Posted on 10/14/2004 3:32:53 PM PDT by dennisw
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
The U.S. military has used Iraq to test a precision bomb designed for targets in urban areas and producing minimal collateral damage.
The U.S. Air Force has conducted the first successful drop of a GBU-38 bomb in combat during a recent mission in Iraq. The bombs were deployed on two F-16 multi-role fighters, which performed a simultaneous GBU-38 release on the same target in central Iraq.
Officials said the 500-pound bombs precisely hit a two-story building occupied by the Tawhid and Jihad group in Faluja with minimal collateral damage. They said this was the first time a GBU-38 was deployed in a demonstration of a smaller munition meant to reduce collateral damage in urban areas, Middle East Newsline reported.
"This was the right weapon for the job," the lead pilot who carried out the mission, identified only as Lt. Col. Mitch, said. "If we used any bigger of a bomb, we would have caused unnecessary damage."
Officials said the GBU-38 provides the U.S. military with a smaller precision weapon for use against urban targets. They said the bomb, which could be deployed on the F-16, would allow for precision strikes at night.
The GBU-38 is composed of an MK-82 with the Joint Direct Attack Munitions guidance system. Officials said the GBU-38 was regarded as much lighter and easier to assemble than most of the other munitions loaded on F-16s. The GBU-38 was said to be significantly smaller and lighter than the GBU-12 and the GBU-31.
"This is a relatively easy bomb to drop," Mitch said. "We simply set the coordinates and deliver the bomb. There's a slight shake in the jet as the bomb is released because [of] the sudden weight reduction, which happens after every drop."
The bomb has been sought by Middle East allies.
Assuming you attained something less than flag rank in the service, protocol generally suggests that you refrain from criticizing the American command with out a more full explanation to support your criticism.. Just a suggestion.
The allies are asking for them and the bad guys have already accepted delivery on two!
Not all that much - terminal velocity you know.
Our Global Positioning Systems (GPS) makes fishing easy.
Boy, "caution" is right. You could be a little less understated with your warnings.
Posted 2/18/2004 11:26 AM
Bowling ball thrown from plane for meteorite study
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Some amateur astronomers were glad they didn't come up with a gutter ball when they went bowling for meteorite craters.
Amateur meteorite hunters successfully dropped a bowling ball out of the sky Friday in the first of a series of experiments they hope will help them identify meteorite craters in the Utah desert.
Two researchers hurled a 14-pound, red-swirl bowling ball out the window of a rented Cessna light plane from 820 feet above the desert near Grantsville.
Patrick Wiggins said the test, which saw the ball sink halfway into the frozen clay, reaped important data. (Related site: Test data)
The impact sprayed "ejecta" in a single direction, indicating the ball had retained forward velocity.
"Now we know what a frozen clay surface might be like" if struck by a meteorite, Wiggins said.
The plan is to keep dropping objects, maybe rocks and iron or slag that more closely simulate meteorites. The experimenters also want to try different altitudes, but they believe it won't be necessary to soar to great heights for their tests. After falling a certain distance, an object stops accelerating because of air resistance. So higher won't get it dropping faster.
"Next time, we are going to go a bit higher. We are trying to get where it will fall straight down, as a meteorite would," Wiggins said, but most important, "the test showed we could do this without hurting anybody."
Federal Bureau of Land Management officials were uneasy about the test, worried that the experiments could endanger the people, animals, weather stations, land-speed record setters and automobile commercial filmmakers indigenous to the Salt Flats.
To sidestep BLM red tape for the first test, Wiggins got permission to drop the ball on private property owned by Bonneville Seabase, a scuba diving facility at spring-fed ponds in Tooele County.
He also consulted Federal Aviation Administration officials to confirm the flight would not violate any rules.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/science/2004-02-18-bowling-ball_x.htm
Using lower grade technology cost human lives. I have worked on the GBU bombs they can get to within inchs of targets as long as they are programed properly. If you use different dumb bombs. that can cause collateral damamge. using troops going in a clearing these building, sets those troops up for ambush posibilities. This is the best that we have, and coming and a good time.
You got Kerry figured out. He can then say he voted for it if it is a good thing and against it if it turns out bad.
A basic Mk-82 GP bomb costs somewhere between 2 to 4 hundred dollars.
And yes, the GPS type JDAM system is the best-bang-for-the-buck going in precision weapon systems.
Times such as these we all miss old Curtis........:o(
He was a crazy futhermucker.....back when men were men and sheep were afraid !
I like big craters too ! But ya already knew that....:o)
it is easy to accuse people of group think. Look at some of the responses. Yes we do think likeminded here. That is what you get when you design a web page for like minded people to come and visit, but if you look at each individual and their posts. Do what they say really come across as group thinking." (by the way using the word groupthink... That is so George Orwell 1984.)
That being said. What could have done to fight "harder" or attacking the Mosques? If we conduct attacks willy nilly on the mosques or went in an clear them all out and tossed them looking for weapons it would be an afront to Islam. We tried to be respectful of the Iraq people. The GBU's and their accuracy was another means by which we could limit that damage outside of the intended target. It seems to have worked too.
Explain, please.
Otherwise, somebody might get the mistaken notion that you are a defeatist troll.
So it's smaller bomb?.... would that make it a "baby boomer"?
"If we used any bigger ... bomb, we would have caused unnecessary damage."
IMHO, all the damage in that hornets' nest is NECESSARY.
Sombbody must have thought about this as well! How about a radio controlled device that carries a remotely operated device on wheels that can be manouvered into position and then be blown up!
I'm telling you! he's the politicians politician, If he is elected, technically he can never be wrong! more fool us if that happens.
Let me introduce you to an established wisdom at FR: When a poster starts complaining about "group think" it's half-over. Say your piece and don't complain.
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