Very dubious story.
Discussion
This story was told to me VERY second hand so I can't believe it's true - but it ought to be 
Plod on the Welsh borders were trialling their new radar speed gun when johnny jet-jock flying a Tornado comes steaming across the fields at low level. For a laugh plod points his weapon at the Tornado and is well chuffed to get a reading of over 600mph
When he reports this back at the station they decide to contact the RAF to tell them they've been clocked. They were less jovial when they got a reply from the RAF to tell them that they were well aware of being clocked as the radar gun had activated the Tornado's threat warning system, causing it to arm and lock onto them several anti-radiation missiles (designed to destroy enemy anti-aircraft radars) and leaving them a single button press away from summary despatch to the great copshop in the sky.
Moral of the story - don't f**k with the big boys.
Now, where can I buy a couple of these HARM missile thingies?
Plod on the Welsh borders were trialling their new radar speed gun when johnny jet-jock flying a Tornado comes steaming across the fields at low level. For a laugh plod points his weapon at the Tornado and is well chuffed to get a reading of over 600mph
When he reports this back at the station they decide to contact the RAF to tell them they've been clocked. They were less jovial when they got a reply from the RAF to tell them that they were well aware of being clocked as the radar gun had activated the Tornado's threat warning system, causing it to arm and lock onto them several anti-radiation missiles (designed to destroy enemy anti-aircraft radars) and leaving them a single button press away from summary despatch to the great copshop in the sky.
Moral of the story - don't f**k with the big boys.
Now, where can I buy a couple of these HARM missile thingies?
Apparently an urban myth. See www.snopes2.com/horrors/techno/radar.htm for details.
I heard this was a hand held speed trap (radar) in the north east that just happened to be pointing out to sea.
All the copper knew was the gun went haywire so he reported it to his sergent. The next thing they knew was the MOD had advised them not to place traps at coastal locations as an F1 pilot had, had to manually override the aircrafts automatic defence systems which had armed and was preparing to fire and air to ground missile.
Great story but I suspect it is alas.... untrue
>> Edited by dan on Monday 17th June 15:52
All the copper knew was the gun went haywire so he reported it to his sergent. The next thing they knew was the MOD had advised them not to place traps at coastal locations as an F1 pilot had, had to manually override the aircrafts automatic defence systems which had armed and was preparing to fire and air to ground missile.
Great story but I suspect it is alas.... untrue
>> Edited by dan on Monday 17th June 15:52
quote:
Apparently an urban myth. See www.snopes2.com/horrors/techno/radar.htm for details.
Thought it probably was. Pity. The web site says it was a Sidewinder misile which (as any fule kno) is a short range, infra-red guided, air-to-air missile anyway.
just to stir it up ... I heard this story back in 1990, five years before the story was heard by the urban myth busters at snopes.com (who do good things usually) whilst working in a related area. Forget dropping bombs on heads and all that garbage and think adaptive jamming system.
If a sensing system sends out a signal of some kind and looks for a reflection, that reflection is going to be weak, so the initial challenge is to detect it at all.
This gives the target a big opportunity. The target gets illuminated by the sensing signal direct, not some poxy reflection. The signal can be analysed pretty quickly if you're carrying the right kit. So what do you do? Your response is to reproduce that original signal and send it back to where it came from in spades.
The sensor system is sitting there waiting for some feeble reflected signal, and it actually gets an almighty dose courtesy of your signal replication system.
That way the sensitive detector, that is expecting a weak reflected signal, gets a big dose direct and with luck it goes bang. At worst we should have masked the reflected signal meaning the sensor has got no useful data.
Challenges are very fast signal processing and some way of directing your response signal. Possible not possible ... you decide ...
Molesworth-Peason atomik destruktor had won but the skool dog ate it ... chiz, chiz, chiz.
>> Edited by ATG on Monday 17th June 17:42
If a sensing system sends out a signal of some kind and looks for a reflection, that reflection is going to be weak, so the initial challenge is to detect it at all.
This gives the target a big opportunity. The target gets illuminated by the sensing signal direct, not some poxy reflection. The signal can be analysed pretty quickly if you're carrying the right kit. So what do you do? Your response is to reproduce that original signal and send it back to where it came from in spades.
The sensor system is sitting there waiting for some feeble reflected signal, and it actually gets an almighty dose courtesy of your signal replication system.
That way the sensitive detector, that is expecting a weak reflected signal, gets a big dose direct and with luck it goes bang. At worst we should have masked the reflected signal meaning the sensor has got no useful data.
Challenges are very fast signal processing and some way of directing your response signal. Possible not possible ... you decide ...
Molesworth-Peason atomik destruktor had won but the skool dog ate it ... chiz, chiz, chiz.
>> Edited by ATG on Monday 17th June 17:42
Oh it's definately possible alright, but I'm doubtful about any of the air-based units. The big systems are installed on some of the US ships - these would easily be able to destroy the workings of a hand-held radar gun, should anyone try & speed trap them 
They are also able to disable all electronics on nearby aircraft, for example, causing total systems failures.
cheers,
Craig
They are also able to disable all electronics on nearby aircraft, for example, causing total systems failures.
cheers,
Craig
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