Missiles with Minds

At the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base one morning last week, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Trevor Gardner bubbled over with guided-missile news. He had glowing words about the Falcon, an air-to-air missile with an electronic brain. Falcons will be carried by interceptors and fired at enemy bombers as much as five miles away. Then the electronic brain will take over, and the Falcon will track its prey across the sky, supersonically following every move the enemy makes to escape.

"The Falcon is one of the most important contributions to defense since the development of radar," said Gardner. "Virtually every hit is a sure kill. The missile receives target information with the speed of light. It decides what to do without ever making any of the mistakes humans might make. It ... can destroy any enemy bomber in the world . . . with split-second accuracy. Falcon represents an achievement in scientific research, invention and production almost without parallel."

Gardner had plenty to say about other missiles, too. Items:

P: Tests on the Bomarc, a long-range pilotless interceptor, "are very encouraging."

P: In an advanced stage of development is the Rascal, an air-to-ground strategic missile that will be released high in the air from a bomber and carry a nuclear warhead about 100 miles.

P: Three strategic intercontinental missiles, for long-range striking power, are under accelerated development. "These are the Navaho, the Snark and the Atlas, . . . Such missiles [as the Atlas] approaching a target present the enemy with an incredibly--and almost hopelessly--difficult defensive job."

While the Air Force does have some remarkable missiles, the stratospheric claims of Airman Gardner had the bumptious ring of old-style Air Force press-agentry. The missiles are less than the ultimate in weapons. The "sure-kill" Falcon will still depend on planes to get it to the right place, at the right time, under the right circumstances. Some missiles, like artillery shells, will be duds, and the enemy bombers will fly over. Even clever missiles may be fooled, e.g., a shower of shiny metal like Christmas tree tinsel can be as distracting to a radar hunter as an alley cat to a beagle.

The enemy will surely have missiles and counter-missiles--means of dodging, destroying or distracting guided missiles. Electronic brains may well be subject to electronic brainwashing.

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