Scud rockets

[Balschoiw 0]

A magical word when it comes to Iraq´s current threats to other states in the region are the SCUD rockets.

I will list some facts about the ballistic missile system here to clear some things up I hope.

Since 1974 round 800 mobile SCUD systems were delivered to Iraq by USSR.

Picture of a german SCUD that we got since germany got reunited. By now germany owns round 150 regular ranged (200km´s) SCUD launchers plus rockets.

The original model sold to Iraq has been partly modified with the help of western nations. The range has been increased to 600 km´s and the long range model is called "Al-Hussein".

Round 200 of the systems were modified to long ranged versions. These were the ones going to Israel before and within Gulf War I.

After GW I UNSCOM stopped almost any process of the Iraquian rocket program. Remaining warheads and launchers plus rocket corpses were destroyed.

In February 2002 U2 spy planes took photos of the destroyed rocket facility (the only one Iraq has) in Rafah.

The pictures showed a test facilitiy for rocket engines that has been newly built but was not completed. Status unchanged till today.

Iraq has relaunched parts of their rocket program in 1998. They are currently working on ballistic missiles with estimated ranges between 200 and 600 Kilometres.

Possibly some remaining "Al-Hussein" rockets could be hidden somewhere, but this is only specualtion.

The threat:

In order to attack Israel or US bases in the area (Turkey) Iraq would need to transport the missiles on launchers to the Jordanian border. Due to coverage of spy satellites and air recon this wouldnt work undetected at all. US and israeli forces are already training the search and destruction of SCUD systems within desert.

Experts seriously doubt the potential usage of SCUD missiles as a carrier system for C or B weapons. As C and B substances need to be sprayed in atmosphere above ground depending on weather and wind ballistic missiles like the SCUD are not useful. Iraq has been said to research such systems but there were no test recorded that would go along with such research.

The more common and effective way to spread B or C substances is to use planes or helicopters.

Hope this helps to estimate the real danger that comes from current Iraqui SCUD systems.

[Mr. Snrub 0]

Very true....

I think a lot of people in the West are under the impression that Scud missiles can be launched in Iraq (or another 'hostile' nation) and hit anywhere - Scuds are theatre missiles, not ICBMS, and are notoriously inaccurate anyway (I suppose this matters less when chemical/biological warheads are used). People in the West still seem to be stuck in a Cold War missile mindset - where 'missile' = ICBM.

Scuds in themselves do not directly pose much of threat to the West, and this should be made clear to the public. Israel (and Western interests in the Middle-East), on the other hand, is in a much more dangerous position, as was seen in the Gulf War. However now with their new anti-missile system (Silver Arrow?) that is much more effective than the old Patriot SAMs, Israel is in a better position than it was in the Gulf War.

I also get the feeling that some politicians in the West would rather not clarify this difference in order to keep this misunderstanding prevelant, and thus lend support to attacking these countries (ie. Iraq).

[Akira 0]

SCUDS don't bother me at all....

They kinda make me chuckle....

[Die Alive 0]

Hasn't OFP told us anything about SCUDs.

They're harmless, just props, all show no go.

Unless they got some scripts, they're no threat at all.

They're fun to law too.

-=Die Alive=-

[theavonlady 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Akira @ Dec. 16 2002,19:17)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">SCUDS don't bother me at all....

They kinda make me chuckle....<span id='postcolor'>

I did not chuckle 10 years ago, when we had to put our then-4 children in a sealed room, with gas masks donned for the 3 oldest and placing the under 2 year old in a crib (with raisins, books and a teddy for company).

[ran 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Dec. 16 2002,18:24)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">(with raisins, books and a teddy for company)<span id='postcolor'>

raisins ? isn't it dangerous for a 2 years old ?

but then again , i've never had any children so ..

[theavonlady 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (ran @ Dec. 16 2002,19:28)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Dec. 16 2002,18:24)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">(with raisins, books and a teddy for company)<span id='postcolor'>

raisins ? isn't it dangerous for a 2 years old ?

but then again , i've never had any children so .. <span id='postcolor'>

Old enough.

Just because I failed the Michael Jackson baby tossing flash game doesn't mean I don't know anything.

[Akira 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Dec. 16 2002,18:24)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Akira @ Dec. 16 2002,19:17)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">SCUDS don't bother me at all....

They kinda make me chuckle....<span id='postcolor'>

I did not chuckle 10 years ago, when we had to put our then-4 children in a sealed room, with gas masks donned for the 3 oldest and placing the under 2 year old in a crib (with raisins, books and a teddy for company). <span id='postcolor'>

ACK!

Well....thats not exactly what I meant...

[bn880 5]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Die Alive @ Dec. 16 2002,12:24)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hasn't OFP told us anything about SCUDs.

They're harmless, just props, all show no go.

Unless they got some scripts, they're no threat at all.

They're fun to law too.

-=Die Alive=-<span id='postcolor'>

You are probably closer to the truth than you think. Sometimes I wonder if they would go off in enemy territory or at the launch site.

[ralphwiggum 6]

SCUD's aim: as reliable as RalphWiggum's pistol aim.

[FSPilot 0]

Can someone tell me what SCUD stands for?

[ran 0]

i think that Scud is just the Nato nomenclature name of the missile

all the russian's surface to surface missile's names in nato designation start by a S

[Balschoiw 0]

ok here are the codes and explanations:

SS-IC Scud B in NATO terminology name AI Hussein and the AI Abbas systems.

650 R-17 missiles and 36 MAZ are the original russian names

a possible explanation for the shortcut Scud:

Subsonic Cruise Unarmed Decoy

another one:

The dictionary definition of the verb 'to scud' is 'to run or skim along swiftly and easily' .

[theavonlady 2]

<span style='color:red'>SCUD (Class Crustacea, Order Amphipoda)</span>

<span style='color:blue'>Scud, are also called side swimmers because they move along while on their sides. They have segmented bodies and many legs. Their bodies are flattened from side to side, or laterally. Eyes and antennae are easily seen on the head. Scud are tan to white in color. These crustaceans are an important food source for many fish.

Scud are usually found among vegetation, and occasionally in sandy or silty areas of shallow waters.

BODY LENGTH: 5mm to 21 mm

TOLERANCE VALUE: 4.0

POLLUTION INTOLERANT</span>

[Stag 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (FSPilot @ Dec. 15 2002,22:31)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Can someone tell me what SCUD stands for?<span id='postcolor'>

Because sombeody propped it upright.

[FSPilot 0]

[Mister Frag 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Balschoiw @ Dec. 16 2002,10:51)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">a possible explanation for the shortcut Scud:

Subsonic Cruise Unarmed Decoy<span id='postcolor'>

That definition doesn't apply to the SCUD missile, since it is neither subsonic nor an unarmed decoy.

The name SCUD is nothing more than the NATO codename for the missile.

[Bart.Jan 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Mister Frag @ Dec. 16 2002,22:35)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The name SCUD is nothing more than the NATO codename for the missile.<span id='postcolor'>

Like HIND for Mi-24 ?

[Aaron Kane 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Bart.Jan @ Dec. 16 2002,22:53)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Mister Frag @ Dec. 16 2002,22:35)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The name SCUD is nothing more than the NATO codename for the missile.<span id='postcolor'>

Like HIND for Mi-24 ?<span id='postcolor'>

now you're on the trolley!

[Bart.Jan 0]

Something about SCUD : http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/russia/theater/r-11.htm

And about origin of "SCUD" name : http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/bulletin_board/3/messages/637.html

They founded :

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">

It seems very likely that this is a NATO designation, not a Russian one. The Russians use SS-1, etc., alphanumeric names... while NATO assigns nicknames, most of which begin with S. So the English word scud, meaning a fast-moving low cloud has moved into the lead as a likely source.<span id='postcolor'>

[Harnu 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">SCUD's aim: as reliable as RalphWiggum's pistol aim. <span id='postcolor'>

Look out Mexico!

[edc 0]

It doesn't take that good of aim to hit a city, especially a large one.

The SS-1B or Scud-A has an accuracy of about 4000m or 2mi. The SS-1C (Scud-B)'s accuracy is 900m or about a third of a mile.

[Gollum1 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Dec. 16 2002,19:24)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I did not chuckle 10 years ago, when we had to put our then-4 children in a sealed room, with gas masks donned for the 3 oldest and placing the under 2 year old in a crib (with raisins, books and a teddy for company). <span id='postcolor'>

But as the scuds only scared Israelis in 1991, imagine how "terrible" they are now that Iraq´s weapons program has been blown all to hell. And if it does come to war, the scud-hunters are a lot more effective than in the last war (not a single scud launcher was destroyed in the Gulf War! and Saddam would have more important targets, like American and British forces (this time, they would be coming directly for HIM)

[edc 0]

The SS-1s did a hell of a lot more than just scare Israeli's.

[theavonlady 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (edc @ Dec. 17 2002,23:23)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The SS-1s did a hell of a lot more than just scare Israeli's.<span id='postcolor'>

I believe there was one direct death, 3 who suffocated improperly using the masks and about 80 who died of heart attacks.

I don't know the figure for the wounded.

There was considerable property damage. On the major one that hit the center of Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv, I believe 400+ appartments were destroyed and damaged.

As I recall in that case, 2 Patriots hit the incoming scud but failed to destroy the 3000 pound payload, which is what crashed into Ramat Gan.

I remember it well. My husband was only about a mile away from there, working, and called me seconds before it hit asking me to pray for him. He said the earth trembled twice (Patriots) and then there was a distant thud (Scud).

After the all-clear, he jumped into the car and cried wee-wee-wee all the way home.