I was watching a YouTube video of a weapons test of some kind of missle or rocket and the testing seemed to be going on somewhere near people. I was wondering if anybody knows about the regulations for testing. Like do they have test weapons with adverse ecological affects in a "closed course" if you will?
Weapons Testing
- Thread starter ArmyAmy
- Start date
I've been involved in weapons testing over the last 15 years on Surface Ships. I KNOW that safety is the paramount thing that controls what happens when firing guns or missiles.
What you can't take into account is the stupidity of people, both Civilian & Military.
Testing is usually conducted in specific areas, away from the general population. The tests are booked in advance, with specific warning messages are sent out to national air traffic control centres (NOTAMS, at least 24 hours before) & the coast guard (Notice to Shipping, broadcast over VHF on Channel 16, at least 2 hours before the trial).
For note as a rough guide, the Safety Arc on most Navals guns is between 10 to 30 degrees, either side of the line of fire, out to the maximum distance of the ammunition (Plus 10%). Dependant on the size of gun being used, its trajectory (Angle of the Barrel plus height above sea level) & ship movements that can be 12 Nautical Miles or more.
However, getting back to the stupidity. I've been on a ship firing at a test target, on the UK's South coast, when a guy on a speed boat decides to get "a closer look".
We tried calling the guy on VHF, called the coast guard to ask them to try & contact him & even re-maneuvered the ship. He wouldn't take the hint, so we had to stop the trial & send out our RIB.
Needless to say he left very quickly once the firing had stopped. We put it down to experience & carried on, completed the trial & returned to harbour.
That was on a nice Saturday afternoon. We carried on our trials over the weekend & on the Monday. It was on return to harbour on the Monday evening we got a surprise, a group of concerned locals had turned up to take pictures, following an "In depth report" in the local paper, detailing how scared the guy had been, fearing for his life as we'd been shooting at him!
...& as for the Military....
On 2 or 3 separate occasions we've been "buzzed" by Tornado's or a pair of F-15 Eagles. What concerned us is that these guys are professionals, who get these NOTAMS, but decided to ignore them, so they could have a closer look at a warship they've never seen before. On these occasions we've been doing various trials including firing of non-eye safe lasers & testing EW / Jammer equipment.
But both incidents were a few years ago (at least 5), thankfully when I've been out testing things since then there have been no similar close calls.
But getting back to weapons testing on You tube.
The best one I've seen is the poor sailor on the rear of a US warship during Missile firings. He only realises he's in the wrong place when one missile form the FWD battery lets go. He dives for cover, as he's right next to the AFT battery. He rushes out of sight, just in time for one of the AFT missiles to go "WHOOSH", about 30 feet from where he is !
The Action was filmed from the bridge of another US Warship about a mile away.
Systems Adict
What you can't take into account is the stupidity of people, both Civilian & Military.
Testing is usually conducted in specific areas, away from the general population. The tests are booked in advance, with specific warning messages are sent out to national air traffic control centres (NOTAMS, at least 24 hours before) & the coast guard (Notice to Shipping, broadcast over VHF on Channel 16, at least 2 hours before the trial).
For note as a rough guide, the Safety Arc on most Navals guns is between 10 to 30 degrees, either side of the line of fire, out to the maximum distance of the ammunition (Plus 10%). Dependant on the size of gun being used, its trajectory (Angle of the Barrel plus height above sea level) & ship movements that can be 12 Nautical Miles or more.
However, getting back to the stupidity. I've been on a ship firing at a test target, on the UK's South coast, when a guy on a speed boat decides to get "a closer look".
We tried calling the guy on VHF, called the coast guard to ask them to try & contact him & even re-maneuvered the ship. He wouldn't take the hint, so we had to stop the trial & send out our RIB.
Needless to say he left very quickly once the firing had stopped. We put it down to experience & carried on, completed the trial & returned to harbour.
That was on a nice Saturday afternoon. We carried on our trials over the weekend & on the Monday. It was on return to harbour on the Monday evening we got a surprise, a group of concerned locals had turned up to take pictures, following an "In depth report" in the local paper, detailing how scared the guy had been, fearing for his life as we'd been shooting at him!
...& as for the Military....
On 2 or 3 separate occasions we've been "buzzed" by Tornado's or a pair of F-15 Eagles. What concerned us is that these guys are professionals, who get these NOTAMS, but decided to ignore them, so they could have a closer look at a warship they've never seen before. On these occasions we've been doing various trials including firing of non-eye safe lasers & testing EW / Jammer equipment.
But both incidents were a few years ago (at least 5), thankfully when I've been out testing things since then there have been no similar close calls.
But getting back to weapons testing on You tube.
The best one I've seen is the poor sailor on the rear of a US warship during Missile firings. He only realises he's in the wrong place when one missile form the FWD battery lets go. He dives for cover, as he's right next to the AFT battery. He rushes out of sight, just in time for one of the AFT missiles to go "WHOOSH", about 30 feet from where he is !
The Action was filmed from the bridge of another US Warship about a mile away.
Systems Adict
...Here's the clip I mentioned.
(Sorry if ANYONE thinks I'm being naughty, but I did see it on someone else's Blog first....)
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkc6V7gOZFo"]YouTube - Missile Near Miss[/ame]
(Spent 2 hrs searching Youtube to find it !)
Systems Adict
(Sorry if ANYONE thinks I'm being naughty, but I did see it on someone else's Blog first....)
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkc6V7gOZFo"]YouTube - Missile Near Miss[/ame]
(Spent 2 hrs searching Youtube to find it !)
Systems Adict
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Talk about blowing people up...
In Singapore where land is scarce, this used to be a common occurrence in the early days of our military.
Uncles told stories of dismembered bodies found at live firing sites when civis go into these areas to steal durians - a highly-valued local fruit.
Also during training in Taiwan, our 155s were rumoured to have once shelle a Taiwanese village by mistake.
In Singapore where land is scarce, this used to be a common occurrence in the early days of our military.
Uncles told stories of dismembered bodies found at live firing sites when civis go into these areas to steal durians - a highly-valued local fruit.
Also during training in Taiwan, our 155s were rumoured to have once shelle a Taiwanese village by mistake.
I've seen that video before (first time I've heard of it on You Tube before) and I'm amazed that guy didn't hear the salvo warning alarms, or pay attention to the order to stay clear of the missile decks (whenever I was involved in a test firing they told us over, and over and over and over to not go topside during the hours the test was going to take place). If he wasn't injured by the missile going off or smoke inhalation (that stuff is supposedly pretty toxic) he probably scraped him self up pretty good when he hit the nonskid, I hope he went to mast on top of all that for his stupidity.