Recent content by Condottiere

In the short term, it's the standing military, and existing infrastructure, plus reserves. In the long term, it's what the economy can support, or be cannibalized from. The number of pilots depends on how many candidates that the training infrastructure can cycle through, and then deploy in...

Depends on definition and design of the fighter. Heavy fighters at fifty tonnes weigh in the same as modular cutters and troop transporters.

The defence of space is reliant upon properly identifying ships and unidentified objects. A sensor extension net enhances the clarity of a sensor suite beyond its default range by using small drones to relay additional data to a central hub. Each drone is also a sensor platform in its own right...

Assuming frozen watch in long term freeze are volunteers, it would be those who don't particularly regard for the present time.

Confederation Navy: Skill Distribution L. Adjust the payload pod to one hundred five tonnes. M. That allows one hardpoint and one firmpoint. N. Hardpoint can be five tonne barbette, twenty tonne point defence, or a fifty tonne small bay. O. The firmpoint a single one tonne turret. P. Most...

Usually, in a general war, the standing army gets wiped out, and the conflict ends with a conscripted military. Pilots are specialists, and have to be linked to smallcraft production. As such, it depends on just in time logistics, for smallcraft production, birth rate, and, presumably...

The Germans were considering sending up pilots guiding buzz bombs, but I believe there was a lack of volunteers. Simplifying the problem would be a stated requirement for pilots per sector fleet, per quarter. You could limit frontline service during wartime to eighteen months, or fifty combat...

Confederation Navy: Skill Distribution G. In theory, you could adapt it as a fleet escort. H. That's three hundred tonnes at four parsecs. I. One hundred thirty tonnes surplus would include manoeuvre booster, and payload pod. J. The booster could be up to thirty tonnes. K. The payload pod...

Humans can be ideologically indoctrinated, at the micro and macro levels, to believe and behave in any number of ways. Since we're discussing pilots, I'll reiterate it depends on how many you need for a given time period, and then point out how large the manpower pool is, especially for the...

Function follows form. While I love needling about dogfighting, Confederation doctrine for smallcraft is principal engagement is over the horizon with missiles and torpedoes. Piloting remains paramount, gunner an adjunct. If dogfighting mode is activated, the magazines are to be emptied, and...

Confederation Navy: Skill Distribution A. Subsector patrolling wouldn't require a greater range than three parsecs. B. Convoy escorts would be tuned to be the same as the commercial vessels being protected. C. Canon seems to indicate two parsecs, all round. D. A full weapon pod would be at...

Depends on when the economies of scale kick in. I looked at the basic skill set you need for spacefaring, and if you want to keep it humancentric, competitively, early specialization is required.

Tourniquet, in case you're bleeding excessively. The "golden hour" refers to the critical first 60 minutes after a traumatic injury, during which prompt medical intervention is essential for improving survival rates and reducing long-term complications.

With a long enough fibre optic cable, you can secure communications.

You need a professorial chair to keep track of the entire Tolkien lore. Though, I do vaguely recall coming across a reference to that, somewhere. A pop psychologist might say it's an oblique reference to Freud.