Red Dawn What Ifs

[Matt Wiser]

Reading the thread on Robert Harris' Fatherland reminded me of a Wikepedia article on the movie Red Dawn. I'm sure lots of folks here have seen it, and has anyone thought of whifs based on the movie? Besides the Mi-24 Hind-As (Pumas made up like Hinds) and the Yak-38 Forgers (seen when the guerillas raid the "Re-Education Camp"), not much else was seen from an air war POV, excetp for the Army Helos attacking the town right after the Soviets and Cubans attack, Powers Boothe's character being a downed F-15 pilot, and scenes of F-111s and A-7s doing CAS against Soviet troops about halfway thru the movie. Any ideas, art,
comments, etc?  

[dy031101]

Besides the Mi-24 Hind-As (Pumas made up like Hinds)

Those have got to be the best viz-mod of its time- because I was convinced that they are real Hind-A......

(When someone mentioned Puma viz-mod, I'd always mention Rambo......)

[monkeyhanger]

I've never seen this film, so I looked it up on IMDB. The reviews were not good. I use that site a lot for TV/film information but I don't like the trolls!

What about withdrawing stuff from AMARC as things would be pretty fraught as the US had been invaded.

[CanisD]

The movie had Cuba and other forces invading via Mexico so AMARC could have wound up in enemy hands rather quickly.  

[famvburg]

The movie had Cuba and other forces invading via Mexico so AMARC could have wound up in enemy hands rather quickly.

     IIRC, the USA had been split tho I can't recall where the split was. ISTR Powers Boothe's character mentioning 'scarecrows in Denver'. How about as the what-if, insurgents like the "Wolverines", arming light planes & other civilian a/c, & even WWII & Korea vintage civil Warbirds as seen on the airshow circuit.  

[Archibald]

The movie had Cuba and other forces invading via Mexico so AMARC could have wound up in enemy hands rather quickly.

Now that's an idea Mr Canis!!!
I've asked myself for some months now how bring back into service 4000 aircrafts from the Boneyard... never thought of ennemies hands!!!  

Nicaraguyan UH-1s and Trackers (there's enough Hueys at Davis Monthan to make the helicopter market collapsed   )

Soviets and Cubans Phantoms, F-106s, B-52s...

Fine idea!!!

[Geoff]

They would go for some thing simple and low tech that would not need the software that would probably not be available to the enemy anyway.
So earlier aircraft maybe A-4s or F-4s as suggested. If they were involved in a COIN or low intensity war with the resistance bomb trucks or AC -xxx lashed up gunships may be the first priority along with helicopters like UH-1s or striped out Seakings in the utility/gunship role or AV-8s and early C-130s for airlifting the occupation forces in to operational areas.?

[Excalibur]

IIRC, the USA had been split tho I can't recall where the split was. ISTR Powers Boothe's character mentioning 'scarecrows in Denver'. How about as the what-if, insurgents like the "Wolverines", arming light planes & other civilian a/c, & even WWII & Korea vintage civil Warbirds as seen on the airshow circuit.

My recollection of the film is The Wolverines were farm kids so maybe they could arm up their fathers crop dusting planes etc.. I like the idea of a Stearman armed with anything they can think of, flying harresemnet raids against Cuban convoys.

[elmayerle]

I've never seen this film, so I looked it up on IMDB. The reviews were not good. I use that site a lot for TV/film information but I don't like the trolls!

I don't know about the reviews, but I rather enjoyed the movie.

Regarding whiff possibilities, I like the concept of armed crop dusters as one source of airpower.  I suspect the cities might see some "interesting" vehicles along the lines of the "technicals" that appeared in Somalia.  Lots of possibilities there.

[Excalibur]

I enjoyed the film as well, I know its reviews weren't the best but who cares. Another point on using light civialian planes, the Wolverines could use them to deploy sniper & sabotage units as well. Once again given they are farm kids they would know how to shoot.

I also like the idea of armed & armoured  Ford Pick up trucks (or in Aussie terms Utes). Could look like Mad max on steroids.    

[jcf]

I've never seen this film, so I looked it up on IMDB. The reviews were not good. I use that site a lot for TV/film information but I don't like the trolls!

I don't know about the reviews, but I rather enjoyed the movie.

Regarding whiff possibilities, I like the concept of armed crop dusters as one source of airpower.  I suspect the cities might see some "interesting" vehicles along the lines of the "technicals" that appeared in Somalia.  Lots of possibilities there.

Like zo?


From an old Chandelle issue:
Combat Crop-Dusters


Cheers, Jon

p.s. personally I think the film is extremely cheesy.

[Matt Wiser]

The Invasion went like this:

A limited nuclear strike on ICBM silos in the Dakotas and Montana, and strikes against Washington, DC, Omaha (SAC HQ) and Kansas City. A simultaneous drop of Soviet Guards Airborne and Spetznatz against approaches to passes in the Rocky Mountains (aircraft disguised as commercial charter flights) occurs. Cuban Special Forces infiltrate the Midwest and Texas and attack SAC bases in those states, and the door is opened for a large Soviet/Cuban/Nicaraguan attack up into the Great Plains, getting as far as Cheyenne, WY,across to the Mississippi River. The Soviets send 60 divisions (!) into Alaska, cut the pipeline and come across Canada to link up, but are stopped at the U.S./Canadian Border by U.S. (and presumably Canadian) forces. SovBloc forces are halted at the Rockies and at the Mississippi. (AMARC still in U.S. hands, so that place will be getting cleaned out fast) It's still a major conventional war, with the British doing what they can to help, and China also on the side of the U.S., but apparently subjected to a Soviet nuclear attack as the AF pilot answers the question of "Who else is on our side?" "600 million screaming Chinamen." Someone else says "Last I heard there were a billion screaming Chinamen." "There were."

Remember, the only pilot in the bunch seen in the movie was the downed F-15 driver, and I doubt those high-school kids had even seen the inside of a crop duster. Not that groups elsewhere would make use of such planes a la the Soviets using PO-2 biplanes as night bombers in WW II. Still, seeing what the USAF, Navy, Marines, and Army would be doing, as well as what the Soviets, Cubans, and Nicaraguans are flying would be good to see, as the POV in the movie was from these kids'.