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From: renner@uiucdcs.UUCP (renner )
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Hart scares me to death!! - (nf)
Message-ID: <6049@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 6-Mar-84 22:28:26 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.6049
Posted: Tue Mar  6 22:28:26 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 8-Mar-84 07:14:40 EST
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#R:cepu:-19700:uiucdcs:29200108:000:939
uiucdcs!renner    Mar  6 18:50:00 1984

   /***** uiucdcs:net.politics / ihuxt!smeier /  7:14 pm  Mar  5, 1984 */
>  Do nuclear weapons have any ``useful'' lives at all?  As long as the
>  enemy believes that such a weapon can be used, the weapon is serving
>  its purpose...  So why not just make do with our not-so-useful MM3s, as
>  long as we can make *them* think that the missiles just might still
>  work?

It's an interesting thought, but it probably won't work.  I suspect that the
Soviets have an excellent idea of how reliable our strategic weapon systems
actually are.  The problems with the B-52s are well known.  I recall one NBC
special where the camera crew went on a B-52 training flight.  The first two
planes they tried developed problems on the runway and were not safe to fly.
The Minuteman missiles are supposedly in better shape, although I expect that
a solid-fuel rocket loses some reliability after 20 years.

Scott Renner
{ihnp4,pur-ee}!uiucdcs!renner