After Bunkering up in the Sol system long enough, Jocan, the current Sol sector Commander sat with the Sol Command Task Forces commander and the finest Researcher and started talking about expanding and maybe establish a first contact. The current topic of this meeting was the following.
- Reason of the failure of the first Exploration team
- Summary of the current finished project and its possiblities.
- Plan and design Decent Exploration fleet.
- Weight in the pro and cons of each Design class. Fleet composition.
- Evaluation and first contact establishment protocol
Sector Cmdr. Jocan: "Let's sit down ladies and gentleman the discussion is now In. First point will be Why the first fleet didnt succeed in his task. The design of the enterprise seemed promising but as long time ago a wiseman said "No plan survive the contact of the ennemy", in our case the ennemy was not a being but our inexperience."
Enterprise class Survey Command Ship 13500 tons 665 Crew 1823.2 BP TCS 270 TH 320 EM 0
1185 km/s JR 3-50 Armour 3-50 Shields 0-0 Sensors 16/16/1/0 Damage Control Rating 12 PPV 14.25
Annual Failure Rate: 729% IFR: 10.1% Maint Capacity 1169 MSP Max Repair 506 MSP Est Time: 0.32 Years
Hangar Deck Capacity 2000 tons Troop Capacity: 1 Battalion Magazine 365 Cargo Handling Multiplier 10
J13500(3-50) Military Jump Drive Max Ship Size 13500 tons Distance 50k km Squadron Size 3
Magneto-plasma Drive E7 ARM-1 (4) Power 80 Fuel Use 70% Signature 80 Armour 1 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 250,000 Litres Range 47.6 billion km (465 days at full power)
Twin Gauss Cannon R2-17 Turret (2x4) Range 20,000km TS: 12000 km/s Power 0-0 RM 2 ROF 5 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CIWS-120 (1x4) Range 1000 km TS: 12000 km/s ROF 5 Base 50% To Hit
Fire Control S04 24-12000 H50 (1) Max Range: 48,000 km TS: 12000 km/s 79 58 38 17 0 0 0 0 0 0
Size 25 Missile Launcher (33% Reduction) (1) Missile Size 25 Rate of Fire 15000
Missile Fire Control FC115-R500 (1) Range 115.2m km Resolution 500
Size 25 Thermal Detection Buoy Mk1 (4) Speed: 0 km/s End: 2025d Range: 0m km WH: 0 Size: 25 TH: 0 / 0 / 0
Size 5 Firehawk Missile (23) Speed: 16,800 km/s End: 5.1m Range: 5.1m km WH: 10 Size: 5 TH: 112 / 67 / 33
Obso Drone (6) Speed: 9,600 km/s End: 178.6m Range: 102.9m km WH: 0 Size: 25 TH: 16 / 9 / 4
Active Search Sensor MR0-R1 (1) GPS 32 Range 256k km Resolution 1
Active Search Sensor MR20-R80 (50%) (1) GPS 2560 Range 20.5m km Resolution 80
Thermal Sensor TH2-16 (50%) (1) Sensitivity 16 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 16m km
EM Detection Sensor EM2-16 (50%) (1) Sensitivity 16 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 16m km
Gravitational Survey Sensors (1) 1 Survey Points Per Hour
ECM 10
Strike Group
1x Phantom Scout Fighter Speed: 8833 km/s Size: 6
2x F-301 Bomber Fighter-bomber Speed: 6625 km/s Size: 8
//2x Assault Shuttle Fury
Operation Commander Tailor Owell: "Sir, after reading the after-action report from the (S)ol(C)ommand Entreprise we realised the first weak-point of the ship. We first tought that the slow speed would have been overcomed by the used of a Geosurvey Drone wich prooved to be ineficace at best, more often than not the Drone carrying the Buoy kept having targeting error wich in turn prevented the release of the buoy. Also we did a big mistake thinking that most of the possible jump point location woudnt be far from each other nor too far from the star in the new system, yet the FIRST system we explored were at 6.2 b km from sol, wich is a long time at small speed, and it does not include survey time. The Washington system have quite a big ecliptic plane wich in turn make the jump point location far from each other and from the star. A system this big make surveying hard for each bodies. So my suggestion is to increase the ship speed at the expense of armement and relly on more specialised escort. Also we should forgoes the assault shuttle for more specialised fighter wings for close protection as the ship would also have a stripped PD system."
Fight Operation Commander Amber Fletcher:"Cmdr Owell does have a good idea here, Human experienced show that even these small craft can and DO make a big diffence for close-combat defense, they detract PD fire on them and as they are agile they can avoid most of the ship and an ACE could blow a few missile before they hit. Also by attracting ennemy PD fire this will allow more of our missile to pass trough the ennemy defenses. Beware though, fighter should NOT engage ship unless they have specialised weaponry that will keep them way out of the ennemy final point defense system as if they used system similar to ours, they will be MUCH more accurate and will put our pilot in danger.
Survey Operation Cpt. Alex Watts: "Since we are in the fighter description and role, could i divert your attention on the use of small gunboat size for specialised Surveyor? They would be small, easy to keep running and easily replaced if something bad happen. The cost/Effective ration would be the best in my opinion."
Sector Commander Jocan:" All these are great idea's but i dont remember changing topic, the S.C. Enterprise encountered problem and i want to know what are all the difficulties he did encountered with only a short description on how we can fix it, we will debate in detail later."
Operation Cmdr. Owell: "You are right, sorry for starting the mess Sir. Well i will get to the point and simply enumerate the problem they had with possible fix
-Fuel Usage too big for the capacity carried.
---More fuel tank, Dedicated Tanker, or better engine technology.
-Speed was another problem, taking too long to get to point B
---Either make the ship smaller, or better engine technology
-Firing system hip-cup, drone were loosing track on target.
---Revise the current delivery system for the buoy or relly to smaller dedicated crafts.
-Construction cost and time
---Perform a few upgrade to the shipyard or design smaller ship.
-Easy prey if they get caught in a firefight.
---Following the drone erroneous targeting system i the current defense system could have been compromised, i suggest we revise it as soon as possible.
From what i saw in the after-action report, thats all the problem they had Sir."
S.C. Jocan: "Fine Before talking about how we can overcome these problem i need to know what are our current technology progress and what we can have in a short time. Mr. Lambert i see here you are our best Power/Propulsion specialist, can you tell me what we can do to overcome the speed and fuel problem"
Sci. Jason Lambert: Sadly at our current tech level and if we keep the same Tonnage, we can either increase the speed at the fuel expanse, or make it more fuel effctive and reduce the ship, so basicly, technology speaking, there is 2 solution, add more engine per ship wich reduce space for other system and make them more fuel efficient at the expanse of power, or reduce the tonnage. If you give me a year or two i will be able to give you better result, we already have some clues pointing to a new technology.
S.C. Jocan: "Well now that we have a system with a 0 Cost colony and we are still not sure if we have possible aggressive beings at our door, so we will reduce size of the ship and rely on more specialised ship, wich in turn will allow us to design combative ship for system protection. We already have jumpgate building in construction. Also for the fuel problem we will assign a military class tanker to the exploration fleet. Ms. Alexandra Hott, i see here you are our newest and only Sensor system specialist right? How in hell didnt we have a Sensor and Fire-Control specialist BEFORE... Sorry, Ms. Hott, what do you suggest about our current targeting problem?"
Sci. Alexandra Hott:"Well, since im young im interested in detection and i finaly got my invitation to be part of the research team only lately, i didnt made any breakthrough untill latly and i believe it went to the right ear with time. So here i am. About the problem now. With the current problem they encounter i suggest a total recreation from scratch, the problem may take longuer to find than design new system. Also nothing tell us if we will find the right problem, and having targeting error during battle WILL lead to massive deaths, so i dont want to take any chance here, we simply re-design new targeting system, and new drone, missile, anything relate to the targeting system, wich mean new weapon system, new missile, i think all the scientist here will think the same as i do."
"Multiple Nods in the meeting room"
Sci. Alexandra Hott:" Also i realised that we are way behind other technology level for the fire-control range and detection range, so i suggest as soon we got new weapon, and targeting system i start working on our sensor technology and all revelant research to catch-up. Also may i suggest using smaller craft for survey if the system is considered safe and use geological Buoy if we have doubt, I think that will add up some weight to Cmdr. Fletcher our fighter specialist."
Survey Operation Cpt. Alex Watts:" Yes, indeed its a good idea."
S.C. Jocan:" I see here that we wont have to talk about what we will do about weapon, but can i point out that we will need all sorts of weaponry design for specialised role and ship, also the idea about smaller ship is accepted, i prefer risking a buoy than a fighter. With that said lets get to the other point, Construction cost and time. Mr. Chambers, you are our finest researcher on the matter, what do you suggest?"
Sci. Toby Chambers:" In the short span-range we have im sorry to say we cant do much Shipyard already use latest technology and increasing their size will not increase the build speed, So i suggest we try to keep the tonnage as low as possible. I will start working on how we could improve our current shipyard infrastructure as soon we have enough laboratory to work on it."
S.C. Jocan: "How long do you need to send me the first design project on our new ships and weaponry?
Sci. Jason Lambert:"Well i believe if we all sit down and talk about it i believe only a few hours for the first draft."
S.C. Jocan:" Sound good to me, we will meet here again in 4 hours."
---"4 Hours later"---
Sci. Jason Lambert:" Those are all the design we made. They are the best we could do with our current information we had."
S.C. Jocan:"This sound good, but what if we had that to this?"
Operation Commander Tailor Owell:" For sure it will help organizing and ...
---"3 Hours later"---
S.C. Jocan:" Finaly we do have a set of design wich seem to pleese everyone and take all the previous problem into consideration, let see if this one survive first contact, talking about that, let establish an exploration and first contact protocol.
Inteligence Specialist Lt.Cmdr. Jordan Dixon:"Well first we DONT know what we may encounter during deepspace surveying, may i suggest we drop a thermal detection Buoy as soon we enter a new system, so if something sneak up behind us we will know. I dont want to see an aggressive being at our door because they used a little sidewalk."
Operation Commander Tailor Owell:"Also i saw we had a Lure buoy? Why not send one close to the planet while the fleet is still away from them? this way we know if there is something and then we choose the best solution."
Communication Cmdr. Lauren Phillips:" Sure thing they will be aware they are not alone, as the Lure Buoy will shine like a xmas tree."
S.C. Jocan:" Lt.Cmdr. Powell, our diplomatic expert, any tought about how we should approach new species?"
Public Affaire Lt.Cmdr. Powell:"With all due repect sire, im good in dealing with human not extra-terrestrial species, BUT i do believe going toward them all weapon-hot will not make a good impression, so i believe the best would be to have the smallest ship possible get near them and turn on the transponder, and also make sure the ship is fast enough to get away if they are hostile. Here as soon we have a first-contact i can assemble a diplomatic team and use small civilian long-range shuttle to learn more about them in a civilised way. At worst we can alway assemble an espionage team right?"
S.C. Jocan:"I does sound good yes. Anyone have anything to add?"
Read Admiral Kathrine Rahman:" Yes, The main exploration ship should have a flag bridge and we will appoint a new Task Force team as they will be far from Sol they need to be independant and take decision accordingly, we will also give them the same power they have as we do here, exept it will be in effect only in their fleet."
S.C. Jocan:"Alright, anything else?"
|Everyone:" No, sir."|
Here is the latest approved design for the new Exploration fleet.
