Forgive my anticipating the phenomenal damage control work of our Navy Seamen and Aviators. Fine, make it two missiles rather than four. Now is it OK to land? :) You get my intent though - the idea is to make it bleed, not kill it.

Wow, yet another cheap swarming Iranian craft. I wonder how many 1/2 million dollar missiles we will have to shoot to take one down.

Why would you fast rope onto a carrier - it’s as big as a football field! Land and dump, then the helos can provide direct fire support from door guns and rocket pods.

You think they are going to try to land commandoes in the FIRST wave - why would anyone do that? The difference between the Turkish example and this is the helicopters can actually LAND on a flat top - no fast roping required. Also, they would be strafing those below instead of telling them to bugger off.

No question our sailors and airmen would put up a fight... but they would be facing Quds forces, who have also been fighting and training in nearly every war in the area. The advantage the airborne landing party has is not only surprise, but most of the rest of the crew will be busy fighting fires and generally trying…

There are alot of pieces in motion here... what if the Naval escorts for the weapons resupply peel off and head for the carrier - which ships will the subs go after?

It’s like these people don’t understand how the internet works.

Hmmm, a job the requires microsecond corrections to constantly changing sensor input within a very narrow sensor range and a narrow operational focus... yes, that sounds EXACTLY like a job that’s better for a robot.

Again, this is a really congested place. Firing off a .50 cal on an UPWARD trajectory with no knowledge of where it will come down... well I hope splashing the two kids in the daycare center 4 blocks away was worth perforating the fuel tank of a gyrocopter.

I guess what I'm trying to figure out is what the best CAS round is for slow, low, loitering aircraft. I see the difference in range and velocity by the GAU-8 round... but if you didn't start with that gun and that round, what would be the next best?

That would expose everyone on the ship to asbestosis, as that giant thrust nozzle would be spreading microfibers far and wide as it blasted that pad. Of course that wouldn't matter if you were Russian.

Actually, the idea of interconnected mesh networks is interesting from a cyber warfare perspective. Imagine a missile that gets shot into the network space that crosses all targeting info, or better, says all targets in the battlespace are already tasked by another weapon - search for a different target other than the…

I've been wondering this, so thanks for the pictures; The GAU-8 was made for busting up armored columns... isn't it overpowered for its COIN role?

There has to be a difference from a unit passively listening to you - as a satellite would do from space, VS. a robot that would actively ping AND follow you around. I think that would actively count as an annoyance, and would warrant putting a hole in.

There was also "Chickenhawk" by Robert Mason, which had a very interesting flight example of a pilot who go in trouble when he came in to land... in what turned out to be a fenced in minefield.

Exactly. I think a big distinction has to be made from tactical front line combat mission support to CIA counter-terrorism.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours...

I think you can take it to the next level and go Star Trek with this: Mount it on the tip of an air breathing missile and make it a Probe.

I think a combination of UCAV assets will be key. A helicopter is great for speed, hover,and maneuverability. That has to be part of the mix. I think you also need something that is so cheap and easy to fly they become an asset that is always present (unless you have high local winds that might prevent that…

Those Kiowas have proven themselves so well that we really need to have something of the same concept and effect - but cheaper and able to be deployed everywhere there is a ground mission. You can't possibly fly enough Kiowas to do that, but we really do need that as part of the mission. The Army needs to go whole…