RE: Air Power was: REALITY CHECK TIME!

Just a thought but if a drone transmitted upwards to a satelite
via a tight beam then who would detect it ?

-----Original Message-----
From: KH.Ranitzsch@t-online.de [mailto:KH.Ranitzsch@t-online.de]
Sent: 19 July 2002 11:51
To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
Subject: Air Power was: REALITY CHECK TIME!

Scott Siebold schrieb:
> In the SciFi	ground games I assume that anything that comes into the
combat > zone that is over 25 feet off the ground is dead. 

It certainly makes for a simple game concentrates on the
ground-plodders.

Whether it is believable is a different matter.

'Anything' is a pretty wide definition. Does it include artillery
shells ? Fly-sized drones ? Hyper-sonic planes ?
'Combat Zone' is equally vague. What does it mean ? Within range of
small arms ? Within range of artillery ? Wherever weapons, including
aircraft, can reach ?
'SF' could cover anything from Mad-Max type post-apocalyptic worlds
where you think yourself happy if you have gunpowder to a universe
where Bolo hypertanks are fielded by the bataillon.

> This includes flying drones near ground level up to fixed orbit
satellites.
> If a space ship comes into a low orbit and stays there (as opposed
> to a single pass and then get out) it to will be reclassified as
space
> junk shortly.

This requires some pretty powerful and precise long-range weaponry. Not
something every footslogger is likely to carry in his backpack.

> The only thing that will allow you to survive over  25
> feet is:
...
>	2) You are extremely stealthy and you aren't seen.
> Please note that sending out transmissions (i.e.. recon
> drone) is not stealthy.

How is a recon drone 'not stealthy' ? It can use passive sensors
(optics, IR, thermal, UV, milimetre wave sensors etc.) that do not
transmit. 

Transmissions can be in extremely tight (e.g.Laser) beams or the drone
can store the data until it is save from direct attack.

>	 4) You own the space down to zero feet and can
> quickly kill anything that doesn't agree with you..

If the enemy has weaponry that can kill a satellite in orbit, you
probably have something in orbit that can kill a ground installation
equally well.

All a matter of scenarion design.

Greetings