#Military Laser Target Designator

[ghostwarriorrrr]

🇹🇷🔥 Turkish Air Force - F-4E 2020 Terminator

The F-4E 2020 Terminator represents a significant leap forward in the capabilities of the Turkish Air Force. This comprehensive upgrade enhances the venerable F-4E Phantom II with modern Turkish-made weapons systems, showcasing Türkiye’s commitment to self-reliance and advanced military technology.

Background

With a storied history dating back to the 1960s, the F-4E Phantom II has been a pivotal player on the global stage of air combat. Serving multiple nations and seeing numerous conflicts, the Phantom carved out its place in aviation history as a versatile and rugged aircraft. Türkiye’s decision to upgrade this aircraft stems from a strategic imperative to leverage existing assets while infusing them with cutting-edge technology to maintain relevance in modern aerial warfare. The 2020 Terminator program is the Turkish Air Force’s ambitious initiative to retrofit these fighters with state-of-the-art systems.

Strategic Importance

The ability to exert air superiority and conduct precision strikes is paramount in a region marked by dynamic security challenges. The F-4E 2020 Terminator’s enhanced capabilities contribute significantly to deterrence, and the demonstration of Türkiye’s advancing aerospace industry serves both a strategic and diplomatic purpose.

Upgrade Overview

The 2020 Terminator upgrade, realized by Turkish Aerospace Industries in collaboration with ASELSAN, constitutes a multifaceted improvement over the aircraft’s original design. It touches every aspect of the aircraft’s systems, bringing its avionics, armaments, and electronic warfare systems into the 21st century.

Avionics:

The modernized multi-mode pulse Doppler radar extends the aircraft’s detection range, allowing it to lock onto and engage targets from greater distances. Integrating a Hands-On Throttle-And-Stick (HOTAS) system enhances pilot control, minimizing response time during high-stakes manoeuvres. Color Multifunctional Displays (MFDs) replace outdated gauges, providing pilots with real-time data visualization for improved situational awareness.

Armament:

The Terminator’s weapons suite has been revolutionized with a mixture of Western and indigenous munitions. Long-standing armaments like the AIM-9X Sidewinder are joined by Türkiye’s own precision-guided munitions, such as the SOM cruise missile, capable of striking strategic land and sea targets with formidable accuracy. The UAV-230, a domestic innovation, represents the pinnacle of Türkiye’s missile development, offering supersonic ballistic delivery of a range of warhead types over substantial distances. The BOZOK, MAM-C, MAM-L, and Cirit missiles exemplify Türkiye’s expertise in laser guidance and smart munition technology, enabling the Terminator to engage and defeat a broad spectrum of target profiles with unerring precision.

Electronic Warfare:

To contend with the contemporary battlefield’s electronic warfare environment, the F-4E 2020 Terminator incorporates an advanced Electronic Support Measures (ESM) system for rapid threat identification and an Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) suite to confound hostile tracking systems. Moreover, chaff and flare dispensers have been integrated to provide decoys against incoming missile threats, enhancing the aircraft’s survivability in hostile airspace.

Operational Capability:

The F-4E Phantom II, transformed by these integrated systems, emerges as a multirole platform capable of dominating beyond-visual-range air-to-air engagements and precision ground-attack missions. It can operate in complex electronic warfare environments and deliver various ordnances based on mission requirements, making it a flexible asset in the Türkiye Air Force’s inventory.

Significance:

The F-4E 2020 Terminator project is a hallmark of Türkiye’s aerospace ambition and its push toward defence autonomy. By retrofitting and modernizing its Phantoms, Türkiye maximizes the value of its existing fleet while also establishing a foundation for future indigenous aircraft development projects.

Munitions Details:

The advanced, indigenous Turkish weaponry integrated into the F-4E 2020 Terminator underlines a significant shift toward self-reliance in defence technologies. Each munition type brings unique capabilities that enhance the platform’s lethality:

UAV-230: A domestically-developed ballistic missile, this supersonic weapon delivers high-precision strikes at long ranges, challenging enemy defences with its speed and reduced radar cross-section.

BOZOK: The versatility of this laser-guided munition makes it ideal for engaging both stationary and moving targets with high precision, ideal for close air support.

MAM-C/L: These smart micro munitions are designed for tactical flexibility, allowing for precision targeting in complex engagement scenarios, from anti-armour operations to counter-insurgency roles.

Cirit: A highly accurate laser-guided missile system designed for low collateral damage, Cirit is adept at striking soft and lightly armoured targets with pinpoint accuracy.

SAGE Munitions: TUBITAK SAGE, Türkiye’s leading defence research and development institute, has contributed a range of munitions enhancing the Terminator’s operational capabilities across various domains.

Conclusion:

The upgraded F-4E 2020 Terminator is a testament to Türkiye’s determination to retain a competitive edge in aerospace and defence technologies. The integration of modern avionics, armaments, and electronic warfare capabilities ensures the aircraft’s continued relevance in modern air combat, and its presence in the skies serves as a deterrent in a strategically complex region.

[boinkingbattlemechs]

Timber Wolf (Mad Cat)

The Timber Wolf is a fast, heavy OmniMech. A signature design of the Clans' military might, it was arguably the first Clan OmniMech encountered by Inner Sphere forces (as opposed to periphery forces) on The Rock in 3049 by Phelan Kell.

Vaguely resembling a cross between the MAD (Marauder) and CAT (Catapult) series, the Timber Wolf was tagged with the Inner Sphere reporting name Mad Cat on first contact. The targeting computer on Phelan Kell's Wolfhound switched between MAD and CAT when trying to identify it; upon analyzing the data recording from Kell's 'Mech, Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht later officially designated it "Mad Cat".

The Timber Wolf is vastly more powerful than either the 3025-era Marauder or Catapult, and features approximately as much firepower as both of those mechs combined. It uses its speed and firepower to engage an enemy at the range of its choosing. When first encountered by Inner Sphere forces the idea that a heavy 'Mech could move so swiftly while being as heavily armed and armored as the Timber Wolf was inconceivable. With its twelve tons of ferro-fibrous armor and an arsenal that rivaled most assault 'Mechs of the era, it was completely alien to Inner Sphere military planners, commanders, and even the Precentor Martial of ComStar. First introduced in 2945, the Timber Wolf was designed by Clan Wolf as a second generation OmniMech along with the Gargoyle and the Naga to replace the aging Woodsman. While the Gargoyle may have been a very capable, fast assault OmniMech, and the Naga may have been an excellent fire-support OmniMech, Clan Wolf (and indeed every other Clan) instantly realized the value of the Timber Wolf; thus, production rights to the Timber Wolf were jealously (and successfully) defended. Only through trade, gifts and battlefield salvage has the Timber Wolf entered the armies of other Clans. Until the invasion of the Inner Sphere, production of the Timber Wolf has been limited to a single facility on Strana Mechty.

Despite its prominence among the Wolves during the Clan Invasion, Refusal War and Word of Blake Jihad, the Timber Wolf became increasingly rare following the sundering of ties with the Homeworld Clans during the Wars of Reaving and Blakist scouring of Tamar. Being built by hand at W-7 plant on Weingarten as of 3080, with some parts even being individually machined due to missing data, attrition vastly outstripped supply as the Wolves looked toward other designs. When Alaric Ward forged the Wolf Empire, he left the W-7 facilities to Clan Hell's Horses and ordered the Kallon plant on Thermopolis be retooled for Timber Wolf production, restoring its position within the Wolves touman.

The default configuration of the Timber Wolf features a well-blended mix of energy and missile weaponry; primarily extended-range lasers and long range missile racks that give the Timber Wolf considerable firepower at medium and long range. A pair of LRM-20 racks supplemented by two Extended Range Large Lasers make up the bulk of the Timber Wolf's firepower. The Timber Wolf also has an array of lighter, shorter ranged weaponry for use once the 'Mech draws closer to its prey: two ER Medium Lasers and a Medium Pulse Laser. Finally, it has two Machine Guns for point defense against infantry. Even on the modern battlefield the primary configuration of the Timber Wolf is a force to be reckoned with.

[carionto]

Humans and Boredom III

Interceptors and fighter craft.

Almost nothing in the Galaxy can go toe to toe with a Human built Dreadnought. Practically nobody had built anything even close to that size before Humanity emerged and shocked everyone with such an arsenal, and now a few are looking to catch up. Most had figured that at least the smaller Human ships would be somewhat equivalent to their own existing ones. They were wrong.

While the neural interface drone swarms were actually comparable to our own in both design philosophy and usage for civil and military needs, what they call "Fighters" were terrifying.

Armed with countless weapons facing forward and incinerating thrusters out back, there's nothing one of these small dual or single pilot vehicles wouldn't try to pick a fight with. And probably win. Save for a direct hit to a core section, the typical Human redundancies and manual overrides for literally every system make taking one of these nimble horrors out a challenge. A full squadron? Pray.

So, despite their already ludicrous advantages, the Humans never stop upgrading and innovating. There is no such thing as a ceiling for any aspect of their weapons. In with the new, out with the old, as they say. When we asked what happens to the things that become outdated or obsolete, they said that if it can't be retrofitted anymore, it gets sent to a recycling station. They naturally have a specific one for military hardware to maintain secrecy.

___________________

At said station two operators were having a slower week and Patricia decided to try something different with all these old drone piloting kits and scrapped fighters and transports.

After convincing Matthias, they mounted gravity hooks on a bunch of vehicles and set the drones on a bunch of junked boosters, and programmed them to move in a partially randomized pattern towards the main atomizer bay. While they would gently float around to their demise, after a coin toss, Patricia would try to block a different set of much faster, thruster-enabled scraps, controlled by Matthias and which had deconstruction lasers instead.

The goal for Matthias was to turn as much mass of the slow moving horde into slag before they reach the end. Patricia would use whatever other junk is around to strategically shield the horde from taking direct hits to get as much of it into the bay. You get disqualified if you target the gravity hooks/lasers. Whoever "recycles" the most spaceship mass wins and gets first dibs on any one thing they want from the next shipment. Well, anything that isn't explicitly marked "Classified" in the manual.

Matthias dominated the first match and they both agreed to significantly reduced the laser potency and control only two at once. The second match was far more fair and Patricia, still in control of the horde, managed to eke out a win. They thought about doing a best of three, but realized they had in their excitement completed the entire week's worth of scrapping in an afternoon.

So they decided to play some board games with the few leftover scraps, both to just pass the time, and to appear busy to any supervisor who might make a surprise visit.

[tomorrowusa]

Britain has been developing a laser air defense system called DragonFire. Originally it hadn't been scheduled for deployment until 2027 but the war in Ukraine may offer the UK an opportunity to test its capabilities by seeing how well DragonFire takes out Russian drones fired at Ukraine.

The DragonFire weapon, which is expected to be in service by 2027 at the latest, can hit a target the size of a £1 coin from a kilometre away. Reforms aimed at speeding up procurement mean that DragonFire will now be operational five years earlier than planned. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps travelled down to the Porton Down military research base in Salisbury in an attempt to speed development up even further "in order for Ukrainians perhaps to get their hands on it". "I've come down to speed up the production of the DragonFire laser system because I think given that there's two big conflicts on, one sea-based, one in Europe, this could have huge ramifications to have a weapon capable particularly of taking down drones," Mr Shapps told journalists. "And so what I want to do is speed up what would usually be a very lengthy development procurement process, possibly up to ten years, based on my conversations this morning, to a much shorter timeframe to get it deployed, potentially on ships, incoming drones, and potentially on land. "Again, incoming drones, but it doesn't take much imagination see how that could be helpful in Ukraine for example." Laser-directed energy weapons can strike at the speed of light, using an intense light beam to cut through their target. They are a lower-cost alternative to using missiles to strike down drones, costing only about £10 per shot.

You can't argue with cheap, fast, and accurate. Ukrainians are quick learners, highly motivated, and amazing innovators. DragonFire and Ukraine would be a great match.

The new procurement model, which comes into effect this week, is aimed at speeding up the process of getting cutting-edge developments in military capability like DragonFire out on to the field. "It's designed to not wait until we have this at 99.9% perfection before it goes into the field, but get it to sort of 70% and then get it out there and then... develop it from there," Mr Shapps said. Asked whether the system might be ready earlier than 2027, he said: "Because I'm here, I've taken the opportunity to arrange additional conversations with colleagues about whether we could speed it up even faster, very much using the integrated procurement model of saying there's a war on - let's say that it didn't have to be 100% perfect in order for Ukrainians perhaps to get their hands on it, can we do any better - but 2027 is still the date as of this moment. "But of course I'll look to see what we can do to speed up."

Ukraine may be the equivalent of a beta tester for DragonFire. Experience in Ukraine would be used for improvements to the weapons system.

So far, laser defense systems are being developed particularly in connection with naval uses. Here's a vid from late 2021 which outlines the potential uses for and challenges to use of such systems.

It makes me grin to recall that the High Valyrian word for DragonFire is Dracarys.

[gyerome]

Is there any lore to the Biển Biến characters that we don’t know of?

Here are some information from my worldbuilding doc!

Plot Teo, a human recently turned mutant goo orca, is attempting to escape the planet. The setting is Vietnamese/SEAsian in nature

The Planet Biển-Biến takes place on a planet that's mostly covered with water. It is owned by a company (Greater Goods) that manufactures chemicals for military and pharmaceutical needs. It utilizes a tech singularity that supplies the planet with free, uninhibited labor. Any foreign object that enters orbit is shot down, trapping it on the surface.

"Humans" The planet's primary inhabitants are featureless, white humanoids that go about daily routines, simply called "Beings." Created by Greater Goods' tech singularity, they are effectively immortal as their bodies are impervious to most harm. Despite forming societies, they have no free will and act completely in accordance to the planet's will. They still require sustenance to perform tasks so they become unconscious when they lack energy

Mutants Sometimes a chemical exposure may cause a human to transform into a monster. Initially, the monster will lash out upon gaining free will, destroying and consuming nearby mass to gain size and power. If they manage to survive the planet's defenses, they may go into hiding, often joining forces with Teo for food and safety. Monsters that can't find food eventually fall apart. Mutants look like actual humans but are treated like normal civilians while their monster form is suppressed.

Defenses The planet will steadily increase its military response depending on the size and action of a monster. If the monster continues to survive the onslaught of increasingly powerful units, the orbital lasers will kick in and start raining death upon the local area. These lasers never miss their mark and can pierce the toughest materials. Any attempts to escape the planet will also activate the lasers. They stop firing as soon as it deems the target no longer strong enough to break through the orbital wall

Mechas The planet's penultimate defense, they are as strong as kaijus and are equipped with numerous tools that help cut them down. They are piloted by AI so attempting to recruit them is futile

Commanders Teo has created 12 commanders by personally modifying and saving their bodies from decay using a serum that promotes growth and regeneration. Their loyalty is unquestionable because of Teo's genius (She plans missions that help them get the resources they need). They are designated by a holographic halo and a sigil denoting their method of converting the planet's humans. Despite their loyalty to Teo, they often have trouble working together with other commanders, preventing Teo from completely taking over the planet by force.

Percentage Commanders maintain a human form while 0-30%, anthro at 40-60%, and monster at 70-90%. At 100%+, commander's bodies become unstable, leaking excess serum and growing extra limbs as it attempts to reach a stable threshold. Personality may also change. Their bodies are made of slime and always have a layer of clothing on even at 0%, since they grow into their other forms using it.

Drones Drones created by commanders have free will, but almost all of them will follow their commander until they fall in battle. Drones are able to group up to become bigger units (but never as big as a max-sized commander) Commanders may consume them to grow in size as well, storing their consciousness until they are reformed. Drones that aren't combat participants are given roles in Teo's lab. They can communicate directly with their commander through a hologram above their head. Drones will shift their allegiance to another commander if transformed by them. Since they aren't as stable as commanders, they don't have a true human form

Deputies Humans that are stabilized using existing commander serums are able to grow larger than drones but do not possess the holographic halo or sigil. They are deployed to tackle secondary objectives

Teo's Lab The laboratory is located underground, with connections to major cities through tunnels and water systems. Food and shelter are provided to recruits. There is a section of the facility dedicated to experiments that improve commanders

Portals The planet jams any attempt to leave through teleportation. Foreign entities going through portals are exempt, but they cannot take anything back with them. Some attributes of foreign entities may become altered, causing them to lose or gain abilities

Food Almost everything on the planet is edible, at least to a monster. Nobody on the planet generates biowaste as all mass is recycled eventually as inorganic matter

[satellitebroadcast]

The US military has transferred large amounts of weapons and military equipment, including defense systems, to its illegal bases in Syria over the past month in an attempt to prevent the recurrence of resistance attacks against its bases and soldiers, Al-Akhbar reported on 7 September.

Local sources speaking with the Lebanese newspaper revealed that "in the last month, the Americans brought 22 batches of weapons and equipment to the bases in Hasaka and Deir Ezzor, including 19 batches that arrived by air to the Kharab al-Jir, Al-Shaddadi, Conoco, and Al-Omar bases, and three batches that arrived by land via the illegal Al-Walid crossing with Iraq."

The sources added that "most of the weapons transported are surveillance and monitoring systems, in addition to equipment designated to confront close air targets such as drones and medium and short-range missiles." [...] "the American bases used laser systems for the first time in missions to monitor, observe, and target drones and missiles.

In addition, the US has carried out additional military exercises. The sources stated that "the [US] coalition carried out more than 15 live training exercises on the use of these weapons and selecting their readiness, most of which were at the Omar field bases and the Conoco gas plant."

The sources believed that "these unprecedented movements in Syria, at least in terms of density, reveal American intentions to strengthen Washington's military presence in Syria," adding that "there is a great focus on the need to curb the resistance factions in Syria and Iraq, and neutralize their weapons."

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) coalition, made up of Iraqi resistance factions who banded together in October last year, began attacking US bases in Iraq and Syria following the start of the war in Gaza. US efforts to reinforce its forces illegally occupying Syria follow attacks carried out by five Iraqi resistance factions against US bases in Syria during the month of August.

On 10 August, a drone attack on the Kharab al-Jir base in northeastern Syria injured several US and coalition personnel. In late August, resistance factions targeted a US patrol consisting of six vehicles with direct gunfire on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River in the Deir Ezzor countryside. The Syrian army controls territory in the same area on the western bank of the river.

Despite the attacks, US Assistant Deputy Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and the official in charge of the Syrian file at the US State Department, Ethan Goldrich, said on 5 September that "US forces will not withdraw from Syria." When asked whether there was a timetable for the withdrawal of these forces, he said: "Currently, our focus is on the goal, which is to prevent ISIS from reappearing."

US forces in Syria rely on support from US forces in neighboring Iraq for support and resupply. The US has used the presence of ISIS in eastern Syria and western Iraq as a pretext to maintain troops in both countries despite having covertly supported the terror group in its blitzkrieg conquest of territory in 2014.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani has stated multiple times this year that ISIS is no longer a threat to Iraq and has been leading negotiations with Washington for the withdrawal of the US troop presence in Iraq.

However, Washington has been reinforcing its presence in Iraq, including in oil-rich Kirkuk, and recently suspended negotiations with Baghdad over the US troop withdrawal, amid the ongoing possibility of a regional war between the US and Israel on the one hand, and Iran and the Axis of Resistance, on the other.

[usafphantom2]

Northrop Grumman releases new photo of B-21 Raider, after receiving prestigious award from Aviation Week magazine

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 03/21/2024 - 22:28in Military

Northrop Grumman Corporation received the Aviation Week Grand Laureate Award in the defense category for its role as the main contractor in the delivery of the B-21 Raider to the United States Air Force. Aviation Week announced the Grand Laureate winners at its 66ª annual Laureate award in Washington, D.C.

"On behalf of the entire B-21 Raider national team, Northrop Grumman is honored to receive this prestigious award," said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. "The Grand Laureate represents the pioneering spirit, innovative technology and pioneering approach to contract management that gave life to the world's first sixth-generation aircraft."

In the fall of 2023, the U.S. Air Force confirmed that the first B-21 test vehicle had entered a flight test, followed by a low-rate initial production premium. The aircraft is currently undergoing a robust flight test campaign run by the B-21 Combined Test Force at Edwards Air Base in California. The program continues to meet all technical, schedule and accessibility requirements of the Department of Defense on its way to operational capacity.

Developed with the next generation of stealth technology, advanced network capabilities and open systems architecture, the B-21 Raider will serve as the backbone of the U.S. bomber fleet. Capable of carrying conventional and nuclear loads, the B-21 will be one of the most effective aircraft in the sky, with the ability to use a wide combination of isolated and direct attack ammunition.

“This bomber will be able to defend our country with new weapons that have not yet been invented,” said U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin when the B-21 was launched in the spring of 2023. "Even the most sophisticated anti-aircraft systems will have difficulty detecting the B-21." The Raider is also "multifunctional," says Austin. "He can do anything."

Details about the progress of the program were only made available in pieces from the beginning, because the myth of secrecy surrounds the project. Only a few scattered observers recorded the start of the first flight on November 10, 2023, which took the Raider prototype from its place of origin in Palmdale to Edwards Air Base for posterity. Since that day, things have been calm in relation to the B-21. The manufacturer and the U.S. Air Force remained silent about the status of the flight tests. All that is confirmed is that they are happening and that they are obviously on schedule.

Tags: Military AviationB-21 RaiderNorthrop GrummanUSAF - United States Air Force / U.S. Air Force

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[wealmostaneckbeard]

Lancer: Hostile Forces

Here are 3 unrelated factions (each consisting of 3 units) for the mecha/pliot table-top role playing game Lancer:

1. Voidborn Oppressors

They used to be humble spaceship salvagers during the war between worlds. Once the war was over, they found themselves to have more military assets than the surviving planet-bound nations. And so they've leveraged their power to regulate all trade and politics across the entire solar system. Anyone who shows defiance to their authority will be crushed with disproportionate force.

Demolisher + Pirate = Wreck Mistress

During the war, arguments over salvage rights were typically resolved in favor of whoever had a Wreck Mistress. It is an intimidating machine traditionally piloted by a cold woman. It incorporates the most terrifying weapons-tech from the war: Slaver Signal, Demolition Hammer, Coreworm Rockets, Seismic Destroyer. These mechs are passed down from mother to favored daughter. Wreck Mistresses were used during the subjugation of planetary nations to butcher both mechs and their pilots in grisly spectacle.

Scourer + Commander = Las-Boss

Using a mecha-scaled laser cutter to disassemble military cruisers requires a steady hand and a keen mind. One miscalculation or twitch of the controls could result in a small nuke going off. During the war there was always demand for a "lascut specialist" for the previously stated reasons. Those who survived long enough in the profession would earn legions of followers and the best berths in any station. These wartime scrap-stars are now looking for opportunities to prove they are still just as hot as their instruments, prior to cooling. They may be accompanied by a Squad or a couple of Assault Grunts serving as groupie-bodyguards. A Las-boss must have the Melt optional system and the Military Discipline trait.

Assassin + Spacer = Boarder

The Boarder MK.I was a standardized powered exoskeleton designed for high mobility and dirty close quarters combat. It's pilots would typically use Thumper Grenades to disable targets, Leap to close the gap, and a Heated Blade to finish them off. The Mk. II was designed for combat on planet surfaces and operating alongside Wreck Mistresses. This new version of the Boarder was equipped with a Gravity Rifle (much needed ranged firepower) and Kai Bioplating (maintaining it's mobility within a gravity well). The MK. III addresses the fact that Boarders were being destroyed by being out-ranged or out-gunned, and so it features a two-fold solution. The Assassin's Mark would give the Boarder some protection from a single attacker. And a Cloud Projector would give it the ability to dodge fire from multiple attackers. During protests against the Voidborn, effigies of Boarders are set on fire and paraded around.

2. Radiovore Colony

These organisms are like a cross between bombardier beetles and nudibranchs, scaled to megafauna sizes. Radiovores naturally produce hyper-reactive chemical substances that they use for a variety of purposes. They are able to do this because they feed on rare metals and radioactive materials which gives them the necessary mutations. Their diet puts them at odds with human mining colonies pursuing the same resources. Both the Nester and the Suitor have the Regenerator and Living Chassis traits from the Exotic template.

Monstrosity = Progeny

Casually classified as being old enough to leave their nest but not mutated yet. They have claws, a corrosive bite, and acid spittle attacks. Progeny use hit and run tactics on prey, while threats are safely melted from a distance. There doesn't seem to be a limit to how old a Progeny can get, ancient ones gain the Regenerator trait.

Pyro + Exotic = Nester

When a Progeny finds high quantities of mutation-inducing materials in a defensible nest, it will become a bloated Nester. It's acid spitting gland becomes a shorter range flamethrower. They use an ability similar to the FIREBREAK Shield to protect their eggs and Progeny. After mating with a Suitor, the nester will start to lay eggs. Radiovore nests filled with eggs generate so much heat they are practically kilns. Nesters have to have burn immunity and the ability to disperse heat in order to survive. As they get near the end of their lives, an old Nester will form a hardened shell (siege armor) over their body.

Seeder + Exotic = Suitor

Progeny that have left their nests, have found low quantities of radioactive material but little shelter, turn into Suitors. These Radiovores spend their time building biomechanical bombs with different kinds of yields and payloads for multiple purposes. At first their explosives are used for the creation of nests and exploratory mining operations. Once a Progeny has taken over a nest and become a Nester, the Suitor's bombs are then used in a courting ritual. The Nester will only mate with a Suitor who presents bombs that are highest-yield/least-stable. To minimize damage, Nesters will instinctively drive suitors far away from the nest. The Suitor has to make and transport their explosives from these remote locations. They may test out delivery routes to a nest with Stun, Sealant, or Shock Mines first before upgrading to the Explosive type. Wait long enough and an exterminator can follow a Suitor back to their nest, but actually tracking it (even in low flying aircraft) can be incredibly risky.

3. First Strike Team

Long range nuclear missiles, "Super-Hacker" NHPs, TBK bioweapon suites. All these human-made horrors need time to arm, aim, and launch. First Strike Teams can neutralize these threats to national security within that prep phase, if deployed accurately and correctly. Because of that big if, FSTs are maintained and commanded by covert intelligence bureaus, to ensure an uninterrupted flow of reliable target data. These teams are subject to less scrutiny than the superweapons they hunt and are only beholden to a bureau's director. Because of this, FSTs are viewed with suspicion by everyone who knows about them. When deployed to a target location, an FST is a frantic collective because they know they've only got minutes to save their world.

Mirage + Ship = Blink-Boat

The purpose of this ship is to get a Ground Team as close as possible to their targets. Blink-boats can teleport from their launch pad to anywhere within a half-lightyear but after that they can only make shorter jumps. That's when their secondary stealth functions are used, to protect itself and passengers from any immediate attacks by defensive. Given how delicate and experimental they are, Blink-boats do not carry any conventional weapons that can backfire on itself. There has been some speculation about what might happen if a blink-boat's launch-pad jump was sabotaged.

Squad = Ground Team

GTs will not leave their blink-boat until they are exactly where they should be. Once deployed, they will overwhelm hostile security with superior numbers and firepower. They are given all kinds of equipment and training depending on which target they are supposed to disable. The gear can range from breaching charges and system hacking tools to 3D maneuvering gear and heavy body armor.

Ace + RPV = Escorters

Durability, mobility, and firepower, these are the three virtues of the Escorter remote piloted vehicle. They deploy and spread out from the underbelly of the Blink-Boat after it has arrived in a target location. These robots will take the hits (which they will occasionally dodge thanks to Barrel Roll) that the rest of the FST cannot. This miraculous semi-autonomous weapon design comes at a horrible cost: Escorters are absurdly vulnerable to electronic warfare. However if one of them was hacked so thoroughly that it fired on the rest of the FST, the blink-boat's e-warfare suite would be able to keep the rest of the team safe.

[karriethemechtech]

Awesome AWS-9Q (DeLacey)

Mass: 80 tons Chassis: Technicron Type G Power Plant: Pitban 240 Cruising Speed: 32.4 kph Maximum Speed: 54 kph Jump Jets: None      Jump Capacity: 0 meters Armor: Durallex Heavy Special Armament:      3 ER PPC (C)      1 HAG/20 Manufacturer: Lüneburg Vehicle Corporation,Irian BattleMechs Unlimited,Technicron Manufacturing      Primary Factory: Braunschweig,Irian,Savannah Communication System: Garrett T19-G Targeting & Tracking System: Dynatec 2780 Introduction Year: 3150 Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-X-E Cost: 8,083,800 C-bills

Overview The Awesome was designed in 2665 for the Star League by the Technicron Conglomorate and was based on the aging STR-2C Striker. While not as fast as its forefather, the Awesome is a strong assault 'Mech.

Capabilities The Awesome's abilities are nearly entirely dependent on its particle projection cannons. The AWS can withstand a severe and consistent onslaught from its weaponry thanks to several heat sinks. With one and a half tons more armor than the Striker, the AWS is more protected than even the BattleMaster. The Amazing, like any other BattleMech, has weaknesses. While it is lethal at range, it is less effective in close-quarters combat since its PPCs have a tougher time connecting with the victim. In that case, it just possesses a light weapon and a left fist to fall back on. Because of its limited mobility, it is vulnerable to flanking attacks from speedier opponents seeking to get past the PPCs. While they face arguably of the heaviest rear armor found on any BattleMech, the Awesome's lack of rear facing armaments or a weapon mount on its left arm has offered numerous MechWarriors a fighting chance. Formations of Awesomes (or even just a few) are incredibly effective and tough to stop or defeat when correctly placed by commanders who are knowledgeable of the AWS's limitations.

Deployment A basic upgrade to the original 8Q introduced in 3057, the heat sinks are upgraded to double heat sinks and are reduced to nineteen. The saved weight is used to add a fourth PPC to the 'Mech as well as a Guardian ECM Suite. Although there was some criticism for using basic PPCs and not upgrading to ER models, the 9Q proved itself during Operation Guerrero to be quite devastating. This clan salvage refit by Kerrie DeLacey swaps the left arm-mounted PPC for a Type 0 HAG/20 and two tons of ammunition, the other PPCs for Type DDS "Kingston" cERPPCs, and removes the small laser and ECM. To make room for the increased payload size, the heat sinks have been exchanged for their Clan equivalents.

History Awesomes can be found in every military House. Because the Free Worlds League has the last remaining manufacturing factories capable of generating the Awesome, it also has the most Awesomes of any of the Great Houses. Opinions on the 'Mech vary greatly within the League. Many people laud its powers, while others believe that its limited mobility is too high a price to pay for what it can do. Similar sentiments exist in the other Houses, but none of them can debate the issue beyond academics. Few commanders would turn down the opportunity to acquire an Awesome for their army. The Awesome is typically used to assault a fixed position or to breach the enemy's line of defense. They are also in demand for defensive operations. MechWarriors piloting the Awesome can expect to be involved in heavy battle and to be charged with obtaining or guarding the most crucial objectives from the adversary.

Notable MechWarriors Karrie DeLacey: A former MechTech of the Magistracy Armed Forces, Karrie fell into the mercenary life once she found that the skills she learned on the battlefield weren't as applicable in the civilian sector. After a disastrous first and only deployment with the now-extinct Dark Wolves Mercenary Company, she founded a mercenary company of her own: DeLacey's Last Resort. Extremely proud and boastful, Karrie drew up the plans for her custom Awesome as part of an argument on the proper battlefield role such a mech should have. The design trades pure firepower and heat management for greater single-point impact and a greater ability to brawl, "like something that big ought to be able to." While unconventional, it has served her well on the battlefields of the Last Resort's ugliest deployments. Still a proud Canopian citizen, Karrie pays each year to receive dossiers on elections back home, sending her ballot via the HPG network. While exceptions for the mandatory elections are made for citizens traveling abroad, she claims it "just wouldn't sit right not to."

Type: Awesome Technology Base: Mixed (Standard) Tonnage: 80 Battle Value: 2,517 Equipment Mass Internal Structure 8 Engine 240 Fusion 11.5      Walking MP: 3      Running MP: 5      Jumping MP: 0 Double Heat Sink: 19 [38] 9 Gyro: 3 Cockpit: 3 Weapons and Ammo Hyper-Assault Gauss Rifle/20 Ammo (12) CT 2 2 ER PPC RT 2 6 3 Double Heat Sink RT 6 3 HAG/20 LA 6 10 Double Heat Sink LA 2 1 ER PPC LT 2 6 4 Double Heat Sink LT 8 4 ER PPC RA 2 6 2 Double Heat Sink RA 4 2

Features the following design quirks: Battle Fists (LA)

[homebrew-rifts]

Coalition IAR-2 Abolisher Robot

Originally released on p. 35 of Rifts Sourcebook 1

The Abolisher, Infantry Assault Robot (IAR-2), is another giant vehicle that is part of the Coalition States' military forces. Unlike the UAR-1 Enforcer, which is designed specifically to combat ground troops in an urban/city environment, the Abolisher is a frontline infantry unit with long-range capabilities and heavy firepower for obliterating enemy troops. The focus of its armaments is anti-robot and anti-tank, hence the six heavy cannons bristling around what appears to be the head. The rim of cannons has given the 30 foot (9 m) robot the nickname 'Thorn Head."

The heavily armored bot is a massive, humanoid shaped, all terrain assault vehicle designed to withstand heavy bombardment. However, in keeping with the frightening Death's Head motif, the Abolisher is designed to look like a massive skull with arms and legs. The two eyes are infra-red and conventional light searchlights for night assaults. The upper skull body can rotate 360 degrees and is operated by a five-man crew. Two soldiers are gunners operating three cannons each, the pilot and the copilot/communications engineer (either the pilot or copilot can fire the small, forward facing, dual laser turret) and the top hatch gunner, usually a SAMAS.

The big guns are devastating weapons that can blast an enemy from all sides simultaneously. The robot's arms and hands are powerful and lethal in hand to hand confrontations (can rotate 180 degrees at the shoulders). On top of the behemoth is a Gunner's Hatch which allows a SAMAS or soldier to perch himself on the head and fire at the enemy from the top of the robot. An inner hatch locks automatically, preventing the enemy from easy access should the top gunner be killed; the inner hatch can only be opened by one of the pilots.

The only real disadvantage to the 30 foot (9 m) giant is that its incredible weight and large size reduce its speed and maneuvering capabilities. Although great in the field as an outer perimeter defense or as an infantry assault unit (tank with arms and legs), its speed and size make it an easy target (hence the heavy armor). Unless one wishes to destroy a city, the bot is not well suited for city conflicts. Its weapons are too powerful for use in the city, able to demolish an S.D.C. skyscraper in mere moments, and its size and bulk makes maneuvering through narrow streets difficult. Still, it is excellent for city defense, being able to be placed wherever needed, and ideal for infantry combat.

IAR-2 Abolisher: Size 9 (Huge), Crew 5+2, Strength d12+10, Toughness 60 (36), Pace 14+d10 (70 MPH)

Notes: MDC Armor, Shoulder STS-Cluster -4 to hit and 24 Hardness.

Weapons:

6 x C-144 Auto-Cannons (Spaced 360 degrees around the crown of the bot; Range 100/200/400, 5d12+5 Mega Damage, AP 12, RoF 1)

Anti-Personnel Lasers (belly gun)

Black Market Cost: 80 Million credits, Rarity -4

[techtuv]

Radio Frequency (RF) Jamming: Disrupts the communication between the drone and its operator by interfering with the control signals, causing the drone to either land automatically or return to its starting point.

GPS Jamming: Interferes with the drone's navigation system by disrupting GPS signals, leading to disorientation or uncontrolled movement.

Anti-Drone Rifles: Portable devices designed to disrupt drone control signals. The operator can target and neutralize the drone.

Net-Based Capture Systems: These systems capture drones by launching nets, allowing for safe retrieval and grounding without damaging the drone.

Visual and Thermal Detection Systems: These systems use optical and thermal cameras to detect drones. Once detected, the drone can be neutralized using one of the aforementioned methods.

Eagles and Trained Animals: In some cases, trained animals like eagles are used to intercept and bring down drones mid-flight.

Laser Weapons: High-energy lasers are used to disable the drone's electronics or structure, a method primarily used in military settings.

These methods vary depending on the type of drone, flight area, and local regulations.

[boinkingbattlemechs]

Urbanmech

The UrbanMech was designed for just what its name suggests: urban combat and defense, and may be classed as an ambusher. This was achieved by starting with a cheap, easily produced chassis, giving it six tons of Durallex armor to rival the protection found on many medium BattleMechs, and mounting a pair of Pitban 6000 jump jets for a jumping distance of 60 meters. The tradeoff was that it could only mount the miserable Leenex 60 engine, making the UrbanMech the slowest light 'Mech in existence with a cruising speed of 21.6 km/h and top speed of only 32.4 km/h. This was a severe disadvantage if the 'Mech attempted to fight in open country—something for only the foolish or desperate—but offset by the fact that fighting in the close confines of a Star League city left little room to maneuver anyways and the UrbanMech's low profile made it difficult to target. Thus the 'Mech was primarily used for fighting guerrillas and other light 'Mechs in an urban environment, an arena where it also achieved some success fighting medium and even heavy 'Mechs. Standard tactics for an UrbanMech lance was to split up into its constituent parts and occupy various buildings in order to snipe the enemy before falling back to the next defensive line.

Large numbers of UrbanMechs were produced by Orguss Industries from 2675 until the destruction of their assembly lines. The UrbanMech reentered production at the Betelgeuse facility of Hellespont Industrials during the Jihad, and continued to be manufactured up through 3149. As such, UrbanMechs could be found in all of the armies of the Successor States, however most military leaders saw the slow little 'Mech as a liability, confining their stockpiles to garrison duty or stripping them of parts. This dismissive attitude towards the UrbanMech saved it from the ravages of the Succession Wars and ensured its continued use into the thirty-first century. The Capellan Confederation remained the largest and only user of UrbanMechs to actually deploy them for front-line duty, a result of the devastation of the Fourth Succession War and their desperation for any 'Mech to replenish their losses. The Confederation Reserve Cavalry and Capellan Defense Force had the lion's share of UrbanMechs, followed by the Tikonov Republican Guard and St. Ives Armored Cavalry; outside the Confederation the Federated Suns' Capellan March Militia fielded the largest number of UrbanMechs due to the fact it was composed of large amounts of captured Capellan equipment. Its prominence within the Confederation meant the UrbanMech was among those 'Mechs within the CCAF to receive upgrades following the recovery of lostech; the other States followed suit with much less priority over improving other 'Mechs. Despite this the sheer cost necessary to replace the UrbanMech's engine and increase its top speed meant even the Confederation limited their refit packages to improving the weapons and armor only. At some point, the common 'Mech earned a cocktail in its name.

A testament to the desperation of the Word of Blake Jihad, Hellespont Industrials would reactivate a shuttered production facility on Betelgeuse to produce the UrbanMech alongside primitive "retrotech" designs for material starved Capellan garrison forces. This plant would maintain production of the UrbanMech in a steadily increasing volume of configurations throughout the Dark Age era as the CCAF secretly expanded before it waged war against the Republic of the Sphere. Rather than dramatic and expensive enhancements, Hellespont's new variants retain the venerable design's low ground speed urban combat focus and can be applied as refits as readily as new production.

The UrbanMech packs a powerful punch for its size. The standard version carries an Imperator-B AC/10 in its right arm and a Harmon Light small laser in the left arm for suppressing infantry as well as a backup weapon. With these two weapons the UrbanMech can constantly harass, or if piloted by an experienced enough MechWarrior, down 'Mechs up to twice its own size. A single ton of ammo for the autocannon, located in the right torso, leaves little endurance for a prolonged fight, though it fits in perfectly with the hit-and-run nature of the 'Mech; one way or another most observers agree the UrbanMech is good for about two minutes of combat.

[mariacallous]

Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution Wednesday that would have reaffirmed a nearly 50-year-old ban on placing weapons of mass destruction into orbit, two months after reports Russia has plans to do just that.

Russia's vote against the resolution was no surprise. As one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, Russia has veto power over any resolution that comes before the body. China abstained from the vote, and 13 other members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution.

If it passed, the resolution would have affirmed a binding obligation in Article IV of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which says nations are "not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction."

Going Nuclear

Russia is one of 115 parties to the Outer Space Treaty. The Security Council vote Wednesday follows reports in February that Russia is developing a nuclear anti-satellite weapon.

"The United States assesses that Russia is developing a new satellite carrying a nuclear device," said Jake Sullivan, President Biden's national security advisor. "We have heard President Putin say publicly that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space. If that were the case, Russia would not have vetoed this resolution."

The United States and Japan proposed the joint resolution, which also called on nations not to develop nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction designed to be placed into orbit around the Earth. In a statement, US and Japanese diplomats highlighted the danger of a nuclear detonation in space. Such an event would have "grave implications for sustainable development, and other aspects of international peace and security," US officials said in a press release.

With its abstention from the vote, "China has shown that it would rather defend Russia as its junior partner, than safeguard the global nonproliferation regime," said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN.

US government officials have not offered details about the exact nature of the anti-satellite weapon they say Russia is developing. A nuclear explosion in orbit would destroy numerous satellites—from many countries—and endanger astronauts. Space debris created from a nuclear detonation could clutter orbital traffic lanes needed for future spacecraft.

The Soviet Union launched more than 30 military satellites powered by nuclear reactors. Russia's military space program languished in the first couple of decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, and US intelligence officials say it still lags behind the capabilities possessed by the US Space Force and the Chinese military.

Russia's military funding has largely gone toward the war in Ukraine for the last two years, but Putin and other top Russian officials have raised threats of nuclear force and attacks on space assets against adversaries. Russia's military launched a cyberattack against a commercial satellite communications network when it invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Russia has long had an appetite for anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. The Soviet Union experimented with "co-orbital" ASATs in the 1960s and 1970s. When deployed, these co-orbital ASATs would have attacked enemy satellites by approaching them and detonating explosives or using a grappling arm to move the target out of orbit.

In 1987, the Soviet Union launched an experimental weapons platform into orbit to test laser technologies that could be used against enemy satellites. Russia shot down one of its own satellites in 2021 in a widely condemned "direct ascent" ASAT test. This Russian direct ascent ASAT test followed demonstrations of similar capability by China, the United States, and India. Russia's military has also demonstrated satellites over the last decade that could grapple onto an adversary's spacecraft in orbit, or fire a projectile to take out an enemy satellite.

These ASAT capabilities could destroy or disable one enemy satellite at a time. The US Space Force is getting around this threat by launching large constellations of small satellites to augment the military's much larger legacy communications, surveillance, and missile warning spacecraft. A nuclear ASAT weapon could threaten an entire constellation or render some of space inaccessible due to space debris.

Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, called this week's UN resolution "an unscrupulous play of the United States" and a "cynical forgery and deception." Russia and China proposed an amendment to the resolution that would have banned all weapons in space. This amendment got the support of about half of the Security Council but did not pass.

Outside the 15-member Security Council, the original resolution proposed by the United States and Japan won the support of more than 60 nations as co-sponsors.

"Regrettably, one permanent member decided to silence the critical message we wanted to send to the present and future people of the world: Outer space must remain a domain of peace, free of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons," said Kazuyuki Yamazaki, Japan's ambassador to the UN.

[yay855]

I need you people to try this game- it's an open-source survival sci-fi traditional roguelike called Cataclysm Bright Nights. It's a fork based off of Cataclysm Dark Days Ahead, but designed to be more focused on fun than punishing realism- though it's still plenty realistic, at least given what kind of game it is.

For those who don't know, Cataclysm is an old game, from 2010, that has been developed over time and has since forked off into two competing versions. You play as the survivor of the Cataclysm, and now have to figure out how to keep surviving in the face of an ever-evolving threat.

Grab the game from the release section of the github; the game's full description (and my gushing) is below the cut.

You may be asking, "that description is kind of vague, what exactly was this apocalypse?", well the answer is all of them. Every single human is infected with a parasitic interdimensional organism known as The Blob, which mutates its host in response to certain things. Every living human, and many animals, that dies will come back as a zombie, and the longer the Cataclysm goes on, the more the zombies and wildlife will mutate further. There are also crazed humans who fight alongside the undead, bandits, alien invaders known as Mi-Go, demons rising from the netherrealms, hostile military robots and cyborgs and turrets dot the landscape, and there's even a fungal hive mind trying to infect all other life out of a twisted benevolence.

The game also has one of the most indepth crafting systems I've ever seen. Instead of simply being able to build with a workbench or your bare hands, most crafting recipes require the proper tools- and if you don't have them, you can make some. Pick some flowers to turn their stems into cordage, grab some rocks, and make a stone hammer and knife; build a basic screwdriver out of scrap metal and wood, and a makeshift crowbar out of a pipe you flattened on one end. Carve a wooden or bone needle and learn to sew a gambeson. Disassemble a lawnmower and tie the blade to a long stick to make a makeshift polearm. Construct a full forging setup and make yourself a sword and metal armor. Add an electric motor and a motorcycle battery to a bicycle to make it run that much faster. Take the turret mount off of a firetruck, weld it to the hood of the car you stole, and install a handmade laser rifle you built from disassembled electronics and camera lenses to run off of the car's battery, allowing you to gun down the undead hordes in relative safety. Disassemble .308 ammo to hand-load the spent 5.56 shells you used gunning down enemies. Delve into ruined laboratories whose experiments have run amok to find high-tech weapons and learn to craft your own targeted mutagens.

You can also learn martial arts, strengthening your abilities with melee weapons. Everyone learns basic brawling once they know how to hit something, but brawling takes higher skill to gain the basic techniques; proper fighting styles have to be carefully found, but are worth it. Use Eskrima and an extendable baton or a dagger to smack and dice your enemies apart, use fencing to effortlessly parry enemy attacks with a rapier, use ninjutsu to silently take down foes, learn drunken boxing to sway and counterattack every single enemy blow, or even learn biojutsu to slice your enemies apart with implanted metal claws or blades.

The game is also unique in that it lets you use mutations and cybernetics hand in hand. You mutating a pair of venomous fangs doesn't stop you from installing smoke and poison resistant cybernetic lungs, you mutating hooves doesn't stop you from installing high-tech alloy plating onto your legs. And you can loot cybernetics from hospitals and augmentation clinics and labs, but you can also dissect zombies for them, using your first aid skill to carefully extract bionics from the undead- you can even build a handheld device to identify bionics in corpses. Generally, mutations are less reliable but cost hunger at most, while cybernetics are more reliable but harder to power and gain.

All in all, it's one of the best roguelikes I've ever played. There's so much to it, there's daily updates, grab the Catapult launcher to try all four forks, just try it out! There's a discord server linked in the github!

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

Peterson-class Naval Hub Station

ALCON-

Coming soon, to an Islington system near you...

COMGEN Hazen

Archival data begins:

One of the SLDF's larger orbital facilities, the Peterson class station is named after the only Naval Officer to serve as Commanding General of the SLDF, Admiral David Peterson.  Designed to act as a repair facility, command post and defensive installation, the Peterson was a city in space. With a crew of thousands and docking facilities, including a dry dock for ships up to battleship scale, the Peterson could service an entire squadron, whilst giving crew time to relax in its huge rotating section.

The designation of the Peterson class as a singular entity is technically incorrect: each complete station is in fact, three stations docked around a central hub, with each station taking up an axis. The primary station, Peterson Y, uses two reinforced unpressurized repair bays to lock the other two stations in place, even while puttering around the system on its station keeping drive.

One unique feature to this station complex is an internal tram station, using trams that move along the outside of the station to transfer cargo from one area to another swiftly, and even from one axis to another. With stations at each end of each axis, and also in the center of each axis, and lines on each side that travel in opposite directions, cargo and personnel can be moved around the complex swiftly. (This is what the superheavy vehicle bays are, 2 trains per station of 5 cars, with each train having 3 "stations" consisting of 5 bays, one per car.) There are rumors of some Peterson stations using these trains as additional point defense as well.

The Peterson has an extensive amount of command and control facilities along with facilities for R&R, as it is to a major military hub for commanding, preparing for, and recovering from military operations. It has an ATAC capable of controlling a massive amount of SDS robots, and it has an SDS Jammer in case the enemy brings them as well. It uses small craft bays in place of dedicated fighter bays, as they can house either small craft or fighters, and they come with a larger technical crew.

Officer and crew have standard quarters for their rankings. Bay personnel have additional facilities built up around their work areas. Combined with the facilities in the bays themselves these tech crews have enough room to be comfortable, or take on many more additional techs as needed. There is a massive 28 deck rotating grav ring around the top of the station, near the majority of the docking facilities. Able to house nearly three thousand passengers, from crew embarking or disembarking from and to missions, this station is able to act as a hub for armies. The housing facilities in these rings are somewhat modular, and can be replaced with more compact facilities, up to doubling their capacity.

The station's armament is taken from the success of the McKenna-class battleships, with bracketing bays of Heavy Naval PPCs for anti ship firepower, and bracketing Naval Lasers for anti-fighter duty. These are backed up by arrays of AR-10 launchers that can work well against any target. The heavy armor protecting the station is intended to allow it to take a pounding from even the most determined foe, without falling, and anything short of massed nuclear attack is survivable.

The Peterson X section has many similarities and redundancies, including a mobile HPG. At one end it houses internal facilities that can rebuild anything up to a McKenna-class battleship in a pressurized environment. It can also house up to 12 smaller dropships internally (dropshuttle bays are being used here, since the station can't jump anyway, the restriction on what can dock in them is irrelevant to their purpose). The Peterson X also includes four energy battery recharging stations, able to help ships quickly travel onward.

At the other end of Peterson X are facilities designed for the station complex's crew to enjoy. Since this is a long term assignment, it was determined that these facilities were important. They also serve to house massive hydroponics facilities.

Continuing the redundant systems for command and control, and further increasing the number of SDS robots capable of being controlled - bringing the total in the complex up to almost a thousand SDS units - the Peterson Z axis is geared more towards the technical aspects of this kind of hub station. It has 6 unpressurized bays, two of which can accommodate battleships, and the other four able to handle JumpShips and DropShips. It also has another six internal bays able to house smaller DropShips. A further 10 energy recharging stations round out the main differences in station Z.

Technical Readout(s):

Class/Model/Name:  Peterson Y Station

Tech: Star League

Vessel Type: Space Station

Mass: 2,500,000 tons

Armor Type: Lamellor Ferro-Carbide

Armament:        

48 HNPPCs

48 NL 55s

24 AR-10s

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Peterson Y

Mass: 2,500,000 tons

Equipment : Mass

Drive: 30,000.00

Control: 2,500.00

Structural Integrity: 25,000.00

Total Heat Sinks: Double 7,680 (15,360) 5,399.00

Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 2,040.00

Fire Control Computers: 0.00

Armor: (8,393 total armor pts) 8,393.00

                              Capital Scale Armor Pts

Location: L/R

Fore: 1319

Fore-Left/Right: 1440/1440  

Aft-Left/Right: 1440/1440  

Aft: 1316

Cargo:

Bay 1: Small Craft Bays (324) 64,800.00

18 Doors                                        

Bay 2: Cargo (1,366,371.5 tons) 1,366,371.50

16 Doors                                        

Bay 3: Tramway-Internal Rail System

Superheavy Vehicle Bays (30) 6,000.00

8 Doors                                        

Docking Hardpoints: 5050,000.00

Escape Pods:

500 Escape Pods 3,500.00

450 Life Boats 3,150.00

Grav Decks

28 1500-m 14,000.00

Crew and Passengers:

136 Officers - 1st Class Quarters 1,360.00

576 Crew - 2nd Class Quarters 4,032.00

100 Gunners - 2nd Class Quarters 700.00

2,294 Bay Personnel - Bay Quarters 11,470.00

2,800 1st Class Passengers 28,000.00

400 Marines - 4 man Battle Armor Bays & Steerage Quarters 2,800.00

400 Marine Support Staff - Steerage Quarters 2,000.00

28 Field Kitchens 84.00

MASH Unit (28 Theatres) 30.50

# Weapons Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 HNPPC Nose 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 HNPPC Nose 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 NL 55 Nose 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 NL 55 Nose 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 AR-10 Nose ** ** ** ** max 80 1,000.00

3 AMS Nose 9-PDS -- -- -- 3 1.50

4 HNPPC FL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 HNPPC FL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 NL 55 FL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 NL 55 FL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 AR-10 FL/R ** ** ** ** max 80 2,000.00

3 AMS FL/R 9-PDS -- -- -- 3 3.00

4 HNPPC AL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 HNPPC AL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 NL 55 AL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 NL 55 AL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 AR-10 AL/R ** ** ** ** max 80 2,000.00

3 AMS AL/R 9-PDS -- -- -- 3 3.00

4 HNPPC Aft 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 HNPPC Aft 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 NL 55 Aft 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 NL 55 Aft 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 AR-10 Aft ** ** ** ** max 80 1,000.00

3 AMS Aft 9-PDS -- -- -- 3 1.50

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ammo

Barracuda Missiles (400 Rounds) 12,000.00

White Shark Missiles (300 Rounds) 12,000.00

Killer Whale Missiles (240 Rounds) 12,000.00

Anti Missile System Ammo (2,160 Rounds) 180.00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Equipment

Mobile HPG 50.00

Large NCSS 500.00

ATAC Computer (324 Robots) 98,600.00

Communication Equipment (15 tons) 15.00

SDS Jammer 30,000

Peterson X Lock (2,500,000 ton capacity Reinforced Unpressurized Bay) 250,000.00

Peterson Z Lock (2,500,000 ton capacity Reinforced Unpressurized Bay) 250,000.00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Peterson X Station

Tech: Star League

Vessel Type: Space Station

Mass: 2,500,000 tons

Armor Type: Lamellor Ferro-Carbide

Armament:        

48 HNPPCs

48 NL 55s

24 AR-10s

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Peterson X

Mass: 2,500,000 tons

Equipment : Mass

Drive: 30,000.00

Control: 2,500.00

Structural Integrity: 25,000.00

Total Heat Sinks:Double 7,680 (15,360) 5,399.00

Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 2,040.00

Fire Control Computers: 0.00

Armor: (8,393 total armor pts) 8,393.00

                              Capital Scale Armor Pts

Location: L/R

Fore: 1319

Fore-Left/Right: 1440/1440  

Aft-Left/Right: 1440/1440  

Aft: 1316

Cargo:

Bay 1: Dropshuttle Bays (6) 66,000.00

Pressurized Repair Bay (2,000,000 ton Capacity) 150,000.00

Pressurized Repair Bay (2,000,000 ton Capacity) 150,000.00

18 Doors                                        

Bay 2: Cargo (1,244,221.5 tons) 1,244,221.50

16 Doors                                        

Bay 3: Tramway-Internal Rail System

Superheavy Vehicle Bays (30) 6,000.00

8 Doors                                        

Docking Hardpoints: 38 38,000.00

Escape Pods:

500 Escape Pods 3,500.00

Grav Decks

28 1500-m 14,000.00

Crew and Passengers:

136 Officers - 1st Class Quarters 1,360.00

576 Crew - 2nd Class Quarters 4,032.00

100 Gunners - 2nd Class Quarters 700.00

674 Bay Personnel - Steerage Quarters 3,370.00

500 Technicians - Steerage Quarters 2,500.00

400 Marines - 4 man Battle Armor Bays & Steerage Quarters 2,800.00

400 Marine Support Staff - Steerage Quarters 2,000.00

28 Field Kitchens 84.00

MASH Unit (28 Theatres) 30.50

# Weapons Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 HNPPC Nose 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 HNPPC Nose 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 NL 55 Nose 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 NL 55 Nose 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 AR-10 Nose ** ** ** ** max 80 1,000.00

3 AMS Nose 9-PDS -- -- -- 3 1.50

4 HNPPC FL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 HNPPC FL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 NL 55 FL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 NL 55 FL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 AR-10 FL/R ** ** ** ** max 80 2,000.00

3 AMS FL/R 9-PDS -- -- -- 3 3.00

4 HNPPC AL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 HNPPC AL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 NL 55 AL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 NL 55 AL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 AR-10 AL/R ** ** ** ** max 80 2,000.00

3 AMS AL/R 9-PDS-- -- -- 3 3.00

4 HNPPC Aft 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 HNPPC Aft 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 NL 55 Aft 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 NL 55 Aft 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 AR-10 Aft ** ** ** ** max 80 1,000.00

3 AMS Aft 9-PDS -- -- -- 3 1.50

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ammo

Barracuda Missiles (400 Rounds) 12,000.00

White Shark Missiles (300 Rounds) 12,000.00

Killer Whale Missiles (240 Rounds) 12,000.00

Anti Missile System Ammo (2,160 Rounds) 180.00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Equipment

Mobile HPG 50.00

Large NCSS 500.00

ATAC Computer (324 Robots) 98,600.00

Communication Equipment (15 tons) 15.00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Peterson Z Station

Tech: Star League

Vessel Type: Space Station

Mass: 2,500,000 tons

Armor Type: Lamellor Ferro-Carbide

Armament:        

48 HNPPCs

48 NL 55s

24 AR-10s

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name: Peterson Z

Mass: 2,500,000 tons

Equipment : Mass

Drive: 30,000.00

Control: 2,500.00

Structural Integrity: 25,000.00

Total Heat Sinks: Double 7,680 (15,360) 5,399.00

Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 2,040.00

Fire Control Computers: 0.00

Armor: (8,393 total armor pts) 8,393.00

                              Capital Scale Armor Pts

Location: L/R

Fore: 1319

Fore-Left/Right: 1440/1440  

Aft-Left/Right: 1440/1440  

Aft: 1316

Cargo:

Bay 1: Dropshuttle Bays (6) 66,000.00

Unpressurized Repair Bay (2,000,000 ton Capacity) 50,000.00

Unpressurized Repair Bay (2,000,000 ton Capacity) 50,000.00

Unpressurized Repair Bay (500,000 ton Capacity) 3,125.00

Unpressurized Repair Bay (500,000 ton Capacity) 3,125.00

Unpressurized Repair Bay (500,000 ton Capacity) 3,125.00

Unpressurized Repair Bay (500,000 ton Capacity) 3,125.00

12 Doors                                        

Bay 2: Cargo (846,872 tons)846,872.00

22 Doors                                        

Bay 3: Tramway-Internal Rail System

Superheavy Vehicle Bays (30) 6,000.00

8 Doors                                        

Docking Hardpoints: 38 38,000.00

Escape Pods:

500 Escape Pods 3,500.00

Grav Decks

28 1500-m 14,000.00

Crew and Passengers:

136 Officers - 1st Class Quarters 1,360.00

576 Crew - 2nd Class Quarters 4,032.00

100 Gunners - 2nd Class Quarters 700.00

450 Bay Personnel - Steerage Quarters 2,250.00

500 Repair Bay Technicians - Steerage Quarters 2,500.00

400 Marines - 4 man Battle Armor Bays & Steerage Quarters 2,800.00

400 Marine Support Staff - Steerage Quarters 2,000.00

# Weapons Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 HNPPC Nose 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 HNPPC Nose 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 NL 55 Nose 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 NL 55 Nose 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 AR-10 Nose ** ** ** ** max 80 1,000.00

3 AMS Nose 9-PDS -- -- -- 3 1.50

4 HNPPC FL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 HNPPC FL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 NL 55 FL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 NL 55 FL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 AR-10 FL/R ** ** ** ** max 80 2,000.00

3 AMS FL/R 9-PDS -- -- -- 3 3.00

4 HNPPC AL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 HNPPC AL/R 60 60 60 60 900 24,000.00

4 NL 55 AL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 NL 55 AL/R 22 22 22 22 340 8,400.00

4 AR-10 AL/R ** ** ** ** max 80 2,000.00

3 AMS AL/R 9-PDS -- -- -- 3 3.00

4 HNPPC Aft 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 HNPPC Aft 60 60 60 60 900 12,000.00

4 NL 55 Aft 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 NL 55 Aft 22 22 22 22 340 4,400.00

4 AR-10 Aft ** ** ** ** max 80 1,000.00

3 AMS Aft 9-PDS -- -- -- 3 1.50

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ammo

Barracuda Missiles (400 Rounds) 12,000.00

White Shark Missiles (300 Rounds) 12,000.00

Killer Whale Missiles (240 Rounds) 12,000.00

Anti Missile System Ammo (2,160 Rounds) 180.00

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Equipment

Mobile HPG 50.00

Large NCSS 500.00

ATAC Computer (324 Robots) 98,600.00

Communication Equipment (15 tons) 15.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(OOC: Art by MattPLOG on Deviantart, stats and fluff by CryHavok101 on the CGL BT forums)

[girderednerve]

audiobooks are my friend. not you libby i hate you

i started listening to an audiobook of 'chip war' by chris miller (sorry for reading a book off of the obama list) & it's very interesting, although my understanding is definitely limited by the fact that i was listening to it while driving to work in the snow. anyway there's a lot i didn't know about chips & so on; this book is not going to answer some of my most pressing questions (where do they get those big silicon wafers & do people get silicosis making them) & is generally less interested in labor than in corporate history.

i did not understand how much of the computer industry just came from missile targeting. like, the transistor came out of bell labs & the patent was owned by at&t, i knew that, but every other major improvement was driven by the need to have better-targeted bombs. aerial bombardment, military efficacy, & the idea of precision are always on my mind in general but it's like. i don't know. bizarre & upsetting to realize how structurally significant these preoccupations are. there's a part of me which is like, a key function of the modern space program is to say 'look at all the cool technology we did for space, definitely don't think about anything else one might do with a rocket,' which i realize is nonsense on some level, & yet.

intel's 4004 'computer on a chip' from 1971, designed for a calculator, was not the first programmable chip: that was in the F14! how do we feel about that one because i am feeling, honestly, pretty bad. texas instruments, a company which i primarily associate with my horrendous graphing calculator from high school algebra, actually got by on military contracts & designed the first laser-guided bomb. sweet! i hate it! i know this isn't news but it's news to me; everyone on here just points out that the internet started as a military endeavor, not that the physical objects that make the internet were (& are) too.

the book also leans into that 'the age of industry has passed; now is the age of data' trope which i hate, because it makes no sense to me. how exactly is one meant to have the incredible data machines which are going to run everything & be immeasurably important if one does not have industry? we're talking about incredibly complex, precise manufacturing processes, using highly refined & specific materials, which still must be gotten out of the ground by someone & transported by someone & rely on machines made by yet other someones. there is no realm of ideas separate from the real physical world we live in.

anyway i'm not very far into the book yet but i am documenting the experience. probably i should've just listened to malcolm harris' palo alto instead, that probably would bother me less, but i am very interested in the particulars of supply chains & how they are established, so.