Arena/CIWS Hazard

[jivemi]

Not to disrespect the dead, but here's a recent report from the Jerusalem Post:

"2nd-Lt.[name and home town redacted], from the Engineering Corps, was killed as a result of the activation of the Trophy missile defense system in a nearby tank. The system successfully blocked an anti-tank missile fired at the vehicle, but the soldier was killed in the process."

So Hamas apparently has ATM capability and Israel is prepared to neutralize it, although in this case it cost the life of a soldier to save the tank. Sorry if anybody's offended, just that combat actions will be studied and lessons learned from Operation Protective Edge. My condolences to the survivors.

"You might as well appeal against the thunder-storm as against these terrible hardships of war."-- William T. Sherman

[jeffreywilens]

That's odd because the promotional video for the Trophy system (I think they call it Windbreaker for some reason) makes a point of commenting how this system is safe for nearby soldiers as opposed to competing systems. Of course, this soldier could have been killed by a fragment from the missile rather than the Trophy projectile. And if the tank had been hit, he could have been killed by shrapnel from that.

[Suhiir]

Does anyone actually believe manufacturer claims?
If you do contact me I have land in Arizona and Florida to sell.

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by Suhiir

Does anyone actually believe manufacturer claims?
If you do contact me I have land in Arizona and Florida to sell.

So, is there something wrong with land in those two states?

[Suhiir]

Originally Posted by shahadi

So, is there something wrong with land in those two states?

Depends how much one likes swamps and deserts.

[shahadi]

Originally Posted by Suhiir

Depends how much one likes swamps and deserts.

Oh, this house looks inviting, outside of Scottsdale.


Then again, a Florida swamp ain't much different than a Cajun bijou.

[Mobhack]

Shouldn't that sign read "Any survivors will be prosecuted.."

Of course alligators are just itty-bitty little fluffy puppies, when compared to real crocs. When I was 4 or so we lived near Calcutta on a mouth of the Ganges, and they sunbathed in a deep concrete drainage ditch at the bottom of the garden. Eevul and seriously big b'tards that ate the dead bodies that floated downriver ...

Would occasionally join the servants and other villagers on their snake hunts. Recall one after my mother saw a krait crawling up my baby brother's pram (she threw one of dad's cleated golf shoes at it). Cobras were seen as good, since they ate other nasty snakes, so locals would encourage them to take up residence in the basements, feed them milk etc... Our neighbour was an Indian doctor and I recall his surgery had glass bottles with examples of all the local poisonous snakes pickled so you could point at the particular one that bit you.

Snakes don't really bother me too much - crocodiles I seriously don't like though!. So - Florida and similar environs of the southern bit of the USA aren't really on the top of my list for residence. Not unless I'm allowed to keep a family of mongooses (or cobras!) and also to depth-charge the pool before use...

Andy

[Cross]

Fascinating post...I think my favourite part is the doctor's jars of snakes.

Reminds me of a visit I made to a doctor in rural Oxford, as I had this bump on my head that wasn't going away. His office was filled with African tribal stuff and included a few skulls. He handed me one of the skulls and showed me some bumps on them, saying 'it was quite normal'. It was only after I walked out that I realised I should have pointed out the fact that the bloke he showed me with the bump on his skull was clearly dead.

Living in the US, what worries me most is the ruddy bears. Arrived at a holiday home in the mountains one afternoon, stepped out into the back garden with my four children and there was this huge (over 400 pounds) bear strolling by. At least we were by the house, but out on hike... They can out run you, out swim you and out climb you, there's just no escape. I guess that's why they tell you not to run.

On the topic, I agree with Suhiir, weapons aren't always as 'safe' as the claims. I think the Bazooka is a good example, which got the reputation for being easy to use and virtually recoiless; when in reality it kicked like a mule, shot flames out the back for about 50 feet, and the firer had to wear a gas mask. You rarely see photos of the 'firer' wearing the gas mask.



Cross

[Suhiir]

For the most part black bears are cowards (assuming there's not a cub nearby), problem is too many idiots feed them and they often lose their "respect" for humans. If you're harvesting berries and a black bear shows up just stay in your end of the berry patch and they'll stay in theirs. Just yell and bang a couple pans together and they'll usually run away, and DON'T ever leave food where they can get to it.


Grizzles are another matter entirely!
They're the proverbial 500# gorilla, they do anything they want and if you have half a brain you just let them.

[jivemi]

Heard there's some dirt-cheap real estate in Mosul. It's selling like decapitated heads...er, I mean hotcakes.