Article

2006-05-24 Science & Technology

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-05-24 21:21|| || Front Page|| [9 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Well, if they are properly inflated, the blimp fleet shouldnt weigh anything at all.

/muckymode

Posted by Oldspook 2006-05-24 21:36|| 2006-05-24 21:36|| Front Page Top

#2 ;-)

Posted by lotp 2006-05-24 21:40|| 2006-05-24 21:40|| Front Page Top

#3 On the serious side, Blackwater knows their stuff - they hire people that know what they are about. They are pretty well known too.

But there are others. If you want to do a good Iraq tour with a good company, first prove that you arent some half assed slack wannabee. Then go see EODT. They consistently impressed the hell out of me doing convoy/facility security, PSD and training of some private and government ISF - as well as the UXO work they are widely known for. As far as civilian contractors go, EODT is the big leagues.

Nevermind who/how I know. If you have the background and want to get into the mix in Iraq but don't wat to get back in the Army/Marines, that's the company I would go with.

Posted by Oldspook 2006-05-24 21:45|| 2006-05-24 21:45|| Front Page Top

#4 Oldspook: I was most impressed by the performance of Blackwater, et al, in Najaf and environs.

But however effective they can be at plowing under vast herds of recalcitrants, I still dislike the idea of not going for the max. If ping-pong balls are needed to hastily dispatch the fuzzy-wuzzy, and they are in the power to be delivered, then I say so be it, and damn any excuse otherwise.

Why haven't blimps been sent, and are only now being considered? Had there been a blimp or two over Fallujah, many precious Marines might still be among us. A blimp, even loaded with our best equipment, is pocket change. So why aren't they there?

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-05-24 22:11|| 2006-05-24 22:11|| Front Page Top

#5 THese blimps might potens serve in a variety of missions from armed UAV carrier to GPS and SPAWAR-GMD. The Army at last check is proceeding wid dev of VTOL/VSTOL-style future attack transports for AIRMECH, i.e. Airborne/Airlanding-capable Armored Fighting Vehicles. These blimps may serve as the airborne intermediary between the armed helo and future attack transport, versus traditional heavy sealift and offshore mobile basing, when Army-Marine grunts and Specops absolutely positively need stuff delivered overnite.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2006-05-24 22:14|| 2006-05-24 22:14|| Front Page Top

#6 Aerostats for surveillance is a good idea, but I have trouble with the concept of using them for troop transport. I guess the idea is that you trade IEDs for ground fire. I would guess that even a jihadi could hit a blimp with a Dragunov 12.7mm.

Posted by RWV 2006-05-24 22:21|| 2006-05-24 22:21|| Front Page Top

#7 The important point is not to get too focused on their potential, but what they can do right now. Hell, even taking a can of spraypaint to a Goodyear blimp right now would mean getting one in the air over Iraq where it could do some good.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-05-24 23:21|| 2006-05-24 23:21|| Front Page Top

#8 Groundfire means that blimps are basically going to be used for what they were used for in WW-1 and even the civil war (I think):

static observation.

Differece being its all unmanned stuff - no crew at risk, static location, remote operated and monitored - with a good field of view. Maybe even a hellfire or 2 on the payload bay for snaphots on targets of opportunity (like the Predator).

Given they can make compartmentalized helium bags, and kevlar coating on the outside, and amor up the payload bay - means they will be highly unlikely to be "shot down". Just a slow leak, allowing them to be reeled in, repaired and relaunched.

Certainly a lot cheaper than a Kiwoa or Longbow or Little Bird.

Put these at proper intervals along the log routes and over the city routes - plus move them to 'hot spots". This woudl stop a lot of the IED emplacement - hellfire out of nowhere tends to discourage enve the most determined bomb emplace.

Posted by Oldspook 2006-05-24 23:40|| 2006-05-24 23:40|| Front Page Top

#9 One other thing to consider:

Altitude.

Put the blimp up at 8000 ft, static and stabilized position. Even the most hardcore gunner is goign to have trouble doing meaningful damage to it, yets a full sensor package will be able to zoom in quite well on any MTI's spotted by FLIR or other observation mechanisms.

Posted by Oldspook 2006-05-24 23:42|| 2006-05-24 23:42|| Front Page Top

00:00 SteveS
23:51 Glains Threrese9277
23:42 Oldspook
23:42 Sen. Voinovitch
23:40 Oldspook
23:39 11A5S
23:37 11A5S
23:29 DMFD
23:21 Anonymoose
23:13 Frank G
23:08 Sgt. Mom
23:08 DMFD
22:59 DMFD
22:56 JosephMendiola
22:47 Cyber Sarge
22:44 DMFD
22:40 Cyber Sarge
22:39 JosephMendiola
22:34 JosephMendiola
22:31 JosephMendiola
22:26 Manolo
22:21 RWV
22:20 JosephMendiola
22:18 djohn66