A "Wild Weasel" to defeat the MANPAD? Wish it could happen but the missile seek head and guidance systems are passive.Originally Posted by Allan
If you look at a video of a real "Stinger" shoulder launched missile begin fired you will note that the missile drops about 15 feet prior to the missile motor firing. That is because the missile is boosted out of the tube by a smaller booster motor far enough away from the operator to prevent the operator from becoming a crispy critter. That means the operator must hold that launcher at a minimum angle above the horizon to give the missile enough drop and allow the main motor time to engage otherwise the missile in early models would bounce along the ground or just plug itself into the earth. Stinger launch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV1v15th5I0&NR=1
Our tactic used to be to fly lower than his minimum angle of elevation the preventing him from launching. You can tell from the video what that tactic was problematic at best. Problem is as you get closer to him you reach a point where you cannot get any lower without landing or crashing as well as the fact that a super low flight profile like that puts you in range of anything that can launch a bullet. So we come full circle back to Abdul and his AK-47 rifle being your worst enemy.
Glad the Israelis carried this through since our own Puzzle Palace and congress nixed it from our budget.
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