One of the biggest unnoticed news in a year full of headliners happened last month that Hawaii residents can have peace of mind knowing. In an InterContinental Ballistic Missile test over the Pacific, a missile fired in the general direction of the Hawaiian islands was successfully shot down.
During the dummy missile’s descent just after a few minutes from being launched, while still outside the Earth’s atmosphere, it was destroyed by another missile. The test was part of a new interceptor technology developed by the US military. As the dummy missile was launched, satellite technology tracked it, alerted an Air Force base in Colorado, which then communicated with a Navy destroyer positioned near Hawaii. The Navy destroyer USS John Finn, targeted the dummy missile and killed it.
This new technological interceptor proved a reliable defense is now in place to protect the Hawaiian islands should a real missile head in our direction.
Hawaii residents can now have a high degree of confidence that they could be protected from a future Nuclear-ICBM system that North Korea has been said to be close to developing.
Hawaii, given its closest proximity to North Korea, has been believed to be the most logical target should the United States engage in war with North Korea.
After many decades, North Korean leaders have defied US presidents and the West, continuing their Nuclear-ICBM development.
Given the size of the Hawaiian islands and the huge concentrated population, an ICBM landing anywhere close to it would be devastating.
Remembering Jan. 13, 2018
During the height of contention between the US and North Korean president Kim Jong-Un, on Jan. 13, 2018 a ballistic missile alert was accidentally issued via the Emergency Alert System and Commercial Mobile Alert system over television, radio and cellphones in Hawaii.
The alert warned that an incoming ballistic missile was headed to Hawaii and it advised residents to seek shelter. It concluded, “This is not a drill.”
What transpired was for the history books as many Hawaii residents rushed into panic mode, believing that they were about to die in minutes.
Following the false advisory, an investigation was launch immediately in response to the ire from the community directed at state government.
Upon its conclusion, Hawaii residents discovered where the mistake occurred. But the threat remained that Hawaii still had no protection against a nuclear bomb. That is until last month.
The Irony is Danger Lies Ahead With This Defensive Success
While the breakthrough test is certainly great news for Hawaii, experts say its success could set off a new arms race to develop newer weapons worldwide.
Since the development of atomic bomb (which could be placed onto an ICBM), there has been what’s called MAD or mutual assured destruction. MAD prevented a nuclear war among nuclear capable countries from breaking out because of certain destruction. Any first strike would result in a counter with both sides understanding there could be no victory, only suicide.
With the US’s new interception technology having proven to be a success, suddenly the US has a shield and an advantage. The assumption then is Russia or China, other nuke-stacked countries, must develop new technology because their entire nuclear offense has just become outdated.
Defense interceptor technology already existed on stationary land-based US systems. But the Nov. 2020 test is the first time that an ICBM dummy missile was successfully struck from a counter missile launched from a ship which means that the US has all of its defenses covered by way of land or now sea.
The successful test and now known advantage for the US could only be temporary, some experts believe. Already in the work by Russia and China is the development of loading nukes onto hypersonic missiles that are much faster than an ICBM. If perfected, that technology would lessen dramatically a response time.
The development of hypersonic missiles (because of the immediacy required to respond) could raise the possibility of an accidental launch leading to an all-out nuclear war. In the possible scenario of an accidental launch or launch caused by terrorists, for example, there could be enough time to communicate that an accident has occurred and leaders could decide if that accidental launch is worth an all-out nuclear retaliatory response. The rapidity of a hypersonic missile would not allow for such communication nor contemplation to play out.
On top of advancing technology, the situation could be more delicate since Russia and the US have already dropped out from two arms-control treaties between them. The only one left is called the New START, which is set to expire Feb. next year. President-elect Joe Biden must also possibly renegotiate a deal with Iran.
If and when hypersonic missiles are developed, this would only spur the US, Russia or China to create hypersonic technology of their own or come up with a defense interception system against that new technology.
The arms race could be endless. At least for decades, MAD as a deterrent maintained a balance of power. It also meant less money went to the military for arms development.
All things considered, the successful sea intercept is great news for Hawaii. We are finally safe from the madness of Kim Jong-un. But it’s also reasonable to conclude now that MAD is less a deterrent, the world is also actually less safe as countries race to beef up new offensive technology.
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