[sci.military] Speed of SCUDs

dkrause@orion.oac.uci.edu (Doug Krause) (01/21/91)

From: Doug Krause <dkrause@orion.oac.uci.edu>
I read in the paper that the Iraqi modified SCUDs (Al-Hussein and
Al-Abbass?) have a speed of Mach 5.  This seems excessive since
our Patriot system is supposed to "only" go Mach 3.  Does anybody
have the correct speed on these two missiles?

Douglas Krause                     One yuppie can ruin your whole day.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
University of California, Irvine   Internet: dkrause@orion.oac.uci.edu
Welcome to Irvine, Yuppieland USA  BITNET: DJKrause@uci.edu

smulgund@set.princeton.edu (Sandeep Shriram Mulgund) (01/22/91)

From: smulgund@set.princeton.edu (Sandeep Shriram Mulgund)

In article <1991Jan21.041012.5124@cbnews.att.com> dkrause@orion.oac.uci.edu (Doug Krause) writes:
>
>I read in the paper that the Iraqi modified SCUDs (Al-Hussein and
>Al-Abbass?) have a speed of Mach 5.  This seems excessive since
>our Patriot system is supposed to "only" go Mach 3.  Does anybody
>have the correct speed on these two missiles?


I think you've got it right.  These are the speeds I've heard quoted on
TV and read in the papers.

broehl@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Bernie Roehl) (01/22/91)

From: broehl@watserv1.waterloo.edu (Bernie Roehl)
In article <1991Jan21.041012.5124@cbnews.att.com> dkrause@orion.oac.uci.edu (Doug Krause) writes:
>I read in the paper that the Iraqi modified SCUDs (Al-Hussein and
>Al-Abbass?) have a speed of Mach 5.

I'd heard Mach 1.

On this topic... does anyone have a handy list of the various weapons systems
in use in the Gulf, with information about range, speed and guidance system?
Many of us on the net don't have easy access to Janes'.

I'll start the ball rolling:

	Scud	186 mi (400 mi modified); Mach 1; inertial guidance
	Frog	43 mi; ?; unguided ("Free Rocket Over Ground")
	Patriot	37 mi; Mach 3; radar-guided
	
I know CNN has been showing information screens on various weapons, but I
haven't been jotting down much of the info.

-- 
	Bernie Roehl, University of Waterloo Electrical Engineering Dept
	Mail: broehl@sunee.waterloo.edu OR broehl@sunee.UWaterloo.ca
	BangPath: {allegra,decvax,utzoo,clyde}!watmath!sunee!broehl
	Voice:  (519) 885-1211 x 2607 [work]

swilliam@dtoa1.dt.navy.mil (Williams) (01/23/91)

From: swilliam@dtoa1.dt.navy.mil (Williams)

In article <1991Jan21.041012.5124@cbnews.att.com> dkrause@orion.oac.uci.edu (Doug Krause) writes:
>From: Doug Krause <dkrause@orion.oac.uci.edu>
>I read in the paper that the Iraqi modified SCUDs (Al-Hussein and
>Al-Abbass?) have a speed of Mach 5.  This seems excessive since
>our Patriot system is supposed to "only" go Mach 3. 

No problem.  The Patriot anti-missile missile simply meets the Scuds
"head-on."  That is, the Patriot missile flies toward the oncoming Scud.

quan@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Suu Quan) (01/24/91)

From: quan@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Suu Quan)

/ hpcc01:sci.military / dkrause@orion.oac.uci.edu (Doug Krause) /  8:10 pm  Jan 20, 1991 /

>I read in the paper that the Iraqi modified SCUDs (Al-Hussein and
>Al-Abbass?) have a speed of Mach 5.  This seems excessive since
>our Patriot system is supposed to "only" go Mach 3.  Does anybody
>have the correct speed on these two missiles?
----------

What I heard from the TV news: 
Al-Hussein SCUD : 3000 miles per hour
Patriot: 2,000 miles per hour.

HANK@TAUNIVM.TAU.AC.IL (Hank Nussbacher) (01/24/91)

From:         Hank Nussbacher <HANK@TAUNIVM.TAU.AC.IL>
>I read in the paper that the Iraqi modified SCUDs (Al-Hussein and
>Al-Abbass?) have a speed of Mach 5.  This seems excessive since
>our Patriot system is supposed to "only" go Mach 3.  Does anybody
>have the correct speed on these two missiles?

The exact speed is classified since only Iraq really knows.  The
original SCUD-B had a speed of about Mach 5.  The al-Hussein with
a range of 600km and the al-Abbas with a range of 900km have smaller
warheads but also travel faster.  The al-Abbas is estimated to be
Mach 10 which makes it difficult for the Patriot to hit it, whereas
the al-Hussein at around Mach 7 is easier since it is slower.

The Patriot does not chase the Scuds but rather the radar and control
systems first do acquistion, meaning determining where it started
from, as well as speed.  The targeting system then calculates where
the Scud will be when it is 40 kilometers from its target.  That is
the maximum range of the Patriot.  The Patriot also has a proximatey
detonator that allows it to miss the Scud but yet destroy it.

The 2nd Patriot shot is usually targetted at around 30 kilometers
out in the event that the 1st one misses.  Unfortunately last night,
the Patriot system was not able to stop the incoming Scud and the two
prevailing reasons are the speed of the Scud being faster than those
coming in on Saudi Arabia or that the intercept angle was not set up
properly.

The results so far are 3 dead and 96 injured, some seriously.

>Douglas Krause                     One yuppie can ruin your whole day.
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>University of California, Irvine   Internet: dkrause@orion.oac.uci.edu
>Welcome to Irvine, Yuppieland USA  BITNET: DJKrause@uci.edu

Hank Nussbacher
Israel

smpod@venus.lerc.nasa.gov (Stefan) (01/25/91)

From: smpod@venus.lerc.nasa.gov (Stefan)
In article dkrause@orion.oac.uci.edu (Doug Krause) writes...
/I read in the paper that the Iraqi modified SCUDs (Al-Hussein and
/Al-Abbass?) have a speed of Mach 5.  This seems excessive since
/our Patriot system is supposed to "only" go Mach 3.  Does anybody
/have the correct speed on these two missiles?

Sounds about right.  Remember that the old V2 speed was about Mach 5.