US Drone Strikes In Pakistan

[Vinod2070]

In either case, the use of SAM or J-17 is irrelevant.

 

[Vinod2070]

Vinod2070: you did score on this one!
It would be rather cute to shoot them down and pretend you dont know they took of from bases in Pakistan!. The truth comes out when ..... hits the fan!

Cool. Just go ahead and let the fun begin.

 

[Anwar2]

the drones require line-of-sight VHF datalink control only during the takeoff / landing phases. During operations the satellite datalink can be downlinked anywhere; USA, Qatar, Europe. It is a rather clumsy arrangement; with little provision for verification of pre-selected targets. Such configurations are optimized for use against Muslim "extremist" targets; results in disproportionately high civilian casualties. Who really cares? the lives of people on the receiving end are cheaper than chickens.

 

[S-2]

"In either case, the use of SAM or J-17 is irrelevant"

Exactly.

So too AAA. If there was a concerted effort by P.A. ADA assets or PAF to do so, it would have happened some time ago.

So too our reaction to such. It hasn't and won't. That's clear to all except those with congental myopia.

 

[S-2]

"...results in disproportionately high civilian casualties."

No. PREDATOR hits it's intended target. Those within the blast radius of HELLFIRE are good and truly fcuked.

It would be wise for fathers and mothers in this target region to not allow enemies of state to harbor in their homes. Given combat against Talban/AQ vs. combat against PREDATOR by virtue of aiding and abetting the enemy, I know my choice. However, these sympathizers settle for the expedient that PREDATOR can't happen to them- but it does.

I'm sorry for the children of these fools.

 

[Kasrkin]

I think the number of civilian casualties is pretty hyped.

Personally I don't think the US would have proceed with these attacks inside Pakistani territory if they were not certain at the very least (through formal or informal exchange) of the fact that Pakistan would not mobilize it's assets to thwart Predator operations or in any other way reconsider its vital role in the WoT. It is important for people (especially Indians) to realize that these attacks are not an indication of Pakistan's inability to confront the US or of Pakistani reluctance to deal with these terrorists...it is actually quite the opposite on both accounts.

I'm sorry for the children of these fools.

Obviously not sorry enough though!

 

[daredevil]

I think the number of civilian casualties is pretty hyped.

Personally I don't think the US would have proceed with these attacks inside Pakistani territory if they were not certain at the very least (through formal or informal exchange) of the fact that Pakistan would not mobilize it's assets to thwart Predator operations or in any other way reconsider its vital role in the WoT. It is important for people (especially Indians) to realize that these attacks are not an indication of Pakistan's inability to confront the US or of Pakistani reluctance to deal with these terrorists...it is actually quite the opposite on both accounts.



Obviously not sorry enough though!

How so?. can you enlighten us with your opinions?. Reality seems to be different to what you claim.

 

[SSGPA1]

There is nothing new or special about these drones.

Drones are able to hit more targets because the attacks are far more frequent and Waziristan has far less population now. This has exposed the movement of militants.

Attacks are more frequent because of an understanding between the present regime and the US forces.

Is PA out of this agreement? Yes because PA has decided to let the political regime make these decissions so that people in pakistan can realize the level of patriotism of our present regime.

This is the reason why ACM claimed that PAF can shoot down drones provided govt. approves it.

 

[Vinod2070]

I think the number of civilian casualties is pretty hyped.

Personally I don't think the US would have proceed with these attacks inside Pakistani territory if they were not certain at the very least (through formal or informal exchange) of the fact that Pakistan would not mobilize it's assets to thwart Predator operations or in any other way reconsider its vital role in the WoT. It is important for people (especially Indians) to realize that these attacks are not an indication of Pakistan's inability to confront the US or of Pakistani reluctance to deal with these terrorists...it is actually quite the opposite on both accounts.

You may refer to this post.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/curren...2-cloud-over-indias-muslims-3.html#post236165

It is simply not possible for Pakistan to confront the USA. Your economy is not in such a position for a start.

 

[S-2]

"I think the number of civilian casualties is pretty hyped."

Given the repeated reports of these targets immediately cordoned by Taliban following the strikes, it's impossible to really know who's killed.

I suspect that there's some serious SIGINT that monitors wireless and land-line traffic to confirm target hits. There may be HUMINT on-site to eyeball upclose the effects- or not. That's more problematic and dangerous. Actual collateral casualties are likely very hit and miss in terms of accuracy and easily manipulated by the enemy to an eagerly deceived audience.

"Obviously not sorry enough though!"

You don't know that nor do you know my anguish at the deaths of GoA citizens, their children, and our allied soldiers when attacked by these miscreants harbored inside Pakistan. Three Canadian soldiers died yesterday from an IED attack.

 

[fatman17]

government is holding much i miss so much mushraff i hope he was here for Indo-Pak war 2009

its easy for you to say such things, residing 14,000 miles away!

 

[S-2]

"its easy for you to say such things, residing 14,000 miles away!"

He also says gems such as this-

"lol the biggest threat to US is itself i think we should nuke US and say byebye"

As dumb as a rock.

 

[fatman17]

"its easy for you to say such things, residing 14,000 miles away!"

He also says gems such as this-

"lol the biggest threat to US is itself i think we should nuke US and say byebye"

As dumb as a rock.

plenty of such siht-kickers on this forum!

 

[TruthSeeker]

Drone Fans: There's a new drone in town. See my thread in the Military Forum.

The United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is in the process of deploying its first Boeing A160T Hummingbird unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The Hummingbird is 35 feet long with a 36 foot rotor diameter. It uses a Pratt & Whitney PW207 turboshaft engine and is designed to fly more than 2,500 nautical miles (around 2,900 regular miles) with a payload of 300 pounds (larger payloads are supported for shorter distances). It can remain airborne for more than 24 hours at a time and can fly up to 160 miles per hour (about 140 knots) at up to 30,000 feet above ground.

SOCOM took delivery of ten Hummingbirds in November 2008. Initial use of the vehicles includes testing of the Foliage Penetration Reconnaissance Surveillance Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER), a radar designed to detect people and vehicles moving under the cover of foliage.

Hummingbirds are not armed, but there is also a possibility that future iterations could include lightweight missiles or other small stealth weapons.

 

[TruthSeeker]

From the Long War Journal

US strike in South Waziristan kills 7
By Bill Roggio
December 11, 2008 3:10 PM

The US has attacked a Taliban safe house in the lawless tribal agency of South Waziristan, killing seven, including three "foreigners."

The unmanned Predator aircraft fired at least one Hellfire missiles at a Taliban safe house adjacent to a religious school in the town of Azam Warzak. "The missile hit a house adjacent to a madrassa (Islamic seminary)," a Pakistani intelligence official told Reuters. "Seven people are killed. Most of those killed are Punjabis," Pakistanis from the eastern province of Punjab.

No senior leaders have been reported killed in the strike,

The US scored a major kill in Azam Warzak last summer. A Predator attack killed Midhat Mursi al Sayyid Umar, a senior al Qaeda commander who is better known as Abu Khabab al Masri, along with four members of his staff. Khabab was a senior bomb maker and chief of al Qaeda's weapons of mass destruction program.

Also from the Pak Daily Times:

There were no immediate indications that any high-ranking Taliban were killed in the attack, which appeared to be the latest in a series of strikes from unmanned drones against suspected Taliban hideouts in the Tribal Areas of Pakistan, AFP reported. The identities of those killed in the attack were not immediately known, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media, AP reported.

“At present, local Taliban have surrounded the destroyed house, and they are not letting anybody get close to it,” said one of the officials. According to Reuters, one of the officials said there might be foreigners among the dead but that he did not know their nationalities.