tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post1563445921728968135..comments2024-03-26T05:18:53.709-04:00Comments on Pen and Sword: Can't Get Enough of Them War PowersJeff Huberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-48866792289117684132008-07-15T20:51:00.000-04:002008-07-15T20:51:00.000-04:00Mission Accomplished Again!Mission Accomplished Again!Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-88393171697872523092008-07-15T19:10:00.000-04:002008-07-15T19:10:00.000-04:00"Young Mr. Bush has managed to irretrievably lose ..."Young Mr. Bush has managed to irretrievably lose his Iraq misadventure..." <BR/><BR/>But...but...Michael Yon <I>says we won</I>! And Michael O'Hanlon says we're turning the corner!<BR/><BR/>And those guys would never lie, now, would they?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-40258643486986565172008-07-13T13:25:00.000-04:002008-07-13T13:25:00.000-04:00John and Jeff,Great info, much appreciated.John and Jeff,<BR/><BR/>Great info, much appreciated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-88569005813112752012008-07-12T23:03:00.000-04:002008-07-12T23:03:00.000-04:00Very illuminating and useful, John. Thanks, too, f...Very illuminating and useful, John. Thanks, too, from a reader.Russ Wellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00598728646589830119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-43113939045872013312008-07-12T13:33:00.000-04:002008-07-12T13:33:00.000-04:00John, Thanks for the additional info, especially t...John, <BR/><BR/>Thanks for the additional info, especially the max range "limitation." <BR/><BR/>JeffJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-67780062534230843272008-07-12T11:56:00.000-04:002008-07-12T11:56:00.000-04:00I should have made it more obvious that my closing...I should have made it more obvious that my closing comment was "tongue in cheek." The original purpose of the SCUD system was to destroy airfields and Corps and Theater Main Command Posts. Moving anything was definitely not in the plans. Of course, Soviet SCUDs all had 250kt to 300kt devices, leaving plenty of margin of error for these targets. Even the one metric ton conventional warhead on these systems will make a big hole--especially if the VT fuse is disabled.<BR/><BR/>It should be noted that maximum range is achieved by disabling the guidance and flying the weapon ballistic. In that mode, you'd be lucky to hit the country your aiming at.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15418129339565606380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-7613716812277510672008-07-12T03:54:00.000-04:002008-07-12T03:54:00.000-04:00Great report, John. The only thing I can add is t...Great report, John. The only thing I can add is that ballistic missiles have extremely limited maritime applications, regardless of their guidance systems. Any ship is a moving target, and even if one knows the location of the target at missile launch, and even if the target moves very little as the missile approaches, the missile has no terminal homing system, so it's just heading for a point in the sea. The odds of actually hitting a ship are quite slim.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-78312493585019889412008-07-12T00:44:00.000-04:002008-07-12T00:44:00.000-04:00Lets shed some light on the Shahab-3 [Meteor-3]. ...Lets shed some light on the Shahab-3 [Meteor-3]. A link to a good image on it's transporter are <A HREF="http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/iran/missile/Shahab-3a.jpg" REL="nofollow">here</A>. It's basically a slightly improved SCUD-C and based on a North Korean design. Interestingly, the FAS reports 1280km--not miles--which would put it out of range of Israel. Looks like the mainstream press needs lessons on the difference between a kilometer and a mile. Semi-professionally, this range figure looks good to me for the design because it's basically the same as the SCUD-C and SCUD-D.<BR/><BR/>Just like the SCUDs, it has a horrific fuel mixture. The propellant is a mixture of gasoline and kerosene (the worst of both worlds). The oxidizer is a wonderfully "stable" combination of fuming Nitric Acid and Nitrous Oxide. One of the joys of such fuel is that the oxidizer tank must be lined with paraffin wax. If the system gets too hot and the paraffin starts to melt or shift, the reaction could be--say--"energetic."<BR/><BR/>To top it all off, the ignition sequence starts with a solid fuel rocket spinning the propellant and oxidizer turbines up to speed before primary ignition. I wouldn't want anything to overheat or explode in those first few seconds--like solid fuel motors have a habit of doing.<BR/><BR/>The mainstream photos make this thing look sleek and elusive--it ain't! This is a humongous SCUD you can launch from a nice, prepared concrete pad or a highway. Even in the best of circumstances, this thing would be an iffy proposition to move cross-country and even iffier to launch without a thorough inspection first if you did take it off-road.<BR/><BR/>That being said, it has the beginning of an inertial guidance system, and it would be perfectly capable of blowing a four city block-sized crater through the keel of a stationary Nimitz-class carrier.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15418129339565606380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-78662469398282626862008-07-11T16:14:00.000-04:002008-07-11T16:14:00.000-04:00WK, It's hard to say what those pictures mean. I ...WK, <BR/><BR/>It's hard to say what those pictures mean. I suspect Iran tested both kinds of missiles this time around. And the last time around. And the time before that. <BR/><BR/>JeffJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-14883079556451299492008-07-11T13:58:00.000-04:002008-07-11T13:58:00.000-04:00That's what COL Pat was saying. I read some of th...That's what COL Pat was saying. I read some of the comments too which seemed to indicate the same thing.<BR/><BR/>It's getting so you can't even trust the Iranians!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-20058680193535709052008-07-11T13:09:00.000-04:002008-07-11T13:09:00.000-04:00EL, I'm pretty sure we didn't sell them the Shabab...EL, <BR/><BR/>I'm pretty sure we didn't sell them the Shababs. <BR/><BR/>But, WK, I don't see any way the pics a the top of that page can be ballistic missiles. That's how a SAM takes off.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-42194225434608851902008-07-11T12:11:00.000-04:002008-07-11T12:11:00.000-04:00http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis...http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2008/07/what-are-these.html<BR/><BR/>See if that's the one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-52144682296746852262008-07-11T11:51:00.000-04:002008-07-11T11:51:00.000-04:00Congress consulted. Trashed the Fourth Amendment....Congress consulted. Trashed the Fourth Amendment. Confirmed Petreus and Kojak. All in the space of two days. <BR/><BR/>Where's my American Flag Lapel Pin?<BR/><BR/>Commander, whatever the Iranians have in the way of missiles. How good are the chances we sold them to them, directly, or to somebody who did. (Since nobody pays any attention to the sanctions anyway.)Elderladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02268520056042293783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-39044292141844058122008-07-11T11:10:00.000-04:002008-07-11T11:10:00.000-04:00Interesting. Have a link? JeffInteresting. Have a link? <BR/><BR/>JeffJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-69775308524465080882008-07-11T11:06:00.000-04:002008-07-11T11:06:00.000-04:00Jeff,COL Pat has an interesting post up about the ...Jeff,<BR/><BR/>COL Pat has an interesting post up about the Iranian missile launch. By now, we all know about the doctored photo that does not show one missile failing to launch. But COL Pat was wondering if those were actually anti-aircraft missiles (ground to air), rather than ballistic missles, based on their launch trajectory.<BR/><BR/>Hmmmm.......Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-2268770850285315362008-07-10T20:02:00.000-04:002008-07-10T20:02:00.000-04:00Heh!Heh!Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-10704078621832279582008-07-10T19:33:00.000-04:002008-07-10T19:33:00.000-04:00Not taking that bet unless you give me HUGE odds! ...Not taking that bet unless you give me HUGE odds! I need that penny to buy food! ;-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-82587284140635149752008-07-10T15:52:00.000-04:002008-07-10T15:52:00.000-04:00I was just wondering that same thing. Bet you a s...I was just wondering that same thing. Bet you a shiny new penny the money came from a govt. grant, i.e., you and I paid for them to come up with that crap.Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-205046753784627492008-07-10T15:42:00.000-04:002008-07-10T15:42:00.000-04:00And who paid them??And who paid them??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-79175021104186847372008-07-10T14:40:00.000-04:002008-07-10T14:40:00.000-04:00And I wonder how much Baker and Warren ran up in c...And I wonder how much Baker and Warren ran up in consulting fees on this bogus project.<BR/><BR/>JeffJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-31006836127068325602008-07-10T14:14:00.000-04:002008-07-10T14:14:00.000-04:00Consultation Act? Everything's consultants nowaday...Consultation Act? Everything's consultants nowadays. Baker and Christopher are consultants. Consultants have no loyalty. Congress acts like consultants.Russ Wellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00598728646589830119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-29843496230306095492008-07-10T11:42:00.000-04:002008-07-10T11:42:00.000-04:00Hear! Hear!Hear! Hear!Jeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-54949318051476216112008-07-10T11:20:00.000-04:002008-07-10T11:20:00.000-04:00The Constitution is unequivical. Only Congress can...The Constitution is unequivical. Only Congress can Declare War. The decades of Abdicating Congressional Responsibilty has cost Millions of lives, Maimed Millions more and wasted Trillions from Our National Treasure. <BR/><BR/>We the People deserve an Up or Down vote on a question of War.<BR/><BR/>Warren Christopher and Bloody Baker are High up on the rung of the <A HREF="http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html" REL="nofollow">Racketeers</A>. To hope for anything positive for We the People from such men is folly.<BR/>Peace.Humanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03841858873953907185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-74799153048013964072008-07-10T08:59:00.000-04:002008-07-10T08:59:00.000-04:00WK, He makes an excellent point, one I agree with ...WK, <BR/><BR/>He makes an excellent point, one I agree with wholeheartedly; hence my continual reminder about Somalia and Pakistan. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for the link. <BR/><BR/>JeffJeff Huberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14146644937683409726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796551.post-76077342211984189532008-07-10T08:23:00.000-04:002008-07-10T08:23:00.000-04:00Jeff,Don't know if you saw Tim Noah's piece at Sla...Jeff,<BR/><BR/>Don't know if you saw Tim Noah's piece at Slate, saying Congress doesn't WANT War Powers.<BR/><BR/>http://www.slate.com/id/2195083/<BR/><BR/>Kevin Drum is of the opinion that if Congress could get away with it, they would never vote on anything!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com