Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Raytheon-made shell kills al-Qaeda leader, U.S. says
Arizon Daily Star ^ | July 17, 2007 | Tony Capaccio

Posted on 07/18/2007 10:10:35 AM PDT by RDTF

WASHINGTON - A Raytheon Co. satellite-guided artillery shell, the first weapon of its kind, killed a top al- Qaeda leader in Iraq, the U.S. military said. The firing of two new 155mm “Excalibur” shells was part of a combined Army and Air Force assault July 14 on a meeting house in Arab Jabour south of Baghdad directed against the leader, Abu Jurah, and 14 associates, U.S. forces said today. Raytheon, the world’s biggest missile maker and Southern Arizona’s largest employer, developed the Excalibur with Bofors Defence of Sweden. The statement e-mailed from Baghdad said Abu Jurah was “the top target” in al-Qaeda south of Baghdad, responsible for a terrorist cell that made improvised roadside bombs and suicide vehicle bombs and fired mortars at U.S. troops.

The attack marked the U.S. military’s first acknowledgement that the new precision-guided weapon has been used in Iraq. In combat testing before deployment, the weapon demonstrated accuracy within 20 feet (6 meters) of its target, a precision designed to minimize civilian casualties and accidental U.S. military deaths in a war that is increasingly urban. An unguided 155mm shell can miss its target by as much as 900 feet or 280 meters. The Excalibur has a 50-pound warhead. The Army wanted a weapon with a much smaller warhead than the 200- pound charge on its only precision guided ground-based mobile rocket system, officials said. Abu Jurah was killed by troops from the Army’s 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery Regiment, who fired the two Excalibur shells, destroying the meeting house, the statement said.

-snip-

(Excerpt) Read more at azstarnet.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: abujurah; airforce; alqaeda; alqaedainiraq; army; artillery; defensecontractors; excalibur; iraq; miltech; raytheon; sweden; wot
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-113 next last
To: RDTF

Fantastic! Got to see this weapon being tested on Futureweapons a few months ago. This is one very impressive system. Superior precision fire power indeed.


21 posted on 07/18/2007 10:26:59 AM PDT by Kolb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RDTF

“the weapon demonstrated accuracy within 20 feet (6 meters) of its target”, Osama!....Better to stay in the cave when you have to poop!


22 posted on 07/18/2007 10:27:43 AM PDT by AngelesCrestHighway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RDTF
Score 1 for the Battlekings

and the Paladin

Well done boys!

23 posted on 07/18/2007 10:29:49 AM PDT by frithguild (The Freepers moved as a group, like a school of sharks sweeping toward an unaware and unarmed victim)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VOA

I saw that episode, they fired it about 15 deg. off of target and it still hit dead nuts on. I was wondering when we might be hearing about those...


24 posted on 07/18/2007 10:29:55 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly catching hell for posting without reading the article since 2004)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: RDTF

Reach out and BOOM! someone!


25 posted on 07/18/2007 10:30:18 AM PDT by TruthFactor (The Death of Nations... pornography, homosexuality, abortion)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: montag813

That should go on the cover of their annual reports to stockholders!


26 posted on 07/18/2007 10:32:18 AM PDT by stm (Fred Thompson in 08! Return our country to the era of Reagan Conservatism)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: demsux

According to another article many survived the initial attack. Apache’s then used their missiles, followed up by two 500 pounders from F16’s. Based on that I don’t think these new shells were successful at all.


27 posted on 07/18/2007 10:33:17 AM PDT by Moonman62 (The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: RDTF

Do these shells control their movement by means of fins?


28 posted on 07/18/2007 10:34:38 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick (The articles posted by me needn't necessarily reflect my opinion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RDTF
Anyone wanna watch it?

here is the link to a live leak video of the attack.

(If someone could tell me the html tags to embed a video, I will do that next time.)

29 posted on 07/18/2007 10:38:35 AM PDT by No Truce With Kings (The opinions expressed are mine! Mine! MINE! All Mine!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CarrotAndStick
Do these shells control their movement by means of fins?
Yes. You can check out Raytheon's website at www.raytheon.com to get information on what they make. There is a link to Raytheon Missile Systems. You want the guided projectile products page. Great reading material!
30 posted on 07/18/2007 10:39:51 AM PDT by wjcsux ("You leave out God, and you substitute the devil."- Winston Curchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: wjcsux

Thanks!


31 posted on 07/18/2007 10:42:34 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick (The articles posted by me needn't necessarily reflect my opinion.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: CarrotAndStick
>>>Do these shells control their movement by means of fins?<<<

If its the one that was on "Weaponology" on The Discovery Channel.....yes, fins and on-board GPS receiver. They aren't cheap...but their damned effective!!!

32 posted on 07/18/2007 10:43:14 AM PDT by HardStarboard (Take No Prisoners - We're Out of Qurans)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: No Truce With Kings

All they are going to need to clean up that mess is a mop and some buckets


33 posted on 07/18/2007 10:49:40 AM PDT by stm (Fred Thompson in 08! Return our country to the era of Reagan Conservatism)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: RDTF

This is big in terms of shaking up AQ leadership because they no doubt have relied on US fears on collateral damage in choosing their resting places. Now, taking refuge in even populated areas could make it their last resting place.


34 posted on 07/18/2007 10:50:33 AM PDT by LZ_Bayonet (There's Always Something.............And there's always something worse!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RDTF

$39,000 apiece - same as lobbing in a new Mercedes.


35 posted on 07/18/2007 10:50:35 AM PDT by glorgau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: glorgau

An interesting news story would be to contrast the efforts and expense the U.S. forces incur to limit casualties among non-combatants to the extremes the terrorists will go to in order to maximize causalities among non-combatants.

With WWII methods and the lethality of modern munitions, there wouldn’t be an insurgency.


36 posted on 07/18/2007 10:57:26 AM PDT by Deut28 (Cursed be he who perverts the justice)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: All

There is nothing like ordnance right on target!


37 posted on 07/18/2007 10:59:55 AM PDT by wingsof liberty
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: VOA

I seen that show, it was amazing. A world away from what we had in the 60’s and early 70’s.


38 posted on 07/18/2007 11:00:10 AM PDT by Graycliff (Long haired freaky people, need not apply.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Moonman62
According to another article many survived the initial attack. Apache’s then used their missiles, followed up by two 500 pounders from F16’s. Based on that I don’t think these new shells were successful at all.

Ohfercryinoutloud. The shells hit the house square on and blew up real good. That counts as "success" in any reasonable analysis.

39 posted on 07/18/2007 11:00:53 AM PDT by r9etb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: montag813

I love it!


40 posted on 07/18/2007 11:02:06 AM PDT by andy58-in-nh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-113 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson