U.S. ready to unleash weapons

Washington Times ^ | 12.26.02 | Rowan Scarborough

[rs79bm]

The Army plans to quickly deploy its new Shadow 200 spy plane if the United States goes to war against Iraq. In the Persian Gulf, the Navy has America's newest attack jet

[mhking]

"Here come the planes...
They're American planes,
Made in America.
Smoking?
Or non-smoking..."

[Uncle Miltie]

"in the early hours of the war in Afghanistan, an armed Predator saw Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar escaping Kandahar. Permission to fire the Predator's Hellfire missile was delayed at U.S. Central Command."

Given the smoking crater in Yemen, I trust those gloves are off.

[concerned about politics]

In all, the military would bring a new array of weapons, infrared sensors and communications gear to any conflict to change the regime in Baghdad. The new gadgets promise to make the war quicker and less bloody than Desert Storm a decade ago, military analysts say.

I can imagine some of the weaponry or protective devices we have stashed away in case of war. I'd suppose there's a lot we'll never know about unless we're forced to use them.

[trebb]

Smoking - please...

[xkaydet65]

I hope this doesn't sound callous, but I hope that we're not going to show the world everything we have in the ranch.With AlQueda still out there and North Korea sounding insane I'd like to think we are going to keep a few aces in the whole hardware wise.

Those items metioned are either well known or barely classified,but knowing the military today , we all know that there's a ton of stuff at places like Groom Lake or Twenty Nine Palms and the like that even the guys at Popular Mechanics or Revell Models haven't been told about yet.

[txhurl]

Thanks. Good start to the day!

[vikzilla]

"When you roll it all together, I say we're 10 times more powerful,

Holy Sh!t This does not look good for the opposition:)

[DoSomethingAboutIt]

I don't know...wouldn't it be smart to show em what we got so they know exactly what they are messing with? A little deterrence never hurt anyone.

[concerned about politics]

With AlQueda still out there and North Korea sounding insane I'd like to think we are going to keep a few aces in the whole hardware wise.

I don't think they'd put it out there without a back up already developed. Once the enemy knows what we have, they can devise a way to stop it, or make their own.
I'd think the US military would always stay one step ahead.

[EGPWS]

The B-2 can carry 16 2,000-pound bombs.

The B-52's can be used for desparately needed post humanitarian purposes after "B-2" strikes and drop the desparately needed "Charmin" over Bahgdad in a carpet bomb fashion.

[Rummyfan]

IF.... IF there is a war with Iraq, we are going to see such whiz-bang stuff that it will make the Gulf War look prehistoric, technology wise. Just recently a test successfully intercepted and destroyed an artillery shell using a laser or particle beam weapon. Amazing! Of course there will be a lot of complaints from left-wingers and Saddam apologists that we are not fighting 'fair'.

And as to the naysayers in the major media - you know who they are - who will be shouting 'quagmire' and Vietnam, they will be severely disappointed to discover that the US military is no longer fighting Vietnam!

[HiJinx]

Yup.

[concerned about politics]

Of course there will be a lot of complaints from left-wingers and Saddam apologists that we are not fighting 'fair'.

LOL. That would happen, too. No doubt!

[HiJinx]

That technology was demo'd 8 or 9 years ago, but it had many flaws...not the least of which was an accuracy problem. They couldn't even begin to aim the silly bugger!

Now...who knows?

[Freebird Forever]

1st Calvary division ?

Hmmm.....

[1rudeboy]

In 1991, the only Navy plane equipped with laser-guided weapons was the since-retired A-6 Intruder.

Huh?

[DoSomethingAboutIt]

Hmmm...

Please explain...

[txhurl]

Misspelled.

[jimtorr]

The test Rummyfan was referring to took place just a few months ago. It appears that they've solved the aiming problem. Now they're working on making the laser system mobile. Mobile as in taking up only two semi-trailer type shelters.

Laser systems to destroy Katyusha- and Scud-type missiles are already deployed in Israel. Those are not mobile, however, but are more-or-less fixed.

This stuff was developed jointly with DoD contractors and IAI.