The American army uses one-shot guided weapons (missiles, etc.) that cost millions of good tax-$ / each. This is a truly wasteful practice. The army should adopt the famous tactic used by the Japanese in the closing years of World War II - recruit pilots for guided missiles. The basic idea would need some new twists, though. Some form of compensation would be provided to surviving family members of such pilots. The name of the Corps would need to be Americanized - I suggest "Patriotic League of Final Service". Of course, people would complain that the idea is obscene, that the government should instead sponsor "suicide prevention" hotlines, etc. However, it is a fact that every year, a sizeable number of citizens do commit suicide. So they might as well do it in the service of their country. A possible problem with the idea is that there is not always a war in progress, and the volunteers would need to be trained constantly (as not to lose their piloting skill.) So quite some time may pass between one's enlistment and the final flight.-- dsm, Dec 21 2000 Dr. Strangelove http://www.filmsite.org/drst.htmlWatch the film - Slim rides a nuclear bomb to the ground at the end! [wasraw, Dec 21 2000, last modified Oct 21 2004] A plane and a pilot (relatively slow, large, and easy to intercept) are less expensive than a missile?-- centauri, Dec 21 2000 I think a better name for this unit would be the "Slim Pickens Memorial Brigade" - YAAAAAAA-HOOOOOOOO!
See link for those of you too young to know this refrence.-- wasraw, Dec 22 2000 Well, we outlaw abortion and the government takes those kids, trains them for public service. The brightest get the best education and jobs. The most useless of them go to the kamikaze corps.
I'm such a humanitarian.-- bartkusa, Jan 11 2001 Well to keep the little buggers from changing their minds, let's just have the C4 embedded in their abdomen. An added benefit would be that the explosives will not be detected at airport security and can be detonated with a call on the cell phone...-- zartars, Oct 05 2002 I had a similar idea, though I'd call them "The Immortals" (they didn't fear death--as per a B-Movie featuring Jack Palance).
They'd be well trained, well paid, raised a few ranks, and in a cushy job. When the assignment came, if they refused, they would simply drop a few ranks and be permanantly disqualified from the program. If they performed the service, their estates would be given a million or a few.
If they lived, it would be an added bonus. If they failed, they won't get it all, but they'd get some for trying.
Not only could they be used for tactical and strategic purposes, but also demonstrative. Imagine, if you will, the propoganda value of during Ramadan, 100 proud American Immortals slitting their own throats as a demostration of contempt to the Mujihideen everywhere.-- Great Satan, Jun 13 2003 //Imagine, if you will, the propoganda value of during Ramadan, 100 proud American Immortals slitting their own throats as a demostration of contempt to the Mujihideen everywhere.//
Ignorance is a terrible thing to waste.-- sambwiches, Jun 13 2003 Usually those that commit suicide aren't feeling that patriotic at the time.-- RayfordSteele, Jun 13 2003 The plane is worth a lot more than the missile.-- DesertFox, May 04 2004 Depends on the plane and on the missile, no?-- bristolz, May 04 2004 Why not train the Americans to hijack foreign planes and fly them into civilian targets...it's cheap, effective and...oh it's baked...oh and it's in terrible taste...oh and it's morally repugnant. Is there an [mfd] for that?-- zen_tom, Jul 17 2004 random, halfbakery