Balloons in T2k

[Homer]

Originally Posted by bobcat

i could also see barrage balloons being brought back since they do work against low altitude aircraft/helicopters.

And they can also be used as obstacles by shaping air avenues of approach to either deny routes or altitude bands turning aircraft into preplanned air defense engagement areas where massed AAA or older generation SAMs can be more effective.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Homer

And they can also be used as obstacles by shaping air avenues of approach to either deny routes or altitude bands turning aircraft into preplanned air defense engagement areas where massed AAA or older generation SAMs can be more effective.

That's a really interesting point- one that I'd never considered. Barrage balloons always seemed so quaint and not particularly useful. I'd come to think of them as akin to today's "Cope Cages"- more something to make one feel safer from air attacks rather than actually protecting against them. However, now that you mention it, I'm quite surprised barrage balloons didn't have a resurgence during the Cold War.

Given that most NATO tactical strike aircraft of the late Cold War (namely the Tornado IDS, F-111 Aardvark, and F-15E Strike Eagle) were optimized for low level attacks, barrage balloons could actually be useful when employed in the ways that you mentioned. In addition, I can't imagine that they'd be particularly expensive, especially compared to ground-based active air defense systems. Yeah, now I'm quite surprised the Soviets didn't field them. NATO, on the other hand, has always been too enamored with high tech to go for something so primitive.

-

[Desert Mariner]

I’ve been doing some spring cleaning in the attic and came across a box of gaming references that I’d forgotten about many moons ago (or maybe just mislaid them during our last move). Among them is a copy of an April 1988 Air University, Air Command & Staff College student report (#88-1225), titled “When The Balloon Goes Up: Barrage Balloons For Low-Level Air Defense” by USAF Maj Franklin J Hillson.

It makes for an interesting read on this subject.

I’m in the process of replacing my 12+ year-old PC and can’t access my scanner right now. Based on the markings on the report, you might be able to find it at DTIC. If no one can find it, I can scan and post once I get the new PC fully up and running.

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by Desert Mariner

I’ve been doing some spring cleaning in the attic and came across a box of gaming references that I’d forgotten about many moons ago (or maybe just mislaid them during our last move). Among them is a copy of an April 1988 Air University, Air Command & Staff College student report (#88-1225), titled “When The Balloon Goes Up: Barrage Balloons For Low-Level Air Defense” by USAF Maj Franklin J Hillson.

It makes for an interesting read on this subject.

I’m in the process of replacing my 12+ year-old PC and can’t access my scanner right now. Based on the markings on the report, you might be able to find it at DTIC. If no one can find it, I can scan and post once I get the new PC fully up and running.

It's here!

[Desert Mariner]

Originally Posted by chico20854

It's here!

Bonus!! I'm operating on my phone and really don't like web surfing on it.

[Raellus]

I haven't read the report yet, but it occurred to me that barrage balloons might fudge with air defense radars so maybe that's why they fell out of favor?

-

[CraigD6er]

Many years ago, back in the mid-late eighties, there was a suggestion for a containerised defence system for airfields and other priority targets. Bear in mind that munitions weren’t as smart as now and you still expected the enemy to overfly, or at least get very close, to launch an attack. The idea, as far as I can recall, was a number of containers scattered around the likely approaches and linked into a control centre. Being little more than shipping containers they could be moved around to prevent their coverage being plotted and thus avoided. When 1 or more containers were activated, they would launch flares, smoke cannisters and radar reflective balloons to decoy munitions and obstruct visual sighting. I presume that the balloons could also have acted as mini barrage balloons as well if they were tethered.
I'd guess that the smoke and flare launchers were little more than the same types of launchers fitted to AFV's, and the balloons were perhaps pre-inflated and ready to be released so that they would be in the air immediately.