A View to a Kill
Upon my inital arrival to FOB Kalsu it was about 0400 hours, I came in on a mni Chinook helicoptor skimming above the palms and over the Euphrates river in pitch black. When we landed I could not see my hand in front of my face. When I say pitch I mean turn on the lights and the cockraoches scatter!!
But now this mysterious orb has invaded the night sky and blanketed the land with an eerie white light. It's almost bliinding, no need for a flashlight. You could almost get a tan! It is coming to the climax of the full moon and we are at 92% illumination at night. No need for Night vision googles!
It is almost like walking on the moon itself. You can almost see detalis of trees in the distance.
With the full moon we expected more mortar attacks but to our surprise they have been few if any. Apparently the insurgents are not too keen on the idea of mortaring us and turning around to see an AH-64 Apache hovering behind them looking straight down the barrell of a 30 mm gatlin gun!
Speaking of Apaches I am quite surprised that we have them here. And not only are they Apaches but they are Longbow Apaches!!
Ok Ok, for those of you not immersed in the world of military equipment, an Apache is an Army attack helicopter. This baby is a Lamborghini on steriods of helicopters. It has a tandem seat arrangement with the pilot in the back and the co-pilot gunner in the front. The gunner sits over the 30 mm gatlin gun which he can move in any direction by just meerly looking, sensors in his helmet position the weapon to the gunners view. The Apache also carries on two stubby wings Hellfire missles which can either be aimed by radar or laser. These little babies can destroy a tank without breaking a sweat. And then there are the 2.75 inch rockets which pack quite a punch once unleashed.
The gunner and CPG view a good bit of their insturmentation via two displays whch can be toggled through to show how many weapons they have , systems functions and maps and flight infromation. They also display images in either white hot or black hot thermal cameras or infrared from a camera package mounted on its nose (nacelle).
Now to the Longbow package. This is a Westinghouse millimeter wave radar which can track up to 250 some odd objects on the ground and classify them as to vehicle type or personnel. The system (with the pilots help) can then set up priority fire zones and dessimante that information to wingmen so that many Apaches can wreak havoc upon the unknowing poor souls in its sights.
Almost sounds like a bad dream if your a bad guy! Anywho, enough of the equipment.
Unlike the life of those truly blessed to scream through the skies in almost slient death machines, I am dispacthed to sit in my orifice (not a mispelling) and peck away at my computer and unleash masses of tree killing keystrokes.
Maybe I'll get a moon tan and watch the hunters go out for sport.
later Mano
Hey sweetie, have a surprise for you once the package mail gets running. Don't you just hate the suspense?!
Love you bunches!!xoxoxo
ME')
But now this mysterious orb has invaded the night sky and blanketed the land with an eerie white light. It's almost bliinding, no need for a flashlight. You could almost get a tan! It is coming to the climax of the full moon and we are at 92% illumination at night. No need for Night vision googles!
It is almost like walking on the moon itself. You can almost see detalis of trees in the distance.
With the full moon we expected more mortar attacks but to our surprise they have been few if any. Apparently the insurgents are not too keen on the idea of mortaring us and turning around to see an AH-64 Apache hovering behind them looking straight down the barrell of a 30 mm gatlin gun!
Speaking of Apaches I am quite surprised that we have them here. And not only are they Apaches but they are Longbow Apaches!!
Ok Ok, for those of you not immersed in the world of military equipment, an Apache is an Army attack helicopter. This baby is a Lamborghini on steriods of helicopters. It has a tandem seat arrangement with the pilot in the back and the co-pilot gunner in the front. The gunner sits over the 30 mm gatlin gun which he can move in any direction by just meerly looking, sensors in his helmet position the weapon to the gunners view. The Apache also carries on two stubby wings Hellfire missles which can either be aimed by radar or laser. These little babies can destroy a tank without breaking a sweat. And then there are the 2.75 inch rockets which pack quite a punch once unleashed.
The gunner and CPG view a good bit of their insturmentation via two displays whch can be toggled through to show how many weapons they have , systems functions and maps and flight infromation. They also display images in either white hot or black hot thermal cameras or infrared from a camera package mounted on its nose (nacelle).
Now to the Longbow package. This is a Westinghouse millimeter wave radar which can track up to 250 some odd objects on the ground and classify them as to vehicle type or personnel. The system (with the pilots help) can then set up priority fire zones and dessimante that information to wingmen so that many Apaches can wreak havoc upon the unknowing poor souls in its sights.
Almost sounds like a bad dream if your a bad guy! Anywho, enough of the equipment.
Unlike the life of those truly blessed to scream through the skies in almost slient death machines, I am dispacthed to sit in my orifice (not a mispelling) and peck away at my computer and unleash masses of tree killing keystrokes.
Maybe I'll get a moon tan and watch the hunters go out for sport.
later Mano
Hey sweetie, have a surprise for you once the package mail gets running. Don't you just hate the suspense?!
Love you bunches!!xoxoxo
ME')
posted by Shelle at 10:33 AM
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