Nukes, what are stopping them?

Question

What are stopping nukes and missiles from hitting the U.S. and other countries? If you hit them with the air defense and the nuke is too close, won't it just kill a lot of people?

Answer 1

Nukes are most dangerous if they explode in the air just above ground level. It is not the explosion that kills most: first there is a gigantic wave (heat and all the rest) with tornadic winds that will blast reinforced concrete; (well, before that, there would be blinding light, which could blind, but probably not kill); LATER would come the radiation, which would kill most people. Most would die a slow, lingering death full of agony and pain.
So, it would depend upon HOW HIGH the nuke was intercepted.
What is stopping them is FEAR OF REPRISAL, which is what kept the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. from attacking each other for 50 years.

Answer 2

The thing is, the nuke's warhead isn't actually activated until long after it's launched. If the anti-missile missile hits it (which there's less than a 1% chance of it missing, plus there'd be more than one missile) more than a couple miles away from the target, the nuke would just explode like a regular bomb, though the radioactive debris would still be dangerous for several years.

Also, with most nuclear weapons launched by ICBM or other forms of missile can be traced immediately, and since the counter-missile's relatively small explosion would only toss the debris short distances, it would take a very simple crew of clean-up teams to retrieve the mess.

Other countries are afraid to even provoke us, because we have enough nuclear missiles and bombs to completely depopulate the major cities in both the Far East and Middle East in under a day. This is the biggest reason that the Cold War never went hot.

It's not active yet as far as I know, but computer techs have been working on a system similar to a jammer that projects a massive bubble-shaped invisible magnetic field that would effectively disarm any warhead passing through it. The problems are that it would also interfere with friendly and civilian assets such as commercial airliners and our own aircraft.

So the answer to your question is: Americanretaliationophobia (Fear of American Retaliation)

Answer 3

The best defense against nulcear bombardment is prevention (i.e. what's happening with Iran)
Second defense distance; America still has 2 friendly neighbors and thousands of miles of ocean seperating it from a hostile engagement
Third defenses are Surface to air missiles such as the Patriot have excellent standoff capability

Last, But certainly not least, Mutually Assured Destruction ensures that if one country goes, we all go

Most nuclear warheads have a built in safe to arm mode that says it has to be within so many miles of it's intended target to become active.

Answer 4

Mutual fear mainly is used to stop the launch of nukes against one another, thats why its imperative that no "cowboy" Nation like Iran / Iraq, N.Korea be allowed to develop these weapons.

Most "civilized" Nations would not launch out of fear of a reprisal, they know it would be an end of civilization as we know it.

Equally large amount of resources are spent by countries watching known foreign missile launch stations, a launch would be detected well before the missile gets to US airspace

The main problem is the Fundamental Muslims who have shown in the past by their callous acts of terrorism against their own kind and non.Muslim nations that the sanctity of life is meaningless if perceived to stand in their was of creating global Muslim fundamentalism, they would probably contrive to ship a missile into the target area and detonate by surprise, giving the target government no chance to retaliate.

Answer 5

Half a worldwide brain is stopping them. And yes, if the nuke is too close and you hit it a lot of people will be killed.

Answer 6

Also with our BMEWS systems we can see the missiles as soon as they launch in the opposing country so we have plenty of time to react.

Answer 7

What I heard is, Shahab-6 is the one that will reach US after Shahab-5 (4 is abandoned as I believe or is it still there?)

It's good if you ask me for the following reason

no threats from america against Iran = america won't declare wars against other nations again IT'S SIMPLE AS THAT

Answer 8

They have to detonate. Anti Missile Systems shoot them down before they arm...hopefully

Answer 9

What are stopping them?. Common sense, conscience and sensibility.

Answer 10

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