[Plot Hook] Task Force ODIN

[iconoplast]

(From here

The work of the new aviation battalion was initially kept secret, but Army officials involved in its planning say it has been exceptionally active, using remotely piloted surveillance aircraft to call in Apache helicopter strikes with missiles and heavy machine gun fire that have killed more than 3,000 adversaries in the last year and led to the capture of almost 150 insurgent leaders.

The Army aviation task force became fully operational last July with headquarters at Camp Speicher, in the north-central city of Tikrit, and focuses its efforts on insurgents planting roadside bombs. But it also has located and attacked insurgents in battles with American and Iraqi troops, and has supported missions of the top-secret Special Operations units assigned to capture or kill the most high-value targets in Iraq.

The battalion is called Task Force Odin — the name is that of the chief god of Norse mythology, but it also is an acronym for “observe, detect, identify and neutralize.” The task force of about 300 people and 25 aircraft is a Rube Goldberg collection of surveillance and communications and attack systems, a mash-up of manned and remotely piloted vehicles, commercial aircraft with high-tech infrared sensors strapped to the fuselage, along with attack helicopters and infantry.

The Army cobbled together small civilian aircraft, including the Beech C-12, and placed advanced reconnaissance sensors on board. Also assigned to the task force are small, medium and larger remotely piloted Army surveillance vehicles, including the Warrior and Shadow, with infrared cameras for night operations and full-motion video cameras.

All are linked by radio to Apache attack helicopters, with Hellfire missiles and 30-millimeter guns, and to infantry units in armored vehicles.

[Agent 333]

You know, the first thing I thought of when I read this was "I wonder what other ancient gods can be used as acronyms..."

THOR - Target, Hammer, Obliterate, and Remove (needs a better H)
Completly different one for THOR: True Hammer Of Ragnarok (More a cult than an army division)
HERA - Human Element Response Army


Ok, I'm really bad at this.

[TheTSKoala]

ARES - Assess, Respond, Eliminate, Secure?

[iconoplast]

I really think THOR needs to end with "...Orbital Railgun"

[Agent 333]

I really think THOR needs to end with "...Orbital Railgun"

OOOooh... How about...

Thermally Hidden Orbital Railgun

Hmm... I can do better than that...

Titanium Housed Orbital Railgun

Nah, too bleh...

OH, and TSKoala: Great one!

How about....
HELIOS - High Energy Laser Intensified Oblation System
ZEUS - Zero Emission Urban Sanctuary (in other words, a safe house. Not very fitting for the god of lightning...)
AMERATSU - AMplified Energy RAdiation,Transmission, and SUbmission (She's a sun goddess, kind of fits)
LOKI - Locate, Observe, K?, Infiltrate

[TheTSKoala]

I really think THOR needs to end with "...Orbital Railgun"

(THOR)  Thermobaric Helix Orbital Railgun. Nothing like getting a shells spinning via a downward spiral and which makes their target implode via vaccum which is also fired from space.  (Hey Krensky, think a 2,000mm shell could reach Terminal Velocity from Orbit to say.. Russia's Moscow?  Thus having Bunker Bomb style penetration.)

(Hera)  Hydrogen Erbium Reactive Armor - ...it'd create Hydrogen Gas when activated.  ....not sure if that's a good thing. ...could be a suicide vest I suppose.  ...I dunno.  Krensky?

(Oh.. and yes.. Krensky I consider the sage of all things commonly unknown.)

[tracker7]

THOR can only mean one thing:  Tactical Helicopter Offensive Response.  Remember your Roy Scheider, people.

[Agent 333]

I really think THOR needs to end with "...Orbital Railgun"

(THOR)  Thermobaric Helix Orbital Railgun. Nothing like getting a shells spinning via a downward spiral and which makes their target implode via vaccum which is also fired from space.  (Hey Krensky, think a 2,000mm shell could reach Terminal Velocity from Orbit to say.. Russia's Moscow?  Thus having Bunker Bomb style penetration.)

The thing is, if you fire a rail-gun from orbit, the round will acctually have to slow down to get to Terminal Velocity. Air resistance is proportional to speed, so something moving that fast is getting pushed up waay more than gravity is pulling it down. Note that because it's slowing down, the force on it is lessening, until it hits equlibrium with gravity, thus Terminal Velocity.
On another note: I'm not entirely sure you'd want to mix the words "Helix" and "railgun"  describing the same weapon, though someone may correct me if I'm wrong.

[TheTSKoala]

I was envisioning more of a Centrifuge than a straight shot Rail gun.  What can I say.. the H part was hard! LOL.  (And T... well.. I have a thing for Thermobarics.)

[Agent 333]

Yeah, H is a tough, and unfortunatley a lot of ancient god had H's in there names... Hestia, Hera, Hel, Hades, Horus...

[Krensky]

(THOR)  Thermobaric Helix Orbital Railgun. Nothing like getting a shells spinning via a downward spiral and which makes their target implode via vaccum which is also fired from space.  (Hey Krensky, think a 2,000mm shell could reach Terminal Velocity from Orbit to say.. Russia's Moscow?  Thus having Bunker Bomb style penetration.)

Sigh...

Generally speaking, adding ANYTHING to something dropped from orbit is overkill. If you want something like a bunker buster, use a rail gun or rocket to fire a several hundred pound (or more) tungsten rod. These can easily rival a nuclear weapon. Adding anything less then a fusion bomb to them is silly. Similarly, if you can accelerate it high enough (to the point where you describe it's velocity in terms of c adding anything to it is pointless as it's no longer a missile, but an energy state.

(Hera)  Hydrogen Erbium Reactive Armor - ...it'd create Hydrogen Gas when activated.  ....not sure if that's a good thing. ...could be a suicide vest I suppose.  ...I dunno.  Krensky?

No idea. I don't think H and Er do anything special when combined.

[TheTSKoala]

Well, I know when H20 and Er combines it releases Hydrogen Gas... and... if you did the math right.. I suppose the fuel to air ratio was perfect.. you could create a exothermal reaction.. I guess.  I dunno.. I was trying to think of Elements.. but there are no really good Es!  LOL

[Mister Andersen]

FAFNIR: Fire And Forget Non-tube Infantry Rocket

[Krensky]

Let's see:

Highly Entropic Retrograde Accelerator.
Terrestrial High Orbit Rod.