AMICHIEL@SUNRISE.ACS.SYR.EDU (01/05/90)
From: AMICHIEL@SUNRISE.ACS.SYR.EDU
I also saw several print media reports regarding the operational use
of the stealth fighter in the Panama invasion. They all ran about
the same line.
A. A named officer in the pantagon/the air force/&;or (Carswell ?)
AFB all gave interviews the first couple days after the attack.
B. All agreed that 1. The F-117 Stealth was now operational &
2. The did take a bombing attack role in the invasion
C. There was some general disagreement as to how well they worked.
1. It was pretty clear that none of the fighter hit or had a close
miss to a target.
2. None of them were lost or damaged in the attack.
3. They provided a advanced roll by preceeding the attack with
communications jamming for the main forces, radar jamming of
themselves, & adding to the general confusion
D. 2 of the military experts were unsure that the radar jamming was
at all effective (I.e the jamming system may not have worked.)
They seemed somewhat hesitant to answer but the kinda danced about
the jamming system being overloaded. I guess somebody had a inside
source that told them that was the primary problem w/the active
jamming system.
E. I also remember that 1 of the A-G missles not only missed the target
but missed it by several miles & hit something like a church or
something.
I'd sure like to know a whole lot more than I do, and have what has
been reported in print confirmed. All of the stories I saw had actual
traceability to gannet, rugers, AP, & UPI, BUT I never heard or saw
anything on the Network's (besides a mention in passing in This Week
In Washington) or CNN or CNN-H-NS. I guess we'll have to wait to see
the committee testimony on C-SPAN, unless of course it is classified.
AL
amichiel@sunrise (bitnet) amichiel@sunrise.acs.syr.edu (internet)
amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (internet) stevew@wyse.wyse.com (Steve Wilson xttemp dept303) (01/08/90)
From: stevew@wyse.wyse.com (Steve Wilson xttemp dept303) In article <12830@cbnews.ATT.COM> AMICHIEL@SUNRISE.ACS.SYR.EDU writes: >I also saw several print media reports regarding the operational use >of the stealth fighter in the Panama invasion. They all ran about >the same line. > stuff deleted to save net bandwidth... According to AW&ST this last week a total of 8 F117's were used in the attack delivering 2 2000lb bombs directly were they were supposed to go. According to the military the bombs were meant to go off near the barricks, not directly on top of them mainly as a scare tatic. I tend to believe this since the US wanted to use the air field so they'd have no intention of disrupting the air field itself, also the US apparently landed airborne troops directly after the bombs were released. The report had something about PDF forces running around in their shorts so the bomb's seem to have had the desired effect ;-) Steve Wilson
TMARSHALL01@acad.cut.oz (01/20/90)
From: TMARSHALL01@acad.cut.oz In this article we were told about how some of the F-117 Stealth Fighter's A-G missiles missed there target. This was not all the Aircraft's fault, if the radar locks onto it's target and then fires it's missile, it is from then on the missiles lock-on system which guides the missile. If for some reason this Fire- and-Forget lock on missile was faulty it would cause the missile to (probably) continue straight. This would explain why the missile missed it's target. Also if this missile was a non guided one it would prove the Pilot's fault not the Trusty F-117 's fault. Agreed?