SUSTAIN- Deliver Marines from Space
 

Semper Fly: Marines in Space | Popular Science

There was also another project, with an 8 booster rocket launched from an aircraft carrier which would launch marines into lower orbit and deploy vertically down. I cannot find the link or publication.

Cheers

Hmmm... an article that calls the AV-8B "a flop".
:rolleyes:

Was somebody on the giggle juice after watching Starship Troopers?

Be warned; it didn't go too well for the Mobile Infantry...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ts1DB6hFcQ

I remember seeing a sub orbital plug nozzle type rocket of the vertical take off, vertical landing (on the rocket thrust) variety being suggested some years ago for this sort of mission. There have since been several demonstrations of the flight profile, especially the take off and landing. This would have the advantage of being able to land troops anywhere, not just at airports.

http://www.astronautix.com/craft/ithacus.htm

It would not surprise me, even we Brits did some strange things, one was a "body bag" for want of a better word with a loop on one end, the loop was designed to go over the two canon barrels on a Spitfire to allow the high speed transport of VIP's in war zones etc... They built it, but oddly enough couldn't find a volunteer to test it, so it was quietly abandoned.

"Canon barrels?" For storage of bishops on the battlefield?

Damn the auto spell checker, and I missed it :p

Here is a picture of it

http://www.combatreform.org/SpitfireBodyBag01.jpg

Further to that a better image and versions for the Harrier and Apache

http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2014/04/exint-pod/

Can't say that there's been a whole lot of visible progress on this in the six years since the article was written........... Have the twin evils of Physics and Finance done a reality check and found it wanting?

There are so many things about this idea that defy the realities of warfare.

What's the point of delivering 13 Marines anywhere if you cannot also:
provide logistic support to those Marines?
provide air cover for those Marines?
be able to reinforce those Marines?
be able to extract those Marines?
Be able to provide medevac to those Marines?

This looks like, as MTM has implied, that it's influenced by "Starship Tropers".

The film (IMO) is execrable. The book, however, by Robert Heinlein is a completely different kettle of fish. Controversial, but thought provoking and one of my favourite books, by one of my favourite authors.

It has previously made the USMC reading list:

Changes to CMC reading list mean new options in professional development > Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune > News Article View

For a book written in 1959, it stands the test of time quite well and Wikipedia seems to have a fair and balanced discussion of it:

Starship Troopers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


There are other interesting ideas in it for a 55 year old book, other than inserting Marines from space, including powered armour, night vision goggles and women in combat roles (though in this case, not the Marines).