I could really get into this. The Stark had other issues. One, keep in mind that the Exocet RCS (radar cross section) is very small. So that makes it very hard to see with radar, espcially with the SPS-49 radar. So the ability to see skin seperation from the F-1 was more than likely not seen by the operator. Then, also, especially in mid 80's, ships did not run the CIWS in full auto and probably still don't to this day. This is not to mention the SLQ-32 ESM operator would have a very short reaction time once Exocet radar lit off. So with all of our expensive systems to keep ships safe, a $30k missile can pretty much ruin your day.
Also, Iraq was our friend then, and who shoots at their friend?
Ron, that was a CF beyond nearly all recognition. The ship's Captain claimed that all defensive systems were functioning though there were conflicting reports during the investigation as to what mode systems were prior to the attack. The same day the Stark was hit a different Iraqi aircraft also flying from Shaibah had put missiles in a Cypriot ship not too far from where the Stark was then steaming. So they knew there'd been activity.
Still no one caught it all. An AWAC caught the Mirage leaving Shaibah at 20:00 local, both the AWAC and the Stark had monitored the flight, the Stark had verified and, if I remember correctly, done an IFF request of the Mirage without getting any kind of a response. The AWAC saw the Mirage take a sudden turn for home. But none of them ever caught the plane fire off its missiles. First report of the inbounds was a watch with binos just seconds before impact.
Gents, I'm not a conspiracy theorist and don't go looking for boogeymen behind every incident. I recognize that Oliver Stone creates fiction and I think that, generally, the Warren Commission didn't screw the pooch. To this day, however, I am absolutely convinced that Mirage knew its run was on a US warship and, with only somewhat less belief, think the plane was piloted by a Russian. That we screwed the pooch completely on monitoring and missing any attempts at defense (all of which we certainly did) is entirely separate from the attack itself. But I've always thought we got sucker punched on that one.
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Topic: French Weapon Technology vs US Technology (Read 6845 times)