Missile Versus Missile

The audio track on this first video is moderately annoying with dramatic music, dramatic narration and more cryptic jargon than you can shake a stick at. The second video is silent.


The first video is from two years ago. The second video is from two days ago.


In both cases they launch a dummy attack missile from somewhere in the South Pacific and then attempt to shoot it down with an anti-missile missile from an Aegis Guided Missile Destroyer. The destroyer carries its missiles in vertical canisters sitting flush with the deck. Pop the hatch and light her up. The huge amount of flame you see before the rocket emerges is from the adjacent exhaust vent.
    It's kind of nice that they are working on this system. It will be nice to have if anyone ever starts shooting missiles at us. On the other hand, I think it's already obsolete.
    You would have to be crazy to start a war with a super power these days. Not that there aren't plenty of people crazy enough to do it, but the ones who are crazy enough will not be able to pull it off. The most they can do is load a bus with TNT and blow it up downtown.
    It's kind of like our TSA response to hijackings.Completely wrong headed, but it's the only thing they know how to do.
    Still, I'm glad they are doing it. You never know what you can do till you try it, and you never know what you might need. It's good to have a selection of tools in your bag, and these tools might come in handy someday soon.