From The Danger Room:The Pentagon’s controversial plan to strike any target on the planet in under an hour could be getting a boost, from one of the U.S. military’s “Holy Grail” technologies. Last month, the Pentagon modified a $12-million contract, to allow Lockheed Martin’s ultrafast FALCON Hypersonic Test Vehicle project to become a component of an Air Force effort to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles at America’s enemies.
The Air Force’s Conventional Strike Missile is a modified Minuteman III ballistic missile, with a conventional warhead, in place of the nuke. For years, the military has wanted to use a de-nuked ballistic missile to enable U.S. forces to hit a target, anywhere in the world, in less than 60 minutes. But the missile has gotten hung up on diplomatic concerns: how would Russia or China feel, if we started launching ballistic missiles, with little or no warning? Plus, the CSM would be pricey: $10 million, or more, to kill a single target. “This is another bad idea by someone who thinks that there has to be a technical solution to every possible military challenge,” our own Jason Sigger quipped.
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My Comment: At $10 million a pop .... you better be damn sure of your target.