Picture of the Day: ASAT Awesomeness

Maj. Wilbert "Doug" Pearson successfully launched an anti-satellite, or ASAT, missile from a highly modified F-15A Sept. 13, 1985 over Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He scored a direct hit on a satellite orbiting 340 miles overhead. Photo courtesy of the US Air Force.

Tom Clancy scribbled out a pretty rad scenario in Red Storm Rising (favorite book eva, btw), where the US Air Force pulled this stunt to knock out Soviet RORSATS, which Ivan was using to spot our carrier battle groups. Not all that unlikely in the real-world, actually, if had we pursued this technology more aggressively. RORSATs flew on a LEO trajectory, making them fish in a barrel for whatever "highly modified" F-15A was slipping the surly bonds on that particular day.

January 8, 2008 08:37 PM Picture of the Day

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http://www.stratfor.com/index.php?q=analysis/u_s_military_successful_boost_phase_intercept

AIM-9X the son of ......

But seriously this is HUGE. This if integrated will allow the US once we show up to literally shut down a enemy offensive power in whole with existing fighter cap. Fighter cap will literally be able to shut a nation down again at least for your average 90% of 3rd worlders.

C-Low · January 8, 2008 10:26 PM

If I remember correctly the tail number was 74102. And that bird lived out its days at Tyndall AFB Fla.
I have always wondered why we dropped that technology,or maybe we didn't????

mustang · January 9, 2008 06:52 AM

Two thoughts:

Technology may be shelved rather than dropped.

If the enemy is in range, SO ARE YOU. Who's to say this hasn't been thought of by others.

Desert Sailor · January 9, 2008 07:17 AM