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How Technology Failed in Iraq

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the sand-gets-into-everything dept.

synthespian writes "US troops in Iraq were supposed to have a clear superiority in the battlefield because of sensors and networking devices such as aircraft- and satellite-mounted motion sensors, heat detectors, as well as image and communications eavesdroppers. On April 3, 2003, the task to take over a key Euphrates River bridge about 30 kilometers southwest of Baghdad turned into a bloody hell as 'between 25 and 30 tanks, plus 70 to 80 armored personnel carriers, artillery, and between 5,000 and 10,000 Iraqi soldiers coming from three directions. This mass of firepower and soldiers attacked a U.S. force of 1,000 soldiers supported by just 30 tanks and 14 Bradley fighting vehicles. (...) "'We got nothing until they slammed into us"''(...). Read more about this story and the troubles and challenges the US military is experiencing in networking troops from Technology Review."

7 of 942 comments (clear)

  1. context sensitive ads? by nounderscores · · Score: 4, Funny

    the technology review pasted this flash ad right in the middle of the page --

    "See How IBM Middleware connects people, processes and information.

    Middleware is Everywhere. Can You See It?"

    sheesh.

  2. Re:Weapons... by IvanD · · Score: 2, Funny

    What about:
    "Abort earth destruction, ABORT!"
    "Abort??... sh*t... I knew I forgot to declare some subroutine!"

  3. Microwave uplinks that require you to stop by nounderscores · · Score: 4, Funny

    Perversely, in three cases, U.S. vehicles were actually attacked while they stopped to receive intelligence data on enemy positions.

    Oh great. All that money and all we get is someone yelling "BEHIND YOU!!!"

  4. 1 minute and 30 seconds into combat... by Daedalus-Ubergeek · · Score: 2, Funny

    omgzergrush

  5. The difference between those two conflicts by fluxrad · · Score: 5, Funny

    is that Bush had a plan to get out of Viet Nam.

    --
    "It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." -David Hume
  6. Odds on this being modded funny vs flamebait? by pjt33 · · Score: 2, Funny
    Ever read Graham Green's "The Quiet American"?
    Must be a short book.
  7. Re:Seems like the need more a disconnected model by antifoidulus · · Score: 2, Funny

    ightly armed and lightly armored guys carrying PDA's.
    Hey, it worked for the Marine in Doom 3.....

    --
    Monstar L