barbarrossa -> RE: Curious if the "hex" will ever be retired. (8/4/2004 9:36:19 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: ZOOMIE1980 quote:
ORIGINAL: barbarrossa quote:
ORIGINAL: Mr.Frag quote:
Sorry, I'll have to disagree with you on the SPY 1 stuff, Frag. Maybe you mean the illuminators (I don't think they are used on SPY 1B, though. Patriot didn't have an "illuminator" per se either, just another horn in the array.) Mk 13 Radar, main battery FC on the Iowa BB's in th '80's had a max range of 80,000 yds. AN/SPG 55B had a maximum tracking range of 300,000 yds. And it was an FC radar that got its start in the '60s. I think the conversion of yards to miles greatly exceeds 40. I'll wager SPY 1 goes quite a bit farther. Don't confuse *slant* range with range at sea level. The SPY system is great at nailing inbound missiles at high altitudes because it can see them. Think it is good to about 150 miles solo without any airborne help. Against surface targets and cruise missiles the horizon of the earth interferes and dramatically alters it's range abilities. the Patriot is another good example. Against cruise missiles, it is pretty much as useful as a guy with a rifle. Against high flying balistic missiles, it is much more effective. You will notice they *always* back up a Patriot with a Hawk or Rapier battery to catch them skimmers [;)] This is one of the reasons that AWACs is generally the *only* active radar system. It flies up high and can see out hundred of miles due to it's altitude. Everyone else remains quiet until there is no point to being quiet. Well, I was a Patriot tech too[:)] there are no Hawk units assigned to us to back us up. No Hawk units at all at FT Bliss (home of ADA), it's not even an MOS anymore. Rapier? Never heard of it, must not be US. Most ASM's are sea skimmers, why have your best radar so limited against your greatest threat? I don't buy it, because I've done it.[:)] Rapier is a British millimeter wave radar enabled tactical SAM designed for close-in air defense. Patriot is more of a strategic SAM. If anything "backed you up" it was probably a gatlin gun/AAA system like Vulcan or something for "knife-fighting". Naval SAMs are not really designed to shoot down sea-skimming cruise missles either. Their whole strategy is get the missle launchers BEFORE they have a chance to launch. Failing that, get the missles BEFORE they get down to altitude using SAMs and AMRAAMs and Phoenix's. Failing that, the point defense stuff takes over, basically Phallanx, jamming, and spoofing... Vulcan is way obsolete in US Army, there are a few sitting around the museums at Bliss. Maybe you want to say Stinger but that's line-of-sight. Patriot is medium range, deployed in battalions of 4 batteries on the battlefield. There is nothing save maybe Avenger (stinger) or Bradley Linebacker as backup. But we never worked with them, nor were there any units assigned at Bliss. Just Patriot. Saying naval SAMS aren't designed or intended to engage incoming ASM's sea-skimming or otherwise is just wrong man.[:)]
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