The entirety of this report is carried out in v5.60
OOC:
Since I went and screwed up my Japanese themed game by making all the civilians refuse to ship infrastructure, I went ahead and used it to SM in a fleet to swat the pesky spoilers (or so I think they are) three systems down-chain in order to a test a new missile design. After three disastrous tries, I gave up and SMed myself two additional TLs as I couldn't force an engagment with only Magneto-Plasma engines. This post-2TL buff brought my tech roughly in line with theirs and the following account is based on that engagement.
The design in question is this:
Offensive missiles are essentially 2-stage missiles. The actual warhead is a short range, high speed missile designed to evade PD. The bus just gets it there. Only 1 missile per bus.
What follows is a hypothetical report from the returning admiral commanding Alpha Fleet.
Go to the bottom for the lessons learnt part (which is the important part!) =)
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Relevant Technologies Report:
Magnetic Confinement Drives
Fuel Efficiency 0.5
Power Efficiency -30%
Missile Warhead 6
Missile Engine 5
Missile Agility 64
Launcher Reload 6
Launcher Size Reduction 25%
Active Sensor Strength 28
EM Sensitivity 14
Saya, Size 5 ASM
Missile Size: 5 MSP (0.25 HS) Warhead: 0 Armour: 0 Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 20000 km/s Endurance: 60 minutes Range: 72.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 6.4152
Second Stage: Wakizashi, Size 3 ASM x1
Second Stage Separation Range: 10,000,000 km
Overall Endurance: 1 hours Overall Range: 84.2m kmWakizashi, Size 3 ASM
Missile Size: 3 MSP (0.15 HS) Warhead: 3 Armour: 0 Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 80000 km/s Endurance: 3 minutes Range: 12.2m km
Cost Per Missile: 4.7485
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 800% 3k km/s 260% 5k km/s 160% 10k km/s 80%Tanto, Size 1 AMM
Missile Size: 1 MSP (0.05 HS) Warhead: 1 Armour: 0 Manoeuvre Rating: 32
Speed: 47800 km/s Endurance: 2 minutes Range: 7.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 1.5963
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 1529.6% 3k km/s 480% 5k km/s 305.9% 10k km/s 153%Kirishima class Scout Frigate 6,000 tons 517 Crew 2500.7 BP TCS 120 TH 431 EM 0
7183 km/s Armour 8-29 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 7 PPV 0
Maint Life 3.06 Years MSP 1823 AFR 41% IFR 0.6% 1YR 293 5YR 4388 Max Repair 1400 MSP
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Drive E6.5 (6) Power 143.75 Fuel Use 65% Signature 71.875 Armour 0 Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 515,000 Litres Range 237.7 billion km (382 days at full power)
Active Search Sensor MR196-R1 (1) GPS 1400 Range 196.0m km Resolution 1
Kuma class Missile Frigate 6,000 tons 471 Crew 1714.3 BP TCS 120 TH 431 EM 0
7183 km/s Armour 4-29 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 12 PPV 26.5
Maint Life 2.05 Years MSP 357 AFR 144% IFR 2% 1YR 113 5YR 1693 Max Repair 168 MSP
Magazine 480
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Drive E6.5 (6) Power 143.75 Fuel Use 65% Signature 71.875 Armour 0 Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 250,000 Litres Range 115.4 billion km (185 days at full power)
Size 5 Missile Launcher (33% Reduction) (10) Missile Size 5 Rate of Fire 500
Size 1 Missile Launcher (10) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 5
Missile Fire Control FC210-R20 (1) Range 210.4m km Resolution 20
Missile Fire Control FC70-R1 (2) Range 70.6m km Resolution 1
Tanto, Size 1 AMM (280) Speed: 47,800 km/s End: 2.4m Range: 7m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 510 / 306 / 153
Saya, Size 5 ASM (40) Speed: 20,000 km/s End: 60m Range: 82m km WH: 0 Size: 5 TH: 66 / 40 / 20
Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
Kagero class Scout Frigate 7,000 tons 663 Crew 2666.2 BP TCS 140 TH 503 EM 0
7185 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 5-32 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/1/0/0 Damage Control Rating 7 PPV 0
Maint Life 2.6 Years MSP 1666 AFR 56% IFR 0.8% 1YR 347 5YR 5202 Max Repair 1400 MSP
J7000(3-50) Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 7000 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Drive E6.5 (7) Power 143.75 Fuel Use 65% Signature 71.875 Armour 0 Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 120,000 Litres Range 47.5 billion km (76 days at full power)
Active Search Sensor MR876-R20 (1) GPS 28000 Range 876.5m km Resolution 20
Order of Battle:
| Empire of the Rising Sun | vs | Kagoshima Aliens |
| 1x Kagero, 7ktons | | 6x Gwangmyeong, 1kton |
| 1x Kirishima, 6ktons | | 1x Namwon, 12.2ktons |
| 8x Kuma, 6ktons | | 1x Chungmugong, 12.2ktons |
| | 1x Iri, 6.1ktons |
| | 5x Jinju, 6.05ktons |
| | 3x Busan, 6.1ktons |
| | 1x Ganggyeong, 6.1ktons |
Relative Strength: 61ktons vs 91.15ktons
Relative Fleet Speed: 7183 km/s vs 6550 - 6600km/s (10 kkm/s for Gwangmyeong)
Casualties:
6x Gwangmyeong
1x Namwon
1x Iri
Overall Result:
Withdrawal amounting to Tactical Defeat; Strategic Victory
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Battle Account:
After jumping into the system, the wreck of the Taiho class survey vessel was scanned by the active sensor of the Kagero and the Busan, Jinju and Ganggyeong classes were uncovered. As we proceeded to clear the honour of the Empire, all enemy contacts immediately turned to engage.
Over the next few hours, a task force of the Gwangmyeongs were spotted incoming as well as a task force containing the Iri, Namwon and Chungmugong. These were not involved in the initial battle.
In order to assess the capabilities of the enemy, we waited for their missiles to arrive. (OOC: I actually screwed up here and forgot to set the separation distance to 10 mkm, a salvo of Sayas were actually launched but I deleted them before they arrived) As they passed the 70 million kilometer range of the AMM firecontrols, we began to detect the first missiles incoming.
They used a size 4 missile barrage with 20 seconds between salvoes of 5, one salvo per ship, with a speed of ~45 kkm/s, evidently using full sized launching mechanisms. We countered with a 3v1 AMM point defence at a range of 7mkm; scoring an effective 30% hit rate. Only one missile made it through our defences and struck with a strength 6 warhead on Kuma 001.
After the long barrage, our AMM stockpiles were half depleted. As the aggressors turned to flee, we fired one salvo of 10 at each of the Busans, two salvoes at the Ganggyeong and 1 salvo each at three Jinjus.
At this point, we discovered a major flaw of the missile doctrine. Although the enemy was theoretically within the maximum range of the Saya, as the enemy retreated directly away from us, the Saya ran of endurance after only covering 2/3 of the distance! A quick calculation showed that at the enemy's speed, the Saya would only close an effective distance of 48 million kilometers before launching the Wakizashi. I ordered the fleet to close to 40 million km and a long stern chase began.
During this time, the Gwangmyeong approached clockwise on the plane of rotation and from the inner planets. While they were in range of the Saya, we decided not to risk losing another salvo of which only 3 remained. We detected three incoming salvoes of 11 of the same size 4 missile but they were all intercepted by the Tanto.
As the Gwangmyeong continued to approach, they closed to within 30 million kilometers and the risk of their closing to use energy weapons was deemed too high and 1 salvo of 10 Sayas were targeted at each of the Gwangmyeongs. The separation of the Wakizashi was recorded at the 10 million distance mark and achieved an 88% hit rate without any being shot down by point defence fire. Whether the Gwangmyeong class possessed any point defence is unknown but my personal opinion is that they did not. All the Gwangmyeongs were destroyed by their salvo.
As the stern chase continued and the range to the Busans dropped to 60 million km, the Iri, Namwon and Ganggyeong crossed the maximum range of the Saya. At this point, I concluded they were about to begin launching missiles at the fleet. Since they would have to remain within range to guide their missiles to us, and their demonstrated missile range was roughly comparable to the Saya, there was then a very good chance the Saya would have the opportunity to reach them.
Two salvoes of Sayas were launched at the Namwon and Ganggyeong each, one at the Iri. As the Saya passed 35 million km, we detected an incoming stream of size 4 missiles of virtually the same composition as we had just survived from the Busan. All of these missiles were also shot down by the Tanto. At this point, the number of Tantos remaining were around 20% of the fleet's maximum complement.
The Saya closed and launched the Wakizashi at the appropriate range, all of which proceeded to hit their targets, achieving a theoretical hit rate of 132%. Of these missiles, the Namwon shot down 2, the Iri shot down 1 and the Ganggyeong shot down 1. The enemy did not show any significant damage from the Sayas.
At this point, I concluded that the fleet did not have enough firepower to destroy all enemy ships. Thus, I ordered the fleet to return to the Tokyo jumppoint and retreat.
Despite the risk of allowing the enemy to know more about our capabilities, I allowed the warhead-less Saya missile buses to close with the enemy ships. Ten were shot down by the Namwon and Ganggyeong each, 4 by the Iri, giving a good indication of their point defence fire strength. Evidently, the Wakizashi's extreme speed greatly hindered their efforts to shoot them down.
Despite having used all their missiles, the Iri and the Namwon continued to close while the Ganggyeong retreated along the same path leading in-system as the Busans. I ordered the remaining two and half salvoes to be fired on Iri and Namwon, dividing equally among them, hoping to damage their engines and prevent them from tracing us back to our jumppoint.
Their strength was obviously overestimated as the first incoming launch of 40 Sayas each destroyed the Iri and halted the Namwon. The second launch of 40 destroyed the Namwon and effectively, 3/4s of a full launch of Sayas were wasted. Perhaps the Ganggyeong might have been destroyed by these, but there was no way find out.
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Lessons Learnt:
At 50% tonnage in AMM launchers/magazines, against similar tech opponents who are 100% offensive ASM armed, standard launchers cannot get through at any effective rate.
Given the weight of the AMM launch, there is practically no way to saturate the same defences, either by reduced size launchers for the same tonnage. Not even box launchers if you add parasite tonnage to the mothership's (discounting hangars severely due to low cost).
- This was actually the reason why I was trying this design out. My estimates on theoretical interception rates indicated that my own reduced size launcher fleet would get missiles through a 3v1 defence at a pathetic rate of 1 in 300 or so. Non-reduced launchers can't fire fast enough to swamp AMM launchers either...
- Furthermore, the same ASMs getting shot down take up more space in magazines and launchers and each costs more to build than the AMMs! You lose, both tactically and economically.
While the enemy presented zero AMM capability in this scenario, I suspect the abominably low hit rate AMMs would have vs missiles going twice their speed might let you leak some through.
The drawbacks are many, however. While you can evade PD very well, you can't do much damage. Your warheads are inherently limited by small size of your final stage (unless you fancy huge missile buses). So you'll sandpaper. Alot.
Furthermore, there is always the risk that your enemy AMM outranges your final stage! And THEN, the fun starts... =D
Slow missile buses are a problem. Normal missiles move fast enough that enemy movement isn't much of a factor. Problem being, I couldn't find a simple way to increase the effective range vs a running enemy beyond what I had (1 MSP engine, 1 fuel). More engine = faster = less penalty due to enemy speed, but your fuel range is highly limited. More fuel = longer range, but lower speed means that range increases gets eaten up by the penalty due to an even lower speed difference with the enemy.
Obviously, you see me use some basic tactics here. If your missile bus range is roughly the same as enemy ASMs, you can simply launch at them as they approach to launch their missiles. If they want to hit, they have to stick around. And if your range is slightly longer than theirs, by the time they get around to running from out-of-ammo, it's too late, your buses'll get to launch.
And also obviously, if you are being chased around, then your effective range goes UP ALOT. In the above scenario, if the chase was in reverse, my missiles would have effectively a 96 mkm range!
All-in-all, the missile bus design presents some very interesting strategic and tactical decisions. It certainly makes positioning and movement matter much more than they normally would in Aurora.
The payoffs in getting something through thick PD, massed saturation fire, and the potential for drawing enemies into a trap where you suddenly outrange them *massively*... (not to mention keeping your actual range much harder to determine since it varies so much in practice) You can punch through superspoiler level of PD with not much more Internal Confinement if my estimates are correct.
... the potential payoffs are huge indeed. And essentially energy point defence may as well not exist since they'll not be getting much more than 10% hit rate at equivalent tech.
And yet, the potential for ginormous screw ups also exist. If your enemy guesses when you launch and turns tail, you'll find your range advantage evaporating. And if you actually launched... then you may find your missiles evapourating too...
So, tl;dr, possibly feasible, potential for large advantage balanced by potential for large disadvantage.
EDIT:
Another advantage is in having a short range ASM designed and ready to use. A box launcher salvo of the Wakizashis in a warppoint defence or assault would be devastating.
And the best advantage of all... it's more fun to play! The tactical space for using 2-stage missiles is bigger and more varied than normal missiles. An alien watching two fleets armed with these going at each other might be forgiven for thinking it was some kind of ritual dance... XD
