5 ms·
Are we really expecting Patriot batteries to work now? Have they changed fundamentally since the 1991 Gulf War? I know they hit a few SCUDs but I don't recall a
by sailfast 9y ago
Are we really expecting Patriot batteries to work now? Have they changed fundamentally since the 1991 Gulf War? I know they hit a few SCUDs but I don't recall any sort of expectation that it would keep a major population center safe from attack, especially from a smaller warhead.
- kevin_thibedeau 9y ago> Have they changed fundamentally since the 1991 Gulf War? Yes they have. The PAC-3 missile is completely different from the hack job PAC-2/GEM they rushed into the field in '91.
- icegreentea2 9y agoThe Patriot system actually has seen substantial changes since the first Gulf War. The first Gulf War used what are called 'PAC-2' systems. They've since developed and deployed PAC-3 systems. The list of changes is comprehensive. If nothing else, it uses a new missile that was designed from scratch to act in an anti-ballistic missile role (the PAC-2 used a missile designed for aircraft intercept - the two roles have really different end-game requirements). The radar, the intercept software on the missile itself, mission management software have all been modified. The PAC-2 missile relied on its ground based radar to guide it onto the target, and relied on an explosive warhead to damage the target. The PAC-3 has an integrated radar to guide itself onto target and is capable of hit to kill intercept. Now, those are all the claims anyways. We'll have to see how useful all these changes actually were.
- CalChris 9y agoTo quote Buck Turgidson in Dr. Strangelove, Well, I don't think it's quite fair to condemn the whole program because of a single slip up. The PAC-3 is based on the SDI ERINT, a missile which itself failed several tests and then finally passed a rigged test. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative#Extended_Range_Interceptor_(ERINT) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative#E...
- trothamel 9y agoAccording to https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/patriot-ac-3-fote.htm https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/patriot-ac-3-fo... , as of 2006 the PAC-3 was 19 of 22 on intercepting ballistic missile targets.
- sailfast 9y agoThanks - this is really useful information.
- jbattle 9y agoI just realized that there is more time between now and the Gulf war than there was between ww1 and ww2. I have no idea if missile interceptor technology has made as much progress as from Sopwith to Spitfire, but wow - I hadn't done the math before on just how long this stuff has been in the field. ... Ok I checked wikipedia and apparently the Patriot was first fielded in 1984 - though not used til '91.
- adventured 9y agoSimilarly, the time difference from now to the start of the Vietnam war, is nearly the difference between the Wright Brothers flying at Kitty Hawk and Sputnik.
- ceejayoz 9y agoI've always loved the fact that one of the Wrights lived to see supersonic flight.
- leroy_masochist 9y agoPatriot tech is completely different now vs Gulf War...the issue here is likely that making a high-performing missile defense system and actually operating it properly are two different things. Especially given the Patriot system's integration with various detection platforms. This is not an Apple product that just works out of the box. Combine the technical challenges with the Arab tendency to sweep embarrassing stuff (e.g., training failures) under the carpet, it's not at all surprising to see the fielded system fail in real life.