• mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works
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    5 days ago

    It doesn’t fucking matter if the satellites are easier to detect. The job of a sub isn’t to kill satellites. It’s job is to stay hidden and be ready to nuke a country in a retaliatory strike as a deterrent.

    Subs are slow, and very high value targets if you’re looking at a potential nuclear exchange. If a sub is spotted, it’s going to be added to the list of first strike targets so the attacker doesn’t have to worry about retaliation.

    • marcos@lemmy.world
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      5 days ago

      So, putting the missiles in orbit instead of the submarine improves exactly what on that list of requirements?

      • mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works
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        4 days ago

        The missiles will be significantly harder to hit than the submarine in a few years.

        Are there missile defense systems? Yes, but taking down short range missiles is significantly easier than ICBMs or hypersonic missiles. It’s like hitting a bullet with another bullet if you don’t catch it early in the launch.

        And you’re forgetting that MIRV’s are a thing. Missile defense systems have limited capacity and are expensive to field. Meanwhile you can use MIRV’s to multiply the effective number of missiles you’re launching for not much extra cost.

        • marcos@lemmy.world
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          4 days ago

          The missiles will be significantly harder to hit than the submarine in a few years.

          The missiles that pass over your head in a fixed time 16 times a day?