Great Fictional World War III book (China & allies VS US & allies)

Re: Great China VS U.S war book

Scratch said:

Something that comes to my mind in that regard is the use of lidar. Wouldn't that be a great improvement for a recce helicopter? I've read about the DP-5X programm wich is to elaborate that technology. I somehow believe it's a tech of the future, fast ground mapping and target discrimination, plus low level navigation help for helis, aircraft, CMs ...

Click to expand...

Well, I know that Lockheed was awarded a 7.8 million dollar contract last year (May) to develop a LADAR 3-D imaging system for the Predator. More of a proof of concept I think...but you never know. They clearly want to move towards Automatic Target Acquisition.

My only problem is the time it takes and the need to record the image with the LADAR (or LIDAR) system from various angles. If a number of platforms could be employed (UAVs) that were data linked, then the acquisition from a sutiable map would go much quicker. It would be really cool to have micro-UAVs with such a capability, several of which were employed by a ARH-70A or Apache, that could then data link back to the attacking platform to goive the correct solution. With LADAR, you have a full 3-D map, seeing around and behind obstacles, foliage, hills, etc. to allow a "hidden" target to be destroyed.

Scratch said:

BTW, that ARH-70A seems to be named Apraho. A

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

article said the Aprahos were a tribe stealing horses from the Comanches, that's funny; and just a coincidence?
With Comanches cost I see it's difficult because having those helis only in small numbers doesn't really help either way.

Click to expand...

Well, the Arapaho tribes did a lot more than simply steal horses from the Commanche. The Commanche were among the most powerful and brutal tribes and were historical enemies to many other tribes and there was constant warfare between them. The Arapaho were confederated in many ways with the Cheyenne and the Sioux indians and were known for their ability to trade very well with many other tribes. Some believe that the word "Arapaho" comes from the Pawnee word for "good traders".

Re: Great China VS U.S war book

Jeff Head said:

My only problem is the time it takes and the need to record the image with the LADAR (or LIDAR) system from various angles. If a number of platforms could be employed (UAVs) that were data linked, then the acquisition from a sutiable map would go much quicker. It would be really cool to have micro-UAVs with such a capability, several of which were employed by a ARH-70A or Apache, that could then data link back to the attacking platform to goive the correct solution. With LADAR, you have a full 3-D map, seeing around and behind obstacles, foliage, hills, etc. to allow a "hidden" target to be destroyed.

Click to expand...

But aren't LADAR devices in micro UAVs still some years off though, because you need to further miniaturize the technology, or not?
And do you imagine them carried by helicopters as single-use platforms? Because getting UAVs back on a helicopter will be quiet difficult.
Well, at least they could identify targets and allow the helicopter to fire it's missiles from a hidden position.

Re: Great China VS U.S war book

Scratch said:

But aren't LADAR devices in micro UAVs still some years off though, because you need to further miniaturize the technology, or not?

Click to expand...

Yes. We are certainly not there yet...although they will soon get them on larger UAVs.

Scratch said:

And do you imagine them carried by helicopters as single-use platforms? Because getting UAVs back on a helicopter will be quiet difficult.

Click to expand...

At this point, it would be difficult, but I believe in the future it will be less so. I can imagine a time when micro UAVs are released and retrieved from either larger manned aircraft, or larger UAVs themselves.

Scratch said:

Well, at least they could identify targets and allow the helicopter to fire it's missiles from a hidden position.

Click to expand...

In any case, this is true and if the cost of the micro UAVs were reduced enough, would warrant the expenditure.

Re: Great China VS U.S war book

Perhaps at some stage it may be possible to have a swarm of ucavs patrol a given area,identify the targets autonomusly (sorry for spelling,long day),and destroy those targets by bomblets,or acting as a small disposable cruise missile,if unit costs cheap enough.Sort of like an intelligent minefield!

Re: Great China VS U.S war book

Well, CMs with a loiter capability are an interesting thought, IMO. And in the future the gap between those and UCAVs might close.
However, I would prefer loitering CMs over UCAVs giving themselves away as CMs. Simply because the UCAVs might over greater ISR capability. Of course it depends on what you put in wich system. Here the line might really vanish.
CMs should find a target in the end, it's difficult to retrieve them when there's none.
On the other hand, if the USAF get's those planed laser-guided Hydras on the Reaper besides Hellfire, JDAM they carry a good amount of firepower.

That's perhaps most usefull in low-, medium intensity conflicts where survilliance is important and the threat-level not too high.
It the famous "first hours" of a war, human pilots are still the better choice I think. And will be so for some time.

Re: Great China VS U.S war book

Scratch said:

human pilots are still the better choice I think. And will be so for some time.

Click to expand...

Oh, when it comes to large scale fighting and attacks, I agree completely. But you can extend their decision making capability and effectiveness if they had some deployable devices like we are talking about here, that those pilots can then use from their manned platforms to protect their health and increase the effectiveness of their attacks.

On a different note, and something that could have been a part of the books, I honestly believe that an excellent solution for the smaller, sea-control carriers would be a prop-driven, perhaps VTOL AEW UAV.

Re: Great China VS U.S war book

Jeff Head said:

... But you can extend their decision making capability and effectiveness if they had some deployable devices like we are talking about here, that those pilots can then use from their manned platforms to protect their health and increase the effectiveness of their attacks.

Click to expand...

Probably, however I think these would then have to operate really autonomus. Only recenlty I read an article (I think it was a DID on JTIDS/ link16 update) about information overload of pilots. You should perhaps be out of a direct engagement and have a WSO to controll them, if you have to give them orders. Maybe in coming times you can use specialized aircraft like Prowlers/Growlers to operate such UAVs; or Aprahos respectively.
But I can't really imagine that being a practicable option for aircrafts/copters in an actuall strike role.

On a different note, and something that could have been a part of the books, I honestly believe that an excellent solution for the smaller, sea-control carriers would be a prop-driven, perhaps VTOL AEW UAV.

Click to expand...

That's a valid point. That role doesn't necessarily need human creativ thinking. The aircraft can follow it's waypoints (wich could remotely be updated) and distribute it's info to other platforms. And a prop is enough for it. I come to think about the X-50 here, but in the current demonstrator version it may be too small.
It doesn't however need to be VTOL were you need really strong engines to get it airbore. The STOVL Bell HV-911 come to my mind here. But it would need to be enlarged, too.
But that's a generall point of using UAVs for ISR. SIGINT, ASW etc ...
Since these UAVs are smaller, you could perhaps make them LO, allowing them to further close in to opponents and then turn on the radar (or whatever sensors), giving them a deeper look into enemy areas. But you should be willing to loose some of them to attrition then. At least you don't have to risk personal then.

Re: Great China VS U.S war book

Scratch said:

That role doesn't necessarily need human creativ thinking. The aircraft can follow it's waypoints (wich could remotely be updated) and distribute it's info to other platforms. And a prop is enough for it. I come to think about the X-50 here, but in the current demonstrator version it may be too small.
It doesn't however need to be VTOL were you need really strong engines to get it airbore. The STOVL Bell HV-911 come to my mind here. But it would need to be enlarged, too.

Click to expand...

Good points and good discussion. I would not be surprised to see either a very capable VTOL, STOVL, or STOAL AEW UAV in the near furutre to play the role of local, over the carrier, AEW missions. Any Sea Control vessel, large LPH, or smaller carrier would benefit greatly from one IMHO over the helo AEW solutions currently available.

Re: Great China VS U.S war book

lcortez said:

Perhaps at some stage it may be possible to have a swarm of ucavs patrol a given area,identify the targets autonomusly (sorry for spelling,long day),and destroy those targets by bomblets,or acting as a small disposable cruise missile,if unit costs cheap enough.Sort of like an intelligent minefield!

Click to expand...

Well, if we are talking UCAVs as they relte to this discussion, I would think that you might have a number of micro UAVs that did the patrolling and the target acquisition under the command of either a centrally located controller on the ground, or in the air. If in the air, then that controller could either be a combat aircraft itself (helo or attack) and could then engage the target from a protected position, or a controller in a larger aircraft or on the ground could then direct other manned aircraft or larger UCAVs to then engage the target.

Re: Great China VS U.S war book

Dear Jeff, I have read you book. Although I am one of the many and many supports of the so called totalitarian Chinese governmnet, I do like your book. please keep up with your effort and never stop writing fictions like this. The defeat of the Imperial Japanese Government was not because it was lacking industrial power to fight the war; it was due to lack of fictions such as the one you wrote to warn the people about the horror of war. If a $10 usd fiction can stop a war that will cost the livelihood of humanity, then why not?

However, I must criticize your ending. Chinese people would rather die than surrendering to foreign enemies.