Solomani Confederation (Military)

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

Q. That gap for the Confederation Navy, likely starting appearing with the arrival of the quarter megatonne Prometheus class.

R. It could be inferred that the technological level fourteen Normandy class heavy cruiser fills the role of the super cruiser.

S. Since production of the Victory class would have been halted by then, and the Zeus class battlecruisers would be filling the role of the principal line of battle ship, until such time there would be sufficient numbers of Promethii.

T. Super cruisers only really need to deal with heavyish cruisers.

U. With sufficient speed to intercept them, and enough firepower to destroy them.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

V. The Normandy class heavy cruiser is a sort of a dilemma, for the design principles I'm basing the Confederation heavy units on.

W. I'm going with multiples of thirty one and half hundred tonne jump Victory modules as the basis for calculating how much volume a given group can transition through jump space, as well as how far.

X. At four parsecs, that's speed bumps of 31'450, 62'900, 94'350, and 125'800 tonnes.

Y. I didn't see the Normandy class replacing the Victory class.

Z. Especially, as it would increase the canonical tonnage of seventy kilotonnes by seventy eight percent.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

1. Personally, I'd have nothing against deflating the Normandy class by ten percent.

2. My view is that's it's rather a waste to design any major combatant larger than seventy five kilotonnes.

3. I did mention super cruisers.

4. Problem with super cruisers is that you'd need a larger armament, minimum factor/one meson gun, or a factor two or three particle accelerator.

5. And, I really don't want to open up a new production line for either model.

6. Factor/one particle accelerator is going to be rather dangerous to other major combatants.

7. And you could back that up with a couple of large bay weapon systems.

8. I sort of see the Normandy class more as a miniature Prometheus class.

9. There to undertake missions for which a fast dreadnought would be overkill.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

A. Going with the notion that the Confederation Navy had always wanted really large numbers of line of battle ships from the very beginning.

B. In preference to major and intermediate combatants.

C. Said major and intermediate combatants only existing to fulfill two principal roles in a major engagement.

D. Screen the line of battle from enemy major, intermediate, and minor combatants.

E. Make up the numbers for the line of battle.

F. And the usual fleet scouting role.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

G. I wasn't really keen on opening up another production line for the thirty one and a half hundred tonne module jump drive.

H. But, the Beijing class deep strike cruiser needed that five parsec range.

I. I'd have gone with packaging nine three hundred fifteen tonne jump drive modules together.

J. Unfortunately, that tops out at 22’320 tonnes for five parsecs.

K. Whereas a thirty one and a half hundred tonne module hits 25’160 tonnes.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

L. The Beijings would then mass either twenty five, or fifty kilotonnes.

M. Which is really way off from their canonical forty kilotonnes.

N. Given current combat rules, fifty kilotonnes actually makes more sense.

O. Also, hard to stuff a spinal mount into eight kilotonnes.

P. Considering, that also includes the manoeuvre drive, power plant, armour, screens, secondaries, stores, and so on.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

Q. The technological level fourteen Beijing class deep strike cruiser would be somewhat unique in the Confederation Navy order of battle, having a spinal mount and five parsec range.

R. I always thought that the follow up would be a technological level fifteen Shanghai class strike cruiser.

S. It's quite possible, commerce raiding doesn't need a spinal mount, just a way to disrupt commerce, and jeopardize rear area naval facilities.

T. That would certainly curtail the need to open up another production line, dedicated to really large technological level fifteen jump drives with six parsec ranges.

U. Also. large bays can outrange spinal mounts.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

V. Once the technological level fifteen breakthrough is achieved, priority would go for electronics, basically computers, fire control, communications, sensors, and so on.

W. Confederation Navy starwarships being designed to accommodate easily future upgrades.

X. Weapon and defensive systems would be next.

Y. Then, engineering.

Z. And since you'd need separate production lines for potentially enormous components, something to be applied sparingly.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

1. In theory, we'd have continuity in the Confederation Navy, if the Prometheus class actually were improved battlecruisers.

2. Instead of being Queen Elizabeths, they would be Hoods.

3. You could label the Admiral class as intermediate fast battleships, and later, the Hood was popularly viewed as a battlecruiser.

4. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the first, and only, time, I encountered the category fast dreadnought was in Fighting Ships of the Solomani Confederation.

5. On consideration, with thirteen and a half incher battleships being termed super dreadnoughts, the Queen Elizabeths could qualify for fast dreadnoughts, being built with speed one seventh faster.

6. A little research came up with an Imperium Navy variant.

7. Brand new and clean as a whistle, the Perisher Class of dreadnought so far only consists of three prototype models, with the keel of 4 production models being laid and due for completion in 1008.

8. Top of the range and state of the art, the Perisher is intended for a fast-response or heavy strike role.

9. Could be that the Imperium Navy was responding to the the Prometheus class.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

A.Based around a cylindrical hull the 400,000 ton behemoth mounts what is possibly the largest, and most advanced, meson gun in the Imperium.

B. You'd think that the Imperium would have kept examples around as flagships.

C. Particle accelerator and missile bays provide additional long range punch with laser turrets providing back up and close range firepower.

D. Actually, rather plausible, especially if giving supporting fire from the rear.

E. Within its hull the dreadnought has room for four 1000 ton ships as well as numerous smaller craft.

F. Large enough to bring along it's own close support escorts.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

G. Also contained is accommodation for up to 2000 troops.

H. At this size, you'd need a ship security force, and an expeditionary ground force.

I. I wouldn't use them to transport Army units, but dedicated Marine units.

J. A jump 4 drive allows for good strategic maneuverability while a relatively high agility rating allows it to be a fearsome opponent on the tactical
battlefield.

K. It seems pretty clear that even at technological level four, strategic fleet movement capability has to be four parsecs.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

L. Armor is relatively light, but compensated for by good screens and sandcasters, plus the ability to cripple most opponents before they can deliver much damage.

M. I'd say that fast dreadnoughts forego the expense of a military hull.

N. Reinforced hull seems military standard.

O. Question would be, armoured bulkheads.

P. And, fast dreadnoughts may be only a technological level fourteen development.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

Q. Having studied various additional Traveller Mongoose Twoed spacecraft rules add ons, I think I've come up with a way to make the Confederation Navy, basically it's starwarships, competitive with the Imperium's.

R. As mentioned previously, that would be with some inspiration from the Royal Navy's innovations for complying with Naval Treaty limitations.

S. They decided that they wouldn't cheat by going over the weight restrictions.

T. Which I think, practically everyone else did.

U. Except, the French.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

V. Having had a look at the new High Guard innovations, I've been rather tempted to integrate them in Confederation Navy designs.

W. Especially, retroactively, antebellum.

X. I should be getting the time to do so more thoroughly, quite soon.

Y. One would be formalizing a hi/lo mix of equipment.

Z. Which would include ironclad as a category, basically planetoids, including jump capable ones.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Skill Distribution

1. Operational skills would be piloting, astrogation, engineering, mechanics, electronics, and gunnery.

2. Piloting has three specializations: smallcraft, spacecraft, and capital ships.

3. The elite pilots would be heavily encouraged to become capitalists.

4. The vast majority of spacecraft, at least starships, would be between one and fifty hundred tonnes.

5. The rest of the cadets that have expressed an interest in the Fleet Aerospace Arm, would be trained as smallcraft specialists.

6. Any Confederation Navy pilot can fly a spacecraft.

7. Just not particularly well.

8. Which would indicate, that no vital Confederation Navy spacecraft is built between one and fifty hundred tonnes.

9. Thus, the preference for minimum five kilotonne starwarships.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Skill Distribution

A. Considering the issue of the littoral combat ships, ships have to be large enough to fulfill their roles and missions.

B. And, have a large enough crew to do so.

C. At less than twenty personnel, that's basically a patrol torpedo boat.

D. It does make a lot more sense to have a minimum five tonne volume to take a advantage of economies of scale.

E. Also, since most commerce raiders and pirates are way below one kilotonne, it makes that a rather one sided affair.

F. And likely, at best, rather even odds, if they decide to gang up on the five kilotonne starwarship.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Skill Distribution

G. Which does leave us with the question, on exactly a navy would be missing out, if they decide to bypass one to fifty hundred tonne spacecraft?

H. In terms of non jump capable spacecraft, probably nothing.

I. Smallcraft piloting is a skill applicable upto a ninety nine tonne primary hull.

J. Bridge costs half a megastarbux for a six tonne bridge, and you don't really need large fuel tanks.

K. A thirty five tonne manoeuvre drive module has a performance of thirty five hundred thrust tonnes, so easily spans the gap to five kilotonnes, by attaching secondary cargo hulls.