Rocketry

Rocketry and Warfare

When I wrote the current series of articles on rocketry over a week ago, I had no idea we would be seeing another example of rockets in action, in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. Both sides have used rockets so far to avoid the use of ground forces, and are able to destroy targets far from the border without actually invading.

The way that these rockets are being used brings to mind how rockets were first used in the Second World War. When the end of the war neared, Germany had just developed the V2 rocket, and was using it as a last desperate measure to break the back of Britain, which had just barely survived the Blitz of a few years before - had Germany held out and continued bombing for just a few more days, Germany would have been able to invade England. The V2 rockets weren't a success for Germany in terms of turning the tide of war in their favor, but ultimately proved that rockets were a relatively cheap weapon. They were easy to mass produce, less complicated than planes, and didn't require personnel to operate after launch. With the help of a couple of equations, they could be aimed at any target within a given distance and have a good chance of actually hitting it.

Of course, rockets further de-personalize warfare, making it more abstract; casualties are faceless numbers, and the battlefield is reduced to a map.

I hope that no one views these articles in bad taste, and that they are still informative (though perhaps more timely than I would like!)