ASATs vs Brilliant Pebbles

Technical Report · Wed Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1990

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6943660· OSTI ID:6943660

Speed, R D

This paper examines the cost exchange ratio of Brilliant Pebbles satellites when attacked by small, ground-based, non-nuclear ASATs. If the satellites have no defenses, the exchange ratio is likely to be at least 40:1 in favor of the attacker in a general war or 4:1 in his favor in a war of attrition. The use of maneuver, decoys, and space-based defensive rockets to defeat that ASAT threat were examined, but non of these approaches appears to be clearly economically advantageous. 3 figs., 4 tabs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE/DP
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6943660
• Report Number(s): UCRL-ID-103669; ON: DE90010348
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450400 -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear & Radiological Warfare-- (1990-)
450500* -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Strategic Defense Initiative-- (1990-)
BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE
COST
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
LAUNCHING
MILITARY STRATEGY
NATIONAL DEFENSE
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
ROCKETS
SPACE VEHICLES
SPACE WEAPONS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
VEHICLES
VULNERABILITY
WARFARE
WEAPONS