"Who builds Corsairs?"

[rust]

I consider privateering government sponsored.

Legally, a true privateer needs a Letter of Marque, which he could
only receive from a government.
A "private privateer" without a government's legal protection and
support would be just a pirate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_Marque

 

[Supplement Four]

Who builds corsairs?

First, many aren't "built". They're converted. Converted merchant vessels.

The Vargr have a knack for upgrading merchant vessels with weapons and systems and calling it a "corsair".

Second, those ships built, keel-up, as a corsair are built by worlds, typically outside the Imperium, with fairly high tech, low or no law, and a profit incentive.

 

[GypsyComet]

Who builds corsairs?

First, many aren't "built". They're converted. Converted merchant vessels.

The Vargr have a knack for upgrading merchant vessels with weapons and systems and calling it a "corsair".

Second, those ships built, keel-up, as a corsair are built by worlds, typically outside the Imperium, with fairly high tech, low or no law, and a profit incentive.

So what I'm hearing here is that the "Type P" is even less of a class descriptor than normal.

I already assume that the "Types" are general performance specs, not actual classes (in the same way we have "sedans", "sportscars", and "SUVs" now), so the Type P is even fuzzier than that.

Fair enough.

I contend that there will be classes of ship as well, but perhaps the term "Type P" has entered Navy slang with the broader definition. I'm sure a Standards Board bureaucrat (probably a Newt or Vilani) somewhere is offended, and has issued a memo.

 

[kristof65]

I'm sure a Standards Board bureaucrat (probably a Newt or Vilani) somewhere is offended, and has issued a memo.

Yeah, this just crossed my desk:

Date: 256/1106

From: Imperial Navy Standards Bureau (Capital/Core)

To: All Imperial Naval Units (Disseminate to all commands)

RE: Inappropriate use of standard class types


It has recently come to our attention that many official reports involving interstellar commerce raiding are inappropriately refering to the raider's vessels as a "Type P" class vessel.

Effectively immediately, this practice is to cease. Type P is not an official designation for a criminal vessel. There is no specific Type P designator. Use of what may be regional slang terms is prohibited on all official reports, per Article 19 of the Unified Code of Military Operating Procedures.

Please refer to IN Standards Bureau Document 12711, Section AA, Article 17, Table 8073 for the approriate designations/designatiions to use. Reports using "Type P" will be returned to their originating office for rewrite and resubmission along with Form X273, Explaination of Error form.

Sincerely,
Commodore Bud I Uptite
Imperial Navy Standards Bureau

 

[captainjack23]

Sincerely,
Commodore Bud I Uptite
Imperial Navy Standards Bureau

Dear God, I think I've worked for that....Sophont.

 

[rust]

Sincerely,
Commodore Bud I Uptite
Imperial Navy Standards Bureau

Dear God, I think I've worked for that....Sophont.

And looking at the style of his letter, I am almost sure I know his
German cousin ... :shock:

 

[GypsyComet]

Sincerely,
Commodore Bud I Uptite
Imperial Navy Standards Bureau

Dear God, I think I've worked for that....Sophont.

I know I have, though with a level or two of heirarchy between us, fortunately.
...

The "Type" designations had to come from somewhere, so I suspect there are a couple classes of early Imperial ships that originated the "Type P" specification, possibly as the "longer legs" version of the Type R.

 

[Supplement Four]

I already assume that the "Types" are general performance specs, not actual classes (in the same way we have "sedans", "sportscars", and "SUVs" now), so the Type P is even fuzzier than that.

I agree. We see different classes of the same type of ship all the time in Traveller.

I think it's like the military naming enemy vehicles (submarines or planes, usually). The "Kate" back in WWII meant a specific type of Japanese torpedo bomber, but there were several versions of it.

 

[qstor]

I assumed from the title of the thread the poster was referring to the new corsairs in the MGT T&G's.

I agree that various rogue states would be the ones constructing these class of ships.

Mike