U.S. war technology easily takes out Russian systems

World Tribune ^ | 26 March 2003 | World Tribune

[LSUfan]

The United States might face a hard road in its war against Iraq. But U.S. technology has already won a victory over Russian-origin military systems in the arsenal of President Saddam Hussein.

U.S. officials said the American military has prevailed over Russian systems and technical expertise provided to Iraq. They said the Russian supply of satellite jamming and other electronic warfare systems has not affected allied operations against Iraqi forces.

[wideawake]

Russian tech may seem impressive to a primitive Iraqi, but it's no match for US hardware.

Russia: the whitest Third World country.

[bucephalus]

"Russia: the whitest Third World country."

I guess you mean this like in the sense of "the other white meat."

[Grampa Dave]

One can only hope that 100's of Russian Mafia/KGB thugs were around each GPS blocker when they were taken out.

Russian Mafia/KGB thugs and their poster boy Putrid are enemies of America and the free world.

[marron]

It is important to remember that Iraq was essentially a Warsaw Pact nation. Its army was armed and trained by the Soviets, who were embedded in its high command and its intelligence services.

So, while we did give aid to Saddam during the Iran Iraq war, it is wrong to say, as some do, that we created Saddam. Trying to peel him away from the Soviets was a major goal during the Cold War, and explains some of our support for him against Iran (that, and Iranian treatment of our embassy personnel).

But when we fought him in Gulf War 1, we were fighting Warsaw Pact weapons and doctrine. Our rapid victory was a final humiliation of the crumbling Soviet Union.

[Desecrated]

Can someone tell me how we know these were taken out? I heard a report that said something like "the US destroyed 3 GPS jammers today." How do we know how many specifically and where they were? Seems fishy to me. And obviously incorrect that the US millitary would spend millions on R & D for GPS bombs and not take into account a "jammer" made out of spare radio shack parts. Nice try Russkies.

[rudypoot]

"Russian experts said U.S. technology has yet to demonstrate that it can defeat Iraqi irregular forces. They said that so far the U.S. military has not realized its war plans.

"Iraqi tactics are effectively countering the coalition's technological advantage," Gen. Andrei Nikolaev, the chairman of the Russian parliament's Defense Committee, said."

That's hilarious. If effective countering consists of holding the coalion's advance to 300 miles in 5 days then I wonder what ineffective countering would be.

[telebob]

The Russians are born carnies....

[Blood of Tyrants]

When Putin said that the Russians didn't sell Iraq GPS jammer technology, he didn't lie. Also, since we have proven that the technology doesn't work, why waste bombs on them?

[wideawake]

How do we know how many specifically and where they were?

I presume we know because they are RF weapons and their RF signalling is traceable.

[wideawake]

I'll bet General Nikolaev wishes the US would adopt the winning tactics which served the Russians so admirably in Afghanistan.

[wideawake]

When Putin said that the Russians didn't sell Iraq GPS jammer technology, he didn't lie.

Do you have external confirmation on the veracity of this semiretired KGB agent?

[dark_lord]

Well, since clearly the "GPS jammer" boxes sold by the Russians to the Iraqis don't work...then I guess he is right -- they didn't actually sell GPS jammer technology, now did they? Heh.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Yes, whatever they sold Iraq, it wasn't GPS jamming technology because it didn't work. Saddam was sold a pig in a poke.

[Poohbah]

Can someone tell me how we know these were taken out? I heard a report that said something like "the US destroyed 3 GPS jammers today." How do we know how many specifically and where they were?

Because the GPS jammers emit (surprisingly enough) on GPS frequencies.

You simply listen for GPS signals coming from (hang on to your hat here) THE GROUND.

[Redcloak]

I especially like the part where we killed a GPS jammer with a GPS-guided bomb. Sweet.

[expatpat]

Let's not go overboard, though -- the Russky equipment in Iraq is old stuff, not their best. For example, most of the Iraqi tanks are T-55s dating from 1955.

[demosthenes the elder]

yeah, I was wondering how anyone thought those gewgaws would work or last very long. Had they never heard of HARM rockets and Wild Weasels?

[monday]

"But when we fought him in Gulf War 1, we were fighting Warsaw Pact weapons and doctrine. Our rapid victory was a final humiliation of the crumbling Soviet Union."

It might have been if the Soviet Union hadn't ceased to exist two years before. Let me refresh your memory. The Soviet Union breathed it's last in 1989 during Reagans second term. Gulf War 1 was in 1991 during G Bushes term.

[monday]

"Can someone tell me how we know these were taken out? "

They are housed in large domes. They look like telescope observatories or large radar installations. Easy to spot from the air. They are a bit larger than a few radio shack spare parts but they don't work any better. The Russian company that sold them conned the Iraqis.

This story came out months ago and the US Military has never been worried about the jammers. Makes one wonder why the White House is making such a big deal out of it now?