Date: Sat, 10 Apr 1999 11:07:56 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Re: Kosovo Motives etc.




On Sat, 10 Apr 1999 Anarch666-AT-aol.com wrote:

> > How can we forget the multi-million dollar apache hellicopters?
> >  russ
>  Which will almost certainly be shot down the second they enter combat, not 
> to mention that they use up light rockets like they were machine gun bullets.

The Apache is a flying damned tank.  It's got a titanium tub around the
pilot and guuner, kevlar all over the place for fragment protection, and
the exhausts have been modified to reduce the heat signature, plus the
thing is computer assissted in high speed nap of the earth flying (REALLY
low level).  It's got a 20mm electric chain gun that won't jam. The
unguided rockets are a dime a dozen. The Hellfire is a laser guided one;
these things aren't that expensive and the U$ is not going to run out of
them any time soon.

There will be more Apaches hitting trees than will get shot down by Serbs.
The Apache is a front pointed weapon.  It doesn't cruise around like an
arcade simulater, it moves forward on spotted targets and pops up, pops a
cap, and drops back down.  To shoot one down you have to be quick with a
shoulder-fired SAM and normally be somewhere to the sides or rear of one,
but by the nature of what they blow up they usually aren't exposed on
the flanks.  

Chris?  I've got an idea. Why don't you join up as an undercover anarchist
and give us an up to date report on the status of U$ weapons systems?
It's help raise the level of discourse on the list.


carp