Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!news.cs.indiana.edu!att!cbnews!cbnews!military
From: fritzs@microsoft.UUCP (Fritz SANDS)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Bomb guidance
Message-ID: <1991Feb5.042014.5263@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 5 Feb 91 04:20:14 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 22
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: fritzs@microsoft.UUCP (Fritz SANDS)

The US military reports from Desert Storm have consistently described
the bombing of Iraq as "pinpoint" or "precision".  I've been wondering
about that.

1.  Has the military said what percentage of the ordinance dropped on or near
Iraqi cities is "guided"?

2.  Is there any unclassified data on the failure rate of terminal
guidance for guided bombs?  I assume that the failure mode, if a
bomb loses guidance, is to blow up on whatever it lands on, not
to blow up in midair.

3.  Is there any unclassified data on the guidance failure rate for
Tomahawks?  Is the failure mode unclassified -- i.e. what does the
missile do if it becomes "lost" -- if its external data does not
match its internal databank?

   Fritz Sands