I agree, I just liked making a smart alec remark. 
-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
Iranian UAV orbits CVN-76 for 25 minutes
- Thread starter navyao
- Start date
That is exactly what I was thinking. The Israeli ships were pretty close to the coast, would not give them a lot of warning. And who the hell expects terrorists to have something like a C-802? But, in todays world you have to expect the unexpected.....
Not the first time a vampire hit a ship that wasn't expecting to see one. Slightly different circumstances, but USS Stark was hit by a pair of Exocets while woefully unprepared to defend herself even though the aircraft that launched them had been tracked during its attack profile.
More on the Stark attack: http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id344.htm
Not the first time a vampire hit a ship that wasn't expecting to see one. Slightly different circumstances, but USS Stark was hit by a pair of Exocets while woefully unprepared to defend herself even though the aircraft that launched them had been tracked during its attack profile.
More on the Stark attack: http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id344.htm
A direct contributor to the actions of the USS VINCENNES...
An indirect kill for the Iraqi air force vs. Iran. I'll bet the Exocet shooter painted an Airbus on the side of his jet for good measure.
Brett
As terrible as that sounds, you had me laughing on that one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brett327
An indirect kill for the Iraqi air force vs. Iran. I'll bet the Exocet shooter painted an Airbus on the side of his jet for good measure.
Brett
As terrible as that sounds, you had me laughing on that one.
It was an Iraqi Mirage F1 pilot who was probably not happy about flying at night over the Gulf and likely picked the first big return he got. The Stark "assumed" he would discern from his radar whether he was targeting an Iranian ship or a neutral, if not somewhat (at least then) US warship. The Stark made a radio call when the Mirage appeared to be heading at them and when it veered off, they paid it no more attention. Unfortunately, it veered off because it had released it deadly load of 2 Exocet missiles. Had the Stark released they were really threatened at range, they would have had time to go to GQ, arm their weapons and countermeasures and turn the ship.
Originally Posted by Brett327
An indirect kill for the Iraqi air force vs. Iran. I'll bet the Exocet shooter painted an Airbus on the side of his jet for good measure.
Brett
As terrible as that sounds, you had me laughing on that one.
It was an Iraqi Mirage F1 pilot who was probably not happy about flying at night over the Gulf and likely picked the first big return he got. The Stark "assumed" he would discern from his radar whether he was targeting an Iranian ship or a neutral, if not somewhat (at least then) US warship. The Stark made a radio call when the Mirage appeared to be heading at them and when it veered off, they paid it no more attention. Unfortunately, it veered off because it had released it deadly load of 2 Exocet missiles. Had the Stark released they were really threatened at range, they would have had time to go to GQ, arm their weapons and countermeasures and turn the ship.
Yep, I remember reading the case study in ROTC. Badness.
And that will get you killed every time ... NEVER assume ANYTHING !!! Erase the concept and the word from your mind.
^^ Wise advice....That was also after watching the duty Iraqi Mirage go out night after night and do same thing (that would make me very concerned if it pointed its nose at me):target first Iranian ship it chanced upon and let loose with a volley of Exocets.
They thought they were bystanders....I debriefed some of the crew including HSL det who really got to use their firefighting training skills. They really didn't consider that the Iraqis could have a navigational issue (INS drift etc) or be a neophyte that would see a blip and not realize it was the American ship standing off and watching the affair.
Making a radio call "This is an American Warship.....etc." doesn't give SA to a pilot heading your way having his own issues.
Especially if you wait until the contact has closed to within 12 NM per the linked story. I was floored upon reading that.
Brett
Yep, and they were in Combat coffee cups in hand....complacency in regards to the impending threat.
My rule of thumb suggestion would have been to take max range of worst case weapon (Exocet) and add a buffer for larger of warning call reaction time/time to bring weapons to bear/time to get ship into GQ posture. The threat of a "launch and leave" weapon like Exocet should have had them doing more than make radio calls. They might have realized that the blip they were watching was a Mirage out to do harm, but likely never knew they looked like a big fat juicy target to the Mirage. Those American warship calls aren't a shield of any kind in this and many other cases.
Roger that ... it never ceases to amaze me ... civilian or military:
Complacency + assuming = DEAD