RE: Blimp Bombing

The point would be to keep it at stand-off distance - 20 or 30 miles
away.  If it's camoflauged (see the other discussions on luminosity and
radar-cross section in this thread) then it's not going to be easy to
spot.  In addition, if it hangs around for days or weeks there are some
things you are going to want to move regardless.  If you can keep ammo
from reaching the guerillas, either by destroying the ammo or preventing
it from moving you've acheived the same tactical result - ammo shortages
at the front lines.  If they do try to rapidly move stuff out, you have
a much quicker response time.  Instead of having to wait 10 minutes for
a "ready" aircraft to launch and get into position, an operator just
drops one out the bomb bay and a minute or two later, the ammo convoy
goes boom. 

I'm not sure of the exact cost of sending up a fighter-bomber, but
assuming the exact same glide-bomb, it has to be way cheaper to operate
a blimp for a week than it is to run dozens of figher-bomber sorties in
the same week.	So if the overall cost is less per drop, it might be
cost effective to "waste" a 500 lbs bomb on every large truck that
leaves a certain area.

--Binhan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hudak, Michael [mailto:mihudak@state.pa.us]
> Sent: Friday, April 19, 2002 11:17 AM
> To: 'gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu'
> Subject: Blimp Bombing
> 
> 
> Wouldn't the blimps be pretty much a tipoff that there 
> is/will be activity
> in the area?	Seems like a pretty big warning sign to me.
> 
> Mike Hudak