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2004-11-22 Home Front: Tech

Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement

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Posted by Steve 2004-11-22 10:00:32 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Math. A B-52 bomber drops 51- 500lb bombs. If each bomb is independently and effectively targeted on a "pursuit curve", a single plane can wipe out every vehicle in a moving armored battallion simultaneously. Ow.

Posted by Anonymoose 2004-11-22 10:49:54 AM|| 2004-11-22 10:49:54 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 More math: "A JDAM, dropped at 20,000 feet, ten kilometers from the target, takes about five minutes to reach the ground." That's about 36,000 feet total distance in 300 seconds, or an average speed of 120 feet per second-- barely 80 miles per hour. Minor nit, I know, but someone's math is WAAAAY off here.

Posted by Dave D. 2004-11-22 11:02:03 AM|| 2004-11-22 11:02:03 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 This is cool, but I would have hoped that they (the AF and Navy both) were able to hit a moving ship before this. Their granddaddy's did it with an ironsight, afterall. ;)

Posted by Laurence of the Rats 2004-11-22 11:14:50 AM|| [http://www.punictreachery.com/] 2004-11-22 11:14:50 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Have they tested this on slow moving targets? I'm thinking Michael Moore in a brisk waddle would be a good test.

Posted by Justrand 2004-11-22 11:15:16 AM|| 2004-11-22 11:15:16 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Dave - It looks like someone, a lazy someone, "cheated" and used the standard Terminal Velocity - of a skydiver, not a bomb. Here's a good page for the actual math involved...

Posted by .com 2004-11-22 12:23:18 PM|| 2004-11-22 12:23:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Heck, that's slow even for a skydiver; isn't the terminal velocity for a plummetting human about 125 mph or so?

Just an "enginer's guesstimate", but I would think a bomb of this sort would normally impact at around 400 to 500 mph; and in the case given, would have a time in flight of about 60 seconds.

Posted by Dave D. 2004-11-22 12:49:40 PM|| 2004-11-22 12:49:40 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Okay, of Michael Moore skydiving, lol! You're right, about the skydiver's Terminal Velocity, when trying to achieve max speed is 120-125 MPH, IIRC. When not trying to do so, the "standard" position, I believe it is in the 80-90 MPH range. Any hardcore skydivers out there? I've only had 3 static jumps - no freefall - and those were 25 yrs ago, lol!

Posted by .com 2004-11-22 1:01:14 PM|| 2004-11-22 1:01:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 I love that name, "Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement." Sounds like the copy from an infomercial:

"Now, engaging surface targets is surprisingly affordable! . . . "

Posted by Mike 2004-11-22 2:47:44 PM|| 2004-11-22 2:47:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 It's simply not fair.

Posted by Whipper-In Barbie 2004-11-22 5:41:23 PM|| 2004-11-22 5:41:23 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 It's simply not fair.
Of COURSE it's not fair! That's why we can live our peaceful lives here in the States, without the threat of military encroachment, and why Europe has been able to live pretty darned well under the shield of US military might. We aren't fair - we play to win. There is no prize for second place in a war.

Posted by Old Patriot 2004-11-22 6:18:21 PM|| [http://users.codenet.net/mweather/default.htm] 2004-11-22 6:18:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 That's the problem Mr. Patriot, don't you agree Brazil should have won Miss Congeniality in the last war? You know, WW Deuce.

Posted by Whipper-In Barbie 2004-11-22 6:59:12 PM|| 2004-11-22 6:59:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 At the rate weapons are being invented/improved, the Air Force is going to end up almost solely as attack support for the Army, Navy and Marines. We'd better ramp up the Space program again, to give the Top Gun types something exciting to do ;-)

Posted by trailing wife 2004-11-22 8:15:04 PM|| 2004-11-22 8:15:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Russian military editors are expressing opinions that Russian aircraft carriers should remain small but capable of multi-purpose missions, to include attacks against American surface ships, air defense, and submarines via UAV/UV's. I believe the latter is what Putin really meant by Russia dev weapons that no other nations will have. The Russians know America and its USDOD will be ready for any trad ICBM [fixed silo-mobile-rail], Heavy Bomber, or SSBN/FBM or SurfWar missle and CM attack, hypersonic or not, MIRVed/MRVed or not. This leaves open dedicated, aymmetric Underwater Warfare such that Subs or dedicated surface ships can launch "smart" or "brilliant" missles or UV's capable of remote- or independent UNDERWATER/SUBSURFACE
maneuver and evasion, and won't "pop-up" above-water until the very last moments. ALso, a while back the Russians and Euros were talking about dev underwater, unmanned, commidity tranports capable of being attached andor being remotely controlled by a mother sub [or surface ship], akin to an UW merchant fleet - REPLACE OIL, MINERALS, AND WHEAT WITH HI-TECH MISSLES, CM's, AND ARMED UV's, AND WHAT ONE HAS IS AN UNDERWATER, OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE, HIGHLY MOBILE MISSLE BASE/STATION THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO FIRE ITS ASSETS UNTIL AFTER IT PENETRATES GMD AND IS NEAR THE US MAINLAND - notsomuch Long-Range attack, but "near abroad" or poximity attack, as the USA must still obey International Treatises and Laws of the Sea. The greatest reason for China to have KILO-class subs and the like is if it intends to extend it naval and geopol mil reach beyond the littorals of East Asia.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2004-11-22 10:16:54 PM|| [http://n/a] 2004-11-22 10:16:54 PM|| Front Page Top

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