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Oldest mistake in the book: since the adversaries dress differently, speak a different language, and are a different race, assume they must be idiots. The WSJ
by kbob 17y ago
Oldest mistake in the book: since the adversaries dress differently, speak a different language, and are a different race, assume they must be idiots.
The WSJ reporter fell into the same trap: Iraqis and Afghans couldn't have figured out how to tap a video feed on their own; they must have had Iranian help.
- pmorici 17y agoWell by that reasoning the reporter should think the Iranian's are idiots as well so what you're saying makes no sense.
- blueben 17y agoIran has nuclear technology now, so they're no longer idiots, just evil dobaddies. Nobody claimed this was logical or reasonable...
- rdtsc 17y ago> Iran has nuclear technology now, so they're no longer idiots, just evil dobaddies. As opposed to other "smart" countries that have nuclear technology but are noble dogoodies?
- roundsquare 17y agoleading some officials to conclude that militant groups trained and funded by Iran were regularly intercepting feeds. The officials came to that conclusion, not the WSJ. Also, see @pmorici's answer.
- gaius 17y agoThis is the mistake that allowed the Serbs to shoot down a Stealth bomber; aircrews communicating on open channels. http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-10-26-serb-stealth_x.htm http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-10-26-serb-stealth_x... "At times, they acted like amateurs," Dani said, listing some ways the Serbs managed to breach NATO communications security, including eavesdropping on pilots' conversations with AWACS surveillance planes.
- kmcgivney 17y agoA bit of a nitpick, but no stealth bomber has ever been shot down. That was a stealth fighter.
- riffer 17y agoAgreed, but philosophically, is it still a stealth fighter if the guy the flying it is stupid enough to effectively turn off some of the technology?
- rdtsc 17y agoOK, so they shot a smaller, faster moving target. The original point still stands. It was an F-117. Yes, most "F" aircraft are air-to-air fighter aircraft. However F-117 is mostly used to attack ground targets, so it's "F" should be more like an "A" (If you want to nitpick that is ;-) )
- shpxnvz 17y agoActually, they are both subsonic aircraft and have a very similar top speed. The F117, however, has a larger radar cross signature, which makes it appear as a larger aircraft than the B2 in a radar return.
- skorgu 17y agoClosest thing I can find to a cite is [1] which indicates they have similar sized returns, about the size of a hummingbird (!). [1] http://www.answers.com/topic/stealth-technology http://www.answers.com/topic/stealth-technology
- shpxnvz 17y agoIt's been a decade since I read much about it, but this site states that the F-117 has a radar cross section of 30 square centimeters while the B-2 has an RCS of 14 square centimeters. http://www.deagel.com/Long-Range-Attack-Aircraft/B-2A-Spirit_a000551001.aspx http://www.deagel.com/Long-Range-Attack-Aircraft/B-2A-Spirit... http://www.deagel.com/Strike-and-Fighter-Aircraft/F-117A-Nighthawk_a000538001.aspx http://www.deagel.com/Strike-and-Fighter-Aircraft/F-117A-Nig...
- stcredzero 17y agoI rather think it was the classic pointy-haired boss mistake. "I can't understand this video feed stuff, so those towel-heads shouldn't be able to either!"