Trump's Second Term

[jimbob]

Seems to be satire.

The proposal he's linking to, does indeed read like satire, but he seems to think it's serious and feasible. Which is deranged with even a moments thought, as soon as you look at a map.

It's proposing starting in the UAE between Dubai and Abu Dhabi so at least 100km, probably closer to 200km.

How large a crater does he want per explosion? Even he must think that such craters are roughly circular, so with no knowledge of the power of nuclear explosions, if you wanted a 1km wide canal (insanely large) you would need 100 bombs. If there were no mountains. And that's far too wide. The Sedan crater is 400m wide and 100m deep and used a 104kT bomb, so that's 300 bombs.

 

[Andy_Ross]

I am also concerned about

It's called Mine Sweeping, it has not changed much since World War 2. A Minesweeper uses a special kind of what amounts to a new to pick up the mines; picking up the mines is the easy part, it is defusing them is the hard part.

Mine hunting not sweeping.
They don't pick them up they neutralise them in the water using divers and submersible ROVs

Already covered in the thread earlier.

Problem is the USA has just got rid of it's specialist mine counter measures ships

The RN has nine specialist mine countermeasures ships and a command and mothership for operating specialist ROVs and underwater remote mine countermeasures drones drones.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

It's ok, a Republican with the requisite can do attitude has found the solution.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2033249021133811775

This is actually a really old plan - Newt is just remembering it - the man never had an original idea

 

[Armitage72]

This is actually a really old plan - Newt is just remembering it - the man never had an original idea

I was about to say the same thing. I remember reading about plans to use nuclear weapons in civil engineering, doing things like blasting passes through mountains and digging channels in harbors.

 

[Resume]

Now I'm trying to decide if it's stupid because Gingrich suggested it, or if it's just stupid.

Yes.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Hydrogen bombs were sold to Congress as precision engineering tools

 

[jimbob]

The proposal he's linking to, does indeed read like satire, but he seems to think it's serious and feasible. Which is deranged with even a moments thought, as soon as you look at a map.

It's proposing starting in the UAE between Dubai and Abu Dhabi so at least 100km, probably closer to 200km.

How large a crater does he want per explosion? Even he must think that such craters are roughly circular, so with no knowledge of the power of nuclear explosions, if you wanted a 1km wide canal (insanely large) you would need 100 bombs. If there were no mountains. And that's far too wide. The Sedan crater is 400m wide and 100m deep and used a 104kT bomb, so that's 300 bombs.

Assuming he genuinely thinks that a dozen bombs could do it, that would presumably require 10km wide craters, presumably something like 5km deep, so twelve 200km³ craters. Mount St Helens was about 5km³ and was estimated to be about 20MT

I guess he didn't wonder where the rock would go

 

[arthwollipot]

Sorry, I don't have a clue what it's really called, or how it's done, and that's why I asked.

It's called Mine Sweeping, it has not changed much since World War 2. A Minesweeper uses a special kind of what amounts to a new to pick up the mines; picking up the mines is the easy part, it is defusing them is the hard part.

It's quite easy, actually. When you click a square, as long as it's not a mine, then it will show you a number indicating how many mines are in adjacent squares. You've just got to figure out which squares are mines and clear the field.

 

[arthwollipot]

Meanwhile, did anyone else notice this?

 

[Jack by the hedge]

The Chris Murphy commentary is all correct, but it overlooks the one factor in this Iran excursion that really matters: Brown Muslims are being killed. And that's all that matters to Hegseth and Trump.

He gets one thing wrong: he says a ground invasion would be Armageddon.

He's not actually mistaken about that, metaphorically. But he's erroneously assuming nobody welcomes that, non-metaphorically. Some of them are beyond eager to think it might happen in their lifetime.

 

[Dr.Sid]

Let's face it .. the end is here. We are just choosing its form ..

 

[Armitage72]

Let's face it .. the end is here. We are just choosing its form ..

"What did you do, Ray?"



Our "form of the Destructor" is a lot fatter though. And orange.

 

[jimbob]

Assuming he genuinely thinks that a dozen bombs could do it, that would presumably require 10km wide craters, presumably something like 5km deep, so twelve 200km³ craters. Mount St Helens was about 5km³ and was estimated to be about 20MT

I guess he didn't wonder where the rock would go

Or to put it another way, a dozen explosions, each about 170% of the Tamboura eruption that lead to the year without a summer.

 

[junkshop]

It's ok, a Republican with the requisite can do attitude has found the solution.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2033249021133811775

Holy ◊◊◊◊, that emetic little homunculus is still alive?

 

[Hans]

Navy manual on mine warfare at tad dated 1996 but the principles and organization still apply: https://wiki.w9cr.net/images/2/2a/MCWP_3-3.1.2_Mine_Warfare.pdf

 

[Hans]

Mines the CIA reported the Irans have:

Moored Mines: Held just below the surface by a chain and anchor, these are designed to explode upon contact with a ship's hull.

Bottom Mines: These lie on the seafloor and use sensors (magnetic, acoustic, seismic, pressure) to detect ships, making them difficult to detect and neutralize.

Limpet Mines: Explosive devices typically attached manually to a ship's hull by divers, often used for sabotage.

Drifting Mines: Free-floating mines that move with the current, creating a hazard for ships.

Influence/Rising Mines: More advanced mines that can detect specific ship signatures or fire a projectile from the seabed.

Production Capability: Iran has domestic capacity to produce various mines, including large contact mines, improving its inventory over time, according to a CIA report.

These assets enable Iran to deploy a "gauntlet" of sea mines, which, combined with smaller craft and shore-based missiles, pose a major threat in the Strait of Hormuz

 

[Segnosaur]

It's ok, a Republican with the requisite can do attitude has found the solution.

Newt Gingrich
@newtgingrich
Instead of fighting over a 21-mile-wide bottleneck forever, we cut a new channel through friendly territory. A dozen thermonuclear detonations and you’ve got a waterway wider than the Panama Canal, deeper than the Suez, and safe from Iranian attacks.

But if we use up our nuclear weapons building a new channel, then what are we going to use to nuke the hurricanes?

 

[Garrison]

Mines the CIA reported the Irans have:

Moored Mines: Held just below the surface by a chain and anchor, these are designed to explode upon contact with a ship's hull.

Bottom Mines: These lie on the seafloor and use sensors (magnetic, acoustic, seismic, pressure) to detect ships, making them difficult to detect and neutralize.

Limpet Mines: Explosive devices typically attached manually to a ship's hull by divers, often used for sabotage.

Drifting Mines: Free-floating mines that move with the current, creating a hazard for ships.

Influence/Rising Mines: More advanced mines that can detect specific ship signatures or fire a projectile from the seabed.

Production Capability: Iran has domestic capacity to produce various mines, including large contact mines, improving its inventory over time, according to a CIA report.

These assets enable Iran to deploy a "gauntlet" of sea mines, which, combined with smaller craft and shore-based missiles, pose a major threat in the Strait of Hormuz

Which doesn't count however many air and sea drones they have. Tankers are sitting ducks, even with escorts I doubt they could safely get through.

 

[jimbob]

But if we use up our nuclear weapons building a new channel, then what are we going to use to nuke the hurricanes?

To be honest, with something like 3000 km³ of dust produced, they would reduce hurricanes for several years.

 

[Segnosaur]

But if we use up our nuclear weapons building a new channel, then what are we going to use to nuke the hurricanes?

To be honest, with something like 3000 km³ of dust produced, they would reduce hurricanes for several years.

Doesn't it depend on what Trump draws on a map with his magic sharpie?