[ExI] Tunnels

[David Lubkin]

Spike wrote:

>The whole notion of a tunnel is a gift to Israel.  The Presbyterians 
>surrounding Israel fire cheap unguided rockets by the dozens into 
>Israel who respond by firing expensive high-tech guided missiles to 
>take out their cheap missiles.  (Remember all that debate we had 
>here about THAAD?  Where are the nay-sayers now that they are saving 
>lives?)  In the long run, the Episcopalians win that battle, even if 
>no one perishes: they spend millions attacking, Israel spends 
>billions defending.

When my father was inventing drone aircraft forty years ago, and 
figuring out uses for same for the Israelis and the US, an essential 
strength of his design was that he sold them (at a good profit) for 
$3000 each and they carried 70 kg of payload. Same logic: The 
ordinance to shoot them down cost more than they did. Also, the 
simplest battlefield use is load 70 kg of explosives, fly around 
until you see something worth more than $3000 (which most things 
are), and explode into it.

>A tunnel is an example of a technology that is high investment on 
>the part of the attacker, but relatively easily defeated.  The 
>construction would be detected acoustically, then the defender waits 
>for the tunnel to be completed (and the construction efforts 
>invested) then as the attackers emerge, detected by IR signature 
>before they can do any damage, the defender fires the usual weapons, 
>then subsequently floods the tunnel with low-cost flammable liquid, 
>such as good old Diesel fuel.  They could carry down the tunnel 
>drums of fuel on low-cost RC or autonomous vehicles, pierce the 
>drums, ignite and let them go.  The Israelis spend millions to 
>defeat millions.  They win in that battle.

If tunnel construction is so easy to detect, why do we keep finding 
smugglers' tunnels into the US? I've always assumed the government 
has only found and reported on a fraction of the tunnels. Co-opted 
law enforcement? Incompetence? Need for a continual supply of 
anti-drug success stories?


-- David.