Warfare by Remote

While reading “Open-Source Warfare” [November 2007]—particularly about the problem with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) with remote triggering devices—I began wondering why this was such a problem. These devices use common electronics like cellphones and radios with known operating frequencies. Why can’t a soldier engage a device to jam all frequencies of consequence? If the IEDs can be triggered by a jamming signal, implement a jamming device that is disposable and inexpensive.  Afterward a soldier could send in the much more expensive robot to further disable the IED.

Jeremy W. Langston

IEEE Student Member

Cookeville, Tenn.

War of Opinions

As a professional engineer, an electrical engineer, and a warrant officer in the U.S. Army, I was stunned to read the letter by Eric Holzman [“Don’t Call It Warfare,” Forum, January While I only skimmed the article it referenced because I’m in the business and knew most of what was contained, I’m not sure where Holzman is getting his information. It could be “Al Jazeera West” (aka CNN), or it could be in a book of fairy tales he picked up somewhere, but he has almost none of the facts correct. Just to pick the most glaring errors of fact in his letter: the war against Saddam Hussein’s government ended in the spring of 2003, but before the last shot was fired in that battle, we were already heavily engaged with al-Qaeda forces, which were already in the country when our troops arrived. From the beginning, almost none of the Iraqis wanted us to leave, and that remains true to this day. Well, okay, eventually they’d like us to leave, but only when we do for them what we’ve been doing for Europe since 1945: rebuild their economy and protect them from their outside enemies. There are people in Iraq and Afghanistan who are biding their time waiting for the U.S. government to discover a lack of will to win the war, but almost without exception they are Syrians, Iranians, and Saudis, with a smattering of Red Chinese activists and advisors. 

The U.S. presence in Iraq and Afghanistan is an occupation only in the way that our forces in Europe were an “occupation” force in the 1950s and 60s. I can only hope that Holzman applies more research, knowledge, and analysis in his engineering duties than he does in his political analysis.

Rich Webb

IEEE Member

Des Moines

The Ultimate Plug-in Hybrid

I notice that a huge trend in transportation is hybrid, fuel cell, electric, and plug-in hybrid vehicles. We will be seeing many vehicles of these types in all sizes and shapes and for all purposes. Note that they all have one thing in common—an electric motor for propulsion. This might seem like an odd idea, but why don’t we consider developing special traffic lanes that are essentially very long extension cords—in other words, develop a method to power the vehicles from the roadside like we do electrically powered trains? A vehicle could enter the lane automatically and safely connect to the power. We could also use the power to provide control and communications to the vehicle so that it essentially ends up being a little private electric train car. The system could also provide power to charge batteries, and the vehicle could put power back into the system with regenerative braking.

The current electric motors in today’s hybrid vehicles may not be quite large enough to attain really high speeds, but what would it take? Maybe we could also harvest additional power for the system by using the air movement caused by passing vehicles. The system could also control vehicle speed, headway, and more. When the vehicle gets to its destination, it could safely unplug and revert to its internal power for the remainder of the trip. How much oil could we save? What about reductions in greenhouse gases? The infrastructure might be a bit expensive and somewhat complex, but let’s think outside the box a bit. This idea could possibly spur someone brilliant to a better, simpler solution.

Paul R. Olson

IEEE Member

Morrison, Colo.