F-16s? Are they fighting the Iraqi Army? Predator drones are sooo in right now.

overkill?

That's because while the Dutch seem very nice they are really all badasses.

/don't fark with the Dutch.
//Memories of the Spanish.

Still not as cool as this

also:

Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in an unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A1 Great North Road. One of the officers used a hand held radar device to check the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when the speed was recorded at over 300 mph. Their radar suddenly stopped working and the officers were not able to reset it.
Just then a deafening roar over the tree tops revealed that the radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Tornado fighter jet which was engaged in low flying exercise over the Border district, approaching from the North Sea.
Back at police headquarters the chief constable fired off a stiff letter of complaint to the RAF Liaison Office. By return came the reply in true laconic RAF style:

"Thank you for your message, which now allows us to complete the file on this incident. You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Tornado had detected the presence of, and subsequently locked onto, your hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore, an air-to-ground missile aboard the fully-armed aircraft had also automatically locked onto your equipment. Fortunately the pilot flying the Tornado recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to the missile systems alert status, and was able to override the automated defence system before the missile was launched and your hostile radar installation was destroyed. Good Day"
******************************

Fair enough, pilots get to log time for training and if they might get lucky and grab something with the camera. Of course in America we'd run into that whole using the military against citizens thing, but hey I hear that kind of shiat is legal now.

Well, if you have an expensive toy, there is a desire to find opportunities to play with it.

Hope their rudders work OK.....

The suspect shot at police, doesn't that mean the F-16's could've used ASM's on the guy?

"Get to the F-16, if you want to live" doesn't have the same panache.

JasonOfOrillia: /don't fark with the Dutch.
//Memories of the Spanish.


Henry Kissinger said the Low Countries was the Afghanistan of the middle ages. Sounds about right, except that it was worth a whole lot more in terms of financial importance.

And yet US police using helicopters is an over militarization of police, while another country using actual military aircraft is "cool"

Interesting.

An F-16 can traverse the whole country in about 15 seconds.

DerPups: also:

Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in an unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A1 Great North Road. One of the officers used a hand held radar device to check the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when the speed was recorded at over 300 mph. Their radar suddenly stopped working and the officers were not able to reset it.
Just then a deafening roar over the tree tops revealed that the radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Tornado fighter jet which was engaged in low flying exercise over the Border district, approaching from the North Sea.
Back at police headquarters the chief constable fired off a stiff letter of complaint to the RAF Liaison Office. By return came the reply in true laconic RAF style:

"Thank you for your message, which now allows us to complete the file on this incident. You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Tornado had detected the presence of, and subsequently locked onto, your hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore, an air-to-ground missile aboard the fully-armed aircraft had also automatically locked onto your equipment. Fortunately the pilot flying the Tornado recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to the missile systems alert status, and was able to override the automated defence system before the missile was launched and your hostile radar installation was destroyed. Good Day"
******************************

lol thats awesome

Fast cars they've got over there.

Stolen cars chased by jets? Sounds familiar...

taurusowner: And yet US police using helicopters is an over militarization of police, while another country using actual military aircraft is "cool"

Interesting.

Not really. It's cool because it's not us.

taurusowner: And yet US police using helicopters is an over militarization of police, while another country using actual military aircraft is "cool"

Interesting.

Cool to subby maybe, but not the rest of us.

DerPups: also:

Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in an unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A1 Great North Road. One of the officers used a hand held radar device to check the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when the speed was recorded at over 300 mph. Their radar suddenly stopped working and the officers were not able to reset it.
Just then a deafening roar over the tree tops revealed that the radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Tornado fighter jet which was engaged in low flying exercise over the Border district, approaching from the North Sea.
Back at police headquarters the chief constable fired off a stiff letter of complaint to the RAF Liaison Office. By return came the reply in true laconic RAF style:

"Thank you for your message, which now allows us to complete the file on this incident. You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Tornado had detected the presence of, and subsequently locked onto, your hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore, an air-to-ground missile aboard the fully-armed aircraft had also automatically locked onto your equipment. Fortunately the pilot flying the Tornado recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to the missile systems alert status, and was able to override the automated defence system before the missile was launched and your hostile radar installation was destroyed. Good Day"
******************************

Sounds apocryphal.

taurusowner: And yet US police using helicopters is an over militarization of police, while another country using actual military aircraft is "cool"

Interesting.

Honestly we have state police forces that might be able to kick the ass of the Dutch military. It's common and less offensive in the smaller countries that honestly do not maintain a large and aggressive military force. They also lack a national guard/large state police force so about 30% of what the smaller Euro military forces do is large scale domestic disaster relief training. They actually train for it and use it fairly frequently.

Harry_Seldon: Well, if you have an expensive toy, there is a desire to find opportunities to play with it.

This.

And they probably would've have these useless toys lying around if NATO had dissolved 15 years ago like it should have.

Did they shoot out the tires?

Doesn't seem very cost effective unless the speeding ticket is ridiculously expensive

Meh, call me when they actually target and fire missiles at the stolen vehicle.

Espertron: [encrypted-tbn3.google.com image 239x211]

Every time I see those signs I wish I had a Surface to Air missile with me. I note such things mostly in MD and VA though.

taurusowner: And yet US police using helicopters is an over militarization of police

Who said that?

Certainly going to need all the flaps out to get it going as slow as the car.

kd1s: Espertron: [encrypted-tbn3.google.com image 239x211]

Every time I see those signs I wish I had a Surface to Air missile with me. I note such things mostly in MD and VA though.

They stopped using aircraft a few years back for speed enforcement, it's not cost effective. Also, a lot of the lines they've put on the interstates for that use have been worn down or paved over.

KarmicDisaster: Certainly going to need all the flaps out to get it going as slow as the car.

I would recommend sending an Apache next time. It can pace the vehicle and atomize the driver if he tries to abandon it.

/Having Blue Thunder flashbacks now

DerPups: also:

Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in an unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A1 Great North Road. One of the officers used a hand held radar device to check the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when the speed was recorded at over 300 mph. Their radar suddenly stopped working and the officers were not able to reset it.
Just then a deafening roar over the tree tops revealed that the radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Tornado fighter jet which was engaged in low flying exercise over the Border district, approaching from the North Sea.
Back at police headquarters the chief constable fired off a stiff letter of complaint to the RAF Liaison Office. By return came the reply in true laconic RAF style:

"Thank you for your message, which now allows us to complete the file on this incident. You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Tornado had detected the presence of, and subsequently locked onto, your hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore, an air-to-ground missile aboard the fully-armed aircraft had also automatically locked onto your equipment. Fortunately the pilot flying the Tornado recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to the missile systems alert status, and was able to override the automated defence system before the missile was launched and your hostile radar installation was destroyed. Good Day"
******************************

Snopes says bogus (new window)

back when I would ride motorcycles in the Oakland Hills, there were myths of guys that would outrun helicopters. According to the stories, police helicopters top at at 120mph or so. As long as you have a straight road, you were safe (well, maybe safe is not the best word). The one thing you can never outrun is a Motorola.

st.bobo: back when I would ride motorcycles in the Oakland Hills, there were myths of guys that would outrun helicopters. According to the stories, police helicopters top at at 120mph or so. As long as you have a straight road, you were safe (well, maybe safe is not the best word). The one thing you can never outrun is a Motorola.

It's doesn't work really. The helicopter doesn't have to stay on your ass to track you. If they go up the copilot can watch you with binoculars and just send people your direction. It would really only work if it was at night and you turned your headlights off so they can't track you by that. Helis also have the advantage of not needing to slow for sharp turns. They can come after you as the crow flies.

/the Bell Jet Ranger does top out at about 140 mph or so

"Wanna pull over now?"

Studson: Still not as cool as this [kiserai.net image 640x400]

Nothing will ever be as cool as that. Not even if it was being flown by a gorgeous hooker with excellent weed.

Go Team Venture! I mean Dutch.

st.bobo: back when I would ride motorcycles in the Oakland Hills, there were myths of guys that would outrun helicopters.

With some of the headwinds encountered around Oakland, you could outrun a helicopter on a skateboard.

It's a good thing the Dutch air force still operates F-16s in case they ever have to go to war with... uh... France over the partitioning of Belgium?

Seriously, at least 50% of military spending globally is pure bullshiat, serving only to puff up the egos of tin pot little countries or steer government spending to marginal electoral districts. In the US it's probably closer to 80% -- entire generations of wildly over-sophisticated weapons systems have come and gone without serving any worthwhile purpose, and it amazes me how few people challenge the need for the US to maintain more aircraft carriers than the entire rest of the world put together -- and in Western Europe it must be close to 90%. Who the fark are Portugal ever going to go to war with? Dick waving on an epic scale.

czetie: It's a good thing the Dutch air force still operates F-16s in case they ever have to go to war with... uh... France over the partitioning of Belgium?

Seriously, at least 50% of military spending globally is pure bullshiat, serving only to puff up the egos of tin pot little countries or steer government spending to marginal electoral districts. In the US it's probably closer to 80% -- entire generations of wildly over-sophisticated weapons systems have come and gone without serving any worthwhile purpose, and it amazes me how few people challenge the need for the US to maintain more aircraft carriers than the entire rest of the world put together -- and in Western Europe it must be close to 90%. Who the fark are Portugal ever going to go to war with? Dick waving on an epic scale.

They flew a ton of sorties in Afghanistan. Some of the more laid back pilots as well.

DerPups: also:

Two British traffic patrol officers from North Berwick were involved in an unusual incident while checking for speeding motorists on the A1 Great North Road. One of the officers used a hand held radar device to check the speed of a vehicle approaching over the crest of a hill, and was surprised when the speed was recorded at over 300 mph. Their radar suddenly stopped working and the officers were not able to reset it.
Just then a deafening roar over the tree tops revealed that the radar had in fact latched on to a NATO Tornado fighter jet which was engaged in low flying exercise over the Border district, approaching from the North Sea.
Back at police headquarters the chief constable fired off a stiff letter of complaint to the RAF Liaison Office. By return came the reply in true laconic RAF style:

"Thank you for your message, which now allows us to complete the file on this incident. You may be interested to know that the tactical computer in the Tornado had detected the presence of, and subsequently locked onto, your hostile radar equipment and automatically sent a jamming signal back to it. Furthermore, an air-to-ground missile aboard the fully-armed aircraft had also automatically locked onto your equipment. Fortunately the pilot flying the Tornado recognized the situation for what it was, quickly responded to the missile systems alert status, and was able to override the automated defence system before the missile was launched and your hostile radar installation was destroyed. Good Day"
******************************

"Change your undies and get back on patrol !!!"

They should have just called the US for some drones with Hellfires. If you don't want to get blown up, don't break the speed limit.