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| Ground Moving Target System Hits Tank With JDAM |
| 2003-12-23 |
| EFL: In the early October test of the Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement (AMSTE) system, a Northrop Grumman-led team used two Ground Moving Target Indicator radar sources and a U.S. Air Force F-16 carrying a live Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) weapon to detect, track and obliterate a remotely driven M-60 tank moving through a congested and potentially confusing traffic environment. Just prior to the engagement, the tank crossed paths with several vehicles at an intersection. The AMSTE tracking system successfully maintained track through the confusion. That’ll come in handy. The test team used two radar systems developed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems to track the tank. An APY-7 system installed on a Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) test-bed aircraft flew 100 kilometers from the target. A prototype Joint Strike Fighter active electronically scanned array aboard a BAC 1-11 flew 35 kilometers from the target. The F-16, flying at 20,000 feet, was more than 11 kilometers from the target when it dropped the GPS-guided weapon. As the JDAM fell, it received location information on the tank from the Joint STARS that was so precise that the live bomb hit the tank directly on its turret completely destroying the tank. Cool, with this precision you can use smaller JDAMS and hit more targets per mission. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #8 I knew I'd see the day where a blivet could be as deadly as a live round on soft targets. Using the 'classical' def for blivet, I guess? :) No wonder Crazy Col. Mo gave up, it's over. |
| Posted by: 4thInfVet 2003-12-23 11:45:24 PM |
| #7 I knew I'd see the day where a blivet could be as deadly as a live round on soft targets. Just didnt expect to see it so soon on a hard target. Dropped from a bomber flying 600MPH at 40K ft, thats a lot of kinetic energy, even if it were just a guided concrete block. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2003-12-23 11:32:35 PM |
| #6 "Mahmoud and I will never surrender. (SPLAT) Well, Mahmoud will never surrender." |
| Posted by: Matt 2003-12-23 5:34:19 PM |
| #5 It's all relative. The US can afford it. Everybody else (what don't speak Anglish) it's like looking at a Dreadnaught. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-23 5:25:10 PM |
| #4 Next step in the project: "What seat did you say he was sitting in?" No warhead necessary -- just attach a tag to the side facing the target with the immortal words "That was your left nut... NOW are you willing to negotiate?" |
| Posted by: snellenr 2003-12-23 5:17:45 PM |
| #3 They should give a few to the IDF. They can cast up a couple of concrete bombs and send them to Hamas leaders in time for Christmas, or at least New Years. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-12-23 4:29:18 PM |
| #2 You can now JDAM a particular vehicle in a traffic stream. Use a concrete-filled practice bomb with a live guidance system (the "Acme Guided Anvil Mk1") and you have a nifty little assassination weapon with low-to-no collateral damage. Think of the possible uses! |
| Posted by: Mike 2003-12-23 4:03:54 PM |
| #1 Nice, that the word Affordable is right there in the name. "So, what sort of weapon systems do you offer?" "Oh, both kinds! The Affordable system, and - er, the other one." |
| Posted by: BH 2003-12-23 3:44:31 PM |