The Ultimate in Maneuver Warfare?

[wm]

Intersting story found in today's e-bird from USA Today--

Pentagon Envisions Spaceship Troopers

Rockets would rush combat teams around the world

By Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon wants to rocket troops through space to hot spots anywhere on the globe within two hours, and planners spent two days last month discussing how to do it, military documents show.

Civilian and military officials held a two-day conference at the National Security Space Office to plan development of the Small Unit Space Transport and Insertion (SUSTAIN) program. The invitation to the conference called the notion of space troopers a "potential revolutionary step in getting combat power to any point in the world in a timeframe unachievable today." Attendees included senior Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force officers.

The next steps toward getting troops in space: addressing the technological challenges and seeking input from the military, said Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Brown, a space office spokesman. No further meetings have been scheduled.

Marines launched the concept after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. They needed the "capability to transport small, mission-tailored units through space from any point on the globe to a contingency at any other point on the globe" within minutes of an order, according to a Marine document.

[Tom Odom]

Intersting story found in today's e-bird from USA Today--

The fire and forget soldier...

I wonder how much money has gone down in this particular sinkhole

1. Include life-support systems and weapons for 13 combat troops.

Wow. Space squad in the attack.

2. Be able to launch vertically from far-flung "spaceports" or airfields.

How many decades has it taken to get Osprey operational?

3. Avoid restrictions on operating in foreign airspace by flying in space. (The United States recognizes 50 miles.)

Great. So when they launch it looks like a ballistic missile?

4. Be able to land stealthily on a battlefield and return without refueling.

I lived in Titusville FL for a couple of years and the shuttle was really stealthy as it broke the sound barrier twice in descent.

If we are gonna grab for a leap ahead lets just do a "transporter" thang...

Scotty, beam me up

Tom

[davidbfpo]

Lovely concept and no doubt kept plenty of minds busy. Somehow I suspect those minds were not missed by the practical military. At least the economic slowdown might end such flights of fancy. Hope eternal. Or have the clocks been wound back to April Fool's Day?

davidbfpo

[reed11b]

A true strategic corporal? MC leading the fight for print and airtime again! Not eneogh they own the news, now they need press time in Popular mechanics and OMNI too!
meh.

Reed
Hopefully the big MC is not to wedded to this concept and will place it where it belongs in the "round" file.

[William F. Owen]

They needed the "capability to transport small, mission-tailored units through space from any point on the globe to a contingency at any other point on the globe" within minutes of an order, according to a Marine document.

Ahhh! Note the words "small" "Mission tailored" and "through space". Could they mean "not effective" "pretend to save money" and "impossible?"

[patmc]

Everyone laughs now, but when that meteor takes out Rio and we declare war on the bugs, you'll be glad we have these.