Real or fake missile?

[xorl]

Take a look at this article.

To me, it feels like the attached image has been edited:

- The missile appears too sharp. Given the image DOF, and the speed it is travelling it I would expect it to be more blurred.
- The missile exhaust looks badly faked to me, it doesn't feel real.
- The smoke appears to be clearing more than I would expect so soon after firing.
- The perspective and alignment of the missile to the firing crew feels wrong.

The image is listed as a photo, not a photo illustration. If it has been composited, that would seem quite dodgy too me..

I know there are some people on this board that have more experience photographing missiles than I do.. What do you think?

[xorl]

Btw if anyone can see that I've got it wrong, then I would be interested in reading your opinions too .

[Laurie]

if it was on reuters I would bet it would be fake.

I am not sure on this one though

[xorl]

Heh . I understand that reuters does actually take image accuracy quite seriously now.

For anyone trying to find this article elsewhere, or in future, it is:

Earth moves as defence 'toys' go boom
Nick Sheridan
August 24, 2007

[sirhc55]

Absolutely real - this is an advanced weapon that does not rely on operator assistance once it leaves the tube. This can make it appear to be fake.

Check out this to see how it performs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dezg8aflMmk

[avkomp]

you will find that this thing has a small charge that pops it out of the tube and it sort of hangs there for a while.
the main rocket motor fires and then it heads off to the target at a rate of knots.

this pic appears to have been taken after the missile left the tube and just as the main rocket motor is firing.

at this exact second it has just about zero forward motion (but that is about to change)

we arent talking seconds here. all over in 1/4 sec or so but enough time to get pix like this

[PiroStitch]

having the rocket sharp is a case of using a smaller aperture and using a fast shutter speed. it's in sunlight and using a higher iso would achieve this easily. Pretty much holding down on the shutter trigger and firing away...no pun intended

[foonji]

mmm javelin, thats certainly not fake

as others have said when its fired a charge throws it out of the tube before the rocket propulsion kicks in and heads to its target. so it has a lobbing effect when fired. and that initial period of throwing it aint that fast

[Airmobile]

if you go to the department of defence website and look at latest images you will find a series of photos from Exercise Chong Ju at Puckapunyal. These photos will show that it is real

[Big V]

100% real, seen a few of these launched at woomera and as the others have said they pop out of the tube before igniting the main motor..

[Killakoala]

My CIWS will shoot it down.

[!~DeViNe~DaRkNeSs~!]

hehe me likes
least the aussies can defend themselves... the Kiwi army took the tanks out of commission because they were prone to rolling at full speed Scorpion tanks?

EDIT... OMG i just found this...kiwi's have em too
http://www.defence.govt.nz/acquisitions-tenders/current-acquisition-projects/medium-range.html

[adamj123]

Yeah that's a real shot. seen one of them in action before

[elffinarts]

hehe me likes
least the aussies can defend themselves... the Kiwi army took the tanks out of commission because they were prone to rolling at full speed Scorpion tanks?

EDIT... OMG i just found this...kiwi's have em too
http://www.defence.govt.nz/acquisitions-tenders/current-acquisition-projects/medium-range.html

Wasn't the Scorpion tank a Vietnam era vehicle? Or am I just getting confused with the Centurion?

[foonji]

yeh, scorpion and centurion are both nam era tanks