Sea Based X-Band Radar visits Pearl Harbor

There was quite a stir today on Oahu. Several hundred people called the news offices wondering what that giant vessel heading into Pearl Harbor was. It turns out it was the Sea Based X-Band Radar platform for the missile defense shield. It's on the way up to Alaska, but stopped at Pearl Harbor for routine Maintenance, and a coat of paint, before heading to the Aleutians. That thing is MASSIVE. Even at sea, it dwarfed the tallest buildings on Oahu. I'm gonna try to go take pictures of it tomorrow, and post them up here.

aero.ihs.com...
www.globalsecurity.org...

[edit on 1/9/2006 by Zaphod58]

Please please try to post those pictures because I'm sure lots of people here would love to see them, and I know I would

In the meantime here are some good pics I found of the beast!







Source

[edit on 10-1-2006 by warpboost]

I wasn't able to get there yet to take pics, but it turns out it's here for like two months. That thing is HUGE, let me tell you. The pics don't do it justice. Even a good half mile out to sea it was bigger than the tallest buildings around in Honolulu.

I hope it works and isnt negated by public knowledge countermeasure techniques. Else it looks like a massive waste of natural resource.

I wonder what those mini domes are for, maybe for low flying cruise missiles that would try to take out the platform? Maybe they are just for communications?

They only face one side so I suspect they are some kind of self defense system. Although I hope it doesnt have a blind side on the other side. We know how the Russians love to use secret "zig zagging" anti missile defense missiles and they might plot a sneak attack from behind!

[edit on 11-1-2006 by ImplementOfWar]

Looks like one giant target. Are they going to have naval ships permanently on station to protect it ?

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to the best of my knowledge, they don't inted to deploy it close enough to 'the enemy' to get it shot at.

As for those domes, I'm thinking they look like comm antenna domes, as I don't see any self defence systems in the photos. Lastly, if the Russians were shooting at us, BMD wouldn't be a whole lot of use, as I'm pretty sure they've got more than enough missiles to completely oversaturate our defences.

[edit on 11-1-2006 by Travellar]

I was wondering if someone can confirm my assumption that this mobile radar station is just a set of eyes, and doesn't have interception capabilities rate on board? From reading about it on global security it sounds like it just functions like an eye and relays the info back to a control center who can then target and launch interceptors if need be right?

The Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX) consists of an advanced radar system mounted on a floating platform. Once operational, it will be able to track, discriminate, and assess long-range ballistic missiles as part of the Missile Defense Agency’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system. It will be located just off the coast of Alaska and will be linked to 10 ground-based interceptor missiles deployed at Fort Greely in Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

www.missilethreat.com...

justin