Advances in technology continually improve the edge our troops have over our enemies on the battlefield. Often, these improvements can quickly turn the tables on them. MORTAR SHELL TRACKING TECHNOLOGY can track the trajectory of hostile rounds and fire a retaliatory shot to precisely the spot from which the shells were fired. The technology requires two to three hostile rounds to be fired prior to retaliation. Below, a terrorist videoed his buddy while he was firing mortar shells at American troops. They both received a big surprise courtesy of Mortar Shell Tracking Technology. Click the play button on the lower left of the picture to view the video.
[My thanks to Greg Thew for forwarding this video]
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
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5 comments:
This is a real lesson for these terrorists to learn -- there are no second chances with our defense technology.
Well, the explosion occurred at the exact moment that one would have predicted for the propellant fuse to ignite based on the time it took previous shells to be 1) dropped into the tube and 2) subsequent ejection from the tube. It would be an amazing coincidence that a retaliatory mortar shell struck at exactly that same moment. Amazing coincidence, but possible.
However, the time-of-flight of a mortar projectile is considerably long. Basic Newtonian physics says that a mortar round traveling at at least 140 m/sec fired at an angle of what looks to be at least 45 degrees will take at least 17 seconds or more to reach a target.
Time it for yourself- there is barely a 9 second gap between the firing of the first mortar until the explosion. There is no physical way that-
1) the EMI radar detected the first shell
2) transmitted arc of tragetory information to a US mortar
3) correctly positioned and fired the US retaliatory mortar or other field artillery
4) retaliatory shell completed it's flight all in under 9 seconds
A direct line-of-sight weapon, like a hellfire guided missile or hydra rocket from a nearby helicopter, could strike within the time frame of the video. However, the explosion from a single hellfire would have taken out the cameraman, so that could not be the case. Hydra rockets are usually fired in pairs and there was only one explosion, so that's not it either. Unguided rockets also have poor accuracy.
Without more evidence to go on, the simplest answer is that the primary shell exploded moments after the propellant fuse ignited, thus causing the explosion.
Interesting thoughts, Peter. I'm not a ballistics expert, so I can't vouch for the authenticity of the article. I don't know what your background is, but the person who sent it to me was career Army Special Forces.
Thanks for reading my blog.
I would have to agree with "Peter". I received this video in a email and after studying it over and over, the timing is almost too perfect not to be a malfunctioning round.
I believe the US has mortar shell tracking technology. I just don't believe this video exemplifies that technology.
Another real possibility is that the mortar was taken out by something else. For example an armed UAV. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that that UAV was cued by a counter battery or counter mortar radar.
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