x35147d3@usma8.usma.edu (Bergman Charles CDT) (01/12/91)
From: x35147d3@usma8.usma.edu (Bergman Charles CDT)
Does anyone have any idea how the U.S. Forces in Saudi plan on not mistaking
Syrian T-62/T-72s for Iraqi T-62/T-72s or mistaking a U.S. Marine M-60A1 for
an Iraqi M-60A1? I know they are all painted differently and Marine M-60s have
reactive armor, but what about the engagement ranges of up to 3000m!
Is there any type of IFF system for land warfare?
In the chaos of a large scale battle where the FEBA/FLOT may be extremely
varying with large desert dust kicking up, explosions and loss of direction
sense, how will the M1A1 gunner know not to engage friendly or enemy tanks.
Also communication disruption and the language barrier between allied units
causing loss of knowing where friendly units are will enhance this problem.
Does anyone have any bright ideas or does anyone know the way this is solved by
Army doctrine.
This is a question I have had from the beginning, any answers?
Remember, they still outgun us in number of arty tubes and range. The King of
Battle will be a huge problem. They have over 2700 tubes in the region! They
have also had plenty of time to set their guns and established will protected
positions for them.
Let's hope they withdraw peacefully!!!
Charles K. Bergman
CDT USMA '93
x35147d3@usma8.usma.edu ***************************************
* There is no substitute for victory! *
P.O. Box 54 ***************************************
U.S. Corps of Cadets
West Point, NY 10997seichi@wheaton.UUCP (Gregory S. Ota) (01/15/91)
From: seichi@wheaton.UUCP (Gregory S. Ota) Visually, there is really no accurate way to determine the nationality of a vehicle, especially at 3000 meters. In most scenarios the traditional way has been to identify the vehicle be the silouette(sp?). According to international law/convention, there can be national symbols painting on the body of the vehicle (ie - the white/black stars the U.S. Army used on their vehicles during WWII). Today the US Army places a small star on the bumper of their vehicles. International law does not disallow other countries using similar vehicle types to confuse the enemy, only if they use vehicles with another country's symbol. I would suspect that they would be able to control where various units are, like they control ground troops. It is difficult to determine who is approaching you (especially at night, at 500m), but you know that if their are no friendlies in the area.... Greg USAROTC, WHEATON COLLEGE, DEC '90 -- Gregory S. Ota | seichi@wheaton.UUCP | 8; US MAIL: \ uunet!telllab5!wheaton!seichi | CPO 2022 Wheaton College / ------------------------------- ooops! Wheaton, IL 60187 | empty space.....post no bills.|
henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (01/18/91)
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) >From: seichi@wheaton.UUCP (Gregory S. Ota) >Visually, there is really no accurate way to determine the nationality of a >vehicle, especially at 3000 meters. In most scenarios the traditional way >has been to identify the vehicle be the silouette... Overwhelmingly, in practice, anything coming from the wrong direction is assumed hostile until proven otherwise. Sometimes even if it's coming from the right direction. This is particularly true for aircraft, where there is no consistent "right direction". Smart pilots treat "friendly" AA batteries as only slightly less dangerous than "hostile" ones. -- If the Space Shuttle was the answer, | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology what was the question? | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry