U.S. military shoots down rockets aimed at Kabul airport

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/29/world/afghanistan-live-news-updates

Aug. 30, 2021, 12:12 a.m. ET
Rockets Launched at Kabul Airport After U.S. Strikes

The U.S. military shot down rockets aimed at the Kabul airport on Monday morning as violence near the field threatened efforts by the United States to meet Tuesday’s deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan and end America’s longest war.

A U.S. official said the rockets were brought down by a counter-rocket system after five were fired at the airport, and that there were no initial reports of casualties. The airport remained open, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operational details.

The move by the U.S. military underlined the precariousness of the security situation in the Afghan capital and the dangers of an imminent security vacuum, with just two days remaining before President Biden’s Tuesday deadline to complete the withdrawal from America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan.

It followed another U.S. strike on Sunday, when a U.S. military drone strike blew up a vehicle laden with explosives in Kabul on Sunday, officials said.

Afghans said the drone strike killed as many as nine civilians, including children, and the U.S. military said it was investigating.

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. I would imagine that they know exactly from where these missiles were fired.

Probably will be some drone counter-strikes on these locations.

[jmowreader]

4. They call it counterbattery radar

The one the Army uses is called Firefinder. It backtraces any shell or rocket launched at friendly forces to the firing battery, and it is extremely accurate.

The only problem is mobile launchers…those guys can fire a mission and be gone before counterbattery fire can arrive. But we have UAVs in the area that can track them.

[UTUSN]

5. K&R for, RADDATZ won't "report" this!

[Tom Rinaldo]

6. But who operates the anti-rocket defense shiled

when the last U.S. troops are flying in the last planes out? There is so much peril in all of this. Biden is absolutely correct about the deadline. Every additional hour spent at that airport now increases the risk for catastrophic troop loss.

[Johnny2X2X]

7. 30 hours left

We have 30 hours until we leave completely. I'd expect a few more attempted attacks. Just get us to tomorrow night and we can be gone. Last I heard there were still a couple hundred Americans trying to get out and we thought we can get each one out. Do that, and this mission was a success.