Posted on 07/10/2006 11:41:09 AM PDT by JZelle
We have no evidence that the U.S. was able to sabotage North Korea's Taepodong-2 missile, which malfunctioned 42 seconds into launch on Tuesday and crashed. But we do note that special operations forces (SOF) are playing an increasing role, overt and covert, in the world under Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's rule. We also note that one of the reasons that SOF procured the powerful .50- caliber Barrett's sniper rifle was to have the capability to disable ballistic missiles. It's a scenario for missile defense you won't see in any literature from the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency: insert a commando behind the lines, who positions himself within shooting range of the launchpad. "One of the original reasons for procuring the .50-caliber sniper system was to disable missiles," a SOF source says. "A round pumped in prior to launch, or during to cover the noise, in the right place would cause a catastrophic malfunction."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Canadian military snipers use 50 cal. rifles. In Afghanistan, in 2002, Cpl. Arron Perry broke the record for longest distance confirmed sniper kill -- his was 2,430 metres. He was awarded a Bronze Star by the U.S. for that (which did not make him popular with the then misruling Liberal government.)
I think this is just so much fart gas by some gun grabber.
.50 cal has max range of about 1.5 to 2 miles, tops, on a good day, with the wind.
Put a pin in Ils launch pad and draw a 3 mile circle around it. (I'm giving and extra mile for the doubters.)
One thing the nokreeks do well, very well, is they guard things.
Now how in hell is even a really good squad gonna get close enough?
OOOHHHH I know! They were circling around in a 747 and shot through an open window!! Damn, forgot about that tactic!!
This is an entirely plausable scenario that has been public knowledge for years.
And that's about all...
During Desert Storm Delta Force and SAS teams behind the lines are well-known to have fired at SCUD missiles from long distances. The bullets ruptured fuel tanks and other vital systems. Most times, the Iraqis didnt even know there had been a shot.
When the scuds were fired, the leaks caused catastrophic failures, which resulted in explosions, Sometimes on the launchers, other times soon after the missiles liften off.
I have read the same reports. It still makes no sense to me to risk the lives of the operators on this kind of mission. We have other assets which do the same job, with less risk to our soldiers. Airborne laser laboratory for one. This article is admittedly complete speculation without specific factual basis from the first sentence of the article.
If I'm not mistaken, going back maybe a year ago there was a video on the internet showing a .50 caliber taking out a Taliban insurgent in Afghanistan. The shot was maybe 500 yards or so, one ridge to the next terrain wise, the victim lying prone on an outcrop was literally blown into the air and came down in pieces. Great video ...
Using the Shuttle as an example of how little things can cause big problems.
More likely a technical failure was the problem. After all the missile sat fueled on the launch pad for close to a week ...something that invites trouble with liquid fueled missiles.
1. It's true, and the DOD wants NK or China to know what we did; or
2. It's false, and Gertz is being used to deliver disinformation.
Probably the latter, to mess with the looney tunes' head.
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