SHADO Skydiver Advanced Idea

[Cobra]

Hey Guys, Inspired Chrisonord's SHADO Projects, What If SHADO Decided to Create an Advanced Version of Skydiver to Deal with Increasing UFO Threats? What would it use for the Sky Portion? The Idea just struck me along with Often Wondering if They Ever Considered a More Advanced Version if UFO had gone Another Season. Thanks For Looking.Dan

[Weaver]

Got capitalisation switched on or something? 

To my mind, the main problem with Skydiver is that it only launches one aircraft from a hugely expensive platform that moves quite slowly. It can't cover a big area with one aircraft and it can't move to a new area fast enough to "get under" an incoming raid.

So either:

1. An even bigger submarine, equipped with multiple aircraft. They could be launched vertically like SLBMs or from elevating tubes like the big Russian anti-ship missiles. They'd probably have to be seriously small and/or folding, even with a bigger sub.

2. Lots more "mini-skydiver" subs with one aircraft each, so that you can position them across a bigger area.

Skydiver doesn't actually make much sense as a defensive weapon (it does as a strike weapon), but hey, this is Gerry Anderson we're talking about!

[chrisonord]

I have had a few ideas knocking around the saw dust. One idea is to replace the submarines with either a large ekranoplan, or hydrofoil which is capable of slow cruising and a fast dash if needed. The aircraft part of the equation would be a missile armed unmanned aircraft. Being unmanned would allow for the aircraft to be smaller and more capable of sustaining very high speeds, and being launched like a missile. Several can be carried and if needed launched in numbers. When the aircraft need to come back to the mother ship, a parachute and a floatation "suit" will be deployed, and the mother ship can then lift them from the sea and reinstall them and ready them for their next mission.
Chris.