Re: Palestinian rockets

From: M (*_at_*.*)
Date: 07/26/04 

To: sci-military-moderated@moderators.isc.org
Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2004 09:03:24 GMT

Paul F Austin >
> Sounds like a job for automated counter-battery fire. The US Army is testing
> a counter-battery radar that automatically generates a digital fire order.
> Route that to an automated 120mm mortar and there you are.

Counter-battery radars are particularily effective against mortars,
the bombs of which are relatively slow and have high ballistic
trajectories. A rocket isn't ballistic until burn-out, which, I
think, should require that it has to be tracked already from
just after launch for an accurate position fix of the launcher to
be possible.

Moreover, as illustrated by eg recent examples from Iraq, a
rocket launcher can easily be remote or timer controlled, hidden
inside a civilian-looking vehicle or whatever donkey cart, and
located on a street crowded with civilians. Not a very attactive
target for counter-battery fire, never mind automated...

A rudimentary rocket launcher is also very cheap and is thus
well suited to be expendable.