The Brodie landing system was a unique method of launching and landing light aircraft that was devised by Captain James H. Brodie, a member of the Transportation Corps who was later transferred to the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. The novel system involved catching an overhead hook attached to the plane with a sling, which itself was attached to a cable secured between towers and acted as an arresting gear. This system was originally envisioned to provide anti-submarine aircraft support for trans-Atlantic convoys, and for operating lightweight liaison aircraft in terrain normally unsuitable for runway construction, such as dense jungle or in the mountains. However, it was never employed in those environments due to its late adoption in the war. One of its perceived land-based qualities was that its small size would render it much harder to detect by the enemy than a conventional landing strip.