Recent Articles America Fiddles While The Mid East Burns Iran: If Diplomacy Fails Missile Shield: Facts & Propaganda Spiraling Toward a Nuclear Exchange The Bear Is Awake Click here for more articles by Lee Boyland About Lee Boyland Lee Boyland earned a degree in nuclear engineering, then entered active duty as an officer in the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps. A graduate of the U.S. Navy’s Explosive and Nuclear Ordnance Disposal Schools, Boyland was assigned to the Defense Atomic Support Agency in Albuquerque, NM. A member of DASA’s Nuclear Emergency Team responsible for nuclear weapons accidents, including the rendering safe of armed nuclear warheads, he had access to the design details of every nuclear and thermonuclear warhead developed by the United States through the Mark 63 warhead. His duties took him to the Nevada Test Site on many occasions. After leaving the Army, he designed conventional and special ordnance, and demilitarized chemical weapons at Rocky Mountain Arsenal and Tooele Army Depot. He made the transition to hazardous waste management by applying aerospace combustion technology to incineration of Agent Orange. He is the author of The Rings of Allah and Behold, an Ashen Horse, which received critical acclaim by the Military Writers Society of America. Click here to email Lee Boyland

Lee Boyland

Missile Shield: Facts & Propaganda
August 25, 2008

The U.S. has signed a deal to install a missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, similar to the ones we have in Alaska and California. Sounds impressive—impressive enough to upset the Bear. But is it really?

The U.S. system consists of tracking radar and interceptor missiles called Ground Based Interceptors or GBIs. Each GBI, which can be launched within minutes, has one warhead and can engage one reentry vehicle (RV). One GBI can intercept one RV. Ten GBI missile silos will be installed at ex-Warsaw Pact base of Redzikowo in northern Poland

The GBI’s warhead is not what we normally think of as a warhead. It does not contain any explosives. It is not nuclear. It is basically a guided block of metal that has to impact the RV to destroy it (hit-to-kill)—a bullet hitting an oncoming bullet*. So, lets do the math. If the proposed missile shield has ten GBI missiles, it can theoretically intercept ten RVs. In the real world, there is no such thing as one hundred percent. Realistically, ten GBIs will intercept less than ten RVs, say seven RVs. Sounds impressive, but is it?

Russian ICBMs have multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles, MIRVs. Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles, ICBMs, have nose cones containing six to twelve MIRVs. When the nose cone reaches outer space, it releases its MIRVs and sophisticated decoys. What this means is that one or two Russian ICBMs will overwhelm the proposed U.S. missile shield and every other MIRV—and there would be hundreds—would get through.

If this is true, why build a missile shield. The answer is simple: rogue nations. Iran, North Korea, and any other unstable nation that develops simple long range missiles. Such missiles will have one RV, and possible crude decoys. The U.S. GBI is designed to intercept such a simple missile. Iran now has a Shahab-3d medium range ballistic missile, MRBM, with a range of 1,300 miles. It is developing an ICBM named Kosar with a range of 3,500 miles, which places most of Europe in its target envelope. The proposed missile shield will provide protection against Iran’s MRBMs and future ICBMs.

After listening to the ranting of Iran’s president and supreme leader, having a missile shield that can stop Iranian missiles sounds like a good idea. So why is the Bear upset? Why is he creating a tempest in a missile silo?

The U.S. says the shield is designed to thwart missile attacks by what it calls "rogue states," including Iran. However, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reiterated last week that Moscow has no doubt the missile shield's third site is aimed against Russia. Obviously Russia knows ten GBIs in Poland pose no threat—but, it does provide an excuse for the Bear to make its second twenty-first century land grab. The first being the Bear's occupation of the nation of Georgia, and evicting him from Georgia will be next to impossible. Now, using the missile shield as a flimsy excuse, the Bear has indicated Poland may be next.

We must give the Bear credit. Providing weapons and technical assistance to Iran has allowed Iran to support Syria, arm and train Hezbollah in Lebanon and insurgents in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Bear is deftly creating hot spots for the U.S., stretching out our already overcommitted military. In effect, the Bear is doing to us what President Reagan did to the Soviet Union. The Bear is improving its economy, securing its energy sources, and building up its military, while America does the opposite. And, the Bear is betting that Europe will do what they always have done—nothing until its too late—then call for the U.S. to come and save them.

Why hasn’t President Bush, or Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, or Secretary of Defense Robert Gates publicly confronted Russia with the facts and laughed in their face? For some inexplicable reason, the U.S. attempts to answer ridiculous claims and wild accusations with detailed explanations instead of ridiculing them. Turn it around. Is the big bad Bear afraid of ten little missile interceptors? Are you objecting because you plan to launch your missiles at or over Poland? Have we become so politically correct that we can't defend ourselves?

Europe must join the U.S. and stand up to the Bear. If Europe does not back Poland and the Czech Republic by declaring that NATO will defend them, then the U.S. must rethink its support of Europe. It is time for Europe to fight its own battles, or become part of the Bear’s new empire. Maybe that's not such a bad idea. How long would it take the Bear to tame the radical, left wing liberal nuts in Europe. While the Bear is busy with the liberals, America can rebuild.

We in the United States have to emulate the Bear’s actions: become energy independent, build up our military, protect our borders, and only pursue programs that benefit America. Europe must take care of Europe. I know, its a radical thought, but we must do so to survive. Think about this when you vote in November.

Passivism leads to war and/or slavery—unless a non-pacifist saves your bacon.

Strength insures peace and freedom.