5 ms·

I love the tone of the article. It struggles to assert that although the gun could be used as a weapon, it had more potential as something to launch a satellite

I love the tone of the article. It struggles to assert that although the gun could be used as a weapon, it had more potential as something to launch a satellite. You would have to be pretty naive to think the Iraqi's, who always wanted to be the dominant Persian Gulf state in the region, would actually use this for its intended purpose and not weaponize it to intimidate its neighbors in the region.

maxander 11y ago
Guns, unlike satellite launchers, need to be aimed at enemies in order to be useful- something hard to do if its built into a hill. I mean, of course the Iraqi military (like everyone else) thought about it as a weapon first, but if I were Bull I'd have been happy to con them out of spending the same money on more effective weapons.
- stcredzero 11y ago
  Saddam Hussein was a big Sci-fi fan. I'd guess he knew it was supposed to be a launcher first, and still went for it.
  - trhway 11y ago
    it is also helps to be a dictator when it comes to big projects - no need to convince/pitch to investors and various levels of government and elected reps, public opinion, obtaining permits, etc... :) You just do it.
    - stcredzero 11y ago
      When he first started to talk to Gerald Bull, he was Defence Minister or something like that.
  - effie 11y ago
    > Saddam Hussein was a big Sci-fi fan. That sounds so weird. Could you post a reference?
    - stcredzero 11y ago
      After the capture of his palaces/compounds, there was some media coverage of his sci-fi cover art collection. (Just google "saddam hussein sci-fi cover art")
- mxfh 11y ago
  Unless it has been tried before. With a mostly static target region (London, Regions of Iran), steering capable projectiles and lots of resources to build multiple of these that immobility is not really an issue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon
  - aidenn0 11y ago
    Which shows the other downside mentioned in the article; if you can't move it and the other side has bombers, it won't last long.
foreigner 11y ago
Doesn't seem like any practical way it could be used as a weapon - can't aim and too easy to destroy. Hussein was well aware of these kinds of limitations - witness e.g. his mobile SCUD launchers.
Animats 11y ago
As a weapon, this is of limited utility. Germany tried it during WWII.[1] The gun site was bombed to rubble. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon

maxander 11y ago

Guns, unlike satellite launchers, need to be aimed at enemies in order to be useful- something hard to do if its built into a hill. I mean, of course the Iraqi military (like everyone else) thought about it as a weapon first, but if I were Bull I'd have been happy to con them out of spending the same money on more effective weapons.

stcredzero 11y ago
Saddam Hussein was a big Sci-fi fan. I'd guess he knew it was supposed to be a launcher first, and still went for it.
- trhway 11y ago
  it is also helps to be a dictator when it comes to big projects - no need to convince/pitch to investors and various levels of government and elected reps, public opinion, obtaining permits, etc... :) You just do it.
  - stcredzero 11y ago
    When he first started to talk to Gerald Bull, he was Defence Minister or something like that.
- effie 11y ago
  > Saddam Hussein was a big Sci-fi fan. That sounds so weird. Could you post a reference?
  - stcredzero 11y ago
    After the capture of his palaces/compounds, there was some media coverage of his sci-fi cover art collection. (Just google "saddam hussein sci-fi cover art")
mxfh 11y ago
Unless it has been tried before. With a mostly static target region (London, Regions of Iran), steering capable projectiles and lots of resources to build multiple of these that immobility is not really an issue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon
- aidenn0 11y ago
  Which shows the other downside mentioned in the article; if you can't move it and the other side has bombers, it won't last long.

foreigner 11y ago

Doesn't seem like any practical way it could be used as a weapon - can't aim and too easy to destroy. Hussein was well aware of these kinds of limitations - witness e.g. his mobile SCUD launchers.

Animats 11y ago

As a weapon, this is of limited utility. Germany tried it during WWII.[1] The gun site was bombed to rubble. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-3_cannon