Dude jumps without a parachute...? And lands in a net?

[August]

Originally Posted by Nippelspanner

It doesn't make any sense, there is no "maybe we just don't know" magic pony around the next corner that would make this a good idea, in any scenario.

Says you. What qualifications do you have in this field?

Who will build the nets, the enemy?

No, they're called Pathfinders, look them up. Preparing Drop Zones is what they do.

And how many per soldier?

Which generation of net are you talking about? How many years after the Wright brothers did it take to make a reliable aircraft like the one in that picture? Ask me again in 50 years when people far smarter than you have had a chance to improve on what exists today.

Does every soldier need his own net?

Will one net suffice for a chalk or two?
Will they jump all at once or with delays so they won't pile up in the net(s)?

Again that depends on technology that is still in the developmental stage.

Have you thought about this for more than 2 seconds?

I don't claim to be an expert but for two years I was paid by the US Army to jump out of airplanes and I have kept an interest over the past 30 years. I'll bet I've thought about Airborne Operations and it's potential future capabilities more than you have.

What about the heavy equipment a soldier carries?
What about support equipment for hundreds of soldiers?
Throw them into the net too, or make them glide in from 75km out?

Details. You think the systems they have now are no better than what they had when parachuting was in it's infancy? No it improved nearly constantly and continues to improve.Imagine that. Technology constantly improved upon for over 100 years and there is still room for more improvement but according to you that's impossible because all the questions weren't answered at the start.

Have you thought about this at all?

Look, don't be a jerk. That's twice in one post you're resorted to a personal insult. Stop it now.

Originally Posted by August

Look, don't be a jerk. That's twice in one post you're resorted to a personal insult. Stop it now.

Then don't insult anyone's intelligence by making up magic pony stories that don't make the slightest sense.
You jumping out of a plane 30 years ago doesn't qualify you for anything except jumping out of a plane 30 years ago - big deal!
I'm an ex-soldier and trained paramedic, won't help me on the subject of open-heart surgery, nor will it prevent me from studying the field for myself, meaning: Save yourself the "I jumped out of a plane, so you have no clue!" nonsense just because you have no actual argument, like so often.

I also never claimed technology didn't advance, otherwise I probably wouldn't have mentioned MFF operations, but of course you gotta make something up when there's literally nothing else.
So 30 years of thinking about airborne operations led to this?
Then I wouldn't exactly try to use it as an argument, to be honest.

And I do chose to be persistent about this, yes.
I can't stand it when people throw in complete nonsense and when challenged all they do is "muh they'll make it happen somehow, I jumped out of a plane, your argument is irrelevant!"

Stop the nonsense, I'll stop calling you out for it.

Edit: Also, nice try to claim I insulted you so a mod saves you. I did not.
I asked you if you actually thought about this, which - considering how silly the whole idea is - is surely justified since it appears you have not for reasons stated earlier (those you weren't able to answer).
If your pride took a beating because someone calls you out for what you spill out, go offline and create your personal safe space where no one questions your texts.

[August]

Insulting your intelligence? Nobody is forcing you to read it. Besides there is the ignore button pal, use it if my posts offend you.

I claim that this is possible and potentially useful, you claim that it is not. I don't claim to be an expert but you're going to have to deal with the fact that your opinion is no more valuable than mine. Time will prove who is right.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

This is dumb at a whole new level. What's the point?

Fair question, I think. I agree with your point on that strange, very unexpected progress (?) from the USA - usually praised to the skies for everything they do first in a lot of areas. Yet that one is pretty weird still... Maybe no more than an attempt to distract attention of citizen of the USA from everyday problems ?

Can't see another reason for the hype around that weird event myself.

Originally Posted by August

Insulting your intelligence? Nobody is forcing you to read it. Besides there is the ignore button pal, use it if my posts offend you.

I claim that this is possible and potentially useful, you claim that it is not. I don't claim to be an expert but you're going to have to deal with the fact that your opinion is no more valuable than mine. Time will prove who is right.

The one who makes the initial claim has to provide the proof, not the other way around. Just saying.

And ignoring you wouldn't be fun.

[August]

Originally Posted by Nippelspanner

The one who makes the initial claim has to provide the proof, not the other way around. Just saying.

So if I say I believe man will land on Mars some day i'm expected to prove it, to the likes of you? Please. I just said think of the military applications, you're the one who took offense so own it.

And ignoring you wouldn't be fun.

Like I care either way.

Originally Posted by August

So if I say I believe man will land on Mars some day i'm expected to prove it, to the likes of you? Please. I just said think of the military applications, you're the one who took offense so own it.

As if this is even remotely the same...
It isn't a question of "is it possible". Of course it would be 'possible' to throw soldiers out of a plane and let them jump into friggin nets if you turn them into super free-fallers and suicidal maniacs while also providing the ridiculous logistics behind it, the point is how incredible nonsensical it is.
Going to Mars on the other hand...

Apples.
Oranges.

Good night.

[August]

Originally Posted by Nippelspanner

..the point is how incredible nonsensical it is

Like I said you have no idea what is possible or not.

[Dowly]

Just because someone now actually did it, doesn't mean the method has not been thought about before for military.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Nippelspanner

Me neither, but I know military as well as civilian radars can indeed pick parachutes up.

Then there would be some advantage to using the net approach rather than a HALO jump since it would reduce the risk of radar detection of the parachutes.
That being said, there is still the problem of getting the nets there, particularly since the nets need to be at a set height above the ground in order to arrest the fall of the paratrooper quickly enough before he becomes 'Blood upon the risers'. Drones might help, a series of them might be able to take a net to the correct height, although whether they'd have the power to be able to keep the net taut enough as the trooper hits it in order to arrest the fall, alternatively they could catch the trooper at a higher altitude and then slow the rate of descent before impact. Of course, the problem with all that is radar and whether it'll pick up the drones and the net and thus negate the whole point of not using a chute.

Ultimately the better option would be some form of shock absorbing material that the trooper could deploy themselves, or a form of momentum reduction via miniature engines or something similar.

[August]

There are plenty of technical problems to work out but that doesn't mean the entire concept should be rejected out of hand like Nipplespanner is doing.

[Catfish]

Maybe there could even be a *gasp* civilian application like for dropping goods.
But that would sure be boring compared with blowing something up

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Maybe there could even be a *gasp* civilian application like for dropping goods.

Easier to just use parachutes.

[August]

Originally Posted by Dowly

Easier to just use parachutes.

When they work.




http://www.military.com/daily-news/2...op-fiasco.html

[Oberon]

Couldn't hurt for it to be a back up system in case of chute failure.