quote:

---

> Some of us have been talking about a recent video clip of an air strike on a
> group of people in a town. While the pilot could zoom in on the people,
> it's a little hard to tell if they're armed or not. So how did the pilot
> decide to attack them? This question got me to wondering how pilots know
> where to drop their ordance. I came up with this list (based on some
> reading that I've done over the years) of 4 methods that pilots use to
> attack a target. Does any one have a better list?
>
>
> I'm guessing that pilots only drop ordance when:
>
> 1. They are assigned a kill zone. Any thing found in it is free to fire
> on. I believe kill zones are mainly used in open country where civilians
> are not normally found; so I doubt this was the case in this video it
> appears to be in a city.
>
> 2. Ground forces have a radio link with the pilot and they coordinate
> bombing.
> Ground forces attempt to ensure pilot knows where they are and where the
> threat is at before bombing. The ground forces may even have laser
> designators with them
>
> 3. AWACS provides info to pilot on threat to take out and is vectored to
> the target.
>
> 4. PreMission planning: the pilot is given a briefing where targets are
> shown to him. Maps, photos, videos,...
>
> 5. Another aircraft has ID a threat. Such as a spotter plane.
>
> 6. ???
>
> BTW two excellent books on US combat missions over Iraq during Desert Storm
> are "Strike Eagle" and "A10 Warthog".
>
> And here's the video clip for those that haven't seen it (the site states
> that FAC ID the targets)
> http://www.jenmartinez.com/mt/archives/2004_07.php
>
>
>

quote:

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>6. ???

quote:

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> More than likely it is a combination. Intelligence states a group of
> terrorists are located at X, Y, Z. Special Forces investigate and confirm.
> Pilots are informed when they exit the buildings, and then "BLAM!"
> Surgical strikes are quite impressive. Despite all the bitching about
> casualties, these places are very violent, and civilian casualities are
> really at a minimum if you compare it with any other war in the past. The
> US has not intent on killing innocent civilians. Unfortunately there are
> casualties of war, but one can only hope that in the end it was worth the
> civilian and military lives sacrificed.
>
> I love combat aircraft and other military technology and the simulations
> of them, but would sacrifice that if we didn't have such angst and
> violence surrounding us throughout the world.

quote:

---

> Some of us have been talking about a recent video clip of an air strike on
> a
> group of people in a town. While the pilot could zoom in on the people,
> it's a little hard to tell if they're armed or not. So how did the pilot
> decide to attack them? This question got me to wondering how pilots know
> where to drop their ordance. I came up with this list (based on some
> reading that I've done over the years) of 4 methods that pilots use to
> attack a target. Does any one have a better list?
>
>
> I'm guessing that pilots only drop ordance when:
>
> 1. They are assigned a kill zone. Any thing found in it is free to
> fire
> on. I believe kill zones are mainly used in open country where civilians
> are not normally found; so I doubt this was the case in this video it
> appears to be in a city.
>
> 2. Ground forces have a radio link with the pilot and they coordinate
> bombing.
> Ground forces attempt to ensure pilot knows where they are and where the
> threat is at before bombing. The ground forces may even have laser
> designators with them
>
> 3. AWACS provides info to pilot on threat to take out and is vectored to
> the target.
>
> 4. PreMission planning: the pilot is given a briefing where targets
> are
> shown to him. Maps, photos, videos,...
>
> 5. Another aircraft has ID a threat. Such as a spotter plane.
>
> 6. ???
>
> BTW two excellent books on US combat missions over Iraq during Desert
> Storm
> are "Strike Eagle" and "A10 Warthog".
>
> And here's the video clip for those that haven't seen it (the site states
> that FAC ID the targets)
> http://www.jenmartinez.com/mt/archives/2004_07.php
>
>

quote:

---

>"HockeyTownUSA" <magma@killspam.comcast.net> wrote in message
>news:zPudnfRIuLTFGOrcRVn-2A@comcast.com...
>
>I disagree that the pilot knew when the people would exit the building. It
>was obvious from the video that he had targetted a house in the city and had
>a laser guided bomb on the way. He changed the course of the bomb at the
>last minute to take out a load of people massing in the street in front of
>the house. He asked for confirmation to do this from the FAC aircraft and
>they gave the confirmation. Ground based troops wouldnt normally have
>contact with pilots directly and probably wouldnt be able to see the people
>on the ground massing. However the confirmation may have come from a Forward
>Observer on the ground who could see the people.
>
>I certainly hope this was the case becuase Im sure that neither a FAC
>aircraft nor regular troops would have been able to give such a confirmation
>at such a last minute. However having a FO in a town like that would be
>extremely dangerous and not very likely. Therefore I suspect the pilot got
>confimation from a FAC aircraft and that the FAC pilot based his decision on
>the fact that they apparently came out of the house which was not by any
>means certain from the video.
>
>Its worrying to me that decisions on life and death of hundred of people can
>be made in that way even to protect ground troops. Im sure ground troops
>would have been able to deal with the threat if it became apparent.