Posted on 03/24/2003 11:03:03 AM PST by Axion
Predator UAV Employed in Non-Traditional SEAD Summary
Mar 24, 2003
The U.S. military has employed a Predator unmanned aerial vehicle to attack air defenses near Basra. This attack suggests CENTCOM is employing a limited and non-traditional strategy for tactical air defense suppression to facilitate close air support.
Analysis
The U.S. military has reportedly employed an armed RQ-1A Predator unmanned aerial vehicle for the first time in the war in Iraq. The Predator reportedly fired a Hellfire II missile against an Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery position near Basra.
Employment of the UAV suggests the United States has begun suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) operations in key locales, albeit in a non-traditional manner. SEAD operations usually rely on "Wild Weasel" aircraft, which fly into areas of active air defense and fire HARM anti-radiation missiles that home in on the emissions of air defense targeting radars. The United States has, for some time, employed a second approach to SEAD in Iraq, using precision-guided munitions against known air defense command and control nodes.
The trouble is, Iraq has not been cooperative. It has not turned on its radars -- instead employing anti-aircraft artillery in a zone defense of the skies over major cities and military units. It also has moved its air defense assets around frequently, and concealed them in urban areas, rendering the intelligence necessary to program precision-guided munitions hard to come by. These are tactics Iraq learned from Yugoslavia's war with the United States, and while they have done nothing to stave off attacks by cruise missiles and standoff weapons, they continue to threaten close air support by helicopters and A-10 aircraft.
Use of the Predator suggests the United States now is evolving its tactics. The Predator, designed on a reconnaissance platform, is able to identify anti-aircraft systems regardless of whether their radars are on. And with its two Hellfire missiles, the Predator can target anti-aircraft systems before they have a chance to relocate. Finally, the pilotless Predator is a disposable platform, at least when compared with an F-16 fighter jet, allowing it to be used in the still-dangerous Iraqi air defense environment.
While there are not enough of the slow and lightly armed Predators to provide effective SEAD across Iraq, they may prove effective in facilitating specific close air support missions. Units in need of close air support while combating enemy forces backed by air defense artillery can call in Predators to clear the way for A-10s and attack helicopters.
While there are not enough of the slow and lightly armed Predators to provide effective SEAD across Iraq
One hundred and twenty of these were required at the start; only five are reported functional in the theatre of operations.
The Iraqis should consider this a gift from me on behalf of FreeRepublic.com !!
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