RE: Slow planes was: Battle blimps

At 80,000-100,000 feet you could concieveably stand off from the battle
area by 20-30 miles and still have a pretty good view (maybe not in
mountainous areas, but still pretty good).  You could then load the
blimp up with a couple of dozen laser-guided glide bombs then have
ground troops use lasers to target for you.  The advantages would be
nearly on-demand bombing - no waiting for a fast mover to be in the
area, choice of warhead - the blimp would carry a variety of bombs, not
just one or two types, and then you could call in really big strikes
from a single blimp.

That would really change the pace of a battle like that in Afghsnistan -
small groups of commandos supported by 2 or three blimps.  Once you have
a track on the target, you can deliver a bomb within minutes, rather
than having a complicated and expensive set-up where you constantly have
an attack-bomber on call.  So highly mobile units - commanders, supply
convoys or even massed troop movements can be hit while the
reconaissance data is still good.

You might even be able to have the blimp as a C and C center flying
Predator drones to do their own targeting.  Think of how it might change
low-intensity warfare if a squad leader suddenly is given the capability
to drop a 500 lbs bomb on an enemy position.  Bunkers, MG nests inside
buildings, tanks would all be highly vulnerable to ground troops with a
radio and a laser designator.

--Binhan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Beth.Fulton@csiro.au [mailto:Beth.Fulton@csiro.au]
> Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 5:32 PM
> To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
> Subject: RE: Slow planes was: Battle blimps
> 
> 
<<SNIP>>
> 
> So you could (may be) imagine a situation where they sit WAY 
> up. Lase the
> targets for themselves (if satellites can identify spots, I'd 
> say a blimp
> could use the same tech) and then just drop their bomb load 
> methodically (a
> load potentially much larger than that of a bomber given the 
> weights they
> can carry). They don't have to worry about scooting back to 
> base so often or
> so fast as they can just sit up there.
> 
> On a recon footing you could take the step further and say 
> with the remote
> guidance tech used in that pilotless plane they could stay up 
> there a LONG
> time just watching. Then again satellite coverage may make that a bit
> redundant.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Beth
> 
> 
>