> non-nuclear ICBMs- because that is what this is.
Well, no, it's not. It's not a missile, it's not ballistic, and I don't know if the range is truly intercontinental. Not that the Russians and Chinese won't be concerned, but it is a rather different thing (and a much harder engineering problem).
You're right it's not a ballistic missile, but it's end goal is in many ways the same:
"Prompt Global Strike (PGS) is a United States military effort to develop a system that can deliver a precision conventional weapon strike anywhere in the world within one hour, in a similar manner to a nuclear ICBM"
Why do we need to be cool with it? The best-case scenario for the U.S. is having these weapons, and using its de-facto subsidization of Europe's defense to get U.K., France, etc, to push, via the U.N., Russia and China not to have these weapons. Unlikely to succeed, because after all who the hell cares what the U.K. and France have to say, but that should be the end-goal.
You do know that Russia and China are both permanent security council members, so what you describe - bullying Russia and China into taking a position on this they do not want to take - is not possible?
Maybe this is cold war style thinking on my part but if I were China I would think to myself "yes, United States, please keep building that phenomenally expensive conventional weapon that would be really dangerous against the kind of surface fleet you have but we don't. That's a really... great... strategy you've got there." While publicly protesting against it, of course.
Thrymr|13 years ago
Well, no, it's not. It's not a missile, it's not ballistic, and I don't know if the range is truly intercontinental. Not that the Russians and Chinese won't be concerned, but it is a rather different thing (and a much harder engineering problem).
EwanToo|13 years ago
"Prompt Global Strike (PGS) is a United States military effort to develop a system that can deliver a precision conventional weapon strike anywhere in the world within one hour, in a similar manner to a nuclear ICBM"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prompt_Global_Strike
rayiner|13 years ago
justin66|13 years ago
Maybe this is cold war style thinking on my part but if I were China I would think to myself "yes, United States, please keep building that phenomenally expensive conventional weapon that would be really dangerous against the kind of surface fleet you have but we don't. That's a really... great... strategy you've got there." While publicly protesting against it, of course.