The MKV

[K9]

The MULTIPLE KILL VEHICLE

 

[Hawkbit]

Dayum!

Needs to spew chlorine gas for 100yds on depletion, imo. 

[MrHat]

Uh, not going to be very useful for person killing.

I mean, one good rock thrower can fuck that up.

[Ookii]

That is the coolest fucking thing I've ever seen.

[fuser]

Good god that thing is evil

Did a bit of googling the video + more info is also at http://www.mda.mil/mdalink/html/mdalink.html

"The MKV-L mission is to destroy medium through intercontinental-range ballistic missiles equipped with
multiple warheads or countermeasures by using a single interceptor missile.  During an actual hostile ballistic
missile attack, the carrier vehicle with its cargo of small kill vehicles will maneuver into the path of an enemy
missile.  Using tracking data from the Ballistic Missile Defense System and its own seeker, the carrier vehicle
will dispense and guide the kill vehicles to destroy any warheads or countermeasures.   "

[NiX]

For a second I thought it popped out of the ground and shot bullets in every direction. Like a new age mine.

[Brogarn]

That is just so bad ass.

[Murgos]

Some of the comments in that thread are pretty golden.  It doesn't really surprise me that people are idiots and yet, always amusing.

[Nebu]

Anyone else here amazed by the fact that humans are willing to spend huge quantities of resources just to find new and interesting ways of killing eachother?   This kind of shit pisses me off. What a waste of intellect. 

[Grimwell]

Nope. Not in the least.

We've been putting most of our wealth into improving killing for quite some time now. ;)

[Nebu]

Nope. Not in the least.

We've been putting most of our wealth into improving killing for quite some time now. ;)

You're right.  What was I thinking?

[Murgos]

Anyone else here amazed by the fact that humans are willing to spend huge quantities of resources just to find new and interesting ways of killing eachother?   This kind of shit pisses me off. What a waste of intellect. 

Well, technically this is a new and improved way of not killing each other but yeah.

[Nebu]

Well, technically this is a new and improved way of not killing each other but yeah.

Philosophical.  I don't believe deterrents work when sociopaths/psychopaths are in charge.  Your opinion may differ. 

[Murgos]

Well, technically this is a new and improved way of not killing each other but yeah.

Philosophical.  I don't believe deterrents work when sociopaths/psychopaths are in charge.  Your opinion may differ. 

No, the device is a defensive weapon.  It kills ICBMS.  It may be intended strategically as a deterrent but it's actual mission is to make people not die.

I'm not disagreeing with your sentiment, just the application of it in this case.

[Nebu]

I'm not disagreeing with your sentiment, just the application of it in this case.

Gah.  You're correct.  My mistake.  I even watched the thing and read a bit about it.  I guess I just get stabby when I see this kind of spending on military toys.  SDI flashbacks and all that. 

[Trippy]

Well, technically this is a new and improved way of not killing each other but yeah.

Philosophical.  I don't believe deterrents work when sociopaths/psychopaths are in charge.  Your opinion may differ. 

No, the device is a defensive weapon.  It kills ICBMS.  It may be intended strategically as a deterrent but it's actual mission is to make people not die.

I'm not disagreeing with your sentiment, just the application of it in this case.

You know there's somebody in the military who is eyeing that thing as a "soft target" weapon

[bhodi]

Of course, looking at it's propellant tanks, 30 seconds is probably all it's got. That limits it's options.

[kaid]

Yup given how its staying up the time frame it has to stay stabalized like that cannot be very long. But given its intended use to be put up and deployed in front of on coming warheads it can stay up and stabalize long enough to target and acquire its targets and bring fire upon them which is pretty wild.

[Murgos]

Yup given how its staying up the time frame it has to stay stabalized like that cannot be very long. But given its intended use to be put up and deployed in front of on coming warheads it can stay up and stabalize long enough to target and acquire its targets and bring fire upon them which is pretty wild.

In 0 g or a low g ballistic flight path that 30 seconds or so of fuel at 1 g will go a lot further.

As far as using something 'like' that as a conventional weapon, well, make it a few orders smaller and give it a few order of magnitude more flight time and you are starting to look a lot like something out of an Ian M. Banks novel...