Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!linac,att!cbnews!cbnews!military
From: stevenp@decwrl.pa.dec.com (Steven Philipson)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Patriots - dangerous to use?
Message-ID: <1991Mar18.135105.19434@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 18 Mar 91 13:51:05 GMT
References: <1991Feb18.061210.14241@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (william.b.thacker)
Organization: DEC Palo Alto
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From: stevenp@decwrl.pa.dec.com (Steven Philipson)
In article <1991Feb18.061210.14241@cbnews.att.com>, baum@Apple.COM
    (Allen J. Baum) writes;

> [...] much of the
> damage (and some of the injuries) attributed to SCUD debris is actually
> damage caused by defective(?) Patriots. Naturally, Israeli censorship has
> prohibited broadcasts of this information. Can this be an explanation of
> why Israel has prohibited broadcasting even the number of Patriots launched
> to intercept a SCUD?

   Information on the number of defensive missiles launched provides the
attacker with useful information, namely that the offensive missiles are
reaching their target.  In this case, the Iraqis know that 2 Patriots
are typically launched to counter one SCUD.  Thus they can assume that
half that number of missiles reached their targets.  Since they know
how many they launched and when, these data provide a measure of 
attack effectiveness and are a tool for increasing it.

> [...] what happens
> to the Patriot that doesn't hit a SCUD (even non-defective, on course ones)-
> to they fall to earth and cause damage? How could they NOT cause damage?

   It's not that it causes *no* damage, but that such damage is very
small.  The debris from an expended Patriot is non-explosive, and falling
at a relatively low velocity.   A Patriot that experiences loss of
control and that detonates on ground impact will cause more damage, but
not nearly as much as a SCUD.  This is because the warhead is a relatively
small fragmentation device as opposed to a heavy high-explosive warhead as
on the SCUD.

						   Steve
					(the certified flying fanatic)
					    stevenp@decwrl.dec.com