The advanced cruise missile systems are the most complicated things in the global operational area

X-37B during tests in  2012
(USAF photo)

Kimmo Huosionmaa

The missile is very devastating and feared weapon, even if it doesn’t have the explosive warhead. The kinetic energy is also very devastating if the missile hits against their targets at the speed of  20 000 kilometers per hour. Normally modern military forces use bombers or tactical multirole fighters to carry the nuclear weapons to the targets because the strike can pull back. The missile launch is the end of the negotiations because when the intercontinental ballistic missile is launched the mission could not pull back, and the targets will be destroyed.

That would cost millions of lives because the enemy will make the counterstrike. The dark side of the space shuttle program is that kind of technology, what is used in the space shuttle can be used in the space bombers, what are actually the ICBM-missiles what can return to the base. The space shuttle can be converted to space bomber very easily. The cargo bay of the shuttle can load with the thermonuclear weapon.


Also, the cruise missiles can be formed as the space shuttles, and the new cheap and highly automatized miniature shuttles like X-37B could be the form of the new kind of cruise missiles, what can rise above the atmosphere and if the strike is not needed, can that missile return to the base. Those shuttles can use as the platforms in the many space projects, and one of them is very effective cruise missiles, what can be used in the operations for the national security. The return of those spacecraft can be made with the parachute, and they can also launch by the submarine launch missiles to the low earth orbital, where they can use as the threat for the enemies.


Also, miniature shuttles can collect the ICBM warheads from the orbital trajectory, and that will cause the revolution in the global way to think about the thermonuclear warfare. Those vehicles can also use the tracking devices for the warheads, and they can now strike against the fast-moving targets. Also if the warheads can connect to that space shuttle, those shuttles can help them maneuvers and also rise their altitude, and this way every single warhead has a capability to transfer as a FOBS-weapon.


The problem of the Fractional Orbital Bombardment systems is that those weapons can be hijacked by the space shuttles and also the service for those systems is very difficult. If the FOBS warhead is mounted to the X37B the weapon can be returned to the earth for service. If that operation will be done in the orbital trajectory, would every single telescope on the earth see those actions near the satellite, what is very easy to destroy with ASAT weapons, what can be installed to the Atlas rocket, what can raise that weapon even the highest trajectories, that be can imagine.