iraq/afghanistan air strike question

[45calibre]

i was just watching some videos from a harrier in the middle east and the harrier dropped a bomb on 13 taliban.

how how are these things in the air that the people on the ground can not hear it?

 

[badwolf.usmc]

Was it a bomb or a missile? Got a link to the video?

 

[superjoe76]

The towels must make really good earmuffs!

 

[45calibre]

dont know maybe a missile

[ame=http://www.apacheclips.com/media/35191/British_Harrier_kills_13_Taliban/]Apache Clips - British Harrier Kills 13 Taliban[/ame]

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

They travel faster than the speed of sound?

I remember when the DC sniper was going around, they were saying the people were getting shot before the heard the gun go off.

 

[45calibre]

yeah but how high up is the jet or apache? aren't those things loud?

 

[darthfader]

these jets fly fast.. droping bombs at 350-500 knots.. by the time it takes for sound to get to you a 1130 ft/sec the jet is already on top of you and leaving the area and the bomb has been incoming for a few seconds already.

 

[ZombieApocolypse]

yeah but how high up is the jet or apache? aren't those things loud?

Not too sure, but that video could be taken from satelite, and the bomb dropped or missile shot from some random place.

Also, i think helicoptors (some) nowadays have a switch that will take them into "stealth" mode. I see coptors around here all the time without hearing them

 

[r3126]

I suspect it was a AGM-114 Hellfire missile fired from either a manned or unmanned platform. The speed of the missile is in the vicinity of mach 1.3 (950 mph; 425 m/s). Since the terminal speed of the missile is in excess of the speed of sound, I doubt the ragheads had any idea it was coming.

ETA - the range of the Hellfire is up to 5 miles.

 

[adam]

If you are talking about the jet itself, I normally didn't hear them till they were well passed us. Most of our air support came from A-10s, Apaches, and Kiowa Warriors, so I never have a specific experience like you are asking but I have had them go over me before and normally I saw them well before I heard them.

 

[db1959]

I may be way off base with this but maybe they've heard the jets enough that they dont give them a second thought.

 

[adam]

I may be way off base with this but maybe they've heard the jets enough that they dont give them a second thought.

Very true

 

[$mooth]

I suspect it was a AGM-114 Hellfire missile fired from either a manned or unmanned platform. The speed of the missile is in the vicinity of mach 1.3 (950 mph; 425 m/s). Since the terminal speed of the missile is in excess of the speed of sound, I doubt the ragheads had any idea it was coming.

ETA - the range of the Hellfire is up to 5 miles.

This is correct.

Not too sure, but that video could be taken from satelite, and the bomb dropped or missile shot from some random place.

Also, i think helicoptors (some) nowadays have a switch that will take them into "stealth" mode. I see coptors around here all the time without hearing them

This is very incorrect. The video is from the FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) on the nose of the Apache. Though they can laze the target for a different aircraft or a different aircraft/man on ground can laze the target for them, odds are it was that aircraft that lazed the target for its own missile.

There is no "stealth" mode on a helicopter. 4+ blade helicopters are quieter since the blades don't have to go as fast (modern Hueys don't have the familiar chopping sound of the old Hueys).

The reason you don't hear them is they have an impressive standoff range. You're well within range even if you can't hear or really even see them.

 

[badwolf.usmc]

The clip that was posted is labeled as a British Harrier.

You can see the object impact at the 1:00 mark. There didn't appear to be a jet of flame at the rear of the object, and since you can see the object it wasn't an artillery round. It looks to be some kind of precision free fall bomb.

Also, in the upper right hand corner, it looks like it says ELV: 2984F, which might mean 2904 feet. Also, in the bottom right hand corner LAS FIRING is flashing, which would imply that the vehicle that is filming the event is marking the target for someone else. most likely an UAV.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Can a Harrier Laze their own target?

 

[$mooth]

The clip that was posted is labeled as a British Harrier.

You can see the object impact at the 1:00 mark. There didn't appear to be a jet of flame at the rear of the object, and since you can see the object it wasn't an artillery round. It looks to be some kind of precision free fall bomb.

Also, in the upper right hand corner, it looks like it says ELV: 2984F, which might mean 2904 feet. Also, in the bottom right hand corner LAS FIRING is flashing, which would imply that the vehicle that is filming the event is marking the target for someone else. most likely an UAV.

Yeah, I only saw that it was "Apache Video", didn't see the rest of the label. sorry

Hellfires don't generally leave a trail. There is no rel precision free fall bomb anywhere. We have precision guided bombs (laser, gps, etc) and dumb bombs (free fall; aircraft is responsible for delivery). If the Harrier was lazing the target, then it was a precision guided bomb or missile.

Can a Harrier Laze their own target?

Yes. Any aircraft that carries laser guided weapons can laze their own target.

 

[r3126]

Yeah, I only saw that it was "Apache Video", didn't see the rest of the label. sorry

Yep! Me too.

In retrospect, the detonation appears to large for the size warhead in the Hellfire. I revise my comment - This might be more in the size of the Paveway 12 (GBU-12 - 500 lbs). In any regard, the terminal velocity of the guided bomb is in the vicinity of mid-upper subsonic range - again, the ragheads would have VERY little predetonation warning.

 

[badwolf.usmc]

Hellfires don't generally leave a trail. There is no rel precision free fall bomb anywhere. We have precision guided bombs (laser, gps, etc) and dumb bombs (free fall; aircraft is responsible for delivery). If the Harrier was lazing the target, then it was a precision guided bomb or missile.

I used the term precision free fall bomb to denote something like a JDAM, which is just a free fall bomb with a precision kit strapped onto it, not a purpose built precision munition. However, i believe the British don't use JDAMs, but have something similar.

 

[ATOMonkey]

That's an awful lot of fire for HE. Did they hit some fuel too, or was that some kind of incendiary bomb?

Either way, flying a harrier, which requires 3 hands, at 3,000 ft, without looking where you're going, is a feat in and of itself.

 

[femurphy77]

Not too sure, but that video could be taken from satelite, and the bomb dropped or missile shot from some random place.

Also, i think helicoptors (some) nowadays have a switch that will take them into "stealth" mode. I see coptors around here all the time without hearing them

Uh might want to have your hearing checked, the majority of the sound from a chopper is the sound of the air being hit/parted/sliced by the rotors. Stealth mode only works on Blue Thunder!!