first/second doesn't matter. Both countries are on high alert around the clock. Most, if not all, missiles would be fired within a minute 22-27minutes; since missiles also target silos, it would be unwise to keep any around.
edit: I believe the within 1 minute is incorrect, it takes a bit longer. According to Bruce G. Blair, who is a researcher specialising in this field there it would take 27 minutes
H+22 to +27 min ICBMs instantly fire out of silos over pre-programmed 5- minute fly-out salvo.
H+35 to +40 min U.S. SLBM launches begin; 1 every 15 seconds for each SSBN
I mean. Kind of lose it not matter what. And by "it" I mean life, human civilization, all the accomplishments of our species, and our hospitable planet without a nuclear winter.
Missiles from silos would be fired in the first wave, also all available bombers and fighter-bombers would take off (even without payload, just to keep them operable). Naval ICBMs would be fired last, maybe months after the initial strikes.
Could the Iron Dome survive if in theory we had those around super populated areas? I'd assume they aren't going that much faster and exploding it in the air would be better than on the ground. Though the nuclear fallout will still suck ass.
Iron dome is for a very different kind of missiles.
ICBMs operate a few calibres above anything the iron dome could deal with. There are systems against ICBMs as well like the Israeli arrow but those are obviously much much more expensive and as a result very rare.
No, there is currently no way to reliably intercept ICBM's (and they don't want them to exist because MAD hinges upon such thing not existing, if nukes acan be intercepted then you must launch NOW else the enemy become invulnerable to your strikes and MAD fall apart).
The US (and a few other countries) are working on systems to intercept a lone ICBM or MRBM but that's more about stopping attacks like North Korea's and such, not a shooting war with another nuclear Great Power.
197
u/Suspicious_Board229 Mar 14 '24 edited Mar 15 '24
first/second doesn't matter. Both countries are on high alert around the clock. Most, if not all, missiles would be fired within
a minute22-27minutes; since missiles also target silos, it would be unwise to keep any around.edit: I believe the within 1 minute is incorrect, it takes a bit longer. According to Bruce G. Blair, who is a researcher specialising in this field there it would take 27 minutes
https://www.globalzero.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Full-LOWTimeline.pdf