"Paul J. Adam" wrote in message ...
In message , Kevin
Brooks writes
"Paul J. Adam" wrote in message
...
At a guess... Find an IR source (running engine, camp fire, etc.) with
the IR sensor, then fire unguided FFARs at IR source.

I believe the gent may be mixing up his situations a bit. There was an
experament conducted in the theater of operations where F-102's used
their IR sensor, paired with their IR Falcons, to strike heat sources
along the Ho Chi Minh Trail--more of a nuisance program than anything
else.

A modified Sidewinder got similar use (AGM-87A Focus I, apparently) -
said to be intended for use on truck headlights (visible or IR)
according to Friedman.

Wouldn't have thought the Falcon would be much use for the role, with
its reliability problems and small warhead, but if it's what you've got
I guess you use it and hope...

I gather the objective was really little more than keeping the bad
guys on-edge. Apparently the folks in charge were looking for ways to
(a) use the F-102's they already had in hand, and (b) make life for
the gomers on the HCM trail as troublesome as possible. The account I
read indicated that the usual target was *cooking fires*, in hopes of
killing a few relaxing bad guys and making them sweat over trying to
get a hot bowl of rice to go with their fermented fish heads.
Believeable when you consider some of the other even more exotic and
off-the-wall things that were considered and even tried in an effort
to interdict the NVA/VC supply routes (i.e., people sniffers, for
one), or when you consider the amount of arty that was fired for H&I
purposes (that term no longer even appears in our arty doctrine, from
what my old Redleg buddies told me).

Brooks