Why Did ‘Brilliant Pebbles' Fail to Launch?
Eight years ago, I wrote a letter in these pages with Lt. Gen. James A. Abrahamson ('Space-Based Defense Is Best, and Cheapest'). We were both directors of President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative and noted that the Brilliant Pebbles space-based interceptors were much more feasible than their detractors suggested at the time. The technology was the first formally Pentagon-approved SDI program, with an estimated cost of $10 billion in 1988 dollars for concept definition, development, testing, deployment and 20 years of operation of 1,000 Brilliant Pebbles. That wasn't expensive, we noted, 'especially since this system . . . was designed to intercept attacking ballistic missiles in their boost phase while their rockets still burn, before they can release their decoys and other countermeasures.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hegseth's office exodus hides the real problem: It's him
For the past month, the Epstein files (or lack thereof) have eclipsed other law enforcement and national security stories, and the issues and questions raised by the Trump administration's actions are important. But we should not lose sight of the Pentagon's continued implosion. After all, the Department of Defense is tasked with defending the country, not chomos. I've previously written about the Pentagon hemorrhaging top officials, but now they have outdone themselves. Justin Fulcher, a 32-year-old high-level official in Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's office — those words alone should have set off alarm bells — is now at least the secretary's sixth top advisor to leave in six months. Most of the think pieces following Fulcher's exit have missed the forest for the trees. The story is not about the usual Hegseth office drama; it's more about Hegseth himself. It's easy to see why the office dysfunction narrative took hold. When the Fulcher story initially broke, CBS News reported he had been fired. Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, then acknowledged Fulcher's exit in a text message. (Normally, there would have been a media briefing and some perfunctory farewell puffery, or at least a press release.) It didn't help that Fulcher had to be his own communications guy and lily-gild his departure as 'perfectly amiable.' Most of us know by now that when anything in Trump World is described as 'perfect,' that's usually code for pockmarked. The Fulcher departure is unlike the other Hegseth scandals. To recap, in 'Signalgate,' National Security Advisor Mike Waltz unwittingly invited Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, into an encrypted-but-unsecured chat during which Waltz, Hegseth and other principals discussed real-time U.S. airstrikes on Yemen. Subsequently, it emerged there was a second Signal group chat on the same topic, which involved Hegseth's wife, brother and divorce lawyer. The next scandal involved three top Pentagon officials and Hegseth loyalists being put on administrative leave — and then unceremoniously fired — because of their suspected involvement in leaks about military plans to retake the Panama Canal. The trio issued a joint statement saying they were being unfairly targeted and thrown under the bus. As it turns out, they were right to feel scapegoated. Hegseth fell for a 'batshit crazy' story 'cooked up' by his divorce lawyer, which was used to help justify their ouster. The toxic office kerfuffle continued to play out publicly, including unflattering headlines about Hegseth's third wife crashing principals' meetings with foreign military leaders, his first chief of staff being laterally arabasqued to a different position, his difficulty finding a new chief of staff and the departure of his chief spokesman, who described a 'full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon.' Now we have learned there was a third kerfuffle back in April, which adds another layer to the Pentagon intrigue. Fulcher, then with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, stormed out of a meeting with Yinon Weiss, the DOGE team lead at the Pentagon, because he thought Weiss had reported him to the internal police and security group. Fulcher took his complaint directly to Hegseth and enlisted his help in reigning in Weiss. Hegseth obliged, shouting at Weiss, which is never a good look for any workplace — especially when the head has a history of anger management problems. The icing on the cake of this fustercluck is that Fulcher was wrong. Weiss had contacted the Pentagon transition office, not the Pentagon police. Whatever the true reason for Fulcher's departure, the alarming part should be Hegseth's gullibility, inexperience and glaring ineptitude in both his hiring and ousting of Fulcher. In a mash-up of George Santos and Elizabeth Holmes, Fulcher appears to have padded his resume, claiming he was a college dropout, an entrepreneur of a successful telehealth startup and had received a non-existent PhD from Johns Hopkins University's' prestigious School of Advanced International Studies. It's unclear how he could have obtained even a low-level security clearance. It's also difficult to imagine how bad, and perhaps how lethal, an infraction by Hegseth would have to be for him to be canned. Perhaps revealing nuclear design information? Or outing an undercover agent who then gets killed? I represent former Pentagon employees who were harshly investigated, prosecuted and often imprisoned because they blew the whistle on waterboarding, as was the case with John Kiriakou; inaccurate drone targeting (Brandon Bryant and Chris Aaron) and underreported civilian casualties from drone strikes (Daniel Hale). All these men received far more scrutiny and punishment than Hegseth, who has suffered no meaningful consequences. I get that Whiskey Pete is Trump's younger, fantasy alter ego — the swagger, the tough talk, the telegenic head of hair. But he also embodies Trump's worst traits: Hubris, unresolved anger, misogyny, falling up. I can only wonder what our adversaries think when the official tasked with defending the most powerful country on the planet can't even hold his own hand-picked front office together. A warrior ethos may be good for the battlefield, but it's not when you unleash it on your own men. (And they are all men, which is a topic for a different column.) There are multiple exit ramps Hegseth can take. He's served his six months and can legitimately leave to spend more time with his three wives and seven kids. He can easily move into a cushy gig with a big defense contractor. He can probably get his own show in the Fox News universe, and certainly can compete on 'Dancing with the Stars.' He has also apparently discussed the idea of running for governor of Tennessee. Yes, Hegseth has nine lives. The troops he leads do not. The post Hegseth's office exodus hides the real problem: It's him appeared first on Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
Trump says two US Navy subs are moving ‘closer to Russia.' Here are the subs in the American fleet
Russia Federal agencies US military Donald Trump FacebookTweetLink US President Donald Trump said Friday he was ordering two US Navy nuclear submarines to positions closer to Russia, in response to remarks by Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and current deputy chairman of its Security Council. In what he called an effort to be 'prepared,' Trump said in a Truth Social post that he had 'ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.' The president did not specify what type of submarines were being moved or where to, and the Pentagon usually reveals little about any of its subs' movements. The US Navy has three types of submarines, all of which are nuclear-powered, but only one of which carries nuclear weapons. Here's a look at the US submarine fleet: The US Navy has 14 Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs), often referred to as 'boomers.' SSBNs 'are designed specifically for stealth and the precise delivery of nuclear warheads,' a Navy fact sheet on them says. Each can carry 20 Trident ballistic missiles with multiple nuclear warheads. Tridents have a range of up to 4,600 miles (7,400 kilometers), meaning they wouldn't need to move closer to Russia to hit it – in fact, they could do so from the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian or Arctic oceans. SSBNs are strong nuclear deterrents as they are expected to survive an adversary's first strike. Their movements are among the Navy's most closely guarded secrets. At 560 feet (170 meters) long, the Ohio-class subs displace almost 19,000 tons submerged and have a crew of 159. They can reach a speed of 23 miles per hour. In the 1990s, the Pentagon determined the Navy didn't need as many Ohio-class SSBNs in the nuclear deterrent role, converting four of them into guided-missile submarines (SSGNs). Retaining the same overall specs as the boomers, the SSGNs carry Tomahawk cruise missiles instead of the Trident ballistic missiles. Each can carry 154 Tomahawks with a high-explosive warhead of up to 1,000 pounds, and a range of about 1,000 miles. They can also transport troops, who can be clandestinely deployed from lockout chambers in former ballistic-missile tubes, according to the Navy. Movements of the SSGNs are also highly classified, but in recent years the Navy made occasional note of their presence near military hotspots, to send a message of deterrence. These form the bulk of the US Navy's submarine fleet and are designed to hunt and destroy enemy subs and surface ships with torpedoes. They can also strike land-based targets with Tomahawk missiles, though they carry the Tomahawks in much smaller numbers than the SSGNs. Fast-attack subs come in three forms: the Virginia, Los Angeles and Seawolf classes. The Virginia class is the newest, with 23 commissioned as of July 1, according to a Navy fact sheet. They are 377 to 461 feet long, depending on their configuration, displace up to 10,200 tons, and have a crew of 145. The Los Angeles class is the oldest of the Navy's fast-attack subs, with 23 still in service. They are 360 feet long, displace 6,900 tons and carry a crew of 143. Finally, the Seawolf class is the smallest in the US fleet. Two of the subs, USS Seawolf and USS Connecticut – measuring 353 feet and displacing 9,100 tons – are more in line with standard attack boats, carrying torpedoes and cruise missiles. The third in the Seawolf class, the USS Jimmy Carter, is one of the most specialized craft in the Navy, with a hull extended 100 feet longer than the other two subs. 'This hull section provides for additional payloads to accommodate advanced technology used to carry out classified research and development and for enhanced warfighting capabilities,' the Navy says.
CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
Trump says two US Navy subs are moving following comments by an ex-Russian president. Here are the subs in the American fleet
US President Donald Trump said Friday he was ordering two US Navy nuclear submarines to 'appropriate regions,' in response to remarks by Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and current deputy chairman of its Security Council. In what he called an effort to be 'prepared,' Trump said in a Truth Social post that he had 'ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that.' The president did not specify what type of submarines were being moved or where to, and the Pentagon usually reveals little about any of its subs' movements. The US Navy has three types of submarines, all of which are nuclear-powered, but only one of which carries nuclear weapons. Here's a look at the US submarine fleet: The US Navy has 14 Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs), often referred to as 'boomers.' SSBNs 'are designed specifically for stealth and the precise delivery of nuclear warheads,' a Navy fact sheet on them says. Each can carry 20 Trident ballistic missiles with multiple nuclear warheads. Tridents have a range of up to 4,600 miles (7,400 kilometers), meaning they wouldn't need to move closer to Russia to hit it – in fact, they could do so from the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian or Arctic oceans. SSBNs are strong nuclear deterrents as they are expected to survive an adversary's first strike. Their movements are among the Navy's most closely guarded secrets. At 560 feet (170 meters) long, the Ohio-class subs displace almost 19,000 tons submerged and have a crew of 159. They can reach a speed of 23 miles per hour. In the 1990s, the Pentagon determined the Navy didn't need as many Ohio-class SSBNs in the nuclear deterrent role, converting four of them into guided-missile submarines (SSGNs). Retaining the same overall specs as the boomers, the SSGNs carry Tomahawk cruise missiles instead of the Trident ballistic missiles. Each can carry 154 Tomahawks with a high-explosive warhead of up to 1,000 pounds, and a range of about 1,000 miles. They can also transport troops, who can be clandestinely deployed from lockout chambers in former ballistic-missile tubes, according to the Navy. Movements of the SSGNs are also highly classified, but in recent years the Navy made occasional note of their presence near military hotspots, to send a message of deterrence. These form the bulk of the US Navy's submarine fleet and are designed to hunt and destroy enemy subs and surface ships with torpedoes. They can also strike land-based targets with Tomahawk missiles, though they carry the Tomahawks in much smaller numbers than the SSGNs. Fast-attack subs come in three forms: the Virginia, Los Angeles and Seawolf classes. The Virginia class is the newest, with 23 commissioned as of July 1, according to a Navy fact sheet. They are 377 to 461 feet long, depending on their configuration, displace up to 10,200 tons, and have a crew of 145. The Los Angeles class is the oldest of the Navy's fast-attack subs, with 23 still in service. They are 360 feet long, displace 6,900 tons and carry a crew of 143. Finally, the Seawolf class is the smallest in the US fleet. Two of the subs, USS Seawolf and USS Connecticut – measuring 353 feet and displacing 9,100 tons – are more in line with standard attack boats, carrying torpedoes and cruise missiles. The third in the Seawolf class, the USS Jimmy Carter, is one of the most specialized craft in the Navy, with a hull extended 100 feet longer than the other two subs. 'This hull section provides for additional payloads to accommodate advanced technology used to carry out classified research and development and for enhanced warfighting capabilities,' the Navy says.
