Radar detectors may be bad for you!

[MudSurfer]

Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in an unusual
incident, while checking for speeding motorists on the A-1 Great North Road.

One of the officers (who are not named) used a hand-held radar device to check
the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised
when the speed was recorded at over 300mph. The machine then stopped
working and the officers were not able to reset it.

The radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Tornado fighter jet over the North
Sea, which was engaged in a low-flying exercise over the Border district.

Back at police headquarters the chief constable fired off a stiff complaint to the
R A F Liaison office.

Back came the reply in true laconic R A F style. "Thank you for your message,
which allows us to complete the file on this incident. You may be interested to
know that the tactical computer in the Tornado had automatically locked on to
your 'hostile radar equipment' and sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore,
the Sidewinder Air-to-ground missiles aboard the fully-armed aircraft had also
locked on to the target. Fortunately the Dutch pilot flying the Tornado responded
to the missile status alert intelligently and was able to override the automatic
protection system before the missile was launched".

[surfenstein]

so the next time i get stopped for speeding in stein

[MudSurfer]

so the next time i get stopped for speeding in stein

Yeah - missile lock - and - call Apache for the jamming equipment....

[Apache]

It's a shame, but it's an urban myth.

As nice as it would be to be able to wipe out speedcops automatically, no aircraft carry automated weapon launch systems as it's outlawed by the Geneva Convention.

It is possible to lauch countermeasures (chaff against radar guided missiles) automatically, but over non-range land, the systems are always switched to manual so they cant start dispensing automatically. Imagine the complaints when countermeasure flares start setting fire to your washing in your back garden

[Retribution]

He should have fired with all these terrorists around

Fire the damn chaff and seek and destroy

[Andy Dawson]

"Sidewinder Air-to-ground missiles"
Sorry, but the Sidewinder is a heat seeking air to air missile, they would have used a Harm (High speed Anti Radiation Missile) weapon - flies in at 3 times the speed of sound and scatters cubes of metal every where, a bit like our Tony with his 9" angle grinder . (See UJ's latest post)

[Vultch]

"Sidewinder Air-to-ground missiles"
Sorry, but the Sidewinder is a heat seeking air to air missile, they would have used a Harm (High speed Anti Radiation Missile) weapon - flies in at 3 times the speed of sound and scatters cubes of metal every where, a bit like our Tony with his 9" angle grinder . (See UJ's latest post)

you beat me to it..... sidewinder an air to ground missile ??

[MudSurfer]

I'll tell ma dad, he sent it to me - I just stuck it on here, cos I thought it was funny.......

[gwh200]

I'll tell ma dad, he sent it to me - I just stuck it on here, cos I thought it was funny.......

dude !!
i wont pi55 on your parade,i enjoyed it from start....to finish

[dieselboy]

funny if it were true though?
and how much range do those hand helds go? he must of been able to see it at least, even if he could hear himself think because of the jet noise.

and how fast do those planes cruise at? isnt 300mph very very slow?

[yoshie]

funny if it were true though?
and how much range do those hand helds go? he must of been able to see it at least, even if he could hear himself think because of the jet noise.

and how fast do those planes cruise at? isnt 300mph very very slow?

For the aviodance of doubt see post 4 ITS NO TRUE

[dieselboy]

For the aviodance of doubt see post 4 ITS NO TRUE

yesh

[Andy Dawson]

Ok, switching to total geek mode!
The Radar speed gun will get picked up by most modern threat sensors on military aircraft and providing the system is set to automatic (as well as being carried - it's a separate pod) will attempt to 'Jam' the speed gun. The gun will mostly likely overload and switch down.
A Tornado used to be the fastest aircraft of it's type at low level (below 500 feet) reaching speeds of approximately 750 knots - loosely known as F****n fast! especially as the pilots trained to fly below 100 feet.
However, in order not to upset the more delicate members of the public, peace time height and speed limits are: minimum altitude - 250 feet (with regards the ground DIRECTLY below the aircraft) and an air speed of about 350 knots (not sure on the exact speed).
Thus the story could be true - apart from the bit about the missile type .
I once worked at a place in the UK where the RAF coppers were banned from using their speed guns without providing proper notification first due to this problem, it was also the same place where a Luton van nearly got run off the road by a yank A10 - not all the UK has the afore mentioned height limit!!
I used to have a job 'policing' the sky’s looking for pilots breaking these rules, only I used a 6 million pound 'speed gun' that couldn’t be jammed and also recorded video of the aircraft! - Oh happy days!
Finally, there are a couple more stories about -
2 Pilots pinched some Night Vision Goggles from work and used to go bombing up the motorway in the dead of night with the lights off; hoping not to get caught. I think they were evenually traced.
A pilots car was found rapped around a tree, the steering wheel was bent as he tried to 'Pull Up'
More Urban legends? You deside!

[Scorpion]

Urban legends, don't you just love 'em?

I liked the caravanners / toothbrush one and the one where the Beckhams paid for a wedding, honeymoon, and morgage, so that Brooklyn could have his birthday party in the castle where they filmed Harry Potter.

[Apache]

Ok, switching to total geek mode!
The Radar speed gun will get picked up by most modern threat sensors on military aircraft and providing the system is set to automatic (as well as being carried - it's a separate pod) will attempt to 'Jam' the speed gun. The gun will mostly likely overload and switch down.

We were talking at cross purposes. I was referring to radar warning receivers connected to chaff dispensers, such as Sky Guardian, not a jammer. Different jobs.

RWRs are certainly not left in auto if connected to a full dispenser!