May 7, 2008: While America plays primary poker... Iran plays centrifuge

It's disturbing to read the latest about Iran's nuclear program in the midst of a primary campaign where the big issue issue of the week was whether to roll back the summer gas tax. You never know about the reliabity of these reports, of course, but this new one from the JPost contains this tidbit: Israel is also concerned that Teheran is developing a cruise missile that can evade interception by the Arrow, the IDF's anti-ballistic missile defense system. Iran is suspected of having smuggled Ukrainian X-55 cruise missiles and using them as models for an independent, domestic project. A cruise missile, which flies at low altitudes to dodge radar detection and interception, could be used to carry a nuclear warhead.

Many try to throw cold water on alarmist Israeli reports like this one, but I would remind us all of one thing. Nuclear weapons are mid-1940s technology. This is 2008.

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I couldn't agree with you more, Roger. I think in a few years, those of us left alive will wonder how on earth we could be so blind to a real threat while wasting precious time on such incredible trivia.

Posted by: srlucado at May 7, 2008 12:12 PM

The V-1 was mid-1940s tech, also.

The Regulus was mid-1950s, and the Harpoon missile is late-1970s tech.

Posted by: LarryD at May 7, 2008 12:32 PM

Things are definitely heating up. Iran gets closer every day while the West continues its shoe-gazing routine.

Meanwhile half the electorate here shrugs and wonders "what's the worst that could happen?" Elect Obama and I'm pretty sure we'll all find out.

Posted by: Lightnin' Hopkins at May 7, 2008 12:52 PM

Cruise missiles fly low and (usually) slow, which makes them vulnerable to interception from the air. Israel already has the interceptors. If they take this threat seriously, look for them to be wanting more airborne early warning (AWACS) type aircraft.

Posted by: Warhorse at May 7, 2008 1:57 PM

And Saddam would have nuked Iran 20 years ago if Israel hadn't stopped him.

Posted by: tim maguire at May 8, 2008 10:14 AM

Cruise missiles of this sort with a nuclear warhead can take out US Carriers quite nicely and we have several off shore of Iran right now, wouldn't be much advanced notice either. This dithering reminds me of what happened in the 1930's and then all of a sudden we found out the German's were serious. 100,000,000 people died because of that miscalculation but if Iran gets the bomb it will be more; these people kill for God.

Posted by: ron norman at May 8, 2008 11:03 AM

Iran only has about a dozen of these cruise missiles, and they only fly at about 400 knots. Even ignoring the fact that the carrier will generally have at least one of its E-2 AWACS planes aloft at all times and will thus have LOTS of warning, that is almost certainly nowhere near enough cruise missiles to get through to the carrier.In any case, Iran has enough SSMs covering the Gulf that nukes would not be necessary to kill a carrier. What stops them is the certain knowledge that to do so would result in regime change. None of them wants to be the next Saddam.

Posted by: Warhorse at May 8, 2008 2:26 PM

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