"Magnus Redin" wrote in message
...
Hi!

"Kevin Brooks" writes:
If Strix were such a great system it would have been picked up by more
nations than just Sweden and Switzerland (not sure that having two of
the
biggest neutrals buy it is much of an endorsement!). Despite claims
otherwise, it will be subject to decoying with properly set up IR
emitters.
And it only has a 7 klick range, which is not going to do much in the
interdiction role. If you try to fire it while your forces are in the
close
fight, there is a significant fratricide risk.

I do not know how good Strix is compared with other equivalent systems
but that it has too short range for interdiction is as irrelevant that
noticing that a vehicle mounted TOW has to short range for
interdiction.

Not in this argument it is not. The poster was claiming that we should be
able to forego attack helo operations in favor of systems like Strix for the
deep attack role--and Strix is NOT a deep attack asset, by any definition.
Don't take this as an outright condemnation of Strix, just its inability to
*replace* the attack helo.


It seems obvious that the Strix at least will fit everywhere you have
mortar fire support. It enables the grunts calling for mortar fire
support to call for tank kills instead of mortar rounds that merely
scratches armour paint. The extra training needed ought to be trivial,
no new communications systems needed and no new logistics needed.

OK, belay the "outright condemnation bit" for a second--if it is so good,
and has been around since 1994, why have only Sweden and Switzerland ordered
it?


The fratricide risk ought to be of the same kind as for ordinary
mortar fire, dont call down fire on your friends. It seems reasonable
that it is a weapon that is good for supporting infantry defending
against armour, supporting wehicles finding armour at a reasonable
distance and that it is bad to call on during short range vehicle to
vehicle combat. (It would of course be very nifty with a IFF system
that can handle that but such a system could easily be more expensive
then the weapon proper. )

True enough. But it appears the Brits cancelled their similar Merlin effort
years ago, and the US has yet to actively seek a mortar fired anti-tank
killer capability, having other systems that can do the job (and if it has
to be done by arty, then a FIST or COLT with assigned laser designator can
do the job with Copperhead).

Brooks


The IR detector and decoy arms race has probably no true winners, a
system used for decades must surely be upgraded several times? I have
absolutelly no idea if strix needs such an upgrade but it ought to
be easier to upgrade the detector or CPU or software of a
functioning system then starting from scratch.

Best regards,

--
Titta gärna på http://www.lysator.liu.se/~redin och kommentera min
politiska sida.
Magnus Redin, Klockaregården 6, 586 44 LINKöPING, SWEDEN
Phone: Sweden (0)70 5160046