posted
As far as I can tell, it's not an actual forcefield. I think they're shooting a tiny projectile round -- they refer to it as a top-secret countermeasure, so no details are forthcoming -- to intercept and detonate the explosive at the front of the rocket (which is why radar has to track the RPG the entire way, and why it only works within a given range, and why it can't affect torpedoes or missiles). That said, this sort of active/adaptive defense system has been a long time coming for tanks, and I think reflects the modern use of the tank and/or personnel carrier as a "base" targeted by low-rent guerilla attacks. It's a good idea.
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That said, it seems odd that we'd TELL people that our top-secret anti-RPG measure requires a radar lock. So perhaps it doesn't, and it's a forcefield (or microwave beam or something) after all; I certainly didn't see any tiny projectile on any of the tapes.
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posted
I thought I saw some projectiles. In the event it is projectile based what is the effects it has on nearby soft targets such as support troops and noncoms?
Posts: 686 | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
Did you actually see projectiles firing from the REAL footage of tanks, or just the CGI footage? I'm wondering whether they put that into the CGI just to make people like me suspect it's a projectile.
Because TELLING people that we're going to shoot radar-guided projectiles to intercept their rockets is a bad idea.
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posted
While forcefields don't exist, I could easily imagine using a field or beam to excite incoming explosives. My gut feeling is that we don't have the tech for this just yet, but it's also within the realm of the possible.
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posted
Pretty.... oh, uh...hi. I don't care what they call it, it's a good idea for a defense system. An' that's all that matters.
Sea-wiz sucks by the way. Especially when they test it. Those units are LOUD. But then so is the replacement system for Sea-wiz. Sea Sparrow. The supply stock room for my division is on the other side of the bulkhead from one of the launchers. We can't hear the ship's announcing system that well in the machinery spaces, so we never heard that they were going to test them. about 20 minutes later...yeah, Micah and I had ears a ringing.
Posts: 2208 | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Wiki says: "The system is designed to have a very small kill zone so the lethality outside that zone is small. People standing next to the vehicle should not be affected by the firing of the TROPHY system."
Hopefully that is an accurate statement. What exactly is "very small"? I don't imagine it would be exciting to provide close support to a vehicle with an automatically targeted shotgun sitting on it's side.
Posts: 686 | Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
Considering how many of the "close support" people would ahve died if the tank/APV exploded, I would say most of them would prefer this option. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Calaban, anyone standing that close to a tank that is hit by a LIVE rpg are probably dead or heavily injured anyways. I'd call this an improvement no matter where you are standing.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: Calaban, anyone standing that close to a tank that is hit by a LIVE rpg are probably dead or heavily injured anyways. I'd call this an improvement no matter where you are standing.
Uh, wouldn't they be dead anyways? I mean, the system is designed to prematurely detonate the rpg. So, it doesn't hit the tank, but it does hit lots of stuff between the tank and the path of the rocket.
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posted
Depends on where you're standing, and how TROPHY shreds the warhead.
If you're standing between the rocket and the tank, I'd imagine you're screwed no matter what. If you're standing behind the tank, I'd imagine you're safer with TROPHY taking it out.
It boils down to this: If you're standing anywhere near a tank hit by an RPG, anywhere in the 360 degree radius, you will either be killed or heavily injured by shrapnel.
If you're standing BEHIND a tank, or maybe even off to the side when TROPHY takes out the warhead, you're probably going to survive, maybe even without injury.
At the very least, in addition to protecting the people IN the tank, it protects more people around than not having it at all.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:Uh, wouldn't they be dead anyways? I mean, the system is designed to prematurely detonate the rpg. So, it doesn't hit the tank, but it does hit lots of stuff between the tank and the path of the rocket.
I would say this depends on which side of the tank you are standing. On the opposite side, you might have some shrapnel wounds, but probably okay, where without this technology you would be dead. The same side, well, it would be a closed casket either way.
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