Expert: Rod Powers - 3/19/2007

Question
QUESTION: Dear Sir,

I am currently writing various short military sci-fi stories for personal enjoyment. I strive to give my stories as great a degree of "realism" as possible, and thus would greatly appreciate your help regarding the sights and sounds of modern weapons so that I have something tangible on which to base my "look into the future". From what I have read, Hollywood tends to greatly exaggerate when depicting battle scenes.

What do the following sound and look like when they are fired?
1) rocket-propelled grenade (eg the RPG-7)
2) main battle tank main gun
3) IFV 25mm autocannon firing HE rounds
4) anti-tank missile
5) cruise missile
6) air-to-ground missile e.g. Maverick
7) outgoing/incoming artillery

What happens when these hit their targets? Is there a fireball? A smoke cloud? What do the impacts/detonations sound like for each weapon?

With regard to the MBT main gun, what are the visual/auditory differences between the impact of HEAT and APFSDS rounds?

Thank you for your help, and I look forward to your reply.

Regards, Dominic
ANSWER: Hi Dominic,

I'm not sure one can verbally describe the sound effects of any weapon.

When launched, missles go "whoosh," as do rocket propelled grenades. When they hit their targets, they go "boom." When such hit there is usually a very loud explosion, fire, and smoke.

When a tank fires, it goes "boom," just like a gun, only 5,000 times louder. Same with artillery. Incoming artillery may or may not have a "whistling" sound, in flight, but when it hits, it goes "boom."

I'm not sure how else to describe these.......

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Sir,

Thank you for your reply. I discovered the following web page which may give you a better idea of what I am asking with regard to "what real weapons sound like": http://www.johntreed.com/weapons.html

I am looking for similar information regarding the weapons I mentioned - not just the sounds but also the visual sights;  Hollywood makes much of big fireballs and huge "booms", but I gather this is not the case...

Thanks again,

Regards, Dominic

Answer
Hi Dominic,

I've visited the site you gave, but I still don't think I can give any information other than what I provided in my last message. Missles go "whoosh," and bombs go "boom," make a lot of smokes, fire and devistation.

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com