Smart Bombs (was Re: HISTORY: F111)

Mark Grant (mark@unicorn.com)
Sun, 20 Jul 1997 10:20:21 +0000


On Thu, 17 Jul 1997, Michael Lorrey wrote:

> People say that 25% accuracy is a crappy result. BS. Considering that
> infantry shoots an average of 9000 rounds to kill one enemy soldier,
> artillery tosses an average of 50 rounds to nail one tank, etc....a
> 25-50% success rate is highly surgical by military standards.

Actually it wasn't the absolute success rate they were quoting, but that
laser-guided bombs were no more effective than old unguided bombs and far
more expensive. They weren't impressed with cruise missiles, either,
though the success rate was classified out. I think it was a GAO report.

I guess this didn't make any US newspapers? It merited a quarter-page or
so in all the 'quality' newspapers in the UK. Interesting example of media
bias.

Mark

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