Solomani Confederation (Military)

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: DINGHY Is Not (a) Goddamn Hyper Yacht

A. Integrating the single cockpit with the main cabin sets life support of twenty four man hours, before requiring maintenance and/or regeneration.

B. In theory, this should be enough if there is a nearby planet with a suitable atmosphere for unsupported human habitation, or a spacecraft with sufficient life support, to transfer to.

C. There are probably more suitable, or better equipped, emergency or evacuation spacecraft.

D. The DINGHY being not exactly an ad hoc vehicle for such, but more as cheap and available option if for any reason that it's not possible to incorporate more suitable options in a spacecraft, military or civilian.

E. It's original function is to operate for short duration, short range spacecraft, usually in the immediate area around it's host spacecraft.

F. That would include a short excursion to local planetary bodies.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: DINGHY Is Not (a) Goddamn Hyper Yacht

Additional U.S. Coast Guard required and non-required items that should always be on a dinghy:[10] These are the U.S. Coast Guard's minimum requirements for recreational boats:

• Personal flotation devices for every occupant
• Spacesuit
• Bell, whistle
• Radio beacon
• Visual distress signals
• Signalling lamp
• Fire extinguisher
• Ventilation
• Extra oxygen bottles

These next items are not a Coast Guard requirement but should always be kept on board to maximize safety:

• Bucket
• Air sealant patches
• First aid kit
• Blanket
• Rope

This equipment should be in a bag made of water vacuum-resistant materials.

...

A small anchor can be used to allow the crew of the dinghy to fish or rest. Dinghy anchors are usually either a mushroom shape, a small folding grapple hook or the more modern and efficient Danforth type, with floating rope that will avoid being cut by snags on the bottom. The mushroom is used in locations where the bottom is very muddy, while the grapple works better in rocks. Some persons prefer a small Danforth or plow, because of their superior holding power in all but rocks, but these have sharp edges, and need to be set with a little care. Even a dinghy should have a length of chain attached to the anchor - the same length as the dinghy. The warp then attaches to the short chain with a wired shackle. This gives added weight and help in setting an anchor. It also stops the warp fraying on sharp rocks when the dinghy swings to and fro with the tide. Generally an anchor warp should be 4 times the depth of the water. In strong winds this can be extended to 8 times the depth but most dinghies are not seaworthy enough to be anchored securely in such storm conditions.

Umbical cord.

A dinghy should not be able to scratch the mother-boat's paint; therefore a fender made from a length of heavy rope (or a strip of polyurethane) can be tied loosely to the outside of the bulwarks. This also provides a handhold for launching, or for people overboard to climb into the boat. Many modern dinghies have a molded ridge of plastic to replace the rope. A fitted acrylic canvas cover can shed seas or act as a shade or storage cover. Traditionally it toggles to the fender-rope or is suspended from the gunter (small folding mast) but can also be tied to a few points and secured with snaps or Velcro. Depending on the design there may be a large locker under a thwart.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: DINGHY Is Not (a) Goddamn Hyper Yacht

G. Larger spacecraft can afford to install a dedicated fifty tonne launch tube, which would resolve rapid evacuation under acceleration.

H. Though it's obvious at this volume, any launch tube will likely accept a five tonne spacecraft.

I. If there's a steady traffic, a single fifty tonne, or larger, recovery deck should be able to handle both launch and recovery, under acceleration.

J. A five tonne spacecraft, whether a DINGHY or otherwise, would replace at least one other subsidiary smallcraft, or the air/raft.

K. Though, at a minimum, that would require a dedicated five and a half tonne docking space.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: DINGHY Is Not (a) Goddamn Hyper Yacht

L. A pulse drive would be the equivalent of rowing.

M. A solar sail could be hoisted, but you're not getting anywhere fast.

N. The real problem with rockets within Traveller design rules is their inability to smoothly navigate atmospheric reentry.

O. The other aspect being short range, since even with sixty percent fuel tanks, that's at best sixty thrust hours.

P. If, like an outboard motor, you could physically reorientate the manoeuvre drive.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: DINGHY Is Not (a) Goddamn Hyper Yacht

Q. Design rules say that everything has at least one firmpoint, one assumes five tonnes and up.

R. Also, if converted into a mounted fixture, the weapon system becomes virtual and takes up no space by itself, not counting the energy requirement and/or ammunition magazine.

S. On the other hand, try attaching a ground scale weapon system, and it's suddenly a quarter tonne, even if it's a (semi)auto(matic)pistol.

T. The Confederation Navy specializes in directly attaching torpedoes to hardpoints, or firmpoints.

U. For a hundred kilostarbux you can attach a reusable torpedo grapple to the firmpoint, capacity two torpedoes, and apparently, no added volume.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


1. The CAVALRY is a continuous work in progress.

2. I sort of settled on three basic types of Squadrons, space, ground and hybrid.

3. Their basic roles in times of war and (relative) peace.

4. Their respective tables of organization and equipment.

5. The Confederation Army and Navy are rather selective in their choice of qualified recruits, having an overabundance of volunteers.

6. Non selection is not a disqualifier for service in other Confederation agencies and organizations.

7. However, for those who want to join a specifically combat orientated organization, or just want to experience it for a year, the CAVALRY will accept any minimally capable applicant.

8. The term of service is a year and a day, basically three hundred and sixty six Terran days, for recruits, troopers, and lancers.

9. For the warrant and commissioned officers, the default four years.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


A. So, what did I want them to do?

B. For space, trade protection in the immediate rear area of front, and commerce raiding just over it.

C. Auxiliary forces supporting the line of battle, smallcraft interception and strike, forward reconnaissance.

D. Ship troops and boarding partying.

E. Screwing with the Vegans; which requires explanation, but basically, the Vegan Autonomous District is heavily fortified and can expect Imperium reinforcements, so the idea is to just keep them occupied with extensive raiding and strategic bombardment.

F. Speaking of which, letting the CAVALRY handle the mass driver spinal mounted starwarships.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


G. Hybrid would involve both ground and space components.

H. I'm thinking Colonial Marines, with organic transport, both ground and spacecraft.

I. Would include Horse Artillery, which would support the Confederation Army with spacecraft scale weapon systems, specifically grounded spacecraft with bayed weapon systems.

J. I don't really think that the Confederation Army would need close support aerospacecraft from the Navy, but others might.

K. Protected Forces, since most likely deployed in a vacuumized or hostile environment.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


L. Anything connected with space does require some form of competence, or potential thereof.

M. Volunteers who fail to demonstrate such, or really need basic military training, will get shunted to Squadrons to be deployed on human habitable planets.

N. After deducting for the requisite space and hybrid based Squadrons, that left the Confederation Navy, the administrative authority (and primary funder) of the CAVALRY with a very large manpower pool.

O. This made them surprisingly popular with Solomani Security, who did have some suggestions as to deployment.

P. Having attempted to recreate it, but with rather mixed success.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


L. A purely space based Squadron would consist of light fighters, medium fighters, attack craft, strike craft, and/or bombers.

M. This is to take advantage of larger number of volunteers who are enthusiastic about becoming (space) pilots, but wouldn't exactly fit in with the Confederation Navy's idea of one.

N. Also, in some cases, outstanding pilots would be directly headhunted from the CAVALRY, so the CAVALRY allows an outlet for their talent, and enough time to assess their suitability.

O. A security detail and mother ship tend to be part of the package, which treads into hybrid territory, especially if the troops are expected to form boarding parties.

P. In wartime, the space based Squadrons are more likely to be pure, to ramp up numbers of fighter and attack units.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


Q. Supposedly, eight fighters make a squadron, three squadrons make a wing.

R. Since we want to make piloting rather common, you only need a warrant to fly.

S. Had a choice between Pilot Officer, Flying Officer, and Flight Officer, but settled for (the CAVALRY) Flight Master.

T. Since every Master needs an Apprentice, so the Lancer becomes the Astronaut.

U. I was considering the Volunteer as the Flyer, and the Recruit as the Jockey.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


V. Since I see Confederation Navy smallcraft squadrons as field formations, made up of allocated flights from the wing pool.

W. And flights organized into one to three craft per division, and one to three divisions per flight.

X. Nominally, two craft per division, three divisions per flight.

Y. Nominally, a wing would be composed of one to six flights, plus spare parts, replacement craft, and hangar queens.

Z. Groups are one to six wings, though it really depends.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


1. Training a fighter pilot could take up to six years, giving him the necessary skills, mindset and integrating him into his unit, and joint military operations.

2. Traveller military numbers are pretty skewed on the low side, but we'll work with what we have.

3. After taking an aptitude test for the limited number of pilot slots, successful aspirants are assigned to aerospacecraft carriers.

4. These CAVALRY Squadrons are half training units, even while being deployed to their area of operations.

5. They are also experimental, in trying out various fast track methods to create as many qualified pilots as possible, which would become important during long term conflicts.

6. You'd have to assume that the first skill taught, besides knowledge/military protocol, would be Athletics, to ensure fitness and inculcate discipline.

7. Next one would be Electronics, so that they can understand and manipulate instruments.

8. Then Pilot, though at this point, those more interested in Engineering or Maintenance split off.

9. Fourth skill would be Gunner, because that's the point of it.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


A. Since everyone fights, Gun Combat.

B. And it's in space, so Vacc Suit.

C. Though, maybe you have to teach the recruits first how to wear a Vacuum Suit, followed by how to handle a sidearm correctly.

D. Or, rank/zero is an automatic Athletics; basic training Gun Combat (everyone fights), Vacc Suit, Gunner, Electronics, Melee.

E. And then a successful advancement role to rank/one allows specialization.

F. Medic (medic)/Recon (spotter)/Pilot (pilot)/Explosives (sapper)/Engineer (engineer)/Drive (driver)/Electronics (signalman)/Mechanics (maintenance)/Admin (clerical)/Steward (food and beverage).

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


G. One one hand, we don't really want to exactly intrude into Navy or Marines territory.

H. On the other, these tend to be logical selections, based on what a military would train for, in that expected environment.

I. For rank/zero, for the Army, Navy, and Marines, it would have to Athletics.

J. Desk jockeys, whether administrative or remote operations, would still be expected to be in shape, if only that demographically, and presumably at those technological levels, that unless the applicant represent outstanding talent or potential, you can pick for physical fitness, or medically reconfigure them to be so.

K. As a second career, it could be that the military skips most of the rest of the basic skills, because they have a need for a number of specific specialists.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


L. In theory, with a promotion to rank/one, a freshman could acquire eight skill levels.

M. With a skill package, you could potentially pick up another two skill levels.

N. At rank/one, you'd have two rolls on benefits, which could go to Intelligence, Education, and/or Endurance.

O. And you can phone Madame Cleo to find out if you're psychic.

P. The world, or galaxy, is your oyster.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


Q. Anything designated as a light support weapon (with requisite receiver) would need the Heavy Weapons skill.

R. Central Supply considers anti material rifle(s) as heavy weapons.

S. Doesn't appear that the skill itself does.

T. Portable: Missile launchers, flamethrowers and portable fusion and plasma guns.

U. Artillery appears to cover everything from light mortar on upwards, which oddly might include sixty millimetre mortars.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Authorized Volunteer Armed Long Range Yeomanry: Organization

Omnis pugnat, quis renuntiare potest.


V. You need a study period of eight complete weeks to learn a skill, or raise it.

W. That would be six skill levels per year, six and a half, if you skip holidays.

X. Study periods required are ((skill/factor aspired) minus one) plus one, minimum one study period.

Y. In theory, that would be eight weeks training Athletics, plus familiarization with equipment and military protocol within the remaining eight hours per day.

Z. Gun combat training, or emphasis, the next eight weeks, plus rudimentary military tactics.

 

[wingsday]

One of the mercenary books rules for training(like, classroom/basic training style)

Edit: specialist forces p.75

 

[Condottiere]

I prioritized getting Field Catalogue, so it will be a while before I get the rest of the set.

Unless it goes on sale.

In theory, it takes a year to properly train infantry, another to integrate them into the unit, and the unit into combined arms, and about a year to deploy at optimum performance.

I think it's about eighteen months of frontline combat, and most people have had enough.