We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:54:30 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Owen asks this question (in the discussion to this post below) and I thought I might as well pull the answer up into the light, especially since answering it took a good chunk of normal blogging time! I also have a technical question for John. You note that the Israeli guns are accurate and the Katyushas not. Like all rockets, they change trajectory somewhat in the air. But since the Israeli counterbattery radar is following their terminal trajectory, doesn't that mean that a fire control computer calculating backwards from it is unlikely to lead you exactly to the launch site?... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html Thu, 17 Aug 2006 06:52:52 -0600 http://www.guardian.co.uk/syria/story/0,,1852748,00.html IDF response: "We use all munitions within the confines of international humanitarian law and cannot give more details that would jeopardise our operations." Did you hear about Gen. Halutz? History's first case of insider trading on a war? http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/17/world/middleeast/17cnd-israel.html (This article also has an amazing conversation between IDF reservists and their colonel. Only in Israel...) ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49269 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49269 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 22:07:48 -0600 Who said anything about you? I was speaking for myself, Ry. Knock yourself out. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49265 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49265 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 20:19:44 -0600 "I have to exercise *some* brevity! 8^)" Sigh. Have you learned nothing from Gollum? Brevity is for the weak.;) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49260 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49260 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 17:17:17 -0600 And we've already had the DPCIM in urban areas discussion... so you're commended for your restraint. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49252 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49252 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:38:56 -0600 Thanks for the answer, by the way, John. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49249 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49249 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:14:39 -0600 I began to realise my question was a bit silly when I checked out a horizon radio line-of-sight calculator and saw that, given flat topography, a radar just 11 feet off the ground, operating at 10 miles' range, could spot missiles rising after they'd climbed just 30 feet from their launcher. The terrain's not flat, of course, but clearly these radars are pretty effective. And no doubt, whatever their strategic failings, the IDF is tactically competent enough to adjust for rocket trajectories when that's the only incoming. It would certainly be going way too far to suggest the Israelis have no right to fire back at launchers - or at least it would be if they stuck to HE rather than blasting away with DPICMs, thus deliberately sacrificing precision for wider effects. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49248 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49248 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:13:06 -0600 Ha .... "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley." Cmdre George Dewey, Manila Bay, 01 May 98 Cheers http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49245 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49245 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 14:05:30 -0600 well stated on all aspects. fire at will Mr. Gridley. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49215 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49215 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:32:41 -0600 That's been discussed elsewhere around here. I have to exercise *some* brevity! 8^) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49204 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49204 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 07:59:40 -0600 John, I would also offer up the suggesting that some of the Katyusha rounds were deliberately launched from high-density civilian areas in order to provoke a response. Hezzbollah thrives on propaganda, and those fellows have a particularly sick way of staging events. See the articles on mr. "green helmet" for further details. Hezzbollah, Hammas, et al could give a tinker's damn about civilian deaths. They simply proclaim them to be "martyrs" and toss the details to the terror-enabling MSM types who seem to go out of their way to emphasise each and every Arab death, yet are strangely silent regarding Israeli casualties. It's almost as if the MSM had an agenda, you know? Respects, AW1 Tim http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49201 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/08/answering_the_mail_part_2.html#comment-49201 Thu, 17 Aug 2006 07:40:21 -0600