OPSEC is a strange bird by 2000. We’d all love to believe that all of the appropriate people will be loyal and concerned with operational security. However, I think it’s entirely possible that local bandits and warlord will have agents in any major Army (Navy, USAF, Marine) command. A little gold, some dirt, a woman… the reasons for soldiers to pass information to others are as old as opposing forces. By 2000, many of the previous bets will be off for many of the survivors. Also, there is the high likelihood of CIA/CivGov moles in any major MilGov command. These moles might not be above passing information to local warlords if they felt doing so advanced CivGov’s interests over MilGov. It doesn’t take many people to compromise OPSEC.
As far as using C-130s goes, I think there are a couple of considerations. The first is the quantity of materiel to be moved. The wrecked airship and all of its components are going to be more than a single C-130 can haul. You raise a good point, though, by questioning just how much gear there is to be moved. I’ll have to re-examine the module and try to crunch some numbers.
The other problem with assuming that C-130s are available is that there are problems throughout CONUS that might be solved with a very modest airlift. For instance, the cat cracker at the MilGov enclave at Cairo, IL might be dealt with by moving suitable experts or a new part into place. Colorado might very well have some of both. Yet MilGov has not airlifted in the necessary gear or personnel to solve the problem. Why? By the same token, MilGov doesn’t provide transport for the PCs to get to Baja California to recover the precious weather satellite in Satellite Down. Why? One would think such a high priority item would merit an air drop into the locale at the very least. Further, in the opening section of Airlords of the Ozarks, the officer briefing the PCs remarks that the New Americans have achieved air superiority—with slow, short-range dirigibles and ultralights, no less. Perhaps the briefing officer only means local air superiority. Perhaps the briefing officer doesn’t understand that Colorado (or another MilGov enclave) still has MAC aircraft available. My interpretation, however, is that there are no operable C-130s to challenge the New American airlift capability. The briefing officer is concerned because the New Americans have found a way around the problems that have grounded the USAF.
I agree completely that Colorado Springs is going to try to find suitable bases for aerodromes within the range of whatever airships MilGov can acquire. The strategy will closely resemble the strategic placement of coaling stations across the Pacific linking the West Coast with the Philippines.
It’s true that air transport of the materials needed for recovery is at best a poor solution. Rail and water are the best solutions, if one is going to transport thousands of tons of grain, raw materials, fuel, and other bulk basic commodities from one part of the country to another. The object of the LTA links between MilGov enclaves is not to turn Colorado Springs into a granary that will provide other MilGov enclaves with ongoing supply. Airships enable MilGov to move certain key assets—foremost among them being personnel with critical skills. Other items that can be moved are machine tools and other specialty items that can help the surviving MilGov enclaves supply themselves. An emergency supply of several tons of seed might make the difference between an enclave feeding itself in Fall 2001 and failing. Although ammunition ought not to be moved by air, the timely arrival of a few tons of machine gun, rifle, and mortar rounds might make all the difference for some enclaves. Often, the item in shortest supply dictates the level of success of an organism, a population, or a society. Airships can ease the bottleneck for some of those items. Even a very limited ability to move personnel and goods between MilGov enclaves can have an enormous impact on the viability of the enclaves.
As for the range of the airships recovered from the New Americans, I agree that the range and speed of those airships are quite poor. Hopefully, Colorado Springs can do better in 2001 and beyond.
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