How about a show on SAMS (surface-to-air missile (SAM) or ground-to-air missile (GAM) technology.

A vast number of people know what a SAM is but very few know the differences between the types or the technology they use.

They are not just Aircraft anymore but are used as Anti-Balastic Missle Intercepters.

We talk about them, is it not about time that someone explained what they are, how they work?

There is a big difference between land based, hand held and ship based systems as well as Electronic Counter Measures used against them.

They have features such as Track ON JAMMER mode as well.

There are counter, counter measures against Radation missiles fired against them these days.

I can see a whole series as well debate on the top ten SAM's in the world.

I was in Air Defense, believe me you would love to visit Ft Bliss Texas as well as McGregor Range where Active Military units are pulled back and tested and get to fire at targets with live missiles.

You think tanks firing on a range are cool, nothing beats watching a SAM take off and hit its target.

Try detecting a target miles away, you can not see comming at you at supersonic Mach Plus speeds on the deck.

We don't use dummy rounds, we use real live warheads.

You think seeing a M1 Abrams Fire Control System is cool you should see a SAM Fire Control, it is like being in the Star Ship Enterprise.

Frank

I agree wholeheartedly!

I have the History, Discovery, Military etc. on almost exclusively, and I'd love to see some new topics, heck even new episodes (If I see ex-SEAL "Mac" shoot the Barrett one more time I think I'm gonna scream!!)

Lets see some new topics covered, even revisit some old ones without bias.

A good idea indeed and perhaps testament to the power of online interests as there is just such a show now in rotation which deals with 'Air Defense' in general, from S2A through the YABL-1 (along with ICBMs and other 'strategic systems' to kind of present both sides).

My problem is that I am more interested in a full documentary and not just a sound byte and this tends to get a bit obscure, technologically speaking.

The first SAMs were Wasserfall or Rheindokters fired at B-17s over Berlin on one of the last major raids of that time frame. So right there you have to explain what happened as well as the differences in enabling technology with what amounted to beacon tracking (Hawaii) and an early form of conscan from converted Freya and Wurgsburg systems. I would also probably go back and cover Abdullah in the Typhoon/Tempest and 100 Grp operations to make it clear that the 'wizard war' that became SEAD began a long, long time before Vietnam.

Then you need to move on and talk about Powers and Cuba and how jammers sometimes don't work, either because the proximity warhead is so huge or the repeat-back 'flashes' can actually be used to home in on.

I would guess your next step is Vietnam and the realization that the SA-2 has limitations in terms of RMin and altitude gather but that electro optical and even primitive homeonjam was being employed against the massive barrage jamming being put out by using essentially the forward fuselage CG antenna complex to run up the strobe. This will require some explanations as to blanket, cell and blink coverage as well as 'penaids' ranging from nuclear wardets to chaff layers and rockets. Probably the advent of hunting ELS and the Shrike/ARM efforts as well.

Next would have to be 1973 and Yom Kippur with the CW SARH and the reasons for why our APR gear couldn't hear it or jam it as well as why the SA-6 (a mediocre missile to be honest) was in fact so lethal because it was _two channel_ fired and may have had auxilliary IR homing as well as overlap with the Zoos and early SA-7.

Next, you need to retrograde back to more primitive systems environment like Seacat, SeaSlug, Sea Dart, Skyguard and various MANPADS plus ADVs for both the 'how to integrate disparate elements' presentation in doing the Falklands and Lebanon. And an idea of where miniaturization may takes us next (HUMRAAM and similar Air to Air conversions operating as discrete fireboxes with just a few cueing radars).

Lastly, the differences between ODS and say OAF wherein you see the highpoint of American SEAD (200 HARM in-air, at one time) as well as the beginnings of the seduction game with ARM decoys as well as pits vs. widescale use of systems like TALD by the Americans and how constant displacement of 'Vietnam Era' systems, combined with netcentric cue by essentially 'untouchable' civillian ATC systems, kept the USAF from ever fully killing the Serbian IADS in particular.

The endgame should be things like Mountain Top/JLENS and the effort to counter low RCS threats as well as the 'ultimate' in surface to air capabilities as represented by Sky Guardian (Northrops successor to THEL) and hunting weapons like MALI.

All of these will require an indepth explanation of SEAD/DEAD techniques used, including the various Mastiff/Scout systems and cued ARM and EOGM launch from both ground and surface positions. Also a detailed explanation for why systems like Sea Wolf _did not_ work against Exocet and what things like terminal weave and late-gate activation of seekers can do to mess with reaction times.

i.e. You need to talk about the mechanics of radar systems, band share, clutter, ECM/ECCM, multispectral control and HOJ from a real world (or at least 'scenario') driven perspective rather than reading from the manufacturers brochure.

And I'm sure somebody, somewhere, would take one look at the script and either declare it 'against national security' or way too highbrow for the average viewer to maintain bye-click interest.

The really sad part is that there is a LOT of footage out there, in both enemy and friendly hands, which would put Ft. Bliss (USARADCOM HQ IIRR) and China Lake and all the other stuff to shame. What isn't there should be dramatized via graphical overlay like 'Dogfights'. Because SAMs are lethal. And getting in amongst a 7-11 threat in deep popup WEZ overlap has always been a life-in-one's-hands risk that few acknowledge.

CONCLUSION:
It's doable. But you would need to present some serious meat on the bone type underlying physics of why it works and how /effective/ it can be when integrated vs. standalone and that will require a lot of tactics discussion that may or may not be 'approved of'.


CJ

I'll give my list

1) SA-2 used in combat on four continents. Almost singlehandedly changed how air forces fought. Brought most combat aircraft in the world from 50,000 feet back down in 500 feet.

Eliminated Mach 2+ as a viable method of evasion.

2) Stinger-king of the Manpads. Helped bring down an empire.

3) Patriot-adapted for use against missiles, played a key political role in the Middle East.

4) SA-6- more than any other weapon, helped bring the vaunted Israeli Air Force to heel in the Yom Kippur War.

5) Rapier-one of most accurate missiles ever built.

6) Hawk- one of most versatile weapons. Converted by Iran to be carried by F-14s and used as a large air to air missile.

I don't have another four.