Suitability of Proven Technologies for Defending Against Airborne Terrorism

I'm curious why barrage balloon techniques aren't being utilized to
protect against terror attacks from the air. A well-engineered
network of modern balloons should improve the likelihood of diverting
all but the largest commercial aircraft from U.S. point targets vice
an Avenger salvo, and balloons have many advantages. Large caliber,
rapid-firing artillery such as an upgraded Skysweeper could further
contribute. Views?

Pondering,
Yossarian

Yossarian wrote:
I'm curious why barrage balloon techniques aren't being utilized to
protect against terror attacks from the air. A well-engineered
network of modern balloons should improve the likelihood of diverting
all but the largest commercial aircraft from U.S. point targets vice
an Avenger salvo, and balloons have many advantages.

And you could sell advertising space on them.

Cheers
David

balloons should improve the likelihood of diverting
all but the largest commercial aircraft from U.S. point targets vice
an Avenger salvo, and balloons have many advantages.

The image of a nation under siege would be a real boost for Osama.

Large caliber,
rapid-firing artillery such as an upgraded Skysweeper could further
contribute.

To hear the U.S. tell it, most of those civilian casualties in Baghdad
were caused by Iraqi flak falling to the ground.

Dunno. I rather prefer the notion of F-15/16s sprinting to the site.
Heck, they didn't do too shabbily on 9/11, from a cold start.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

"Yossarian" wrote in message
om...
I'm curious why barrage balloon techniques aren't being utilized to
protect against terror attacks from the air. A well-engineered
network of modern balloons should improve the likelihood of diverting
all but the largest commercial aircraft from U.S. point targets vice
an Avenger salvo, and balloons have many advantages. Large caliber,
rapid-firing artillery such as an upgraded Skysweeper could further
contribute. Views?


You've finally gotten nutty enough to get
that psychiatric discharge

Keith

"Yossarian" wrote in message
om...
I'm curious why barrage balloon techniques aren't being utilized to
protect against terror attacks from the air. A well-engineered
network of modern balloons should improve the likelihood of diverting
all but the largest commercial aircraft from U.S. point targets vice
an Avenger salvo, and balloons have many advantages. Large caliber,
rapid-firing artillery such as an upgraded Skysweeper could further
contribute. Views?

There's the annoying little problem of said efforts causing a hostile
aircraft to land on populated areas when employed in a large city. Not much
point in say stopping a jetliner from hitting the Empire State building if
it falls into the streets of New York and kills thousands of people on the
ground.

tim gueguen 101867

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...

balloons should improve the likelihood of diverting
all but the largest commercial aircraft from U.S. point targets vice
an Avenger salvo, and balloons have many advantages.

The image of a nation under siege would be a real boost for Osama.

Large caliber,
rapid-firing artillery such as an upgraded Skysweeper could further
contribute.

To hear the U.S. tell it, most of those civilian casualties in Baghdad
were caused by Iraqi flak falling to the ground.

Civilian casualties at Pearl Harbor also (USN flak of course not Iraqi).


Dunno. I rather prefer the notion of F-15/16s sprinting to the site.
Heck, they didn't do too shabbily on 9/11, from a cold start.

all the best -- Dan Ford
email:

see the Warbird's Forum at www.warbirdforum.com
and the Piper Cub Forum at www.pipercubforum.com

On 5 Jan 2004 22:26:08 -0800, (Yossarian) wrote:

I'm curious why barrage balloon techniques aren't being utilized to
protect against terror attacks from the air. A well-engineered
network of modern balloons should improve the likelihood of diverting
all but the largest commercial aircraft from U.S. point targets vice
an Avenger salvo, and balloons have many advantages. Large caliber,
rapid-firing artillery such as an upgraded Skysweeper could further
contribute. Views?

Pondering,
Yossarian

They were going to try that, but there was some sort of SNAFU
in the admin sector, Catch-22, or something like that.

Al Minyard

"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
You've finally gotten nutty enough to get
that psychiatric discharge

Keith

Of course, which means I must continue to fly the missions.

To hear the U.S. tell it, most of those civilian casualties in Baghdad
were caused by Iraqi flak falling to the ground.

Easily addressed by self-destruction algorithms, proven technology
since before my time and running past the introduction of CBUs, inter
alia.

Dunno. I rather prefer the notion of F-15/16s sprinting to the site.
Heck, they didn't do too shabbily on 9/11, from a cold start.

News flash: the fighters didn't arrive in time! Balloons and
artillery have amazing loiter times where they are needed most.
Substantive responses appreciated.

Pondering,
Yossarian

"Yossarian" wrote

Dunno. I rather prefer the notion of F-15/16s sprinting to the site.
Heck, they didn't do too shabbily on 9/11, from a cold start.

News flash: the fighters didn't arrive in time! Balloons and
artillery have amazing loiter times where they are needed most.
Substantive responses appreciated.

Given the alert status of 9 AM, Sep 11, 2001, the balloons would have been
deflated and folded in a hangar somwhere. How long does it take to inflate
and loft a balloon?

What SAM or AAA was in place and ready to shoot down a civilian airliner on
that morning?

Pete

In article ,
(Yossarian) wrote:

Balloons and artillery have amazing loiter times where they are
needed most. Substantive responses appreciated.

To cover downtown Washington alone (let's say a six mile radius) with
barrage balloons, spaced 200 feet apart (closely enough to prevent 747s
from getting in unscathed), you'd need about 500 balloons. And you'd
still have a decent chance they balloon wouldn't take the plane down
quickly enough. You'd also need *large* balloons, with extremely heavy
cables, to even damage a modern jet, much less stop one.

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.