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15 ton "Big blu"

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15 ton "Big blu"

Old 30th Nov 2011, 18:43
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Looking at the damage, assuming all of which was the result of the 'event' and not subsequent clean-up ops, it must have been a bloody big bang.

If it was a Shahab 3, a liquid single stage missile, then either the launch pad was reasonably close to the buildings or they were shifting it fully fueled. Neither strikes me as particularly sensible.

MissileThreat :: Shahab 3 variants
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Old 30th Nov 2011, 18:46
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Willard. Concur.
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Old 30th Nov 2011, 18:47
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Willard, how on earth did you happen across that? Fascinating, but scary that you knew it was there!
Dec 21st 2012 rang a bell. I amuse* myself by looking at end of the word/conspiracy theory/fake moon landing/etc. bullsh1t in my spare time.

*by which I mean I find it hilarious.
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Old 30th Nov 2011, 19:11
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Willard
This comment is interesting from the same page as the photos of the damage.

"Iran was apparently performing a volatile procedure involving a missile engine at the site when the blast occurred."

Along the lines of
"Messy safety procedures and / or trying to do some things too fast
and cutting corners, causing fatal safety mistakes"


Re the "then either the launch pad was reasonably close to the buildings"
I would be surprised if they made that mistake. Having been to Woomera Rocket range, the closest building to the launch sites was quite some distance away, far enough not to be affected by an explosion on the launch pad.
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Old 30th Nov 2011, 19:28
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Yeah I read the bit about an engine test.

It all seems rather odd. I'd think it obvious to "perform a volatile procedure" away from non-hardened buildings. If it was sloppy procedures then they didn't learn from the numerous launch pad events on either side of the iron curtain during the cold war - and a few since then.

Even in this Atlas explosion the blast seems reasonably localised.


It could have been a test of the mooted larger Shahab 4,5 or 6 but the same lessons would hold true, unless they seriously miscalculated the potential blast.
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Old 30th Nov 2011, 19:38
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Most explosions and danger areas can be calculated.

What can't be is the distance and direction of shrapnel but shrapnel didn't do the damage.


The Main building at Woomera, I think it was called EC6 had really thick concrete walls and smallish windows and that was some distance from the pad.
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Old 30th Nov 2011, 21:14
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On Monday, Dan Meridor. the Israeli Intelligence Minister, said: "There are countries who impose economic sanctions and there are countries who act in other ways in dealing with the Iranian nuclear threat."
Is it just me or is this pretty clear that Israel are already undertaking direct action?

They might not need airstrikes if they have effective ways of achieving their objectives on the ground within Iran.

Makes me think of the film "Munich".
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Old 30th Nov 2011, 21:39
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This reminds me of the sudden destruction of a building in Syria sometime ago, reputedly involved in WMD of some form. One day it was there, next day it was gone. Nobody claimed any responsibility, area covered with soil and sand in very short order.

Whose to say same people are not responsible, and I don't mean the Syrians?

Regards

Air pig
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Old 30th Nov 2011, 21:42
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going back to the original post

One wonders why the USA has spent some $169 million on producing only 8 of these enormous "bunker busting - to 200 metre underground" bombs.

Could it perchance be that they are going to be given to Israel to use in the next few weeks on Iranian nuclear facilities?


Could it be to deal with those hidden chinese submarine bases I recall seeing photos of last year?????

or is this too obvious?
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 07:45
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WW

I heard Sir Willard White (different sp to protect the innocent?) being interviewed on the radio a week or so ago - I think about his participoation on Desert Island Discs. He sounds like a big black man (actually, he is - a bass-baritone opera singer); is this your alter ego, and if so did you know SAM from a previous encounter...?

I too am confused about SAM boy's service history - he hinted that he was army (the green beret connection); has said he was on a Bloodhound squadron in Germany (when they had relocated to UK); served at Bruggen and Laarbruch (the latter where I was stationed from early 1984 for 8 years and have no recollection of anyone fitting his profile); at Laarbruch one his ROs was the Staish (unusual, normally flt cdr and sqn/wg cdr get to deliver the home truths)...bovvered? Nah; just curious.

500N

Definitely 15 December for this 15 ton Big BLU to be air delivered by Israel or US (I think your money is safe, and he doesn't seem willing to take mine).

And he didn't reveal his source of intel for SSBN location.

Mister B
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 08:56
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HTB

It was me who has the Green Beret connection - that is unless you are referring to his come back comment about "Brown" something or other - which I did not understand so if someone could explain what he meant, that would be good.
Unless he meant he was "Sandy beret" but I very much doubt it.

You never know, maybe SAM was the 2nd person on the first floor Balcony ?

Yes, I think you are right but at least a charity will benefit one way or the other.


SAM
Not sure how they did it in the RAF but I would have loved to have listened in on an Orders Group of yours (if you ever gave any that is). I reckon your plan of attack would have been like going in circles you change direction / thoughts so many times.

.

Last edited by 500N; 1st Dec 2011 at 14:28.
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 09:35
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500N

Yes, I think that reference was confusing me, which I then conflated with your green beret reference. Still can't piece together his RAFG time, which is probably no bad thing, as I might not have been his bestest pal at Laarbruch.

Seems his lack of interweb connection is keeping him mute at the moment, or did he say he had a poxy connection? Maybe he's being......interviewd about his secret knowledge of multi-national SSBN activities. I suspect, though, that his medication might have finally kicked in and he's lying down in a comfortable darkened room listening to distant soothing voices...

Mister B
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 10:48
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Willard check your PM's
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 11:25
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Sam is not a Walt, he is, IMHO, the Uber Walt.

I am assuming we will be seeing this plot in the next Tom Clancy novel - he has just been using us as the focus group to tidy up any plot ends.

Question for Sam - why does your "time" in a blue ish suit not gel at all with the facts of this world. I can accept the odd recollection being a bit vague on dates but if ast the saying goes "it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck then it is probably not a fish in a duck suit" and your statements about who where when just don't ring true.

I mean, come on Sam, if you did all you said and been all you have been then you should be able to tell us a bit more than wikkidpeenoya - without breaking the OS, opsec or decent practice....

Or are you going to tell us all about where the "undisclosed" vaults are?
OOh look, a black car, a skoda you say, handcuffs and a black bag you say.
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 11:30
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SAM

I was neither a met man nor civil service; I know wg cdr Wilby, but not by the sobriquet that you use (and you've been told before about naming names and uncomplimentary observations and comments, so desist).

My allegiance and friendship was with the squadrons on which I served, and to the other operational squadrons - including the Rocks - so it is unlikely that I would have noticed you as you were a lowly ops officer. Anyway, I didn't mix with naughty boys socially and had very few reasons to go anywhere near ops wg.

Mister B
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 13:18
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cornish-stormrider

Agree. If you have served in any branch of the military, certain dates and activities (exercises), people and events that occur as part of a unit always stick in your mind and and I would have thought even more so as an Officer.

Entry to Course, Graduation, Promotion. After all, your commission certificate has a date on it so surely he can't get the start date wrong !!! LOL


HTB
PM sent
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 13:33
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Sam. Go back to post #72, read what people have said to you, think about it and address the points.
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 14:03
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500N

Check PM

Mister B
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 14:57
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Why not just let him go rather than outing him. There seems to be one or two people that seem quite keen on getting itel on him!
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Old 1st Dec 2011, 16:51
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Walt hunting, the new sport.

Our brown colleagues over at Arrse are going to submit a team for 2016, the sport failed to make the cut for the 2012 running and jockstrapping club.

Anyone who has actually dealt with "shapes", "devices" or suchlike knows they don't brag about it - ever, especially to a gob****e liney (like me) they met once on the t'interweb.

The little that I saw - I forgetted, just as I was ordered to...... (unless I am walting a little and its a bluff that I ever saw Anything)
If I can surmise - Sam has a tinfoil armadillo hat, has bragged about where when and who etc, been called on it, not satisfied the burden of proof etc etc.

Oh and he has a theory that "someone, (USA, Israel, UK, someone else)" is going to make a part of Iran into a big hole in the ground - whether or not there is a bucket, sunshine, full of, small, involved is gossipy.

I throw my hat into the ring too - if Iran suffers a smacking this side of 1/1/2012 I will donate a chunky to charideee, if not I call Sam to put up.
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