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Comment by Symmetry | Hacker News Reader

Well, there's a bit but its not like they're firing 120mm cannons from those things. And really, the US fires missiles from the backs of trucks all the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hmmwv-036.jpg

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But different cases. The picture you linked (and many other cases) have low recoil because the missiles are equipped with a small jump motor to get the missile away from the launcher before the main motor launches. This is to reduce recoil, and the blast (you can fire from confined spaces safely).

The "lack" of recoil in the rockets in the pictures (as well as most rockets used as artillery) is because there is very little of the launcher impeding the rocket exhaust. Nothing in the way for the force to transfer onto the chassis.

That hummer also weighs in excess of 5000 pounds stock not including the missile system and is designed to have recoil less rockets fired from a top mounted turret. That Toyota truck weighs less, has a weaker chassis, and is in no way designed to have a non professional weld job mounted missile launcher designed for a hind gunship mounted in the bed. The Toyota truck only weighs about 3000 pounds, firing that system on the slightest of inclines would literally roll the truck over.

There is no recoil from a tube-launched rocket. These have no jump-charge, as they were not designed to be operated with humans in range, so it's pure rocket propulsion from the start.

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