Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!military
From: G.Heinig%CS.UCL.AC.UK%CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Reliability of Ballistic Missiles
Message-ID: <6551@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 13 May 89 02:26:01 GMT
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From:        G.Heinig%CS.UCL.AC.UK%CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU

I would like to ask this newsgroup a question to
which I have to date not received a straight answer.

A while back ('81-'84) while the cruise and pershing
missiles were being installed here in Britain there
was a lot of talk along the lines of:
"Assuming each side fired n warheads (n usually some
absurd 32-bit quantity) the world would be wiped out
m times (m some equally absurd 16 bit quantity) ...
etc.. etc"

Now, all well and good ASSUMING THEY ALL GET THROUGH...

My question is: are there any figures out on the
mechanical reliability of ballistic missiles, rough
estimates, guesses? Also, is there any data available
on the chances of some of these missiles being destroyed
by enemy action/sabotage etc?

I'm not talking about star wars or anything like that -
simple sabotage of launch installations by special forces
and such like.

Knowing my luck all the info is classified, but any guesses
would be most welcome.

            cheers

                GERALD

mail:    g.heinig@cs.ucl.ac.uk
    gheinig@cs.ucl.ac.uk

Gerald Heinig IIIrd year CS at University College London
About to be floored by finals ...