THERMALS WORK BOTH WAYS

Its a good mission profile depicted above except for one thing: if the enemy helicopters have Forward Looking Infared (FLIR) they will spot the Stinger MANPADS team first from superior ranges and destroy them. This is exactly what AH-64A Apache gunships did for us sweeping the drop zones clear of enemy ADA 23mm guns in Panama before the Rangers and 82d Airborne jumped.

Stinger MANPAD teams need to employ anti-FLIR camouflage techniques and use their own FLIR devices to perfect them. This means covering their fighting positions with mylar "space" blankets to reflect their heat back and purchasing commercially-available MIL-SPEC "thellie" camouflage suits that render themselves invisible to FLIR detection.

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Perfect these techniques using OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout helicopters with FLIR during freeplay field training exercises in order to insure the MANPADS teams have the "edge" they need in actual combat.

BETTER HUMAN-INTERFACE WITH THE STINGER BEFORE LAUNCH

The Stinger missile is very long and thus, it needs a long tube to carry it. When I contacted the manufacturer, General Dynamics they said that even though there is dead space in the tube its too late to make it collapse like a LAW or a SMAW-D to make it more portable. Thus, the battle-proven Stinger which has killed aircraft from the Falklands to Afghanistan (mule carried no less!) has to be kept assembled to be ready to fire and its a real "bear" to keep on your shoulder.

First, put a curved foam pad that would slide up/down the missile tube to act as a shoulder pad/rest, not unlike bike frame pads for carrying them short distances over your shoulder. This would ease the strain of the 15 pound, 5 foot long missile on your shoulder for long engagements and faster target acquisition, steadier aiming and firing for better accuracy.

Next, the missile tube should have a "double-sling"--this is a sling that seperates into two straps so the Stinger can be carried "backpack" style away from the legs for better foot mobility while assembled.

HUMAN-POWERED VEHICLES FOR BETTER MOBILITY WITHOUT FLIR DETECTION

In the above scenario, MANPADS team members were inserted by helicopter and then walked to their firing positions. Having such transportation is unlikely in a pitched battle with competing demands for our own helicopters. If the MANPADS team uses a 4x4 HMMWV or any ground vehicle, its infared signature must be camouflaged or else it gives the MANPADS team away. What is needed is a mobility device that gives off no heat signature---human powered vehicles--bikes and carts.

There has been a long history of HPVs in military use: The Swiss today have 3 Bicycle-Infantry Regiments, Yamashita's Army over-ran Singapore/Malaya using bikes in the jungle, we used carts throughout WWII, particularly "Darby's Rangers" who could "speed-march" 10 miles in just 87 minutes. Being able to rapidly close on an enemy after insertion outside of sensor range by a motor air/ground vehicle is an important tactic to gain surprise on today's battlefield--a trademark in fact of the IDF Paratroopers.

Of the two types of HPVs, the folding All/Extreme Terrain "Mountain Bike" is the best for it can give the MANPADS team 10-25 mph mobility to rapidly reposition themselves in the area they are defending to meet enemy air attacks. Used in conjunction with anti-FLIR techniques, they remain "invisible" to enemy aircraft detection; covering their A/ETBs with a space blanket when not moving.

The "folding" feature allows the A/ETB to compact for delivery by helicopter and fixed wing aircraft using parachutes. The folded A/ETB can be attached to the individual Paratrooper as a lowering line load in an airdrop bag or inside A-21 containers as door bundles recovered later on the Drop Zone (DZ). A single FIM-92 Stinger missile system can be jumped now attached to the individual Paratrooper using the Stinger missile jump pack or the new "AirPac" weapons case depicted below:

ATACs would be parachute delivered by A-21 door bundle using the truck bed liner plastic to insure clean exit through the jump door, or inside A-22 containers as part of the Container Delivery System (CDS) rolling out the rear ramp of designated aircraft. The ATAC can be fully loaded and roll off the rear ramp of CH-47D Chinook or out sideways from UH-60L Blackhawk aircraft.

ANTI-ARMOR ROLE FOR STINGERS?

If a dual anti-air/anti-tank warhead like the Canadian ADATS missile has now, were developed for the Stinger, MANPADS teams could also protect against enemy ground AFV attacks at the same time.

Legendary weapons theorist, Carlton Meyer (inventor of firing 2.75" rockets from Avenger HMMWVs) writes:

"Another recommendation to the corps was to test Stingers in the anti-armor role. If they can lock onto heat from an aircraft at 5 miles, at what range can they lock onto heat from a tank or APC engine. Stingers can be fired in a seek mode (no heat lock-on prior to visual launch). Perhaps they can engage tanks at over 5 miles. Can the impact of a supersonic Stinger knock out an APC, or a tank from a flanking shot? What about Stingers with shaped anti-armor warheads rather than anti-aircraft burst warheads. Shaped warheads should prove more effective against armored helicopters. The Avenger could rapidly fire eight fire-and-forget anti-armor missiles at an armored force, making it far more capable than current TOW systems."

IFF: WHO ARE THE GOOD GUYS?

FAAD teams lurking on the outer edge of the Airhead security line may be misidentified and engaged by our own aircraft especially if they are FLIR invisible. To prevent this and provide a clearly visible Landing Zone marker panel for insertions/extractions FLIR reflective VS-21 panels should be purchased as expendable items. These are IR reflective orange and camouflage on the opposite side nylon panels that can be turned over when a friendly aircraft radios in for authentication before landing. As an aside, at least one Soldier in every FAAD team should be sent to U.S. Army PATHFINDER school to fully exploit the air-ground delivery means available to light ADA systems like MANPADS and Avenger HMMWVs.

The future of war is AIRBORNE. The side that controls the AIR, controls the peace!