Comments on: Morning Joe — Apache Blend

By: Sam

Sam — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:17:07 +0000

CJ, referring to human beings as “monkeys”. Clearly you are a lowlife.

By: Darwin

Darwin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:21:20 +0000

$700 billion for the war in Iraq alone (so far) and 4351 US dead, over 30,000 US wounded, over 110,000 Iraqi civilian dead and all I got for my forced $5200 contribution is this cheesy video. Big oil and Iran do appreciate the memento.

By: Nico

Nico — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:22:13 +0000

Isn’t there another way to more accurately kill these guys? I mean, a 30mm cannon seems like overkill, and besides, those apartments that get torn up could have other people in them. There are people that join anti-american jihadist movements simply because a loved one was killed by a US gun or missile.

By: eh

eh — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:28:04 +0000

Nightwish eh? Shame that band doesnt have the same singer anymore.

By: mad

mad — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:11:29 +0000

I’d be interested to know what kind of ammo that 30mm is firing. Looked to make quite an explosion on impact. I’m sure just being in the vicinity of one of those impacts could kill you. Most of those dudes are dead.

By: nraddin

nraddin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:28:05 +0000

The super-cobra’s gun is the m197 tri-barreled 20mm cannon. I am pretty sure that the AH-1W SuperCobra is the only one we have left in service and then only with the Marines.

By: Ed

Ed — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:16:19 +0000

Well Tom, I didn’t have the nomenclature for the Cobra’s main weapon, but knowing that it is only 3 barreled and people have seen miniguns, the imagery would be sufficient.

By: Thomas L. Nielsen

Thomas L. Nielsen — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:00:35 +0000

Posted by: Ed at October 20, 2009 10:42 AM:
“The one that uses a Gatling style weapon is the Cobra which utilizes a 3 Barrel minigun that is also chin mounted.” Since we’re getting technical, “minigun” refers specifically to the 7.62x51mm version. There’s nothing “mini” about the M197
As for the sound (or lack of it) from a helicopter: I’ve been in close proximity (1/2 mile or less) to an AS550 FENNEC light observation helo operating at low altitude and making use of cover. You can hear it’s there, sure, but not where it’s at. Kind of spooky.
Regards & all,
Thomas L. Nielsen
Denmark (presently Luxembourg)

By: Charles

Charles — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:01:58 +0000

Killing more than one insurgent at a time without resorting to a missile is a challenge that will take a long time to eliminate. I’m sure the 30mm was designed in the anti-tank role and the specifications call for accuracy that is decent for tanks and poor for personnel; and that it won’t be cost-effective to design a sniping platform that kills people reasonably accurate 3,000 meters out.
Would it help to design more accurate Zuni rockets? Instead of resorting to the Hellfires? The rockets are smaller, but I don’t know if it’s possible to design them to be more accurate…
Or put a fifty-cal in a Predator, or a dual-50. Or a 20mm. In principle if you’re dispersing insurgent groups, as long as you rip apart a few enemy and send the rest scurrying for cover, you’ve damaged a terror cell and weakened it or taken it out of commission, at least until it reorganizes. As long as a cell is out of the fight it can be hunted and won’t be hunting. You don’t need to kill them all.
A principle worth exporting to Afghanistan.

By: jim

jim — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:03:01 +0000

I look forward to the day when we have guided bullets that can take down the bad guys cleanly — no messy explosion and fly shrapnel, no bad guys hopping away. Just a quick burst or two and the 5 guys fall down.
No idea when that will happen, but that’s clearly the direction both technology and political pressure are headed.