Unusual target choices

[mmartin798]

I just finished placing all the US warhead locations as listed in the 4th edition, along with all the Canadian targets that were visible on the map I used. I found a couple that I thought were odd choices and wondered if there anyone had a reasonable justification for them other than the warhead needed to go someplace and this was in range.

The first is a dam in Michigan. It is not too far south of a nuclear power plant. That is important to note. The way this dam works is it uses power generated by the reactor overnight to run the turbines backwards to fill a man-made pond with water from Lake Michigan. Then during the day, water is let out of the pond to generate power at the dam to even out the peak electricity demands upon the nuclear reactor. So basically a big battery. If the dam was left alone, it would generate power for maybe 3-4 days and then stop working.

The second is the decommissioned Stanley R Mickelsen Safeguard Complex in North Dakota for the ABM system allowed under the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. This site came online in 1 April 1975, fully operational 28 September 1975 and deactivated 10 February 1976. Satellite pictures show the pylon that held the phased radar array empty, the roads around it in disrepair as well as a few buildings.

[mmartin798]

The ND target might just be off. There is an active early detection radar site about 38 km WSW of the Mickelsen complex. That would make sense.

[Jason Weiser]

I think it is a case that the original target list was written in the 1980s and not much has changed between it and the new 4th ed target list...hell, I would go so far as to say the list is verbatim.

[helbent4]

Originally Posted by Jason Weiser

I think it is a case that the original target list was written in the 1980s and not much has changed between it and the new 4th ed target list...hell, I would go so far as to say the list is verbatim.

Hello Jason,

There was some discussion of this list on another Morrow Project list. I believe the list is a verbatim copy of the old list but then new targets were added into the mix, along with Chinese weapons that were not used in the original list. It's obvious a lot of thought and effort went into the new edition but for some reason no one thought to do a quick internet search on the actual site.

Most likely the Michigan hydroelectric dam was a case of the original authors probably working off a list without knowing exactly how that particular plant worked, of course it's not like they could Google it!

As for the Safeguard site, the original authors were working off old material and perhaps didn't even know it had been deactivated. Or else they thought that it might be reactivated some time between 1979-80 when the game was written and the date of the war, the far-off 1989.

One site I can see as being a little odd is Chiliwack BC. It would make sense to nuke this location in 1989 as this was when a Canadian Forces Base was present. Since the end of the Cold War the base was partially deactivated, although there is still a Militia (Reserve Force) unit based there, as well as extensive police training facilities. In 4th edition it's listed as an "major agricultural area" which is technically true but seems like a waste of a warhead when there are several refineries and terminals that would otherwise be left intact.

Tony

[nuke11]

Originally Posted by mmartin798

The ND target might just be off. There is an active early detection radar site about 38 km WSW of the Mickelsen complex. That would make sense.

It may be more practical for Cavalier Air Force Station. The PARCS radar station there can pick up an object about 24 cm in size at about 3200 km and it is pointed in the general direction that missiles travelling from Russia as well.

[mmartin798]

Originally Posted by nuke11

It may be more practical for Cavalier Air Force Station. The PARCS radar station there can pick up an object about 24 cm in size at about 3200 km and it is pointed in the general direction that missiles travelling from Russia as well.

That is precisely the site I was referencing as a better choice.

[nuke11]

Can you send a copy of the map you created? Always looking for new maps people use for the target list.

[mmartin798]

Here is a link to the map.

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resi...nt=photo%2cjpg

The purple circles are airburst warheads and the red are surface warheads. The size of the circles are the limit of the 1 PSI overpressure radius. All the circles are transparent, giving overlapping impact areas a more opaque appearance. All targets are as listed in the 4th edition rulebook.