Confirmed kills vary in definition depending on the target and the weapon used to attack it. For a sniper, its pretty easy if the spotter sees the guys head explode, its a confirmed kill. For a tank crew there are several different kinds of kill against enemy armor. A Mobility Kill, which means the enemy armor is damaged in a fashion that it can no longer move but its weapon systems still function, meaning it can probably be salvaged but is unable to accomplish its mission. A Firepower Kill, which means the enemy armors weapon system function is disabled or highly reduced in effectiveness, this will normally render the tank useless for its mission until it is repaired. A Catastrophic Kill is a kill that renders the enemy armor unable to be repaired and normally kills the crew. These are all normally assessed first by the crew and then checked by various means later, though the crew assessment is enough to confirm the kill. For air attack its a little more tricky. Kills are confirmed by Bomb Damage Assessment or BDA. Assessment is performed using many techniques including footage from in-weapon cameras, from gun cameras, forces on the ground near the target, and follow-up visits to the target. BDA can be subdivided into three main areas of BDA. Physical Damage Assessment The estimate of the quantitative extent of physical damage (through munitions blast, fragmentation, and/or fire damage effects) to a target resulting from the application of military force. This assessment is based upon observed or interpreted damage. Collateral and additional damage is also assessed in this process. Functional Damage Assessment The estimates of the effect of military force to degrade/destroy the functional or operational capability of the target to perform its intended mission. It includes the level of success of the force applied relative to the operational objective established against the target. This assessment is inferred based upon all source information and includes an estimation of the time required for recuperation or replacement of the target. Target Systems Assessment: The broad assessment of the overall impact and effectiveness of the full spectrum of military force applied against the operation of an enemy target system or total combat effectiveness (including significant subdivisions of the system) relative to the operational objectives established. In some cases kills are recorded, such as air to air kills for fighter pilots. In others they are not or may be inaccurate due to a mission being classified which may often be the case for snipers.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 18:44:13 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015