Maunder

This is coolbert:

During the month of August [2008], for the entire month, for the first time in ninety-five [95] years, NO SUNSPOTS were seen on the sun!

There is a potential military significance to this?

The sun [OUR SOL!], is going into a quiescent period? A Maunder Minimum. A time, perhaps to last for decades, of relative inactivity on the sun?

NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS BEEN SEEN IN ALMOST FOUR HUNDRED YEARS!

COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON LONG-RANGE MILITARY COMMUNICATIONS!!

Long-range communications utilizing the high-frequency [HF] band. From three to thirty megahertz [3-30 MHZ!]. Frequencies commonly referred to as “short-wave”! A communications band heavily used, at least until recently, by military ground, naval, and aviation assets.

If and when a Maunder Minimum does occur, the “short-wave” band will be rendered ineffective? NO ionization of the upper atmosphere from sunspot activity, NO HF possible? A military severely hampered by an inability to communicate worldwide?

[naval commanders, in the days of sail, were quite often unable to communicate with higher headquarters for months on end, if that. A naval officer, often of lower rank, was considered to be endowed with powers of almost a plenipotentiary nature, able to engage in hostilities or conduct negotiations with adversaries at his discretion, lacking in instruction from higher authority! Such has the nature of warfare at sea changed with the advent of long-range, reliable, almost instantaneous HF radio communication!!]

To a large extent, a Maunder Minimum will not bother the current military? SATCOM [satellite communication] is now embedded at all levels of command, at least in the American military? U.S. Army Ranger units, for instance, have portable SATCOM transceivers and micro-dish antennae as part of their standard TO&E! Allow for instantaneous and reliable communications to and fro any part of the world!

Some of you may even remember the Iridium network. A system of satellites allowing for instantaneous communications via telephone handset between any two points on the planet. A system that went defunct after less than a year. Kept in operation as the behest of the U.S. government. Seems the American military had purchased several thousands handsets, to be issued on demand to U.S. military units when deploying to isolated and remote parts of the world!

Long-range radio communications will still be possible for American military units, even if a Maunder Minimum occurs? SATCOM obviates any worry about NOT being able to communicate via the traditional HF spectrum? BUT - - IF - - a hostile nation such as China begins to shoot-down those satellites in time of war, what then??

coolbert.