Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1544638
than a thousand objects carrying fissile material would be moving along waterways. Inland waters were not the only environment considered promising by American planners. The next concept under review, designated the Ocean-Going Vessel, envisaged carrying eight 10-warhead ICBMs aboard deep-sea ships hardened against the effects of nuclear weapons. According to calculations, such a fleet would require 65 carrier ships, of which 40 would be at sea at any given time. The launchers were to be installed vertically below the ship's deck, in a manner similar to that used on ballistic missile submarines. A key element of the concept was removing the missiles from the continental United States. It was assumed that communications, protection, and ship security against attack could present major challenges. The carrier ships were considered vulnerable to attacks by, among others, boarding parties, aircraft, and anti- ship missiles. Although the project's costs remained within the planned budget, they could rise sharply if full protection against the aforementioned threats proved necessary. The report also examined several, let us say, airborne concepts. The first three proposed, respectively, the use of wide-body cargo aircraft as ICBM carriers, vertical takeoff cargo aircraft, and short takeoff and landing cargo aircraft. Two methods of employing ICBMs from aircraft were assumed: launch on warning or continuous air patrols. Detailed analyses showed that the best way to employ ICBMs in this concept would be a hybrid approach: some missiles would be on alert aboard aircraft stationed at airfields, while others would conduct combat patrols aboard aircraft operating over open ocean areas. The plan called for 100 aircraft, based on the Boeing 747 or C-5 Galaxy, each carrying two 10-warhead ballistic missiles for ground basing, and 129 similar aircraft maintaining continuous airborne alert. It was noted that all of these concepts were heavily dependent on rapid and effective warning of a nuclear attack, as well as on the availability of secure bases from which air operations could be conducted. Another aircraft-based idea was the rather unsurprising airship. The notion was to mount ICBMs on airships that would conduct multi-week combat patrols over the ocean. ANALYSIS