Ever since so-called smart bombs debuted in the Vietnam War, precision weapons have been an expected part of modern warfare. While most Americans are aware of the use of these technological wonders, frequently viewing images of pinpoint accuracy on their television screens, few understand how the weapons work. In this very readable explanation, Michael Rip and James Hasik not only clarify the complex technology but chronicle the use of these modern marvels and elaborate on the promises and the pitfalls behind them. At the ...
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Ever since so-called smart bombs debuted in the Vietnam War, precision weapons have been an expected part of modern warfare. While most Americans are aware of the use of these technological wonders, frequently viewing images of pinpoint accuracy on their television screens, few understand how the weapons work. In this very readable explanation, Michael Rip and James Hasik not only clarify the complex technology but chronicle the use of these modern marvels and elaborate on the promises and the pitfalls behind them. At the root of today's precision weapons is the Global Positioning System (GPS) -- the same system used by professional marine and aerial navigators and even by modern hikers, drivers of upscale automobiles, and sailboat owners. The authors remove much of the mystery of this satellite-based system, explaining how it has revolutionized the art and science of navigation and overturned many of the solutions to the age-old problems of targeting. Relevant examples taken from today's headlines demonstrate both the capabilities and the limitations of these weapons. Their use in Bosnia, Kosovo, and the stand-off engagements in the no-fly zones of Iraq make a great deal more sense with this book in hand. Many of the emerging debates spawned by a mandated review of U.S. defense policy are clarified. From the details of the weapons systems and their employment to their political implications, this sweeping analysis of the effects of a revolutionary technology on military operations and strategy is without parallel. A wealth of illustrations help the reader understand how technologies work and fit together, how they are practically used, and what they mean for the future.
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Add this copy of The Precision Revolution: Gps and the Future of Aerial to cart. $6.46, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by US Naval Institute Press.
Add this copy of The Precision Revolution: Gps and the Future of Aerial to cart. $14.95, like new condition, Sold by George Lyon rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Alexandria, VA, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Naval Institute Press.
Add this copy of The Precision Revolution: Gps and the Future of Aerial to cart. $25.00, like new condition, Sold by Shelley and Son Books (IOBA) rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hendersonville, NC, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Naval Institute Press.
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Seller's Description:
Fine in Near Fine jacket. Hardcover. Bound in black linen cloth, covers are plain with silver lettering on the spine. Printed on acid free paper. Illustrated with maps, diagrams and photographs in black and white throughout. Contains a postscript, four appendices, a list of abbreviations, notes, glossary, and selected bibliography. Indexed. Also contains information on about The Naval Institute Press on the last page. [xvi] 552 pp. FROM THE DUST JACKET: Ever since so-called smart bombs debuted in the Vietnam War, precision weapons have been common in modern warfare. While most Americans know that these technological wonders are being used, having viewed images of pinpoint accuracy on television, few understand how the weapons work. In this very readable explanation, Michal Rip and James M. Hasik not only clarify the complex technology behind these modern marvels, but also chronicle their use and elaborate on the promise and the pitfalls they offer. Spine is slightly cocked. Full refund if not satisfied.
Add this copy of The Precision Revolution; Gps and the Future of Aerial to cart. $38.50, very good condition, Sold by Ground Zero Books, Ltd. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Silver Spring, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Naval Institute Press.
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Very good. xvi, 552, [8] pages. Illustrations. Maps. Notes. Glossary. Index. Excerpt from a review by David Zimmerman posted on-line: "The Precision Revolution examines the development of the global positioning system and its integration into the latest generation of precise weapons systems. The authors, Michael Rip and James Hasik, see GPS as being central to the current revolution in military affairs. They begin with a brief history of military air and space navigation, followed by an examination of the development in the 1970s and 1980s of the Navstar Global Positioning System and its Russian Glonass equivalent. They then describe the use of GPS-guided weapons in the Persian Gulf War, and follow with a detailed technical history of the development of GPS-guided weapons and accounts of their use in smaller military actions throughout the next decade, from Libya to Serbia. They conclude with a postscript relating the terrorist attack on New York and Washington in September 2001. The Global Positioning System (GPS), also known as Navstar, is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that provides location and time information in all weather conditions, anywhere on or near the Earth where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. The GPS system operates independently of any telephonic or internet reception, though these technologies can enhance the usefulness of the GPS positioning information. The GPS system provides critical positioning capabilities to military, civil, and commercial users around the world. The United States government created the system, maintains it, and makes it freely accessible to anyone with a GPS receiver. The GPS project was launched in the United States in 1973 to overcome the limitations of previous navigation systems, integrating ideas from several predecessors, including a number of classified engineering design studies from the 1960s. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) developed the system, which originally used 24 satellites. It became fully operational in 1995. Roger L. Easton, Ivan A. Getting and Bradford Parkinson of the Applied Physics Laboratory are credited with inventing it. Advances in technology and new demands on the existing system have now led to efforts to modernize the GPS and implement the next generation of GPS Block IIIA satellites and Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX). Announcements from Vice President Al Gore and the White House in 1998 initiated these changes. In 2000, the U.S. Congress authorized the modernization effort, GPS III. In addition to GPS, other systems are in use or under development. The Russian Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) was developed contemporaneously with GPS, but suffered from incomplete coverage of the globe until the mid-2000s. There are also the planned European Union Galileo positioning system, China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, the Japanese Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, and India's Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. Additional excerpt from the Zimmerman review of The Precision: This book contains a wealth of information on the latest developments in precision-guided military ordnance and related technologies. It is profusely illustrated with photographs, tables, maps, and diagrams to assist the reader in understanding these extremely complex weapon systems. Rip and Hasik have struck a nice balance, providing detailed technical descriptions of these systems while making them understandable to readers who do not have advanced degrees in electrical engineering and computer technology. The Precision Revolution also provides a valuable history of the evolution of television-, laser-, and infrared-guided missiles and bombs since the Vietnam War. Rip and Hasik explain the limitations of each of these technologies, particularly in the way that they tended to leave attacking aircraft vulnerable to defensive countermeasures. They then explain why new fire-and...
Add this copy of The Precision Revolution: Gps and the Future of Aerial to cart. $47.87, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Naval Inst Pr.
Add this copy of The Precision Revolution: Gps and the Future of Aerial to cart. $101.74, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2002 by Naval Inst Pr.