Timeline for Minimum force needed for an air strike against a wind farm?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
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| May 7, 2021 at 23:59 | comment | added | Mon | I pointed out to the author of the original scenario that one key parameter not covered was how long the wind farm had to be kept off line for. My solution would involve the fewest number of planes/strikes which was one parameter that did get specified. Taking out the connecting substations, control systems and pylons would take weeks to repair, if not longer. But is that long enough a time??? There are few military scenarios where the intention is to permanently knock out some opponents industrial base or infrastructure. Usually the aim is to just win the war. After that it doesn't matter. | |
| May 7, 2021 at 14:34 | comment | added | John | @mon but replacing the windmills themselves could take years, wind turbines are much harder to make and very difficult to transport. | |
| Apr 28, 2021 at 1:19 | comment | added | Mon | True. But even with replacement parts losing ALL the conversion, transmission & control room infrastructure plus towers would take takes weeks to repair. The site has to be cleared, equipment shipped in and installed, towers assembled shipped/flown into position (by chopper), reassembled and stringed. The everything has to be tested. All during a war. Add in bombing part stockpiles and ground access points if possible? Anyway I've asked the author for a clarification re; how long the farm needs to be off line. | |
| Apr 28, 2021 at 1:06 | history | edited | Mon | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Clarification of addtional targets
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| S Apr 27, 2021 at 22:41 | history | suggested | Bohemian | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Apr 27, 2021 at 21:21 | review | Suggested edits | |||
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| Apr 27, 2021 at 19:51 | comment | added | Trioxidane | The OP does suggest that they need to be longer out of operation with the idea to attack the turbines and not a transformer/substation. This is because the windmills would take longer to repair. Otherwise I would propose the frame challenge of just bribing a guy to turn off the turbines for a minute 'due to a software update' or whatever. Cheapest. | |
| Apr 26, 2021 at 10:16 | comment | added | Philip Kendall | Aside: a real incident of generation/consumption balancing when the frequency drifts from nominal, in this case due to the European grid separating into two. | |
| Apr 26, 2021 at 8:55 | comment | added | Mon | To the extent my answer is a frame challenge I note that: (1) the original post does NOT specify a minimum time period over which the wind Farm has to be rendered inoperable. (2) It DOES however specify however that the mission must be conducted with a minimum resources - in one pass. Given that criteria, individual strikes against single wind turbines would IMO be counterproductive - if the mission parameters can be met using an alternate approach. I believe my proposal does this. It knocks out the farm in one strike with the fewest number assets. | |
| Apr 26, 2021 at 6:05 | comment | added | Neinstein | @TheDaleks A frame challange question must include why and how it challenges the frame. How does Mon solve the problem that this damage will be fixed in weeks, instead of months? Even if it's intended as an FC, it's just kind of not an answer. | |
| Apr 25, 2021 at 23:34 | comment | added | Mon | Yes. The force required for the strike would have to be varied depending on the levels of redundancy built into the system. It would also depend I imagine on how long you required the plant to be off line i.e. what is the time frame for the military operation and the final objective. If your intention is to capture the territory the farm is located in you might want the farm intact for your own use later. Hard to see too many options though where you would want the thing permanently destroyed though. (Unless El Presidente has a holiday home right on the border and it's spoiling his view!) | |
| Apr 25, 2021 at 21:12 | comment | added | Hearth | Considering the wind farm shown is in Scotland, it's worth noting that the UK is known for having a very redundant (= resilient to attack on infrastructure) electrical grid, specifically intended to survive attacks like this as much as possible (it was designed in response to bombings in world war I, if I remember right). Of course, I imagine the use of that particular wind farm was just because a good photo was readily available, but it's still something to consider! | |
| Apr 25, 2021 at 0:09 | history | edited | Mon | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Apr 25, 2021 at 0:00 | history | edited | Mon | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Apr 24, 2021 at 23:52 | history | edited | Mon | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Apr 24, 2021 at 23:46 | history | edited | Mon | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Apr 24, 2021 at 23:37 | history | edited | Mon | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Apr 24, 2021 at 23:35 | comment | added | Mon | No, it doesn't work that way. Electricity grids are designed to maintain a a very precise operating frequency (e.g 50 hertz I think in Europe). The system is designed to constantly balance demand and supply and there's a high voltage system administrator that constantly monitors the state of the grid. If it starts to deviate from 50 hertzs say by even a tiny % it acts to stabilize it by disconnecting generators or increasing output - whichever is necessary. So while a lightning strike might do it, ramping up power in the grid suddenly would probably only cause a temporary loss of power at best | |
| Apr 24, 2021 at 23:00 | comment | added | domagoj | Any chance we could try it the other way around? I know it's a long shot and they would probably have physical protection too, but instead of cutting the power, how about feeding them more electric current they could handle? | |
| Apr 24, 2021 at 22:46 | history | edited | Mon | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Apr 24, 2021 at 19:55 | comment | added | DKNguyen | One does not attack the head of a hydra. | |
| Apr 24, 2021 at 19:19 | comment | added | In Hoc Signo | @MontyWild True. I believe Mon is going for a frame challenge. | |
| Apr 24, 2021 at 13:59 | comment | added | Monty Wild♦ | The OP specifically stated that the task was to destroy all of the wind turbines, not the other infrastructure. | |
| Apr 24, 2021 at 13:13 | history | answered | Mon | CC BY-SA 4.0 |