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Thread: Marines Use Helium Balloons to Talk to Harrier Jump Jets Over Libya

  1. 03-28-2011 #1
    jetsetter
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    Default Marines Use Helium Balloons to Talk to Harrier Jump Jets Over Libya

    Marines Use Helium Balloons to Talk to Harrier Jump Jets Over Libya

    The Marines debuted another new technology last week in the fight against Gadhafi’s forces when the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard the USS Kearsarge used a high-tech balloon to relay messages to the ship’s AV-8B Harrier jump jets flying strike missions over Libya, beyond the range of the ship’s transmitters.

    Normally, the ship would have to pass messages to a nearby E-3 AWACS jet that would then send those messages along to the Harriers. However, the helium balloon-based Lofted Communications System carried aboard the Kearsarge fills that role without leaving the Marines reliant on an AWACS.

    Here’s how it works; depending on how far the Marines need to send messages, they send up a tethered or untethered balloon carrying a communications relay device capable of passing radio messages and encrypted information hundreds of miles to the Harriers.

    Continued @ http://defensetech.org/2011/03/26/ma...jets-in-libya/
    Good idea!!!
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  2. 03-28-2011 #2
    ZeroZen
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    oh weather balloons... wait!
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  3. 03-28-2011 #3
    MN_Air
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    Totally thought they just wrote a really large message, and floated that up.
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  4. 03-28-2011 #4
    FlintHillBilly
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    Quote Originally Posted by MN_Air View Post
    Totally thought they just wrote a really large message, and floated that up.
    See balloon...go to balloon...open canopy...see message...read message...accept mission... lulz.
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  5. 03-28-2011 #5
    JJC
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    Those balloons can use some camo pattern.
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  6. 03-28-2011 #6
    [WDW]Megaraptor
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    Quote Originally Posted by JJC View Post
    Those balloons can use some camo pattern.
    Against what? The sky?
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  7. 03-28-2011 #7
    JJC
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    Quote Originally Posted by [WDW]Megaraptor View Post
    Against what? The sky?
    Air forces give jets special paint jobs to blend them in with they sky, right? lol
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  8. 03-28-2011 #8
    -Max2-
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    Marine ingenuity at work.
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  9. 03-28-2011 #9
    Lawndart
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    Quote Originally Posted by [WDW]Megaraptor View Post
    Against what? The sky?
    Make them out of clear plastic perhaps?
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  10. 03-28-2011 #10
    sheikhness
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    ha, and I was expecting a video of marines talking funny on the radio after inhaling helium
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  11. 03-28-2011 #11
    HOG0317
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    The picture should have been captioned "Marines Nuts grow to enormous size with too little shore leave"....
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  12. 03-28-2011 #12
    chefjavier
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    Quote Originally Posted by JJC View Post
    Those balloons can use some camo pattern.
    It needs a Globe and Anchor Marine Corps stickers on the side of the ballon.. Get some!!!
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  13. 03-28-2011 #13
    Kaplanr
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    The 'rescue' scene at the end of Thunderball comes to mind.
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  14. 03-28-2011 #14
    junglejim
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    Quote Originally Posted by willytee View Post
    See balloon...go to balloon...open canopy...see message...read message...accept mission... lulz.

    Two tugs if "yes" one tug if "No" on the mission.
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  15. 03-29-2011 #15
    PaulClift
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    Quote Originally Posted by sheikhness View Post
    ha, and I was expecting a video of marines talking funny on the radio after inhaling helium
    Well helium does send you VHF.
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