Solomani Confederation (Military)

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Bombers

V. Good news for the small ship universe.

W. I've decided that the Confederation defines a light bomber as a primary hull of two hundred tonnes and below.

X. And, they make extensive use of them, in varying configurations.

Y. The primary requirement being a default ten tonne bridge.

Z. Which helps with standardization, training, and familiarity.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Bombers

1. Light bombing covers a rather large area.

2. You could have a five tonne spacecraft, doing counter insurgency with sand casters or missiles.

3. You could have a seventy tonne smallcraft, with a torpedo barbette.

4. And at the other end of the scale, a two hundred tonne starwarship, shooting up commercial shipping as a spacetime strike craft.

5. A fighter bomber seems like a compromise of being able to fight yourself to the target, and then bomb it.

6. Light bomber, by itself, surgical strike against tactical targets, possibly achieving some operational goal.

7. Fighter tends to imply the capability to manoeuvre into a position to shoot down a smallcraft.

8. A bomber might share that capability, which aids survivability, but it's not a necessity.

9. It's main job is to act as a platform for physical ordnance.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Bombers

A. One option is the Doolittle gambit.

B. Or, do much first.

C. You load up the light bombers on a carrier, or freighter.

D. Jump to the targetted system, and launch them.

E. The carrier then bugs out.

F. And the jump capable light bombers, after completing their mission(s), make their own way home.

 

[Seffix]

Confederation Navy: Bombers
C. You load up the light bombers on a carrier, or freighter.
D. Jump to the targetted system, and launch them.
E. The carrier then bugs out.
F. And the jump capable light bombers, after completing their mission(s), make their own way home.

In the alternative Pushmi-pullyu gambit, the bombers are not starships, using the saved tonnage for extra munitions, sensors, maneuver, and fire control.
Then, instead of jumping out when their individual missions are done, they perform high-velocity coordinated overrun actions that place them on matching vectors where they can be picked up by another carrier whose jump in-system is timed for this.

 

[Condottiere]

That sort of thing tends to be situational, this being more a description of general doctrine.

Tactically, the idea is to blow crap up, so that the enemy can't use them.

You can do that by sending in a Fleet Squadron, which tends to imply persistence, even if it's only a raid.

Or, even a Strike Squadron, with a couple of major combatants, or capital starwarships.

Or, light bombers and a Fleet Squadron, with part of the Fleet Squadron's mission to provide overwatch, and deal with intervention from the enemy's major units, while the light bombers just buzz saw through every orbital and ground industrial and military infrastructure.

But doctrine for light bombers, for the Confederation Navy, is more to annoy the enemy across a broad front, and not risk (valuable) major units, such as carriers.

More than they have to.

Also, how can Muskrat Industries make money from the Venture Drive, unless the Navy installs them in their light bombers?

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Bombers

G. Terminology can hint at capability, roles, and mission.

H. Seventy tonne smallcraft can mount one barbette, and have it be either missiles or torpedoes.

I. Those have been referred to as torpedo bombers, when so equipped.

J. Or, missile boat, when you could still install small bays.

K. But, the Confederation Navy no longer follows those Imperium conventions.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Bombers

G. The The Confederation Navy can stick a torpedo grapple on any firmpoint.

H. And does.

I. And going by, I think, Trailing Extents, you can replace the two torpedoes with six missiles.

J. Or, mix and match.

K. Which, suddenly makes an ultralite smallcraft, rather dangerous.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Bombers

L. We don't have exterior mounts for ordnance.

M. Except for those we have to specifically attach to firmpoints and hardpoints.

N. Going by the rules, torpedo grapples attached to hardpoints, and the one firmpoint that can be upgraded to a monoturret, they can traverse.

O. Otherwise, for the other two firmpoints, fixed in one direction.

P. A traversing torpedo grapple in a dogfight, can come as quite a nasty surprise to the other side.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Bombers

Q. Torpedo grapples are considered once and done.

R. In other words, you can only reload them at base.

S. However, invest in a pop up, and they're suddenly internal.

T. All you need is the correct reloading equipment, to slide in the ordnance, and attach them.

U. Or, going by the rules, a gunner to reload individual ordnance into the ready position.