buglerbilly
18-11-11, 02:21 AM
Can Bright Orange Balloons Save Lives?
The ultimate rescue tool for elite Special Forces units trapped in a firefight in the jungle is nothing complicated -- just a bright orange balloon.
Thu Nov 17, 2011 01:26 PM ET
Content provided by FoxNews.com/Scitech
THE GIST
- A bright orange balloon may help aid get to trapped elite Special Forces units.
- The balloon is usually carried in a rucksack and packed down but can inflate to as big as eight soccer balls.
A bright orange balloon seems like the last thing a Special Forces operator would want in the jungle. Military supply company BCB argues it just might save his life.
BCB International
Obviously useless in most Afghan scenarios..................
Simpler is usually better.
That's why the ultimate rescue tool for elite Special Forces units trapped in a firefight in the jungle is nothing complicated -- just a bright orange balloon.
We've all seen movies where people spell out S.O.S. on the ground with rocks or coconuts to signal for a rescue. That low-tech approach won't work in a jungle setting, however -- there are these things called trees. And they're everywhere.
Suppose a soldier or a downed pilot is behind enemy lines in the jungle and needs to signal for extraction undetected by enemy forces. High-tech systems as simple as a radio or as complicated as a full communication system require batteries, and batteries equals more weight, the bane of every soldier. Besides, these advanced technologies risk detection and may break or simply wear out.
"No batteries required" is a mantra for special forces operators in the jungle, so a good old fashioned balloon, extremely lightweight and battery-free, is a great solution for jungle extraction.
Made by BCB International -- a British company that manufactures survival gear, including blast-proof boxers -- the under-$300 Air Location Marker Balloon floats above the jungle canopy so nobody below -- like the enemy a Special Forces operator may be trying to avoid -- can see it.
But helicopters sent to extract that soldier easily can.
Special Forces folks are trained for hostile environments and know how to survive in the jungle, whether they need to for a day, a week or a month. But what if someone needs immediate medical assistance?
"Carrying the balloon means knowing you can get home safely," Ben Simmons, international sales manager at BCB, told FoxNews.com. Who wouldn't want a bright orange air-location marker that can hover for days above a canopy?
The balloon is usually carried on the top of a rucksack. Packed down, it's about one and a half inches in diameter and 14 inches high. A tube from the kit connects the balloon to the compressed helium tank in a lightweight carbon fiber canister, and inflates it as big as eight soccer balls -- bright orange balls, that is.
When full, twine in the kit can be used to release the balloon through any hole in the canopy, calibrate its precise height and then tie it off. The string will keep it at the same altitude to hover and signal for extraction.
The balloon material is sturdy, of course; poke it with a knife or needle and it'll pop like its party-balloon brethren.
After inflation, it's likely there will be some helium gas left over that could be used to have a bit of a giggle -- but as Simmons notes, that part isn’t in the instructions.
Then it's up to the pilot, and no elite pilot assigned to work with Special Forces could miss a big orange blob against a very green jungle canopy and bright blue sky. At night, there is an infrared option or the option of fastening cracked light sticks to light it to act as a beacon.
Simple in this case certainly makes sense.
If stabilization were added, the balloon would be too heavy to lift itself. If wings were included to fight against the wind, it would become heavier and complicated. Helium is a hazardous material -- if shot it could catch fire, the company acknowledges. But BCB contains it safely, and it all comes down to risk assessment. How many grenades or flares is one too many to carry?
The next step for BCB will be modifying Air Location Marker Balloons to fit within the tight compartment of the Black Hawk, a choice helicopter for Asia.
No complicated fiddly bits, no risk of a signal being hijacked or the enemy listening in on communication, just a humble balloon with some twine and helium kept in a backpack.
Simple really is best.
The ultimate rescue tool for elite Special Forces units trapped in a firefight in the jungle is nothing complicated -- just a bright orange balloon.
Thu Nov 17, 2011 01:26 PM ET
Content provided by FoxNews.com/Scitech
THE GIST
- A bright orange balloon may help aid get to trapped elite Special Forces units.
- The balloon is usually carried in a rucksack and packed down but can inflate to as big as eight soccer balls.
A bright orange balloon seems like the last thing a Special Forces operator would want in the jungle. Military supply company BCB argues it just might save his life.
BCB International
Obviously useless in most Afghan scenarios..................
Simpler is usually better.
That's why the ultimate rescue tool for elite Special Forces units trapped in a firefight in the jungle is nothing complicated -- just a bright orange balloon.
We've all seen movies where people spell out S.O.S. on the ground with rocks or coconuts to signal for a rescue. That low-tech approach won't work in a jungle setting, however -- there are these things called trees. And they're everywhere.
Suppose a soldier or a downed pilot is behind enemy lines in the jungle and needs to signal for extraction undetected by enemy forces. High-tech systems as simple as a radio or as complicated as a full communication system require batteries, and batteries equals more weight, the bane of every soldier. Besides, these advanced technologies risk detection and may break or simply wear out.
"No batteries required" is a mantra for special forces operators in the jungle, so a good old fashioned balloon, extremely lightweight and battery-free, is a great solution for jungle extraction.
Made by BCB International -- a British company that manufactures survival gear, including blast-proof boxers -- the under-$300 Air Location Marker Balloon floats above the jungle canopy so nobody below -- like the enemy a Special Forces operator may be trying to avoid -- can see it.
But helicopters sent to extract that soldier easily can.
Special Forces folks are trained for hostile environments and know how to survive in the jungle, whether they need to for a day, a week or a month. But what if someone needs immediate medical assistance?
"Carrying the balloon means knowing you can get home safely," Ben Simmons, international sales manager at BCB, told FoxNews.com. Who wouldn't want a bright orange air-location marker that can hover for days above a canopy?
The balloon is usually carried on the top of a rucksack. Packed down, it's about one and a half inches in diameter and 14 inches high. A tube from the kit connects the balloon to the compressed helium tank in a lightweight carbon fiber canister, and inflates it as big as eight soccer balls -- bright orange balls, that is.
When full, twine in the kit can be used to release the balloon through any hole in the canopy, calibrate its precise height and then tie it off. The string will keep it at the same altitude to hover and signal for extraction.
The balloon material is sturdy, of course; poke it with a knife or needle and it'll pop like its party-balloon brethren.
After inflation, it's likely there will be some helium gas left over that could be used to have a bit of a giggle -- but as Simmons notes, that part isn’t in the instructions.
Then it's up to the pilot, and no elite pilot assigned to work with Special Forces could miss a big orange blob against a very green jungle canopy and bright blue sky. At night, there is an infrared option or the option of fastening cracked light sticks to light it to act as a beacon.
Simple in this case certainly makes sense.
If stabilization were added, the balloon would be too heavy to lift itself. If wings were included to fight against the wind, it would become heavier and complicated. Helium is a hazardous material -- if shot it could catch fire, the company acknowledges. But BCB contains it safely, and it all comes down to risk assessment. How many grenades or flares is one too many to carry?
The next step for BCB will be modifying Air Location Marker Balloons to fit within the tight compartment of the Black Hawk, a choice helicopter for Asia.
No complicated fiddly bits, no risk of a signal being hijacked or the enemy listening in on communication, just a humble balloon with some twine and helium kept in a backpack.
Simple really is best.