JMOB - Joint Mobile Offshore Base

[Dr Mordrid]

Makes an aircraft carrier look a bit puny;

As it is currently envisioned, the Joint Mobile Offshore Base (JMOB) would be a collection of modular, self-propelled platforms, each measuring roughly 1000 ft. long x 500 ft. wide. Riding 120 ft. above the surface, the JMOB could traverse the ocean, driven by diesel-electric motors, at 15 knots. A modest pace to be sure, but fast enough to put a JMOB on station anywhere in the world within a month.

When the individual platforms arrived, they would rendezvous in international waters, beyond the range of the weapons and radar of potential foes. Connectors would then bridge the gaps between platforms, creating a massive floating fortress.

No more begging for basing rights

Dr. Mordrid

[KvHagedorn]

Why don't we just invest in that orbiting ray gun?

[Wombat]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
Why don't we just invest in that orbiting ray gun?

That would involve breaking yet another treaty.







You know, this thing immediately reminds me of some of the "Micro Machines" bases I saw growing up.

[Technoid]

that shows that the navy has read Jules Verne

And it does look like the pic was taken from a 70'ths SF book

[Fat Tone]

Originally posted by Wombat
That would involve breaking yet another treaty.

And you mention this because....?

j/k.

[The PIT]

Several torpedos should take care of that plus the odd hurracane.

[GNEP]

Didn't Kevin Costner build one of those for his film "Waterworld"?

[Fat Tone]

He did, and it sank during filming, so they had to build it all again

[GNEP]

Thought so...

Not that it's at all related to this of course...

[KvHagedorn]

Originally posted by GNEP
Thought so...

Not that it's at all related to this of course...

Of course it's related.. Americans with too much money throw it all away on some pipe dream..

[Jammrock]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
Why don't we just invest in that orbiting ray gun?

Akira style I would assume

That looks like something out of Popular Science or Popular Mechanics. It's an interesting idea, you'd just have to be weary of suicide bombers. Surprised it's not nuclear.

Jammrock

[Jessterw]

Is that a shopette I see...

I'd imagine the end product, if ever built, wouldn't look too much like what we see here. Looks a lot like a bunch of oversized oil rigs/platforms (with the usual military sense of style, or lack of).

I wouldn't have minded being stationed on a base like that as opposed to a former rattlesnake farm.

[Dr Mordrid]

The picture is from the current Popular Mechanics, but JMOB is very real and there are several corporate and US sites devoted to its basic tech.

Even with a large terrorist bomb (as used on the USS Cole) you would get a hole of maybe 30-50 feet. This may disable a ship like the Cole, but that is a load smaller than JMOB. In fact several Coles would fit inside just one module.

Dr. Mordrid

[Wombat]

Originally posted by The PIT
Several torpedos should take care of that plus the odd hurracane.

I doubt the torpedoes would even get close. I've had a chance to check out some pretty nifty stuff during my visit to JPL.

[K6-III]

I though JPL was a civilian agency...