FOBS.

This is coolbert:

Here IS a Soviet missile system from the period of the Cold War that DID give American military planners the "willies".

wil·lies: – noun - Informal. nervousness or fright; jitters; creeps (usually prec. by the)

The Fractional Orbital Bombardment System. FOBS!!

A uniquely Soviet missile system [no American counter-part even in the consideration or developmental stage!!] that would have given the Soviet a marked advantage in the instance of a global nuclear war.

A weapon that could have been used to give the Soviet an ability to "decapitate" the American command and control leadership.

A missile system that would place a warhead in orbit around the earth. A warhead that on command by radio signal would fire a retro-rocket, returning to earth to explode over a designated target.

Different from all existing versions of intercontinental ballistic missiles at the time.

"It had no range limit and the orbital flight path would not reveal the target location."

"This would allow a path to North America over the South Pole, hitting targets from the south, which is the opposite direction from which NORAD early warning systems are oriented."

American radar systems designed to detect missiles launched from the Soviet Union to the U.S. were pointed toward Siberia, expecting a ballistic flight path OVER THE NORTH POLE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY!!

SUCH A MISSILE SYSTEM, IF DEPLOYED AND USED, WOULD HAVE GIVEN THE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. A GRAND TOTAL OF FIVE MINUTES TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF A SOVIET ATTACK, IF SUCH AN ATTACK WAS EVEN RECOGNIZED!!

Read the short history of FOBS:

THE SOVIET FRACTIONAL ORBITAL BOMBARDMENT SYSTEM (FOBS):

A SHORT HISTORY

"Why did the Soviet government approve such projects when the United States refrained from exploring similar options?"

[they did intend on an eventual nuclear war with the U.S. and the destruction of the latter, and were intent on using every means to do so!!??]

coolbert.