350 millones para el "Iron Dome"

A comienzos del presente mes, el vicepresidente norteamericano Joe Biden informó que desde el año 2008 la administración Obama lleva proporcionando a Israel más de 17.000 millones de dólares de ayuda para gastos militares.

La última partida se aprobó la semana pasada e incluye 350 millones de dólares para el sistema Iron Dome. Está prevista asimismo la entrega a Israel de 3.000 bombas inteligentes.

New Russian tactical missiles

Russia is keeping pace with the U.S. in the field of long-range precision tactical weaponry, and in some areas it even has an advantage. Let us see in this post three main new missiles that will be employed by the Russian armed forces starting 2015: KH-31PM, KH-35U Uran, and 3M-55 Yakhont

KH-31PM

• Very similar to the Moskit, but smaller and cheaper, this tactical missile is designed for destroying above-water targets, radar stations and anti-aircraft missile complexes such as the Patriot.
• It can be installed in all types of Russian destroyers and bombers.
• The new KH-31PM has an increased range of 160 miles, and is equipped with the broadband guidance head, which can be used against practically all anti-aircraft systems.
• It also has a new guidance system and engine, which make its flight more unpredictable and deadlier for the adversary.

KH-35U Uran

• Russia’s principal new tactical missile is the winged KH-35U Uran missile.
• Its special feature is its unique self-guided head, which is immune to enemy radar interference.
• It works in two modes: active, when the missile turns on its guiding head for a split second to find the target, and passive, when it does not scan the space around it to detect the target, but merely perceives the impulses emitted by the target.
• The KH-35U attacks the target at the height of almost three meters above sea level - lower than the ship's deck, which makes detecting it difficult for radar stations.

3M-55 Yakhont

• The peculiarity of these missiles is their AI (Artificial Intelligence) system, helping it function against a single ship on a "one missile-one ship" basis, or as a "flock" against a squadron of ships.
• The missile distribute and classify the targets according to their significance, choose an attack strategy and the plan of its realization.
• In order to exclude errors in selecting the maneuver and striking the assigned target, electronic "portraits" of all modern types of ships are installed in the anti-ship missile's onboard computing machine.
• The machine also has purely tactical data, such as data on the type of ship squadron, which helps the missile determine what is in front of it - aviation carriers or an amphibious group - and attack the target.
• The onboard computing machine also has data on countering the adversary's electronic combat resources, which can interfere and lead the missiles away from the target, as well as tactical techniques of evading anti-aircraft defense fire.
• The constructors say that after being launched, the missiles decide themselves which one will attack the target and which one will only imitate the attack, distracting the adversary's anti-aircraft systems.
• When one missile destroys the principal target in the squadron, the remaining missiles attack the other ships, excluding the possibility of striking one target with two missiles.

ICBM Modernization: Challenges and Opportunities

A 2014 RAND Corp. study found that sustaining the current Minuteman III force with gradual upgrades is a relatively inexpensive way to retain current ICBM (Inter Continental Ballistic Missile) capabilities. The study also found that a new ICBM system would likely cost two to three times as much as incremental modernization and sustainment of the current ICBM system.

One constraint on the lifespan of the current system is the declining quantity of missile bodies due to required annual test launches. The Air Force conducts three tests per year, and the ICBM system program office has recommended increasing that to four times annually. It means a force of 420 operational ICBMs is not sustainable beyond 2030 without new units and the entire missile asset will be depleted by 2135, RAND said.

China, angered

China's foreign ministry rebuked the U.S. Congress after legislators passed a bill allowing the sale of second-hand warships to Taiwan, the self-ruled island which Beijing claims as a renegade province.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the bill's passage was an "interference" in China's internal affairs: "China is resolutely opposed to this and has already made solemn representations to the U.S. side. We hope the U.S. Congress stops carrying forward this legislation," Hong told reporters at a regular press briefing. "We also hope the newly elected authorities can prevent the implementation of this legislation to avoid influencing the development of China-U.S. relations," Added.

The bill, which includes provisions on the transfer of warships to Mexico, Thailand and Pakistan, still has to be signed into law by U.S. President Barack Obama. The U.S. Senate unanimously approved the bill last week, authorizing the sale of four Perry-class guided missile frigates to Taiwan. China expressed anger in April when a similar bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. weapons sales in recent years to Taiwan have attracted strong condemnation in China, but have not caused lasting damage to Beijing's relations with either Washington or Taipei.

While Taiwan and China have signed a series of landmark trade and economic agreements since 2008, political and military suspicions are still deep, especially in democratic Taiwan where many fear China's true intentions.

Russia Develops Own THAAD-like

A Russian system similar to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles inside or outside the atmosphere during their final phase of flight, will begin trials soon. Russia has also been creating a system similar to another element of US missile shield, the GMD (Ground-based Midcourse Defense) capable to engage and destroy limited intermediate-and long-range ballistic missile threats in space. Unlike the GMD, the Russian counterpart will be mobile.

Russia’s Navy to be Fully Modernized

Russia has started the implementation of its military shipbuilding program, and aims to fully modernize its Navy, supplying it with over 600 surface ships, submarines and other auxiliary ships by 2050. Also, Russia’s Defense Ministry has already approved the technical design specifications for its Leader class destroyers. The destroyer’s nuclear-powered and gas turbine propulsion power plant will be manufactured in Russia and will allow the ships to travel at 30 knots.

The key developer of the next-generation warships is Krylov State Research Center in St. Petersburg. The next-generation warships will be equipped with Caliber cruise missiles and a S-500 Prometey antiaircraft defense system. The warships will be capable of combatting submarines and will also be equipped with two special helicopters and a modern sonar system.

Europe, the old chessboard

Further deployment of America’s global anti-ballistic missile defense poses a threat to the US and those European countries that agreed to host it, because it builds up a dangerous illusion of invincibility, Putin said in the state of the nation address.

The European Phased Adaptive Approach, centerpiece of the US missile defense shield in Europe, implies deployment of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, all of which are fitted with the Aegis weapon and radar system, interceptor batteries in Poland and Romania, radar in Turkey, and a command center at Ramstein, Germany, a US Air Force base. 

“This constitutes a threat not only to the security of Russia, but to the whole world, in view of the possible destabilization of the strategic balance of powers. I believe this is dangerous for the US itself, as it creates a dangerous illusion of invulnerability and reinforces the tendency of unilateral, often ill-considered decisions and additional risks,” Putin said.

Global Strike outlines latest improvements for missileers, security forces

Air Force Global Strike Command's program to improve the morale of its airmen has netted key recommendations and budgeted millions of dollars in improvements to missile wings.

More than $200 million in funding has been budgeted for the force improvement program in fiscal 2014 and 2015, with a total of $350 million in additional funding planned in the next five years.

The changes come from the outreach to airmen and include:

• $10.1 million to purchase new optics and $330,000 for collapsible rifle stocks and shorter barrels for security forces airmen, who asked for upgrades to their weapons.

• $1 million to improve the training course at Camp Guernsey, Wyoming. Airmen asked for improved training, which now includes more "trigger time" and a convoy course focused on training to protect missiles in transit.

• $300,000 in funding for new tools and equipment for maintainers.

• An unspecified amount for six new personnel authorizations per ICBM wing to stand up launch control center survivable systems team sections.

The force improvement program began earlier this year with Air Force and Defense Department officials seeking recommendations from Global Strike Command airmen at all levels following multiple high-level incidents of cheating and commander firings.

Japan, South Korea and Australia urge US to boost BMD

Alarmed by the potential danger from an unpredictable Kim Jong-un, South Korea and Japan are upgrading their cooperation with the United States to counter ballistic missile threats.

In addition, “Australia has signed on to cooperate with American ballistic missile defense systems in north Asia, and has welcomed both the larger U.S. Marine presence in Darwin and the prospect of more joint naval cooperation in the region,” Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported.

Poland urges NATO

NATO’s 28 members decided in 2010 to create a missile shield based on US technology.

The project is due to be completed in 2020, with significant elements in Romania and Poland. But last monday Poland urged NATO’s new secretary general to push ahead with the missile shield system amid the West’s worst standoff with Russia since the Cold War.

Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, who chose Warsaw for his first foreign visit, said Poland is "a key contributor to our missile defence system.” Stoltenberg, who took over as NATO chief on 1st October, insisted that Russia must reverse course in Ukraine but stressed that the alliance remains open to a constructive relationship with Moscow.

Tension mounted further after Russian President Vladimir Putin was quoted last month as saying that “if I wanted, Russian troops could not only be in Kiev in two days, but in Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Warsaw or Bucharest, too.” The escalation of tensions with Russia since January over its role in the Ukraine crisis has sounded the alarm on NATO’s eastern flank in countries that were under Moscow’s thumb during the Soviet era.

The Western defence alliance insists the role of the planned shield is a “purely defensive” response to external threats, notably from so-called “rogue states”, and is in no way directed against Russia. “We firmly support the creation of this system as a pan-NATO one because only this makes deep sense both politically and in terms of defence,” Poland’s President Bronislaw Komorowski said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “Poland is determined to build its missile shield and air defence system — it’s important not only for Poland — and we uphold our obligations for the US portion of this project,” stated.

Growing US-Japan military ties

According to reports, Japan and the United States are revising their mutual defence guidelines to pursue a wider partnership. The US, in an interim report released on Wednesday, said that the new guidelines "are in response to new threats extant in the world and to a new willingness of Japan to embrace a greater role in the world".

US to supply FGM-148 Javelin to Estonia

Approved by the US State Department, the sale of 350 Javelin guided missiles, along with 120 command launch units with integrated day / thermal sight, 102 battery coolant units, 16 enhanced performance basic skills trainers and 102 missile simulation rounds, for an estimated amount of $55M, is expected to improve Estonia's capability to address existing and future threats, and also provide greater security for its critical infrastructure.

Equipped with an automatic self-guidance system, the FGM-148 Javelin is a portable, shoulder-fired anti-tank guided missile, suitable for operations against existing and future threats from armoured combat vehicles, in all environments. Fired from the shoulder or from a vehicle-mounted lightweight multiple launcher, the missile can also engage helicopters in direct-attack mode in theatre, and is armed with a top attack-dual warhead capability that can defeat all known enemy armour systems.

Han Min-koo, upbeat

During a parliamentary audit in the ministry building in Seoul, Defense Minister Han Min-gu said that he was looking at the deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, a key element of the global U.S. missile defense program, from a standpoint of national security: "Given that the operational coverage of the THAAD is wide, should it be deployed here, it would help the defense of South Korea.”

In its parliamentary policy briefing, the ministry also said the number of North Korean summertime drills doubled this year, and that the North has gradually increased its strike capabilities: Over the last two years, the North has increased its number of multiple rocket launch systems by some 300. Currently the figure stands at 5,100, an increase from a 2012 estimate of 4,800, according to data from the ministry.

Seoul has been reluctant to openly talk about the issue of the THAAD deployment as it could cause diplomatic friction with Beijing and Moscow, which believe that the deployment could potentially target them in case of a crisis, but “While the assets that are available to cope with the North’s nuclear and missile threats are limited, the deployment of the THAAD would help ensure South Korea’s security and defense,” said Han during the audit.

Raytheon awarded USAF contract to develop 3DELRR

"As the U.S. and other countries look to replace aging battlefield radars with low-cost yet cutting edge and highly capable systems, Raytheon's 3DELRR can meet that growing demand," said Andrew Hajek, Raytheon's 3DELRR Program Director.

"By choosing Raytheon's 3DELRR solution, the Air Force is purchasing an affordable, exportable radar," said David Gulla, Vice President, Global Integrated Sensors at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "Raytheon's 3DELRR design is interoperable with coalition systems and capable of meeting the requirements of many international customers."

Raytheon's 3DELRR system is a Gallium Nitride (GaN)-based radar that operates in the C-band of the radio frequency spectrum. By using GaN, Raytheon was able to affordably increase the radar's range, sensitivity and search capabilities. C-band also offers the military increased flexibility because that portion of the spectrum is relatively uncongested.

The total contract, including all options, is currently estimated at $71.8 million and includes the procurement of an additional three radar systems, for a total of six radar systems and product support. The radar, called the Three Dimensional Expeditionary Long Range Radar, or 3DELRR, is one of the first programs under the DoD's Better Buying Power initiative to be designed for exportability, enabling U.S. forces, allies and security partners to benefit from the system.

3DELRR will replace radars, such as the Vietnam-era AN/TPS-75, which are no longer able to keep pace with current and emerging threats.

Brazil looks to Russia

Brazil needs to upgrade its ground-based air defenses, and has chosen Russian equipment to do so.

Protecting the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro is very much on Brazil’s mind, and so is improving anti-aircraft defenses beyond the current stock of SA-18 Igla shoulder-fired missiles and Gepard mobile anti-aircraft guns.

What they’re buying won’t give them anything close to a comprehensive IADS system, but it will upgrade their mobile and short-range options.

Brazil’s Choices

SA-24 Igla-S: An upgraded version of the SA-18, with a proximity fuze and other enhancements. It can be carried and fired by troops in the field, or mounted on vehicles or helicopters using Strelets 4-missile launchers.

SA-22 Pantsir S1: Designed for mobile low-level air defense, it can be mounted on trucks, wheeled armored vehicles, and tracked vehicles. It combines twin 30 mm guns with 12 57E6 radar-guided surface-to-air missiles that reach out to 12 km/ 10 miles, and up to 10,000 m altitude. Sensors include targeting and tracking radars, with an electro-optical system for passive scanning.

57E6-E: A brief look

Description

The 57E6-E is a two-stage, solid-fuel, medium-range surface-to-air missile extremely flexible which allows for engagement of airborne threats at ranges from 1.2 to 20 kilometers and altitudes from 5 to 10,000 meters. It may engage both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and strike missiles/bombs flying near Mach 3 (1,000 m/s). The 57E6 has been integrated into the Pantsyr-S1 short-range mobile air defense system where 8 to 12 missiles are carried within. Typically, two of such missiles are directed against a single target to maximize kill probability.

Applications

Defense Systems Pantsyr-S1 and Pantsyr-SM

Specifications

Number of stages: 2

Max Range: 20,000 meter

Min Range: 1,200 meter

Target's Max Altitude: 10,000 meter (32,808 foot)

Target's Max Speed: 1,000 mps (3.01 mach)

Warhead: 20 kilogram

Weight: 75 kilogram

CFD Simulations on Missile Underground Launch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjP_ehKv7vU

Raytheon Gets Service Contract for Patriot

Aerospace and defense operator Raytheon Company received a $109 million contract from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL. Per this Engineering Service contract, Raytheon will keep the Patriot Air and Missile Defense System battle ready for the U.S. Army and foreign military customers.

The Patriot missile defense system has continuously been upgraded to keep pace with the changing dynamics of modern warfare. Through this new contract, Raytheon will aim to maintain as well as upgrade the existing Patriot Air and Missile Defense System. The sustainment and modernization of the Patriot Air and Missile defense system will help to keep it in service till 2048 and beyond. 

Raytheon to produce Antimissile Warheads

Five Warheads are being assembled and work on four others will begin soon.

This group of warheads will be followed by eight assembled in 2015 and nine in 2016, according to Missile Defense Agency data.

It’s the first tangible step in expanding the array of interceptors in Alaska and California intended to protect the U.S. if North Korea or Iran deploy intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Spears and Shields: A brief look

America’s National Intelligence Council said in 1999 that China and Russia had devised numerous countermeasures to protect offensive missiles and were probably willing to sell the technology.

A statement in May by the office of the assistant secretary of defence for research and engineering noted that the proliferation of such advanced countermeasures was rendering America’s missile defences “no longer practical or cost-effective”.

Among nuclear powers, neither North Korea nor Pakistan is presently capable of building a ballistic-missile triggering system that is able to detonate a nuclear payload if an interceptor was drawing near. But with time and enough effort, this could change: At least one type of nuclear device detonated by North Korea “is not inconsistent” with efforts to build a bomb designed for an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack. Effects of a EMP depend on factors including the altitude of the detonation, energy yield, gamma ray output, interactions with the Earth's magnetic field and electromagnetic shielding of targets, but in any case rapidly changing electric fields and magnetic fields may couple with electrical/electronic systems to produce damaging current and voltage surges. The threat grows as potential attackers continue to acquire “more complex, survivable, reliable and accurate” ICBMs equipped with countermeasures

Land- and Sea-Based Spears: ICBMs

The trajectory of an ICBM runs in three consecutive phases: Atmosphere-Space-Atmosphere. The first phase is the "easyest" one in order to incercept the ICBM, so it is neccesary to place interceptors close enough to reach the missile before it leaves the atmosphere... But it is not easy, indeed. Ronald Reagan hoped to put interception satellites into low orbit, but the “Star Wars” scheme, as it was known, presented three main handicaps:

1. It would have required a lot satellites costing billions of dollars.
2. Satellites could be shot up with missiles
3. Satellites could be blinded with lasers

Space-Based Spears: Satellites

• In December 2012 North Korea launched a satellite on a southerly track. The launch reveals a vulnerability in missile defences which could be exploited for an EMP attack.
• A nuclear device fitted into a subsequent southerly launched satellite would circumvent America’s defences against long-range weapons because these are positioned to hit warheads flying from over the North Pole, not those coming from the south.
• A nuke concealed in a satellite in an orbit used by many civilian satellites could be detonated on a flyover above America. There is no point in having a missile-defence system that cannot prevent such an attack.

Air-Based Shields: Lasers and interceptors

• MDA believes that aircraft-mounted anti-missile Solid-state lasers may “play a crucial role” in defeating ICBMs during the boost phase. Experiments have begun with General Atomics’ Reaper and Boeing’s Phantom Eye drones.
• Dale Tietz, a former senior Star Wars official, says that North Korean missiles could be prevented from reaching space by just three interceptor-armed Global Hawk UAVs.

Sea-Based Shields: Aegis

• 30 of America’s warships carry Aegis anti-missile systems, but these were designed to strike shorter-range missiles.
• With recent upgrades, Aegis is thought to be capable of intercepting warheads in space, in limited circumstances.
• With additional radar near America’s east coast, Aegis destroyers in the Atlantic could theoretically intercept ICBMs coming from Europe and Asia.

Ground-Based Shields: GMD

• The GMD system consists of an “exoatmospheric kill vehicle” with steering rockets and its own X-Band Radar system.
• There are 30 GMD interceptors at Vandenberg AFB and Fort Greely in Alaska.
• The MDA has begun work at Fort Greely to prepare for a field of silos that will contain an extra 14 interceptors by 2017.