Re: [OT] Question from the news

The square box that looks like a cooling vent on the front/side/rear of
the
US/UK vehicles is some sort of highly reflective identifier, to Infra
Red/Thermal Imaging sensors at least.  The boxes look about two foot
square
and have 4 or 5 white[ish] horizontal louves.

IFF systems are "active" which is generally a bad thing as it means the
emeny can see/detect you easier.  I also read somewhere today that one
problem with tank IFF systems is that it may prevent you from firing at
the
enemy, if the line of fire is too close to friendlies.

Lee

"Friendly fire isn't!"

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Morrison" <Ajax.Dive@btinternet.com>
To: <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 10:36 PM
Subject: Re: [OT] Question from the news

> > 3. I've heard about several 'friendly fire'
> > incidents. One involved two Brit tanks
> > (Challengers I'll assume, but I could be wrong).
> > Don't the tanks have some sort of IFF system?
> > (I'd have thought so).
>
> From what  I understand of it, Challenger II's have no IFF system on
board,
> apart from visual markings on the tanks themselves. Now there a nice
> spangley new raddio system that was due in service a couple of years
ago
> that includes the IFF/location thingy that someone else mentioned, but
> because there was a major mess up in development the project had to be
> restarted from scratch. So they're stuck with 30 year old radios and
have
to
> use Mk1 eyeball, maps and verbal reporting of position to avoid
friendly
> fire incidents.
>
> I'm sure it's more complex than that but it sums it up well.
>
>