The Chicago Tribune March 25, 2003
Behind the war machine
GRAPHIC: Behind the war machine.; From uranium-tipped bullets and self-propelled artillery to nuclear submarines and unmanned spy aircraft, the U.S. is throwing virtually every weapon system in its arsenal into the Iraq war. But as the fighting proceeds, a few have shown themselves to be key in the conflict.;
GROUND ASSAULT WEAPONRY;
- M1 Abrams main battle tank; Used by both the Army and the Marine Corps, the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank is serving as the sharp point of the U.S. spearhead in Iraq. It leads the way on the ground and has dealt with enemy ambushes and roadblocks as they are met. The Abrams can shoot nearly twice as far as the best Iraqi tank.; Introduced more than 20 years ago, the tank has been substantially upgraded in recent years. Its 105 mm cannon has been replaced with a much deadlier 120 mm gun. The Abrams also is highly computerized and has sophisticated night-vision capabilities.; Mission: Considered the backbone of armored forces. Provides firepower for armored formations and is able to destroy enemy tanks.; History: First available in 1980. Debuted in the Persian Gulf war.; Weaponry: 105-120 mm cannon; Speed: 45 m.p.h.; Crew: 4; Weight: 60 tons; Cost: $4.3 million; 12 feet; 32 feet;
- AH-64 A/D Apache; Sometimes called "the flying tank," the Army's AH-64 Apache attack helicopter is a super-sophisticated, high-tech wonder weapon uniquely designed for night operations and capable of locating, identifying and destroying many ground targets with lightning-fast speed. The Apache can carry 16 Hellfire ground attack missiles and air-to-air missiles. The Apache also has a deadly 33 mm chain gun beneath its fuselage that can fire 625 rounds a minute.; Still, Apaches are vulnerable to ground fire; one has already been lost in the Iraqi war.; Speed: 227 m.p.h.; Crew: 2; Range: 300 miles; Cost: $22 million; Mission: Designed to survive heavy attack and take out heavily armored ground targets, such as tanks and bunkers. It is the primary attack helicopter used by the U.S.; History: Developed in the1970s; entered service in 1985. First saw combat during U.S. military action in Panama (1989), then in the gulf war and peacekeeping missions in Turkey, Bosnia and Kosovo. It was also used by the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.;
- CH-47 Chinook; Mission: Designed to move troops, artillery and equipment in battle, as well as to conduct medical evacuations, firefighting, parachute drops, disaster relief.; 99 feet;
- M-270 MLRS; Mission: An armored vehicle with rocket launcher that can typically saturate a 60-acre area with 7,700 bomblets in less than a minute.; 23 feet;
- CH-46 Sea Knight; Mission: In service since 1964, it varies between cargo delivery (Navy), assault (Marines) and search and rescue work.; 84 feet;
- UH-60 Blackhawk; Mission: The Army's main tactical transport helicopter, used for medical evacuation, special operations, and other missions.; 65 feet;
STEALTH AIRCRAFT; Introduced in 1982, the bat-like F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter was the only American aircraft used to bomb Baghdad in the first gulf war, flying 1,300 sorties in that conflict.; The F-117A has returned to Iraq for more such missions, this time joined by the larger B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.; Their radar-evading shapes and devices make them nearly invisible to Iraqi air defenses. They've proved essential in the continuing U.S. aerial assault on Baghdad.; F-117As carry missiles, and serve as fighters or bombers. B-2s drop munitions and hold 40,000 pounds of bombs.; - F-117A Nighthawk; Mission: The first aircraft designed to use stealth technology, this precision-strike aircraft penetrates high-threat airspace and uses laser-guided weapons against targets.; History: During Operation Desert Storm, F-117As scored hits on 1,600 Iraqi targets.; Speed: High subsonic; Crew: 1; Range: Unlimited; Cost: $45 million; 43 feet; 64 feet;
- B-2 Spirit; Mission: This heavy bomber can fly at high subsonic speeds while evading enemy radar; History: First flown in July 1989. In Balkan war, destroyed 33 percent of all Serb targets in the first eight weeks, flying nonstop to Kosovo from its home base in Whiteman, Mo. and back. In Afghanistan, the B-2 flew one of its longest missions to date-Missouri to Afghanistan and back.; Speed: High subsonic; Crew: 2; Range: Intercontinental; Cost: $1.2 billion; 172 feet; 69 feet;
OTHER AIRCRAFT; - F-14 Tomcat; Mission: Navy strike fighter built to defend air fleet, achieve air superiority and perform precision attacks on ground targets.; 62 feet; 38 to 62 feet; - F-15 Eagle; Mission: The Air Force F-15 Eagle is an all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain superiority in aerial combat.; 64 feet; 43 feet; - F/A-18 Hornet; Mission: Designed as an all-weather air-defense and strike aircraft. Used by both U.S. Marines and Navy.; 56 feet; 38 feet; - A-10 Thunderbolt; Mission: The anti-tank "Warthog," used in the first gulf war and Afghanistan, fights against Iraqi armor and pockets of resistance.; 58 feet; 48 feet;
MISSILE SYSTEMS; - Tomahawk cruise missile; U.S. Navy Tomahawk cruise missiles, fired from surface ships or submarines, started the war last week with a strike at one of Saddam Hussein's residential compounds. Hundreds of Tomahawks have been fired since, with targets ranging from Baghdad government buildings and command centers to Iraqi tank concentrations massed near the country's northern oil fields.; An Air Force version of the Tomahawk, the Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missile, also has been brought into the war, with aging-but-rugged B-52 bombers serving as launching platforms. Cruise missiles can be fitted with a variety of warheads. Designed as possible replacements for manned bombers, cruise missiles initially combined radar with an internal, computerized map. Today, they use satellite guidance to reach targets with pinpoint accuracy, though three have gone astray.; Mission: First used in the 1991 Persian Gulf war, the Tomahawk is designed to fly at low altitudes and subsonic speeds, evading detection.; Speed 550 m.p.h.; Range: 1,000 miles; Accuracy: Pinpoint; Cost: up to $1 million;
- Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM); Unavailable in the first gulf war, a JDAM is any bomb fitted with satellite guidance. JDAMs can be launched 15 miles from a target and guided remotely. More than 80 percent of munitions dropped in 1991 were non-precision "dumb" bombs. JDAM has al-lowed the Air Force and Navy to turn those stockpiles into "smart" bombs with 90-plus percent accuracy.; Mission: First deployed in 1999, JDAMS are strap-on kits that turn conventional bombs into "smart," satellite-guided bombs.; Accuracy: Within 43 feet; Weight: 100 pounds; Range: 15 miles; Cost: $21,000;
Sources: U.S. Armed Forces, Boeing, globalsecurity.org, Federation of American Scientists; Chicago Tribune/Michael Kilian, Lou Carlozo, Larry Rowe, Chris Soprych, Keith Claxton; - See microfilm for complete graphic.
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