First, an almost overlooked reported fact; a US Troop during the attack in Benghazi was actively 'Painting' a target. The target is said to be the mortar nest that eventually killed him. 'Painting' is basically ground targeting for a weapon system. To effectivly use a laser guided bomb, you have to have someone 'painting' the target with the laser to guide the bomb to the target. The laser, or 'painting' in and of itself, is not a weapon. No one has ever died or been injured from the 'painting' and most never know (that is possibly until the split second before the bomb hits).
Those are the facts, here is the speculation brought up in the video. If I am being shot at and my two choices are to either shoot back with my gun or to 'paint' the target shooting at me, there is only one circumstance which I would even consider 'painting'. That circumstance is if there is something overhead (or very close) which could utilize my target. There is no reason in providing targeting information if there is no one in the area that could possibly use it. If they are even 10 minutes out, there is no reason to stop shooting with my fire arm, a weapon that could actually harm the aggressors. The only reason to ever stop shooting and start painting is if there is a gunship or appropriately armed aircraft circling overhead (or coming in hot). The speculation then becomes that at least one of the two drones watching in real time what was going on was armed. The soldier painted the mortar next for the drone above to drop a munition on, which never happened. It would mean the help was literally a button press away, but someone decided not to press the button.
I am open to other interpretations, but I have not come up with anything else that seems plausible.
Video embedded below.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
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