Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sunybcs!rutgers!att!cbnews!military From: adiron!frank@uunet.UU.NET (Corradino) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: non - standard target acquitsition Summary: optics, not bedbugs Message-ID: <12148@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 9 Dec 89 00:40:45 GMT References: <12014@cbnews.ATT.COM> Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Organization: PAR Technology, New Hartford, NY Lines: 68 Approved: military@att.att.com From: adiron!frank@uunet.UU.NET (Corradino) DEPLETE%TUCC.BITNET@ncsuvm.ncsu.edu writes about a rumor regarding the use of bedbugs for target acquisition in Vietnam. I cannot verify the accuracy of the rumor but the method sounds very similar to "People Sniffer" missions. In 1969-1970, I was assigned to the 503rd Chemical Detachment, 199th Light Infantry Brigade, III Corps, RVN. We used a device developed by GE originally intended for use in measuring air pollution. Air was brought into the device through a 4" flexible duct taped to the landing skid of a UH-1 chopper. Air samples were first super-humidified and then passed into a chamber. Instruments in the chamber detected the amount of deflection of a light beam. The theory is that if dust particles (condensation nuclei) were present, water droplets would form, causing deflection of the beam. The amount of deflection was proportional to the quantity of dust and was registered on a simple meter. The theory is that people moving about on the ground (or cooking, or doing other people things) would stir up condensation nuclei that could be detected above the triple canopy jungle. That's how the device worked. Tactically, as mentioned above, the device was mounted in a UH-1 that was used as the "low-bird" in a hunter/killer team. The "high-bird" for most of the missions in which I participated, was a Cobra. The low-bird would fly back and forth across a designated search area, at tree-top level, perpendicular to the wind. After each pass we would make a 180 degree turn, into the wind, and make another pass across the area. This pattern prevented the device from picking up our own exhaust. Meanwhile, the Cobra, observing and guiding our ship from approximately 2000 feet, would track our progress. When the meter indicated activity, I would inform the co-pilot in the gunship who would mark the reading on his map. Inspection of the pattern of marks on the map often revealed trails. As we gained more experience, we could sometimes deviate from the assigned pattern and actually follow an invisible trail by pointing the chopper in the direction that sustained a high reading. Suspected trails were investigated by the infantry for possible ambush opportunities. Often, areas with high concentrations of readings (assumed to be camps) were used as harassing artillery targets. Several points to consider: 1. The device could not tell the difference between VC, NVA, or friendly troops, or even a herd of monkeys moving through the trees. Experience and intelligence about the location of friendlies allowed us to make good judgements. 2. When flying at tree-top level, one must remember that all trees are not at the same level. Dramamine was most helpful. I recall there were many times we had to clear leaves and branches from the air duct after a mission. One mission came to an exciting and abrupt conclusion when our pilot experimented with using the UH-1 as a tree trimmer. 3. The "People Sniffer" technique was very effective in locating strong concentrations of heavily armed VC. That's because they usually tried to blow us out of the sky. I was pleased with the short time it took a Cobra to dive and deliver ordinance ("bring smoke") from 2000 feet. 4. I cannot vouch for its effectiveness in finding small groups of guerrillas hiding in the jungle. Certainly, we brought back many suspected locations but I never heard much about whether or not they were verified. So, we didn't use bedbugs but I suspect we drove some VC buggy trying to figure out how the artillery knew enough about their location to keep them up all night. Frank Corradino email: uunet!adiron!frank PAR Technology Corp. phone: (315) 738-0600 Ext 338 New Hartford, NY 13413 disclaimer: you bet!