Solomani Confederation (Military)

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Kestrel Fighter

Two dual cockpits take up five tonnes, while a simple bridge would be three tonnes, but we know that an assured four workstations, each with twenty four hours of guaranteed life support; the bridge costs a semimegastarbux, while the two dual cockpits only thirty kilostarbux.

In theory, the manoeuvre drive of both the Kestrel, and since we're into birds, and the last one was called the Viper, let's dub the thirty fiver the (Fighting) Falcon, are basically technological level fourteen factor nines, they should be compatible, nine percent being 1.575 tonnes, you could place two in the Falcon.

Armour factor fourteen would require 5.88 tonnes superdense, total 13.33.

That leaves 4.17 tonnes for power plant, fuel, sensors, and armament.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Kestrel Fighter

The armour may be too substantial for a general purpose light fighter.

It's quite possible that the light fighter is no longer viable, at least, in the sense, of being general purpose, but would need to be specialized.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Falcon Fighter

Factor fourteen hull armour would be 7.84 tonnes of superdense, two dual cockpits would be five tonnes, 3.15 tonnes of manoeuvre drive for factor nine.

Do we need aerofins, unless the idea is to take it nap of the earth, and do Maverick manoeuvres to get the drop on interceptors and confuse defence systems.

If so, that's one and three quarter tonnes; total 17.74 tonnes.

A one tonne extension net, a two tonne electronic countermeasures suite, three tonne improved sensors.

Optionally, upgraded platforms could have five tonne advanced sensors; military countermeasures at fifteen tonnes us probably something you'll stuff into a larger platform.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Falcon Fighter

The two dual cockpits could have workstations for the pilot, the weapons officer, sensor officer, and mission commander, or specialist, in that you could switch a module with acceleration benches, to accommodate an assault squad of Marines.

Long range engagements can only be performed by missiles or torpedoes, and since you now need three firmpoints for a barbette, torpedoes would need to be placed on a firmpoint grapple.

At best, that would be four torpedoes, unless Combination Missile/Torpedo Launchers are still street legal, in which case, the Impies are in for a surprise.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Pre Falcon Fighter

Probably need an earlier version of the Falcon thirty fiver, manufactured at technological level twelve.

Since snakes appear to be the favoured species, I was thinking of Blackadder as the model name.

No one else would appear to be using it as a fighter model name, so if you want something, take it.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Falcon Fighter

Every ship needs a central computer, usually installed near the bridge ... A ship may have a maximum of two computers (a primary and a backup) but the second must have a lower Processing score than the primary. The primary and backup computers cannot be operated simultaneously.


I've been reconsidering fighter thirty fiver as a common platform across technological levels, using interior modules to change components to modify the platform for it's selected mission or role.

The backup central computer would be attached to the cockpit(s), while the primary computer would be part of the sensor suite module.

This would allow a fighter built at technological level eleven, to be easily upgraded electronically, and modules could be shared amongst all fighter thirty fivers.

The odd thing out would be the second firmpoint, since you'd assume that would be near the nose, as the first is likely in the only single turret allowed.

Minimum size for detachable bridge is fifteen tonnes, so unworkable for this hull.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Falcon Fighter

You can't place bridges, or cockpits, into modules, nor hull armour, nor engineering. So, you're sort of committed there.

A technological level fifteen version would be considered cutting edge, and would have superdense armour and very advanced manoeuvre drive, nd it's an interesting question whether you want them more efficient or smaller; smaller would save you six hundred thirty kilogrammes, while efficiency forty five power points, but standardizes engine size.

Smaller engines probably have a greater effect when components are relatively a larger percentage, and in this case, you save around two or three tonnes of power plant.

So technologically sensitive components would be modularized, and shoved into compatible slots of lower teched fighter thirty fivers.

At this point, I don't think I need the Kestrel.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Armaments and Combination Missile/Torpedo Launcher

The Confederation Navy has been trying for years to create an effective launching system that can take missiles or torpedoes as required. This turret-sized system is as close as it has come to a workable design, although it is clumsy and prone to loading failures. A combination launcher fits in a standard turret mount – single, dual or triple ... It takes up one ton in addition to the normal turret allocation, plus magazine space.


I doubt that.

I think you're going to have trouble fitting one in a single turret. Triple turret is the default one tonne, plus another three tonnes, at seven megastarbux, and one power point.

Not to mention a twenty five percent premium on customized missiles and torpedoes.


Each torpedo barbette holds three torpedoes. The torpedo here is equipped with a standard warhead. Torpedo barbetttes on Firmpoints consume an additional two tons of space.



That's either five or seven tonnes at three megastarbux and two power points.

Mounted fixtured combis would be capped at three per hardpoint, or one per firmpoint, with one tonne and two megastarbux per launcher.

Compared to a two torpedo firmpointed grapple at one hundred fifty kilostarbux.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Armaments and Combination Missile/Torpedo Launcher

One obvious advantage is of the Combi is that you could probably stuff in any missile or torpedo configured ordnance between one twelfth to one third tonne, at a twenty five percent premium.

Plausibly, maybe a somewhat large canister of sand.

And since customized size increase is also not prohibited, the Combi could be a modified one and one fifth tonne.

That might allow drones and escape capsules to be launched.

What seems unclear is if you can cluster them to bay size.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Barges ...

... are equivalent in size to a battle monitor but fulfil other roles. Most are supply and logistics vessels but troopships are not uncommon. Carried to a trouble spot by a tender, a troop barge can remain on-station to provide support and act as a mobile headquarters.


Now, it's not that I hadn't thought of barges, many moons ago, but to take advantage of space station design rules of Mongoose First, which had a watered down bridge, and could have a factor one manoeuvre drive.

What was unclear was whether you could control a jump drive from the bridge.

Of course, there were the Forty Kay battle barges.

What seems to be developing here is that the Confederation may be moving to a Heighliner interstellar transportation network, which would allow them to more closely control communications, soft and hard, replacing the Express Boat network.

It could be that Confederation Army divisions, personnel and equipment, are carried onboard barges, rather than assault carriers, or bombardment vessels, or any of the more specialized vessels that the Confederation Navy doesn't need to hive a jump capability.

1. The advantage that a space station has over a spacecraft are cheaper bridges; volume isn't the issue, but cost, and in this case, five times cheaper.

2. They seem to be restricted to manoeuvre drive factor zero, but you can attach tugs.

3. Using a planetoid hull sacrifices twenty percent capacity, in exchange for organic armour class two, and ten times cheaper tonnage.

4. A battle barge could be the buffered variant.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Squadron Sizes

Fleet Squadron - one to three Fleet Divisions [two battlecruisers, battleships, or dreadnoughts, each], Destroyer Flotilla

Carrier Squadron - one to three Carrier Divisions [two carriers, each], Destroyer Flotilla

Strike Squadron - one to three Strike Divisions [two minor, intermediate or major combatants, each], Destroyer Flotilla

Reconnaissance Squadron - one to three Flotilla

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Fleet Squadron

I got this number in a roundabout way, and remembering Byzantium operational security.

Apparently, unlike the classic Roman Legions, their Eastern successors changed the number of troopers in in their units, or at least, in their primary type, in order to introduce the uncertainty principle to their enemies.

From the War of Imperium Aggression, the default size of Fleet Squadrons was two capital starwarships, with reinforced ones four; while their modern counterparts had six as standard.

It's usually a good idea to keep subunits together, if only for efficiency and training purposes, and that's likely for their elite strategic reserve Fleet Squadrons.

However for their deployed Fleet Squadron units, the Fleet Divisions can be moved around amongst the Fleet Squadrons, creating uncertainty in opposing intelligence agencies as to their exact whereabouts and composition.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Carrier Squadron

Like Fleet Divisions, Carrier Divisions would try to be homogenous.

The reason to split carriers into their own individual task groups is to avoid having both of them detected and knocked out at the same time, though as it's often mentioned, it's hard to hide anything in space.

The reason to keep them, by default together in their assigned divisions, like capital ships, is that they are more effective that way.in twos.

Carrier Divisions can consist of super carriers, fleet carriers, light carriers, escort carriers, or (battle) tenders.

If Carrier Divisions are split up, it's more to provide screens and support for task groups or forces, rather than as the principle combat element.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Squadron Sizes

Patrol Squadron - after some contemplation, Reconnaissance is probably too off, and it's part of the triad of Fleet Strike Patrol.

Logistics Squadron - dry and wet stores; ordnance, fuel, lubricants, gas, personnel, spare parts; subunit designations still up in the air, flotilla, train and convoy too vague; should include repair ships.

I'm not too sure where hospital ships and research ships would go. Navigational buoy maintenance, minesweeping, and some of the more obscure stuff will need to find a home.

Deep space exploration would be a different service, and would have their own starships, if seconded or transferred from the Navy.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Squadron Sizes

Fighter Squadron - three to twelve divisions of two spacecraft each, organized into two to six flights

Bombardment Squadron - two to eight cells of three spacecraft each, organized into two to four flights

Utility Squadron - mostly a collection of transport spacecraft assigned to the aerospace group, some of which may be armed; loosely organized so that the aerospace commander is aware where they are, and what they are supposed to be doing

Composite Squadron - any spacecraft whose collective size are too small to be organized into their own dedicated squadron; probably includes reconnaissance spacecraft

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Communications Squadron

1. On reflection, this turned out to be a lot more complex than i thought.

2. The Confederation Navy took over the functions of the Imperial Scout Service, which included the ecks boat network.

3. The Communications branch principal responsibilities would be the orderly, fast, and efficient transfer of personnel and information, whether on the spacecraft they have direct control of, or third parties.

4. The ecks boat network, or what remains of it, would run in parallel to their own communications/courier networks.

5. It's obvious that this is inefficient, and the ecks boat network should be abolished, and/or replaced, so politics are involved.

6. The fact that it hasn't, means it's kept on life support by political lobbyists.

7. On the other hand, it's being gradually attritioned through minimum maintenance and certainly isn't being expanded, so that means the resources are denied to it in the Navy budget, again likely a political move.

8. What's likely its that Home and it's line of communications to sector, and subsector, capitals is prioritized, as well as destinations spinward.

9. The last mile may be passed on to local naval elements, or private contractors.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Communications Squadron

A. The reason that the ecks boat network is kept on life support, could be that in most cases, what's carried isn't really up to the Navy.

B. Net neutrality might be enforceable on the ecks boat network, at least for the Confederation.

C. As the boats breakdown, and spare parts become scarce, unimportant destinations might be bypassed.

D. Outside of the sector and subsector capitals, ecks boat tenders would be critical, since they are mobile stations that can relocate.

E. I rather doubt that this is a case of private enterprise actively trying to take over the post office, as there is only one Confederationwide megacorporation, and as I recall, the Party is majority shareholder.

F. There are probably networks of private shipping corporations, on multi subsector level, that have agreements to hand off posts, passengers and cargo.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Communications Squadron

G. Communications Squadron probably overlaps with the local Patrol Squadron.

H. Probably reroutes some non essential communications and personnel transfers through patrol craft operating near their destinations.

I. Important communications and personnel transfers would be delivered by courier starships.

J. Courier starships would be assigned to either Fleet, Strike, Patrol etcetera Squadron command element, and/or their Composite Squadron.

K. I think that there are jump factor six courier starships, but likely the majority would be technological level fourteen jump factor five; there's probably cheap version for factor three or four, since less than that doesn't make sense.

 

[Condottiere]

L. More than Patrol Squadrons, Communications Squadrons are highly variable in size, dependent on both zone and detached units.

M. Subdivided into flights (major communications centres, Fleet Squadrons etcetera], cells (minor communications waystations, Fleet Divisions etcetera), and detachments (third party vessels).

 

[Condottiere]

O. Yeah, I'm making this up as I go along, but it's certainly starting to coalesce.

P. Getting decision makers the correct information in an expeditious manner, and placing the right people in the right place at the right time, passes the initiative to the Confederation military.

Q. We could distinguish the Navy packet boat system on two hundred tonne packet boats with five parsec range, against a deteriorating ecks boat network, using up their remaining stock of one hundred tonne ecks boats.

R. Conceivably, you could squeeze in an extra parsec into a technological level fifteen two hundred tonne packet boat, which would only be used for transferring highly critical information, and captained by their best Naval aviators.