I keep hearing the roads are impassable in PR

[SHRED]

I hear nothing about air drops.

Why no air drops?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. People have to be able to get to the air drop sites.

They can't just drop stuff willy-nilly and expect people to be able to get to it. If the roads are impassible people won't be able to get the stuff when it hits the ground.

[SHRED]

2. I'm not talking willy nilly

Life saving supplies into neighborhoods via helicopters.

[shraby]

3. i understand exactly what you meant. Multiple smaller drops where needed would go a long way to

easing the crisis.
One helicopter could make multiple drops to the small towns and even to isolated homes.

[global1]

4. These Helicopters Could Also Drop Communication Devices....

like Sat Phones, Walkie Talkies, etc - devices that don't require an e grid or cell towers that have been destroyed by Maria. They need to know what the conditions and needs are in these communities that have been cut off by impassable roads. Then they can drop some supplies to these communities. We need to establish communications with these poor people.

[SHRED]

12. Yep

[raven mad]

8. Sure. If it's airdropped, and folks are expecting it?

Glow sticks, activated. A little blue smoke and fluorescent flags. If it works in Denali Park? It'll work.

[TheDebbieDee]

5. They shouldn't drop supplies and water without a security detail accompanying it!

To drop food and water into an area with desperate people without armed security might just be an invitation for a food skirmish or having the biggest, strongest yahoo to take control of the supplies and perhaps hoard them...

[SHRED]

6. Yeah...death is better

[TheDebbieDee]

10. I'm just saying, the desperate people might kill each other trying to take control

of whatever is airdropped if a well-armed security detail is around to control things... It's human nature and these folks have been doing without for several days!

[raven mad]

7. Excuses, excuses for inadequacy.

You CAN put packs on dirt bikes/cross country bikes. I know. I've done it. You CAN do airdrops from drones. I've seen it. You CAN wear an adequate backpack on your own back and walk/hike to feed someone. I know, it's been a long time, but I've done it. The water is the toughest, it's heavy, but purification tablets help, and they fit anywhere. Not perfect, but you CAN get there.

[dalton99a]

9. Use helicopters like in Vietnam

[Xipe Totec]

11. They deployed 1/12th as many helicopters to PR as they did to Haiti after earthquake

So technically, the solution is air drops. Yes. But the problem is one of throughput.

[unc70]

13. They are doing helicopter and osprey deliveries

Certainly not enough, but they are finally starting to get a trickle of aid into the mountains. Also now have specialized trucks in theater able to go where regular trucks cannot. Big problem is that all the resources were not in pipeline even before PR was hit.

A contributing problem is that many of these resources were already busy in Texas and Florida and had to be resupplied and redeployed. There are still nowhere near enough men and materials in PR and the USVI.

[onethatcares]

16. they don't drop generators out of C130s

into populated areas. Roads and runways are being cleared and C5s on up will be delivering supplies and have been for the past 4 days. It's just very hard to land those large planes on dirt roads.

This is not a movie set.

It takes a few days to set logistics and get personnel into theater of operations. There are also regs about using U.S. military personnel vs Reserves and National Guard. Once the logistics are set this will move fast, faster than the invasion of Iraq and entire tent cities will be set up with electric/water/sewerage treatment while the islands infrastructure begins to be rebuilt.



This is not a movie set.

[DVRacer]

14. Amazon style delivery drones

I understand that some Spec-Ops units have some resupply drones capable of some surprising weight or so I have heard. The problem would be DARPA might not want them in the light of day. But if someone had access to the media and were able to ask the right people....

[pansypoo53219]

15. radar probs.