Silly String: The Military's SECRET weapon!

I know a lot of you snickered when you read the headline to my post... "Silly String: The Military's SECRET weapon!" well as it turns out Silly String is the perfect means to detect a tripwire... spray the string anyplace you suspect a trap might be set, and voila the Silly Strings hangs suspended in the air by the unseen trip wire... to light to set off the trap....see photo below

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/38b79442f933.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 1-12-2009 by DaddyBare]

After the Americans have spent millions trying to develop complex systems for locating trip wires this was discovered by the British SAS at a Christmas party.

Their “Who Dares Strings” brainwave came from a senior NCO at a regimental Christmas bash at their HQ near Hereford.

One reveller let loose some string and it landed on fishing line holding up decorations. A source revealed: “Bingo, the idea was born.

“Now it works very successfully. There is no doubt that a considerable number of lives have been saved — and others have been spared from horrendous maiming.”

The Americans are said to be “totally gobsmacked” at the ingenuity. A senior security source said: “They have spent millions developing infra-red and ultra violet hi-tech imaging devices to show up tripwires.

“But these are both bulky and not robust enough for combat conditions.

“However the SAS men just popped into Woolies in Hereford and bought several cans of silly string each.”

“It’s cheap, it’s quick and it doesn’t need tech support or extensive training.”

Terrorism expert Chris Dobson said: “This is another example of the ingenuity of the British soldier.”

[edit on 1-12-2009 by VitalOverdose]

reply to post by VitalOverdose


Sad they wont issue Silly String when they know it saves lives... there is or was a parents group that took up collections and donations of Silly String and sent it by the case load to the troops... haven't been over there for a few years so I don't know if that's still the case... but if your facing a deployment... take a couple of cans with ya...

reply to post by DaddyBare



We in the Army began using Silly String back in 2003. At frist we used it as a gag then one smart ass Private says" hey when we go on Raids why dont we use this to detect tripwires at night." It made since we used it.... But we still mainly use it for horse assing around=) Thats why the Army wont issue it... Lot of CHU doors or Victors, and CO, 1sg doors I see will get the Evil String on them overnight=)

reply to post by DaddyBare



We in the Army began using Silly String back in 2003. At frist we used it as a gag then one smart ass Private says" hey when we go on Raids why dont we use this to detect tripwires at night." It made since we used it.... But we still mainly use it for horse assing around=) Thats why the Army wont issue it... Lot of CHU doors or Victors, and CO, 1sg doors I see will get the Evil String on them overnight=)

reply to post by poedxsoldiervet


Boys will be boys...
Still its more fun to use shaving cream messier too

[edit on 1-12-2009 by DaddyBare]

reply to post by DaddyBare



Shaving cream, man I remeber using that in Basic and AIT, some of those guys would get so pissed=)

Hi DaddyBare, Ex EOD guy here..We were using silly string years ago.

However, it can trigger tripwires attached to micro switches, which is what began to happen when word first got out that silly string was being used.

So we stopped using it. To avoid being silly.





[edit on 1-12-2009 by Sam Vimes]

If I remember correctly from when I was a kid playing with this stuff the nozzle does make quite a noise... So not perfect for the sneeky peekey situations, but defiantly a simple solution to a simple problem.

Proud to be a brit!

reply to post by Sam Vimes


Wow I think I'd be scared to set that up, if the micro-switch is so sensitive that the weight of Silly String would set if off... I mean even the weight of its own tripwire might do it... of course hajji doesn't care he's got all those virgins waiting up in heaven for him... think someone should clue them in that heaven has to be out of virgins by now?

just a quick question, why doesn't the forces participating in the so-called war on terror in afghanistan & iraq use pork oil as a weapon? they should also consider using pigs to patrol their perimeter in order to discourage suicide bombers. while this post might seem socially irresponsible and culturally insensitive, those niceties should be set aside if one is conducting a war. why should soldiers be worried about the cultural sensibilities of the other side when both sides are quite willing to kill the other for no other reason than that they are different, they worship a different god, etc.


[edit on 12.2.09 by toreishi]

reply to post by toreishi


To be honest... when in combat you do what ever it takes to stay alive... but lets be fair... someone throws oil on me I'm not going to stop and asked what that oil is made from, I'm gonna shot you in the face!

When you talk about a perimeter usually it will have some detection means set up, pop up flares, flash bangs, other bobby traps... those are a far greater deterrent than a pig on patrol and you don't want that pig tripping your traps...

On the other hand there is some physiological warfare going on... I remember seeing a low flying helicopter that made a huge swirling dust cloud... over the loud speakers played a recording where they tried to convince hajji they were a jinn, genie... and to them the jinn are not nice looking young babes in bikini's who fold their arms, blink their eyes and pop you into an unattended harem... Not their jinn those are some bad juju... did it work?.... Meh, not so much...

can we at least let a couple of hundred pigs wander down their valleys and into their caves? as for the oil, i guess i didn't explain it very well but i was thinking more of a wider dispersal type weapon.

Originally posted by DaddyBare
spray the string anyplace you suspect a trap might be set, and voila the Silly Strings hangs suspended in the air by the unseen trip wire... to light to set off the trap....see photo below

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/38b79442f933.jpg[/atsimg]

Now coming at your OP from a 'devils advocate' POV I'd rig up a fishing-line tripwire or two as in the above picture, then spray with silly string.

The real trigger-mechanism would be a number of linked pressure plate switches to the sides of the silly-string decoy.

Step over or around the decoy and the trap is sprung

Reminds me of an issue that came up during the space race.

Both sides needed something that would write in space.

The US spent millions developing a pen that would write in zero gravity conditions.

The Soviets took a pencil.

CT

Originally posted by DaddyBare
I know a lot of you snickered when you read the headline to my post... "Silly String: The Military's SECRET weapon!" well as it turns out Silly String is the perfect means to detect a tripwire... spray the string anyplace you suspect a trap might be set, and voila the Silly Strings hangs suspended in the air by the unseen trip wire... to light to set off the trap....see photo below

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/38b79442f933.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 1-12-2009 by DaddyBare]

why would this be a new thing... we started using this way back in bosnia and I still use it as a bounty hunter and have been for nearly 20 years.... SWAT has been using it for a real long time as well...

just a thought, how would fluorescent spray paint or hair spray fare if silly string triggers microswitched devices....

Oh yeah, I have heard of the silly string thing, I think it started with a bunch of civilians raising money and sending crates of silly string. It was a an intresting story.

reply to post by poedxsoldiervet


@poedxsoldiervet

I can see that you are either ex military or current military. I am currently trying to make a program that incorporates military tactics. Do you think you could enlighten me with some tactics that military use. I have some connections to military. If you feel that this is inappropriate I apologize. Thank you.

It's not too secret....I saw this on the Discovery Channel (or one of those channels) about 3 years ago. Along with sonic cannons, some kind of net launcher and strobing LED flashlight...Cool stuff, but definitely not SECRET!