"The development of a hovercraft type vehicle would make most IED's pretty much useless against vehicles. Also a group mapping scan system that scanned downwards to show what was in the ground ahead would also improve matters.
The technology is there but is pretty slow at this present moment in time for use by vehicles but has been available for military satellites for many a year."
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Racedo,
A, a hovercraft has to put pressure on the ground to support it's weight, albeit dispersed better than on wheels,
B, It's a hell of a hovercraft, even beyond Thunderbirds, if it can be available ( beyond comm's ) to satellites !
C, if using a scanning ( I suppose a development so as to be non surface contacting of the 'underground radar' as used by archaeologists ) it wouldn't take long before the enemy caught on to the wavelength, and as I understand it most IED's are planted at the roadside, with a beady-eyed git watching for the juciest target to remotely detonate.
Seriously, I am one of the lucky gits not in the forces ( though I have worked with them a lot ); one thing I feel very strongly is that we should NOT be sending out manned patrols on foot, or sappers trying to find IED's with bayonets etc.
If we are actually using more advanced methods, I and no-one here needs to know about them - though I fear that is wishful thinking.
Going out on foot, toe-to-toe, gun against gun is meeting the enemy on their own terms, on their home ground - I know Vietnam was lost through over-reliance on infant technology, but if ever there was a time to use high tech', it's now.
Otherwise blow the crap out of any roadway - inc' the sides one is facing, by air or ground fire, and everyone stay in ( better ) vehicles ?
Very much more difficult in villages etc; how about military vehicles avoiding them, while the ' hearts & minds ' bit would be kept up by air-drops of food, water, radios etc ? I know some would fall into enemy hands, but better than our guys getting killed...
Anyone in a position to know better & able to say anything, which will not breach security at any level ( the last I/we want is to feed info' to the gits* who I don't doubt read this site ) ? Please chip in.
*Polite version of utter *****
Last edited by Double Zero; 5th Feb 2010 at 15:16.