The MX Shell Game

doi:10.1117/3.343801.ch2

The MX Shell Game

Book: Infrared Design Examples

Author(s): William L. Wolfe

Published: 1999

https://doi.org/10.1117/3.343801.ch2

Author Affiliations +

Abstract

During the height of the Cold War, it was proposed that Peacekeeper missiles be housed in tunnels in the Southwest. I hoped that meant California, Nevada, or Utah-and not Arizona. The missiles would be shuffled around in underground tunnels so that they could not be pinpointed for destruction by incoming missiles. The proponents of this plan wondered whether there was a way to detect the position of the missiles in the tunnels by a remote method. My investigation of an infrared detection system is the basis for this chapter.