Introduction
I have zero knowledge about ICBM and the military. I do have a strong background in computer and technology. For the fun of it, I try ICBM and this is the first document about Smart-Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (S-ICBM) from the view of technology and computer perspectives. ICBM, in my IT envision, it can carry a single warhead, multiple warheads, or clustered warheads depending on the target(s).
Entity Capability
The S-ICBM is connected to GPS enabling it to know its location throughout its flight. It also has a wireless communication to Satellite to provide its current GPS location and allows C3 and others to monitor, control, and set a new target depending on the emerging threats and new target acquisition in real time.
The Satellites provide the mean of communication between S-ICBM, Command Control Center (C3), Battleships, Submarines, and Fighter Jet Pilots. They all have GPS devices and know their respective locations and can share information and see the same information at the same time.
Smart ICBM
In order for an ICBM to be able to defend itself from emerging threats, it needs to be smart in changing route, launching defensive attack, creating confusion, like flare, and escaping toward the intended target. This is the S-ICBM. Otherwise, it would be a dumb ICBM which is defenseless when it enters hostile space. The target is initially set before launch and allowed to re-set while in flight.
Warhead
ICBM could have multiple configurations to carry various sizes of warhead. It could carry one, multiple (up to 4), or clustered warheads depending on the targets. All ICBMs have great devastating results and consequences. A single warhead would have a big centralized impact and the damaged boundary is limited with a certain range. With clustered warheads, there would be a lot of small uncentralized impacts but the damaged boundary would be bigger.
Command Control Center (C3)
C3 would need to have state of the art tools and technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data Storage, Heuristic Search, Rule Engine, Rules, Facts, Reasoning, Security, powerful physical servers, and etc.
Computer hardware and software
ICBM would need to have a hardware to deploy software and hardware device drivers for GPS, wireless communication, sensors, and navigation. One of the key functionality of the software is to be able to send its current target location and allow it to set to new location after authentication and authorization are completed.
I have created a plain simple microservice using Java and Spring Boot and its source code is located in GitHub https://github.com/RichardVYang/ICBM-Microservice-1.
It stores the target GPS location. It provides RESTful APIs to get and set target location. Encryption, authentication, and authorization are left out for customization.
Conclusion
As I mentioned in the introduction section, this is for fun and it will not be applicable to the military or defense. However, I believe that powerful/fast computer, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, completed data gathering, fast searching key information from big structured and unstructured data storage and processing, and providing reliable key information to human to manage risk, and take plausible and sensible action is critical for success and winning for military as well as for business.