i've studied USSR nuclear attack plans and Massachusetts confused me. the USSR devoted an inordinate yield coverage to the state. they wanted to drop something like 2MT/km² which works out to like 25 ICBM RVs and 15 aerial (10 SLBM optional) depending on overkill. never made sense, until now...
I think in the days of air-based nuclear attack a lot of early response radar, aircraft, and AA was based in MA, I think since that's where air traffic would pass over from Europe on the way to the east coast. So that would make some sense. But it's probably this instead
Wait actually did they have terminal ABM missiles in Mass.? Like Sprint-style missiles terminals (50kt warhead, accelerate at 100G to engage terminal RV targets)?
They had Nikes for a few years IIRC
The Nike program is really interesting, given its focus on mid-course intercept. That's a very difficult problem to solve, sometimes more so than Sprint terminal intercept (<60s window, 100G acceleration to Mach 10, radar-assisted inertial guidance to target, 50kt warhead).
The insistence on homing Nike ABMs near ICBM silos on the continental US vastly exacerbated the whole mid-course intercept problem. Targeting at that phase, especially against MIRVs, is immensely complex, not to mention the myriad of mid-course highly classified decoys that could be deployed.
An ABM ascending into intercept can expect a dynamic, target-rich environment. At minimum: the missile bus, to which the RVs are attached/deployed (Ofc RVs can fake-out with discard/redeploy). Alongside the bus will be * decoys of unknown compisition (Cannot stress how classified they are).
Some RVs deploying from the bus may be decoys. Naturally the bus deployment pattern is configured to prevent bunching-up in a manner where a single ABM could take everything out. Furthermore some RVs may detonate prematurely in the upper-atmosphere to create an EMP effect and blackout radars.
Deliberately triggering an EMP to blackout ground-based radar is a known strategy intended to defeat terminal ABM systems. The US expected that the Nike mid-course interceptors would head that off before it can happen but well lol nah.
Thank you! @ackart.bsky.social see they get it!
Thatsa lotta fallout 🤌
gonna make Massachusetts so spicy it'll become the new flavour country
Well that and Harvard and MIT are here
that's the thing, these were all counter-force plans, not counter-value!!!
Oh then I agree with your initial assessment
Makes sense considering how much brain trust was combined into the Boston area. Tons of schools and labs, a number of military facilities and cultural significance
Augh I already said it! bsky.app/profile/pile...
Big ‘ol’ Army labs, and a plethora of shit to the west of Boston.
Also naval bases along the coast. Mass had a ton going on during the Cold War
actually upon reflection those numbers are low and should be doubled, also nuance. 50 ICBM RVs first-strike, 30 aerial bombs targeted second wave avoiding overkill, then 10 SLBM reserved for optional follow-up.
what are you doing to my anime girl
"... It's time. Massachusetts has brought down Funky Boy on themselves. God help us all."
:(
sorry i can't control it (my posts)
too woke. they truly feared The Bay State
