How do ICBM early warning systems differentiate between a real threat and a launch of a normal rocket intended to go to space?
In: 2759
A few ways:
1) normal rockets launch from very specific locations. Those locations don’t launch ICBMs, so just where the launch originates gets you about 99% there. We observe these sites pretty regularly. Even nuclear missile subs are usually being tracked by an opposing attack sub, so even the ones that move are usually being observed. US/Soviet attack subs would camp outside the other party’s sub base and do a little cat and mouse when they depart. Not sure to what degree Russia is even participating in submarine activities any more.
2) The trajectory of an ICBM launch looks nothing like a regular rocket launch. They go into highly eccentric suborbital trajectories and generally not toward any normal orbits.
3) Everyone announces their regular launches, so everyone knows they’re coming, for exactly this reason.
IOW, it’s pretty obvious now.
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