Update time..

[Spenni]

Yay got some internet..




This place is retarded as ever. Random rocket attacks that don't even hit the base, but have to go into the bunker anyway for three hours -.-....


And I have a grenade launcher, but issued no ammo..

Budget cuts Yo..

hope to give another update in the near future.

Peace out homies

[Veldan Rath]

And I have a grenade launcher, but issued no ammo..

Budget cuts Yo..

So...you were issued an expensive club?

[Spenni]

So...you were issued an expensive club?

hey it looks intimidating O_o

[Loki]

Maybe they expect you to take a photo and troll jihadi websites with it?

[Enoch the Red]

Stay safe Spenni. And if you happen to take home any souvenirs that go boom I'll pay handsomely for them.

[Dreadnaught]

Stay safe

Can you trade that grenade launcher for something that has ammo?

[Hazir]

Thanks for trying to keep us safe.

[Spenni]

Stay safe

Can you trade that grenade launcher for something that has ammo?

I still got the rifle its attached too. Its not that big of a deal because they usually attack from out of grenade range anyway :/, though im pretty sure there is some ammo somewhere.

Though it would be nice to get triple kill with the thing B-) ( wartime humor)

[GGT]

Where are you, Spenni? (if you're allowed to say) I talked to a woman whose husband had been deployed in Kuwait the last year, and finally came home last week. Kuwait ffs.

[earthJoker]

This place is retarded as ever. Random rocket attacks that don't even hit the base, but have to go into the bunker anyway for three hours -.-....

Time for a C-RAM system? Well with budget cuts it's probably not so easy to get one. I should know best I once worked on a C-RAM system.

[wiggin]

C-RAMS are notoriously ineffective, eJ; certainly a not-too-terrible adjunct to passive defence (e.g. bunkers) as well as saturation patrols in the region of highly sensitive installations, but the fact of the matter is that they're not that great at stopping Katyushas or mortars or whatever. I doubt budgetary constraints are a real issue here, though, C-RAMs are pretty cheap to operate, all things considered (assuming we're talking about something like Phalanx instead of something like Iron Dome). (BTW, I assume you worked on MANTIS/Skyshield? Fun!)

In most cases I know of, rocket attacks require shielding in bunkers even with a C-RAM system because of the aforementioned efficacy issues. So, no help for poor lil' Spenni.

[earthJoker]

(BTW, I assume you worked on MANTIS/Skyshield? Fun!)

In most cases I know of, rocket attacks require shielding in bunkers even with a C-RAM system because of the aforementioned efficacy issues. So, no help for poor lil' Spenni.

Yes, worked the MANTIS project for Skyshield system. Worked on fast threat detection algorithms, and reducing the time to acquire a target.Togheter with RUAG it's probably the most interesting project in the defense industry you can get in Switzerland.

The test have shown it to be very effective, but from the homepage they are actually quite expensive to operate. The Bundeswehr has some videos in Youtube, from their information, the system hasn't been deployed yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xxcW8H1mfo

[wiggin]

eJ, I think they're only effective in a pretty narrow threat envelope and over a fairly small area - at least those were the limitations of the Phalanx system when they were trying to expand it beyond naval point defense. Nice technology, but I wouldn't want to rely on it in the absence of passive defenses.

As for cost, they're pricey but I was comparing them to missile-based interception systems, which are very expensive (albeit somewhat more capable against some threats). I freely admit I've never worked on these before, though, so I could be talking out of my ass. Cool that you got to help develop the technology!

[earthJoker]

Nice technology, but I wouldn't want to rely on it in the absence of passive defenses.

Of course. It's always better to have two layers of safety. I just don't think you will be in a bunker all of the time. And if a ground to ground rocket is fired, you simply don't have the time to run into a bunker before it hits. Due their non-ballistic flight profile rockets are the nastiest little bastards to get. Maybe Spenni can tell us more how they behave in real live.

Cool that you got to help develop the technology!

It was an interesting job, but now I work in my families company. It always was planned that I will go there at some point.

As I see it. There seem to be a lot of investment going on in this kind of systems. It is quite a critical part of asymmetric warfare to find defenses against these kind of attacks.

[Spenni]

Of course. It's always better to have two layers of safety. I just don't think you will be in a bunker all of the time. And if a ground to ground rocket is fired, you simply don't have the time to run into a bunker before it hits. Due their non-ballistic flight profile rockets are the nastiest little bastards to get. Maybe Spenni can tell us more how they behave in real live.


It was an interesting job, but now I work in my families company. It always was planned that I will go there at some point.

As I see it. There seem to be a lot of investment going on in this kind of systems. It is quite a critical part of asymmetric warfare to find defenses against these kind of attacks.

they using katushas, but KAF had OP"s pushed around the areas where they could potentially be shooting them. They have some other rockets that can shoot farther out though, can't remember the name...

usually we head to the bunker after a rockets hits. Totally reactionary O;

[earthJoker]

The Stalinorgel? I honestly didn't expected this kind of rocket attack.

[wiggin]

Really? Katyushas are a favorite among insurgents and terrorists.

[earthJoker]

I always thought the truck would be easy to spot, even from air. Or do they use a "mountain Katyusha" kind of variant?

[Flixy]

Don't they launch them basically from some tubes, not a truck?

[earthJoker]

Well, as I said, those launched from a tube instead of a truck are (if I am right) called "mountain Katyusha". Of course this doesn't resemble a Stalinorgel (Stalin organ) anymore.

[wiggin]

There are many Katyusha variants out there, all incorrectly given the name 'Katyusha'. Most of those used by insurgents/terrorists (e.g. Hezbollah, Taliban, AQ in Iraq, etc.) are not truck-mounted like the BM-21 but are instead one of several so-called 'mountain' variants like eJ mentioned. This makes them easier to conceal (and launch by timer), though tougher to move around. It also makes them a combination of difficult to see from the air and cheap to replace. Israel expended a huge amount of expensive ordnance in airstrikes against Hezbollah launching positions only to destroy cheap, unmanned launchers. The US has not had much luck in tracking down these and other crude mortar/rocket launchers in Afghanistan or Iraq either.

[Spenni]

2nd update.

We lost a guy, we were going out on a cache mission, Taliban new we were coming and put an IED team on road, our Route Clearance Element ate it. Normally the truck they use can take a hit. But it was a 500 pounder, so it split RCP truck as well as the guy in it. So instead of doing a cache mission, we did a medivac, recovery, and investigation mission. Needless to say the village we thought was neutral wasn't so neutral, Pretty sure taliban knew we were coming drop several ieds along the way, which gave them room, to clear out their cache sites.

Anyway was 3 injured 1 of us killed and an interpreter was killed.

[Wraith]

Sorry to hear it, Spenni. I hope you're alright.

[Timbuk2]

Fuck.

[Dreadnaught]

Folks too often forget about what's going on in Afghanistan -- we aren't forgetting about you.

[Loki]

[Spenni]

Was going to post this in the wtf thread but I figured it would tie in better here. So we just got back from a three day mission around kandahar. My platoons part was to set up a listening/observation post overlooking the Objectives that the rest of the company was going to raid. Now the plan was to bring a Mk19 grenade launcher up with us to have some firepower and to augment the show of force we do to say we mean business. Seems like a great idea. Until we realized we had to drag 176 pounds of said grenade launcher damn mountain..... There were know paths leading up there so we had to four man carry it the whole. Hardest thing I ever did in my life, physically. Especially with about the 120 pounds of gear we were ruckin up as well.

No injuries or deaths besides our prides, it was funny to listen in on the enemy comunications.... Fuckers would talk alot of shit, but would come out to play.

[Loki]

So what you're saying is that most of these Taliban rank-and-file are the equivalent of FPS-game trolls? Maybe we can end this conflict by getting each of them an X-Box and a Call of Duty game?

[ImAnOgre]

So my best friend just got back from leave. He's infantry.

He is telling me that the taliban doesn't go after the US troops anymore at all because they know the US is leaving -- and they know if the do attack the US that the US will respond in full force. But what he does say is that the Afghanis are all doped up all the time on opium, and that the US doesn't even assist when the afghani's are hit, and half the afghani's don't even know what they are shooting at.

2nd hand report mind you, but we sat and talked for hours right after he got back.

[Loki]

You have to keep in mind that the situation is different in different parts of the country, and even in different bases. It's not inconceivable that what he says is entirely true, but it doesn't necessarily apply more broadly than the places he's personally experienced.