Target acquisition

[9GClub]

Question for the fighter/attack guys: How do y'all initially acquire targets on the ground? I'm asking in light of the recent Zarqawi sting. Is it a GPS fix or what? It seems like a technological nightmare to be zipping around at 300 knots in the dark trying to put a GBU-12 on a house surrounded by trees and/or other houses. How do you 'lock' the crosshairs on a target, and (in the case of laser-guided munitions) what determines whether you paint the target from the aircraft or from the ground?

Much of this information may be inapropriate for public discussion, but if you're at liberty to discuss it, I'm curious about how a recon team accurately relays precise targeting information to an aircrew.

 

[SIG600]

Magic...

 

[fishalaska]

Question for the fighter/attack guys: How do y'all initially acquire targets on the ground? I'm asking in light of the recent Zarqawi sting. Is it a GPS fix or what? It seems like a technological nightmare to be zipping around at 300 knots in the dark trying to put a GBU-12 on a house surrounded by trees and/or other houses. How do you 'lock' the crosshairs on a target, and (in the case of laser-guided munitions) what determines whether you paint the target from the aircraft or from the ground?

Much of this information may be inapropriate for public discussion, but if you're at liberty to discuss it, I'm curious about how a recon team accurately relays precise targeting information to an aircrew.

This reminds me a lot of an old Saturday Night Live skit where the reporters were asking "exactly where do you plan to land your attacking force and what time?" Love to help, but some guys are over risking their lives today and some information might not be helpful to them. A public forum is not the place for this type of discussion.

 

[Slice121]

Question for the fighter/attack guys: How do y'all initially acquire targets on the ground? I'm asking in light of the recent Zarqawi sting. Is it a GPS fix or what? It seems like a technological nightmare to be zipping around at 300 knots in the dark trying to put a GBU-12 on a house surrounded by trees and/or other houses. How do you 'lock' the crosshairs on a target, and (in the case of laser-guided munitions) what determines whether you paint the target from the aircraft or from the ground?

Much of this information may be inapropriate for public discussion, but if you're at liberty to discuss it, I'm curious about how a recon team accurately relays precise targeting information to an aircrew.

Can't really answer stuff on here but if you're only at 300kts during your attack, you've f-ed up!

 

[GoUglyEarly]

Can't really answer stuff on here but if you're only at 300kts during your attack, you've f-ed up!

Unless you're in the finest CAS platform in the inventory....ATTACK!!

Agreed..not the proper place to reveal TTP's...sorry 9G.

 

[McGillicutty]

Can't really answer stuff on here but if you're only at 300kts during your attack, you've f-ed up!

I resent that!

 

[Slice121]

I resent that!

Since when does a Spooky drop GBU's?

 

[weekendwarrior]

Can't really answer stuff on here but if you're only at 300kts during your attack, you've f-ed up!

Uh...how about 120KTAS and a hellfire through the window?

 

[SIG600]

Since when does a Spooky drop GBU's?

I'll bet they could push one out the back....

 

[Slice121]

Uh...how about 120KTAS and a hellfire through the window?

We're recapping an F-16 attack here, no? In which case 300 kts at release is FUBAR. Hell, we come up initial at least at that speed.