In Iraq, Solar Storms Play Havoc With Communication
Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2003 3:12 am
We were discussing this a few days ago:
"On today's digital battlefield, where AA batteries are almost as critical as bullets, researchers are looking for ways to forecast "weather" conditions hundreds of miles up where satellites orbit. Over the past decade, scientists have focused much of their effort on forecasting the effects of large outbursts from the sun, which can fry satellite circuits and trigger surges in earthbound utility transmission lines.
Now, military and civilian researchers are paying increased attention to turbulence in Earth's ionosphere, which can weaken navigation, intelligence, and other signals until they vanish under useless noise. While solar storms can aggravate these effects, they can appear almost daily with or without a major solar eruption.
In Iraq, "all of our operations are very finely tuned" to minimize civilian casualties, notes US Air Force Capt. Kelly Doser, currently working at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colo. Because today's weapons that rely on navigation satellites for guidance, "any little thing that creeps in could have a very heavy impact on how the mission is done."
more...http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0331/p15s01-woiq.html
"On today's digital battlefield, where AA batteries are almost as critical as bullets, researchers are looking for ways to forecast "weather" conditions hundreds of miles up where satellites orbit. Over the past decade, scientists have focused much of their effort on forecasting the effects of large outbursts from the sun, which can fry satellite circuits and trigger surges in earthbound utility transmission lines.
Now, military and civilian researchers are paying increased attention to turbulence in Earth's ionosphere, which can weaken navigation, intelligence, and other signals until they vanish under useless noise. While solar storms can aggravate these effects, they can appear almost daily with or without a major solar eruption.
In Iraq, "all of our operations are very finely tuned" to minimize civilian casualties, notes US Air Force Capt. Kelly Doser, currently working at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colo. Because today's weapons that rely on navigation satellites for guidance, "any little thing that creeps in could have a very heavy impact on how the mission is done."
more...http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0331/p15s01-woiq.html
?... Not exactly a short skip away from Baghdad unless this is a new conversation, but the missiles have to be 'fired' before havoc could be realized due to Solar activity....and I don't think that Moscow is our biggest concern today. Baghdad is. During the (short) night, it seems that the Iraqi Information Minister threatened that they were going to do something 'unconventional not usual' or seen in this war yet (or...to that effect) - which could portend Chemical weapons, WMDs or large murderous activities. Propaganda? Fact? If the fedayeen (sp) is camped out in each civilian house to 'protect' Iraqi citizens (sure) then you know what comes next - - they murder their own people, blame the coalition, mass casualities, boobytraps - last-ditch desperate "Hail Mary' measures. The Info Minister basically admitted to killing their own power to make it harder for us to assess the situation at night. Granted we have the best night vision equipment in existence, but they're cornered. Mad dogs don't make nice pets to walk on Saturday... 