Black Hawk Down / CVF mods'
Occasional Aviator,
A few posts back you queried ( fair enough ) my hypothesis that a USMC carrier’s prescence may have helped in the ‘Black Hawk Down’ incident.
I was taking my info’ from the book – quite possibly the most meticulously detailed account of an action I’ve ever read.
I haven’t even bothered seeing the film, as we know what it will be like, and even if the makers intend to do the subject justice – rather than just go straight for Hollywood B.S, - there’s no way such an involved situation could be covered in the short scan of a film.
At first glance one may well ask ‘what good would carrier back-up do ?’ but I can’t help thinking it would have done a lot of good.
The U.S. infantry, inc. special forces, were faced by mobs of thousands of bloodthirsty, drugged up and well armed ‘civilians’, who automatically put their tribal differences aside when it became ‘kill an American day’ – ironically the U.S. where there to provide aid, which is why they didn’t have too much in the way of firepower – a Spectre gunship had been requested to be around for the operations, but refused as it might look too military…
Appache’s probably wouldn’t have been much use, as the air was thick with a plentiful supply of RPG’s.
The mob/s had plenty of assault rifles & heavy machine guns, grenades etc, and in their drugged state were willing to advance & be mown down – there were also women with baby in one arm, gun in the other, and more skilled pro’ killers mixed in with the crowds.
Eventually the soldiers had to do what they’d never dreamed of, and fire into the crowds.
Unthinkable as it may seem from one’s comfy chair, I can’t help thinking a few Harrier passes with cluster bombs, rockets or gun would have made a big difference.
As it was the ‘little bird’ helo’s made repeated courageous strafing runs through the night.
This was a great deal more than ‘rescuing a pilot’, whole U.S. vehicle convoys were close to being wiped out…
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On another tack, someone mentioned that as the CVF is likely to carry the Harrier GR9 ( and 2+ please in my book ) for what even now seems a rather long ‘stop-gap’ period, “ why not fit a ramp for the Harriers for now ?”.
Well why not keep the ramp ( may need to make the angle shallower ) for when the F-35 eventually turns up ?
I know, to the astonishment of myself and ex-colleagues who worked with Harriers of all flavours, it seems the F-35B did not have STO in mind originally and needs extra software & deep thought – I’d still say the ‘B’ would be the best, most flexible option, and if it suits the USMC it suits our Marines & forces too.
Everyone gets very excited about EM catapults etc, either as a new toy or the cost, but how about a ramp ? Works for the Russians…
I presume the ‘C’ u/c could take it if it can take a catapult, while it would help the ‘B’ in the now traditional way – is there a thrust / acceleration snag here ? I’d have thought not…
My two pennarth’…
DZ