Word: closed
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...relying primarily on the blast and heat effects of its own detonation to incapacitate the aggressor weapon's innards. As with the Spartan, its purpose is not to blow up the opposing RV (reentry vehicle)?which would dump much lethal fallout on the territory below?but to detonate close enough to defuse the warhead. Sprint's own bang, however, would cause a degree of radioactivity...
...Chinese really wanted to risk obliteration, ABM would not be an insuperable barrier. They could smuggle in the parts of nuclear bombs and use saboteurs rather than missiles. Either the Chinese or the Russians could attempt germ warfare if they feared nuclear defeat. Short-range attacks from submarines sneaking close to the coasts is also a possibility?and one that ABM might not be able to cope with...
Army planners took the probability of Chinese technological improvement into consideration. Sentinel's original configuration put Spartan and MSR sites close to population centers with the idea of thickening the defenses later by adding Sprints, which must be near the points they defend. To move the installations away from densely populated areas would reduce the popular and political opposition to Sentinel, but would also deprive the major cities of the second line of defense that Sprint represents...
...spent too much on weaponry during his tenure because of mistaken estimates of Russian intentions. However, the Russians have accelerated their buildup, tripling their supply of land-based missiles in little more than two years. The U.S. remains ahead in overall nuclear-delivery capability, but Russia continues to close...
...missile-site radar): a less powerful device than PAR, but one that provides refined, close-in surveillance of targets. MSR would direct the firing of Sprints and Spartans...