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Air Defense Looking Out for Scuds
Aired March 19, 2003 - 15:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It looks like we've been able to get our phone connection going with Lisa Rose Weaver. Once again, she is with the -- with the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade that is based right now here not too far from where we are in northern Kuwait. Let's go to her on the phone -- Lisa Rose.
LISA ROSE WEAVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Daryn. Well, we're hearing reports here that other U.S. forces are on the move toward the border with Iraq, massing there. This is nothing that I can see from where I am. It's a result of radio communication among forces, U.S. forces in Kuwait. Where I am, at the moment, is with the echo battery of the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade. They are settling in for the night here in the northern Kuwaiti desert. At some point in the next day or so, they will move further toward the Iraqi border, in stages, not necessarily all at once, in order to be in position to cross the Iraqi border and go into -- rather, the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border and ask (ph) to go into Iraq if asked to.
Now, earlier today, the pictures that you are seeing were filmed earlier today. Preparations, soldiers packing trucks, lots of last- minute details. It's mind boggling, the number of things that have to be planned for and worked out in an operation like this, troops making sure the trucks are ready. Huge tires for Humvees being rolled out. That's only one small part of the Air Defense Artillery's planning, which has really been going on for weeks.
Troops are getting mail here, strangely enough. You wouldn't think that so far away from home that they could, but mail will continue to get to them. Ships with logistic supplies, those logistic supplies can get to a war theater, then if war breaks out the troops, I'm told, will get most of their mail.
Now, of course, Patriot missiles are a key component of the U.S. (AUDIO GAP) in air defense. Their main function is to intercept Iraqi Scud missiles and to protect infantry and other assets in the field. Patriots are (AUDIO GAP) used that way in one spot, but there are plans, in this campaign, if war breaks out, for Patriots to be used in a relatively new way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. DAVID MCCOY, AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY: We actually could have Patriot forces maneuvering on the ground to get to where they need to go to set up to protect. So, yes, it does offer that kind of a new aspect of interfacing with the Army that we don't normally get a chance to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEAVER: Now the conditions here, as you might imagine, are pretty rough. We're in the middle of the desert. Showers -- showers as we know it, the normal creature comforts, of course, are going to be unknown, very likely, to these people here, as well as the journalists following them, for the next -- next few weeks.
Despite this, at this early stage, the mood here is -- appears to be pretty positive because troops here have, for the most part, seen the delays in the U.N. and the extension for action as something that has sort of got in the way of what they are here to do. The waiting has led to anxiety. Now there is a sense that, perhaps, this task will begin -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And Lisa Rose, just real quickly, I wanted to make sure we get this right. Did I hear you say the 52nd Air Defense -- Air Defense Artillery Brigade? I had 31st, and I know it is important to the men and women who are serving that we get that right.
WEAVER: That's right. Yes. I'm with the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Echo -- it would Echo Battery -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And once again, without giving your specific location, we said northern Kuwait.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 19, 2003 - 15:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It looks like we've been able to get our phone connection going with Lisa Rose Weaver. Once again, she is with the -- with the 31st Air Defense Artillery Brigade that is based right now here not too far from where we are in northern Kuwait. Let's go to her on the phone -- Lisa Rose.
LISA ROSE WEAVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Daryn. Well, we're hearing reports here that other U.S. forces are on the move toward the border with Iraq, massing there. This is nothing that I can see from where I am. It's a result of radio communication among forces, U.S. forces in Kuwait. Where I am, at the moment, is with the echo battery of the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade. They are settling in for the night here in the northern Kuwaiti desert. At some point in the next day or so, they will move further toward the Iraqi border, in stages, not necessarily all at once, in order to be in position to cross the Iraqi border and go into -- rather, the Kuwaiti-Iraqi border and ask (ph) to go into Iraq if asked to.
Now, earlier today, the pictures that you are seeing were filmed earlier today. Preparations, soldiers packing trucks, lots of last- minute details. It's mind boggling, the number of things that have to be planned for and worked out in an operation like this, troops making sure the trucks are ready. Huge tires for Humvees being rolled out. That's only one small part of the Air Defense Artillery's planning, which has really been going on for weeks.
Troops are getting mail here, strangely enough. You wouldn't think that so far away from home that they could, but mail will continue to get to them. Ships with logistic supplies, those logistic supplies can get to a war theater, then if war breaks out the troops, I'm told, will get most of their mail.
Now, of course, Patriot missiles are a key component of the U.S. (AUDIO GAP) in air defense. Their main function is to intercept Iraqi Scud missiles and to protect infantry and other assets in the field. Patriots are (AUDIO GAP) used that way in one spot, but there are plans, in this campaign, if war breaks out, for Patriots to be used in a relatively new way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAPT. DAVID MCCOY, AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY: We actually could have Patriot forces maneuvering on the ground to get to where they need to go to set up to protect. So, yes, it does offer that kind of a new aspect of interfacing with the Army that we don't normally get a chance to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WEAVER: Now the conditions here, as you might imagine, are pretty rough. We're in the middle of the desert. Showers -- showers as we know it, the normal creature comforts, of course, are going to be unknown, very likely, to these people here, as well as the journalists following them, for the next -- next few weeks.
Despite this, at this early stage, the mood here is -- appears to be pretty positive because troops here have, for the most part, seen the delays in the U.N. and the extension for action as something that has sort of got in the way of what they are here to do. The waiting has led to anxiety. Now there is a sense that, perhaps, this task will begin -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And Lisa Rose, just real quickly, I wanted to make sure we get this right. Did I hear you say the 52nd Air Defense -- Air Defense Artillery Brigade? I had 31st, and I know it is important to the men and women who are serving that we get that right.
WEAVER: That's right. Yes. I'm with the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, Echo -- it would Echo Battery -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And once again, without giving your specific location, we said northern Kuwait.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
