Saturday, June 16, 2007

A New Weapon Against IED's


The Navy will be taking a new approach to defending our troops on the ground in Iraq:


ABOARD THE USS NIMITZ IN THE GULF - A secret aircraft that debuted inVietnam and usually protects U.S. fighter jets is getting a new type of task over Iraq - trying to stop the scourge of roadside bombs by jamming ground signals from mobile phones and garage door openers.

The EA-6B Prowler. How does it work?

The aircraft debuted at the tail end of Vietnam and was used in Kosovo and the 1991 Gulf War, escorting U.S. attack jets while jamming hostile radars, air defense batteries and military radios aimed at them.

These days the Prowler focuses its jammers on smaller signals: those of mobile phones and garage door openers that are used to trigger roadside bombs in Iraq, said U.S. Navy Capt. David Woods, 49, of Ogden, Utah.

If this proves effective, the military may have an entirely new strategy to combat roadside bombs, however unlikely it may sound... from the air.

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