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If they managed to get the intel on the location and security of all the missiles, presumably they can plan an operation to take them out.

The problem is that even if you assume, say, a 95% chance of success for each individual mission, the odds of not being able to do everything are quite large. Not to speak of the political consequences of even attempting to do something like this, whether they succeed or not.

How many warheads does Pakistan have? How many missiles? How many silos? How many different locations?

We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Dec 28th, 2007 at 09:24:48 AM EST
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A few dozen to a few hundred warheads. Likely and probably not more than 300.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
by Starvid on Fri Dec 28th, 2007 at 09:35:21 AM EST
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Does that mean 300 missiles or, using MIRVs, maybe as little as 50 missiles?

We're talking about a massive operation to take them all out in any case.

We have met the enemy, and he is us — Pogo

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Dec 28th, 2007 at 09:41:33 AM EST
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I would stick to the few dozens. And no silos, only a handful of truck-towed crappy med-range missiles, single headed, which they don't even trust to take off. They would rely on dropped bombs (from F16), that's what they will have in higher numbers, but I doubt it gets to a hundred.

Pierre
by Pierre on Fri Dec 28th, 2007 at 09:54:04 AM EST
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According to Wikipedia (itself based on the bulletin of Atomic scientists 2001) Pakistan has 30-80 warheads.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.
by Starvid on Fri Dec 28th, 2007 at 10:29:34 AM EST
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