On Fri, 19 Dec 2003 23:31:06 GMT, (Derek
Lyons) wrote:

Charles Gray wrote:

also, since my planes operate close to the ground, i may be able to
lure some jets down to where AAA can get at them,

Among other things, this is *exactly* why long range look-down
shoot-down capability has been chased by the big boys for decades now,
and is actually more-or-less working.

True-- while the Rutan's version of the SABA had some stealth
characteristics, I don't think the average small nation can make all
composite aircraft.
Still, 50 propjobs well dispsersed will last longer than 10
Mig-29's needing a mile long runway. (of course, "Longer" in this case
might simple equal a day as oposed to a few hours.)


THe idea with the thing was that it was small, fairly cheap, agile, and very
STOL (so you could use open fields). Instead of trying for air superiroity by
an uber plane it tried for survivability by being able to have lots of
them, and very dispersed basing.

While a popular idea, it's not without it's drawbacks. You need a
sophisticated (and very vulnerable) logistics system to get bullets,
bombs and fuel forward to the aircraft. You need a sophisticated C3I
system to get target data forward to the aircraft.
You could establish a lot of single use caches, say a single disguised
truck by a field with enough fuel and ammo for a single reload. That
woudl, however, take a LOT of planning.
The biggest problem, as you pointed out, as that in 10 years the US
will probably be having UAV traffic jams, and the day of concealing
something with silly little camaflauge net is well in the past.


While sitting on
the ground, especially near the FEBA, the aircraft is extraordinarily
vulnerable.

D.
Oh true-- if I had my druthers I'd also back this up with some
effective SAMs.
the problem is that unless there is a really paradigm shifting
devleopment, any second teir nation that fights the U.S. is going to
lose-- the best you could do would be make it a loss that also cost
the U.S. something.
Unfortunately, al these ideas require a professional, trained
military service, and 3rd world dictatorships tend to avoid those for
obvious reasons.