Delta 21
Delta 21The URL for the distorted photo is http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/15/gen.attack.on.terror/story.koram.village.ap.jpg, and the URL for the story linked in #48 by Steve 0113 is http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/14/ret.koram.village/.
Did CNN run TWO stories on how the USA is bombing and maiming the poor innocent Taliban, or did they yank the distorted photo from the story after you posted this thread?
EDS. PLEASE NOTE: ADDS TO XEM107, TRANSMITTED OCT. 14, 2001, THAT OBJECT IS THE SAME AS THAT PICTURED IN XEM110 TRANSMITTED THE SAME DAY. INCREASED SIZE IS DUE TO WIDE ANGLE LENS USED FOR XEM107--In this image made while under Taliban escort, a resident from a nearby village walks next to ordnance Sunday, Oct. 14, 2001, in the village of Karam, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Jalalabad, Afghanistan. Taliban officials brought a group of foreign journalists to Karam Sunday to show them the damage caused by what they claim was a U.S. air attack. Type of ordnance in photo could not be confirmed. (AP Photo/Enric Marti)
Looks like they may lurk here, eh? ;-)
What was initially confusing was the one photograph taken by AP photographer Enric Marti showing the Afghan at the bottom of the slope in the background. This gave a totally wrong perspective of the “grey object” making it appear many times greater than it actually was. The grey scheme also is misleading and several people jumped on the theory of a jettisoned fuel tank. US Navy bomb bodies are covered with a special grey thermal protection coating to allow them to be stored aboard the carriers. This is designed to extend the cook off time of the weapon. The ultimate giveaway to the identity would have been three yellow painted nosebands, but as you can see the nose section is completely stripped by impact damage.
The second image showing the Afghans standing next to gives a true size comparison of the object. The crucial evidence to the identity of this object is in the video that was filmed by Western journalists allowed into the village. Afghans are shown picking up part of the intact strakes that once surrounded the unexploded MK-84 bomb body. Villagers are also shown handling pieces from the tail fins/guidance kit that was once attached to the flange which can be seen in the photograph looking down on the unexploded bomb. The ultimate giveaway is the stencilling on this tail fin unit found in the debris of the village to the rear of this weapon is the stencil of “USE WITH A. (second letter missing on piece) IMU ONLY.” IMU stands for Inertial Measurement Unit and is part of the guidance unit mounted in the tail fin section of the weapon.
To those who suggested that it is an F-16 fuel tank are also incorrect. No F-16s are taking part in Enduring Freedom. This object share no fuel tank characteristics such as seams, stand-pipes or any other openings that are clearly visible on external fuel tanks. Neither Tomcat nor Hornet external fuel tanks have this lug positioning. Hornet fuel tanks have clear visible bolted areas down the starboard side. What you can see behind the flattened first lug on the bomb is the fuse well of the ordnance.
Furthermore in the video an Afghan is seen sitting on the 2.000 pound weapon with his feet easily on the ground. No fuel tank is that small from either a Hornet or Tomcat. The second photograph is the clue to the size of this object and a comparison can be made with the size of a MK-84 bomb body minus the tail unit. US Navy China Lake weapons test complex openly publish the size of a Mk-84 JDAM as being 152.46 inches with the tail fin kit being 51.04 inches this leaves the length of the object as being 101.42 inches. The video also shows close ups of the flat area to the rear and the flange for the fitment of the tail fin unit is clearly visible. The distance between the two mounting lugs is 30 inches.
A small debate broke out after this first image link (“very small Afghan in background”) was posted on a Usenet military forum. Some posters immediately jumped on the external jettisoned fuel tank theory due to the colouring and the apparent size of this object.
The following is from post is from a former AV-8 Harrier pilot after viewing a higher resolution copy of the image:
"Hey, thanks for the scan--much better than the original! You know, before seeing that, I was leaning toward drop tank, but with the better resolution you can see the front lug is almost flattened against the body, with no deformation of the body of the object. I can't imagine a thin-skinned drop tank deforming like that, and the bolts at the rear look like the butt end of the standard GP bomb where you bolt on the tail assembly--so GP bomb body now gets my vote."
This reply is from MSgt in the USAF.
"I've got to agree - I saw the broadcast video a few hours ago. Definitely the right size for a 2,000 lb. bomb, missing the rear fin assemblies."
I serve in the RAF on and airbase in England and I've shown the photographs/links and video to the following:
Two RAF Weapons Technicians, an RAF EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Warrant Officer and a USAF weapons analyst. They all concur that the "object" shown in the photographs and the video are one and the same and it is unexploded ordnance with the fuse well head (behind the first - bent lug) being the giveaway to these guys. (This is what we get up to when we are bored sitting in the rear with the gear!) The other giveaway is the rear of this "object" with the flange showing in detail on the video where the tail kit had once been. They also immediately recognised the JDAM strakes that the villagers were handling. These strakes are intact and they wouldn't be handling them if they had not come off an unexploded weapon.
The target was the cave system surrounding this village in the mountainsides. Villagers also confirmed that journalists who saw tracks leading up to them in the area also confirmed caves. The video also shows the steep mountainsides surrounding this village and the EOD guy I showed the video to puts a theory that the bomb hit its intended target on the mountainside, obviously did not detonate, and careered down the slope ripping off the detachable strakes (left intact) and shredding the tail unit off the weapons rear flange. Also bear in mind that the villagers were trying to recover bodies and may also have unearthed the weapon in their attempts. Pentagon briefed on the Koram strike and detailed the following:
"I think everybody was surprised by the length of the fire afterwards. It went on for 3-1/2 to four hours. And I think it's still speculation on exactly what that was"
2000 pound JDAM with all pieces intact.
This diagram shows all the component assemblies of the JDAM showing the telltale strakes and tail fin unit containing the satellite guidance kit etc.
In summary the colour of the unexploded bomb grey is the giveaway to the service dropping this weapon. US Navy. The F/A-18 Hornet flying off the carriers are delivering these munitions over Afghanistan. Object in photographs/video is an MK-84 (2000 pound) JDAM dropped from an F/A-18 Hornet that failed to detonate on the mountainside – careered down the slope shedding its bolt on stabilizing strakes and its tail fin unit which the villages are seen picking up from the rubble.