Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military
From: stevew@wyse.wyse.com (Steve Wilson x2580 dept303)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: CNN & battelfield communications
Message-ID: <1991Jan22.015042.19969@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 22 Jan 91 01:50:42 GMT
References: <1991Jan18.003548.8604@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: Wyse Technology
Lines: 41
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: stevew@wyse.wyse.com (Steve Wilson x2580 dept303)

>From: att!druhi!fidder 
>Question on battelfield communications. 
>
>I was under the impression that when we attacted Iraq that all forms of
>electronic communication would be jammed.  How is it that CNN was able
>to do live broadcasts even during the actual raids ?  I know that CBS
>was asking the same question, and that CNN made the comment that either
>side could shut them down at any time (which apparently the Iraq's have
>done).  

The CNN crew was using a commercial portable satellite uplink system
to talk out of Baghdad.  This is a micro-wave system which involves
aiming the ground station dish at the satellite.   The only way
to jam such a system would be to send a signal on the same frequency
aimed at the satellite that was significantly stronger than the
ground station being jammed(a guess that these are using FM modulation
techniques so capture effect would come into play...)  This would also
imply that you were perhaps jamming out other users of the satellite
that you didn't want to affect...not a good idea.  My guess is that
most of the jamming efforts are being done for systems that are 
either based in the HF spectrum were competing signals due a effective
number on each other, or directed jamming in the electronic warfare sense,
i.e. trying to confuse enemy radar.   If you have seen any of the pictures
where people were monitoring Radio Baghdad on 11.990 Mhz you would have
heard a whistle in the backround...now that was jamming ;-) 


>Just curious... what does a Tomahawk cost ?

I heard they were going for $1 Million a shot...ABC posted a 
number stating that we'd expended 200 Million worth of Tomahawks
by the 3rd or 4th day of battle.

As a side note I think I also heard that the Patriots go for
around $1.2 Million each.

Steve Wilson