The Sea-Based X-Band Radar (below), used to track, discriminate and assess incoming target missiles, is halfway to the end of its epic 7-month journey to Alaska to become a fully operational battle station.
The DOD’s Sea-Based X-Band radar, was loaded aboard the heavy lift vessel Blue Marlin and arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for missile tests this January. It will be homeported in Adak, Alaska and may defend Senator Ted Stevens (R. Alaska) from attack (see: how it works).
Unfortunatly, the 100-billion dollar, Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) was found vulnerable to a crippling attack when a Philadephia hot dog vendor developed a six-foot tall set of mirrors, designed to reflect the sun’s light — inadvertently debilitating the stationary SBIRS system.
The Solar Death Ray (above) captures sunlight in 112 mirrors, each 3.5 inches square. “I estimate that the Solar Death Ray can heat things up to between 500-600 degrees Celsius (930-1100 degrees Fahrenheit) under good conditions,” said hotdog oven developer, Louis Giersch.
[...] Peter Schloerb, who oversees part of the project for the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, said there could be defense applications for the radio-telescope research, but said the Pentagon has had a hand in many types of research. [...]
Left by dailywireless.org » Large Millimeter Telescope on November 27th, 2006