lrb@hpfcso.fc.hp.com (Larry Bruns) (01/19/91)
From: lrb@hpfcso.fc.hp.com (Larry Bruns)
>From all reports, Iraq's *stationary* Scuds - most notably the ones in
western Iraq aimed at Israel - were wiped out the first night.
But the NBC Pentagon reporter stated Thurs. morning that there are still
an estimated 75 *mobile* Scuds out there - some buried in the sand, hidden
under highway bridges, etc. He said the USAF's strategy is supposedly to
wait and watch from the skies until they are "activated", at which time their
"radar signature" will be picked up, and then a radar homing missile will
be sent after them. It was anyone's guess as to how long Saddam would wait
before activating them.
So, this brings up some questions about Scuds:
1) Where is this radar - on the missile itself? If so, do they plan to
destroy the Scud on the ground or in the air? If on the ground, how long
do they have between its radar being turned on and the launch?
2) If the radar is on the launching unit, then is it just used for purposes
of aiming the missile *before* it is launched, or does the Scud depend
on its launcher's radar for guidance for some time *after* it is launched?
Thank you for any information!