Security Firms Try To Evolve Beyond The Battlefield
 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...referrer=email

BMT

The article says the company also makes targets for shooting.

It looks like they still are.

Now that is the guy I want to meet...........The Pilot!

Unfortunately for them, they're about five years too late trying to get into that game. The ACTDs have already run, prototype contracts have been let, and the big boys are hip deep in development of both airframes and payloads.

I believe that as Iraq stabilizes and government regulation of PMCs/ PSDs tightens, the smaller, less efficient or elite firms will be priced-out of the market. The personnel from these firms who meet the standards of the bigger, efficient and elite firms will be hired, and the remaining personnel will find work in a different area. As a result, there will be fewer but larger PMC/PSDs in America, and these firms will compete by expanding their services into related areas. Some, such as Blackwater, will look to provide broader-range military services (airlift for now, eventually they will have an entire mech. division w/ support elements), while other firms like TC look to be moving in the direction of risk management, intelligence, and security provision for both the government and private sector.

Either way, given the profit margins these firms currently enjoy and the market for FID in the ME, the future looks bright.

Airships, though... In a region where AKs are fired vertically at Weddings? Interesting... :D

JMO

Solid

Since the planned altitude is over 50k feet AGL, I'm thinking small arms fire won't be a real concern.

Damn gravity, wrecking all my jokes...

50K AGL? No problem, just hold the firearm up higher.

Another good reason to hold off on skyscraper development in Baghdad..

Ok, I'll stop now.

Waste of time and effort.

Huey, you're saying that tethered airships are a waste of time? I'm interested in hearing why you think that.

I was being specific to Blackwater but I don't really like the idea anyway so I'll answer it.

Because:

Having a blimp sitting in the one position creates dead zones where the cameras can't see;

(To expand somewhat on the last) The fixed position means they know where it is 24hours a day, which means they know where the tether position is which in turn means the cable can be destroyed and the balloon is then about as tactically helpful as Mary Poppins;

If not tethered, balloons travel at a speed that means you can see them coming, and hence avoid them.

Not to mention they're a hazard to aviation-both military and civil (though I'm guessing there's not many people playing cessnas around downtown Baghdad LOL).

Maybe I'm just a traditionalist and don't like things without wings.

Think of it as a cheap, deployable satellite surrogate (improved, persistant coverage for comms, imagery, GPS, etc). There's a great deal of potential there. Further, just because its tethered doesn't mean its stuck in one location. How large a circle do you think 50k (or more) feet of rope gives you?

But it is still stuck in one place, essentially. At the bottom of the tether.

I do see your point re comms and whatnot but I don't think 50k is a viable satellite surrogate. It's still pretty low.

Look up "aerostat".

TR