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I don't know about the orbital stuff but i just think we should accept that the light vehicle offered is the one we are getting we have a bunch of important projects that we shouldn't delay because Sygner promises that this time will be different and they will fix it it no problem. For the intelligence department i am heavily leaning towards Lucia Ryan she is boring conventionel but she knows how to actually do her job and respects authority (AKA Ricky) so she should make a loyal subordinate even if her political views aren't that good. Personally even if Neamh Cianain likely is the second best option i do not think it is a good idea at all as in the description it describes how he is better when the operation does not require digital systems which is a problem when our entire spying effort internally is going to be build on digital infrastructure.
 
[X]Plan Assert Authority
-[X]Accept into Service
-[X]Open Cycle Gas Core
-[X]Duong Visoth

Accept into service and just take the L; its a light vehicle it doesn't need to be great, and since we cant salvage the double stacking without embarking on a huge development program of our own I dont think its worth the effort to continue developing the thing.

Open Cycle for combat performance. Frankly speaking we can't match the alien threat in strategic mobility anyways, so we might as well double down and match them in tactical mobility instead. Then we might just win the one engagement we need to cripple a raid.

Visoth because I honestly think he's perfect for the job of internal policing. Yes, picking him would absolutely be picking a fight, but the army is hardly a democracy. The fact that the previous guy fucking resigned in protest suggests that maybe we should put our foot down on the issue and make it clear we aren't tolerating this behaviour. It's time to assert our authority and bring the army to heel.
 
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[X]Plan Filthy moderate
-[X]Accept into Service
-[X]Open Cycle Gas Core
-[X]Lucia Ryan

I like Lucia Ryan she seemed to be a good pick to not stir the waters to much
 
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[X]Plan: That's our Guy
-[X]Accept into Service
-[X]Open Cycle Gas Core
-[X]Neamh Cianain

I'm leaning Neamh not because of anything to do with their possible political leanings, but more because with the internal unity reduction from pointing the intelligence at ourselves I think it would be a decent idea to put someone in the seat that everyone can point to as "one of their guys." Neamh is pretty much that with 3 tours in three of the branches by this point, and has Intelligence experience to boot.

Even if needing to adapt to the amount of digital tools a available for his new/old job would be a bit of a shift for him, I feel like he might have an easier time adapting if he can go "alright how do I use these computers to better do something I already know I need to pull off and how I'd do so." It's still better than the other way around IMO. Would rather have someone who's got a good grounding in non-digital intelligence work figuring out how to beat use all the fancy new tech then someone who built their career off the Panopticon learning how to deal without it.

If not Neamh though, I think my second choice would be the conventional lady who had a crisis of faith with the old regime.

[X]Plan Filthy moderate
 
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Anyways, I think this is a pretty good time to go over all the 'security' guys we picked and what went wrong there, starting with the one and only Colonel Shoot 'Em:

Blackstar said:
[]Simidh Grum: A middling intelligence officer that has primarily been involved in supporting partisan activity. While not qualified for the other aspects of the job, the current crisis is likely to see a collapse of authority, necessitating a firm hand if order is to be kept. His experiences from the other side of such a conflict would prove invaluable for minimizing domestic unrest and ensuring that proper measures can be taken.
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Thanks to some lapses in judgement and an overwhelmingly shit situation we picked this guy instead of somebody else, and almost paid the ultimate price for it. Objectively speaking he wasn't necessarily unsuited for his job, given the situation, but ultimately he was the cynics choice when we went with a strategy for idealism, and he was opinionated enough about to try and coup us over it. Importantly though we didn't actually know much about his political reliability until after we picked him, and once we realised that he'd become an issue we started to sideline him very quickly, ultimately leading to his futile coup attempt. This brings us to:

Blackstar said:
[]Eithne Ròs: A moderately influential lawyer that has nonetheless risen to prominence through close with military policing authorities. Eithne has managed to consistently ensure that partisan action is investigated and brought to trial and served as a stabilizing figure for many of the occupation commands. While not the most capable and with little domestic experience, she is used to operating with limited resources and almost no support from the broader panopticon system. Loyal to a fantastical idea of the idealization of the old regime, she is only moderately politically reliable and could be considered a strange mashup of both the conservative and reformist camps.
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Another interesting personality, she would later cause (and continues to cause) issues. Notably her reliability was noted to be somewhat questionable, but we picked her anyways for one important reason; ideological compatibility. She didn't believe in Galchobhar's ideals, but she did absolutely believe in democracy. However, she had her own opinions and was willing to push them. This actually saved us big time when we made a mess out of the North, and she pushed for us walking back our decision despite the cost, allowing us to do exactly that. We had the option of a boring careerist for the CSS, and he certainly would not have done anything so risky as to argue against Galchobhar and would be perfectly willing to commit any atrocity if ordered to (as opposed to Ròs who mostly only committed atrocities she wanted to commit.)

However, despite not being a yes-woman Ròs never actually caused a problem for Galchobhar; she didn't have anything to do with the coup that took him out in the end, even if she turned out to benefit from it. So, compared to Grum who had been a huge mistake, Ròs actually was us picking the correct person for the job in this case. Specifically we didn't actually care that much about regime security as opposed to someone who might make good decisions in the position she is in.

After Gal got thrown out Ròs picked an incompetent yes-man that she personally held by the balls as her replacement in the CSS, because she recognized the threat it was to her and valued reliability much much more than competence. Ultimately this did help lead to her demise as the CSS was not capable of hiding all the skeletons she had in her backyard, although who knows if there was anything we couldve done there.

So that brings us to the current pick for the Fourth Department. Once again there are two main questions, political reliability and competence. An important difference to note here though is that the Fourth Department is not a threat to us. We're not gonna get couped out of our job by military intelligence. As such, I don't think we should be that interested with getting a nodding head yes-man. Competence absolutely should be valued higher here; failing a job is likely to bring us more issues then someone not blindly following their orders; as a follow up having their own opinions on the matter is actually a boon here. The same way Ròs wasn't willing to blindly follow orders resulted in better results I suspect we will see something similar here. For all of Ricky's impressive multitasking abilities the truth of the matter is that we are gonna need to rely on this guy to run the intelligence service.

That's why I prefer the colonial officer. Sure, he definitely has opinions, but importantly those opinions are strongly against the fascists as well as against the idea that there is no need to police the army. We'd definitely be picking a fight, but I don't think that's inherently a bad thing. I don't see our position as being threatened in any way so I making an issue out of this now might be the smarter option rather than trying to take things slower and failing to have secured the army by the time we are in a position to have our position threatened.

Similarly the old guy does benefit for much the same reason; less because he agrees with us politically but more because he is competent enough at his job and would be willing to run it without excessive hand-holding. However I do prefer someone more suited for internal matters, and I think the colonial officer has the correct attitude for it.
 
I could also make an effort post but all i really have to say is other than being boring and conventional she is also a girlboss which counts for a lot to me
 
[X]Plan Assert Authority
-[X]Accept into Service
-[X]Open Cycle Gas Core
-[X]Duong Visoth

I yearn for the hatchet man to deal with the Army's internal issues.
 
Vote called since I already have most of the main turn written:
[X]Plan Assert Authority
-[X]Accept into Service
-[X]Open Cycle Gas Core
-[X]Duong Visoth
 
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Turn 9 (41AE): Imperialism and Invasions
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    • Turn 9 (41AE): Imperialism and Invasions



    Budget: 1165B Or
    Government Support: 52

    Lirrir News:

    Radio intercepts from the Lirrir have seen the reactions to the alien enemies' incursion split between several perspectives. Several nations have declared some sort of religious purpose to the destruction, claiming that the god of the skies sent them as some sort of omnipotent punishment. Other countries have taken the more sensible view that this was the first stage of a broader incursion with publicly available theories and propaganda focused on final national resistance. Several ostensible republics have committed strongly towards the buildup of military forces with modernized concepts partially borrowed from the invaders. Advancements in military sciences have been predominant over previous developments with new effective submachineguns issued along with a greater predominance of simple armored vehicle concepts.

    The increased state of military expenditures has been observed to take its toll on the civilian economy with several proto-states falling to combined revolts from either a lack of economic growth or general destabilization. Into the situation was brought in something that could be appropriated to a mixture of a religious and socialist message, taking over two separate kingdoms as they failed to deliver economic growth. Primary funding focused on military expenditure and the aggressive development of infrastructure, yielding significant gains in economic output and the construction of some of the largest railway networks. Other states responded with escalations but the prototypical regulatory council of nations partially managed to navigate the conflict.

    Everything escalated midway into the year, or temporally ninety-seven years ago, with the detection of another ship approaching the system. Immediately total global mobilization was called for with partial coordination of the Council of Nations trusted to organize the response in the first few days. The invaders curiously did not attempt a direct military action remaining in high orbit and offering several diplomatic conditions to several predominantly blue-plumed Lirrir that they declared as more capable and noble than all the others. The concept itself is strange, but because of different plumage colors, several groups of Lirrirs have historically been discriminated against despite cultural similarity. By offering to reverse those losses and the mass provision of arms well above previous expectations, the offer was made to six kingdoms, eight republics, and two dictatorships with all but two of the republics accepting it.

    The rest of the states took this as an effective declaration of war, moving to advance and crush the nations with their massive prepared stockpiles of armaments. As far as could be determined after the fact, the invaders offered the use of tactical kinetic bombardment and several other advantages involving the selective de-orbiting of impactors plus a far wider tech transfer. Local Lirrir manufacturing was unable to supply anything to the same standards and even more notably the Alien Enemy does not have the capacity for tactical scale micro-manufacturing as initially feared. Despite their lack of industrial capability, decapitation strikes on ground-side targets eliminated much of the stationary Lirrir leadership in the first few days of warfare.

    Intercepts from the Lirrir military communications have shown that the ship crew considers itself the representatives of a Synod of Cimbonia in approximate translation. Their stated mission towards the Lirrir has been one of uplifting the morally pure but even the Lirrir do not entirely believe that, and neither should anyone. The presence of a single ship rather than a battle group has indicated a limited capacity for force projection, lacking industrial population, or some other operational goal. Even if the assumption is made of a grossly incompetent empire underestimating an entire world that still has several useable weapon systems and a population over a billion, the reasoning for playing into planetary power struggles is nonsensical. Further, accurate estimations of alien equipment have been fed back through Lirrir high-power transmissions, with every bit of elementary evaluations on the equipment used in the invasion transmitted to the void, possibly as a way to warn others.

    This has eliminated any hope of covering up the transmissions but the attitude amongst the high command has become partially more optimistic. Initial estimations propagating out from domestic high-end automated technologies have been reduced significantly as it appears that even high-end alien rifles use a lesser degree of assistance than wartime ones. Further, while their laser weapons and energy capacity are more than any normal material science, it is not outside the bounds of vulnerability to conventional arms. Autocannons can certainly threaten what is believed to be low-end alien-powered armored infantry even across primary plates. The lack of site parts and automated production capability is the most curious one, as even our comparatively primitive craft can manage. Drone deployments have also not been done at any notable scale outside large recon craft powered by electrical propulsion.

    Lirrir soldiers have bluntly been losing the war with significant territories lost to advancing armies but the council of nations has so far managed significantly better than expected for a dispersed wartime government. The loss of much of the leadership has significantly limited what could be done, but as with the initial post-exchange experience when under immediate threat most will come together. Reverse engineering and more technical efforts have broadly failed for the resisting governments but so has the equipment of the Lirrir traitors failed to significantly improve despite alien advice. More advanced rifles and some aspects of body armor have been introduced along with what would be considered more mature armored vehicles, but further improvements have been limited. Even more notably their advance has been stalled at several points with limited powered armor alien units used to strike at night, eliminating entire commands but not reversing the steady increase in material.

    Captured alien transmissions have also been obtained, as orbit-to-surface communications have been conducted through radio channels and nearly entirely lacking ECCM discipline. Decryption efforts have already started at scale, though unknown data structures have entirely stymied the effort. Increased numbers of samples available have so far not allowed the full decryption of transmissions, but work is underway. Lirrir understanding of Cimbonian language structures is arguably more mature even if we do not have access to their experts or their transmissions. Radio traffic intensity has also dropped with the destruction of hundreds of radio stations and significant command areas, limiting the intelligence that can be gathered remotely for both the Cimbonians and us.

    []Promise Immediate Relief: Every year of delay is another year that the Lirrir are being oppressed by a foreign colonial master that will likely only kill them all. We may not know much about the alien enemy but their actions are something of a dark mirror to old imperial colonial policy. We may be too late to provide any assistance or technical aid but documenting what happened is the least that can be done. If there is no Lirrir civilization left then the least that could be done is to avenge them by working against their killers, assuming more capable waves of colonization are inevitable. (Significant Political Support Gain) (Army Unity Gain) (Second FTL Ship will be sent to the Lirrir System)

    []Prepare for a Meeting: There is little that can be done without a fleet, without any capacity for defending Dannan much less the Lirrir. They have so far weathered the initial invasion capably and they will have to hold for just a few more years. If their world has not yet been entirely colonized then once something approaching a battlefleet is ready immediate relief can be provided. This is an explicit biding for time even if our first radio transmissions reached their home system at least sixty years ago and any alien enemy almost certainly knows of us. (First Contact on Completion of the Orbital Destroyer Program)

    []Avoid Contact: There is nothing that can be done in the current or near future that would save the Lirrir. Ignoring the plight of the Lirrir will not be popular but the military is fundamentally not ready to act in any significant way. FTL testing will be confined to systems away from the Lirrir on the assumption that it can be detected. New systems of tight beam FTL communication systems will be developed to reduce leakage and ensure a lower degree of detectability. Further, all military and civilian transmissions of any importance will be shunted through hardlines, reducing enemy intelligence. (No First Contact, Accelerates Build Up) (Very Politically Unpopular)


    Technical Overview(Synod of Cimbonia):

    As there has been a limited view of civilian equipment in the conflict outside some systems that have been deployed on the Traitor Lirrir's side little information exists on the topic. Small-scale fusion reactors without significant neutron burden have been observed along with some forms of accelerated sleep medications. The gas processing and filtration infrastructure that the Cimbonians landed ground side is well in advance for scale and power use compared to domestic infrastructure, but not significantly so. All transportation assets that have been landed are closer to fusion-thermal shuttles with comfortable VTOL performance and several days loiter times, but if these are the mainstay military transports or something else remains to be seen.

    Infantry weapons are dominated by a form of laser-using carbine with a light weapon system more than capable of destroying any form of conventional armor. Experience with captured weapons has shown them unable to penetrate the deployed armor systems with current theories indicating that there are dedicated systems for proverbialy punching down or rapid airborne assault against lighter forces. There has been almost no sighting of what could be considered an anti-tank weapon on the infantry level, indicating a lack of use or given the rest of the force structure no expectation of any form of armored threat. Further, infantry kit includes effectivly a form of sealed armor along with thermal vision equipment that is if anything more primitive than available domestically.

    Proverbial vehicles in the form of VTOL craft have been the primary threat for several reasons, incorporating what could be best described as a laser cannon in a dorsal mount. So far none have been shot down, captured, or retrieved limiting what could be determined but several key factors remain. Some have been seen hauling weights of up to thirty tons indicating a TWR of two or better by Lirrir estimations. The central gun is more than capable of destroying armored trains punching clean through locomotives and engaging from effective over-the-horizon ranges at high altitudes taking advantage of a designation system of some kind. The missile armament available has if anything been a disappointment as hypesonics have not been used in the conflict with most strategic munitions effectivly dumb terrain followers reliant on ship-board control systems for final targeting.

    In the scope of naval technologies, the Cimbonians have every advantage possible over domestically made vessels, with drives capable of relativistic exhaust velocities in the cruise phase with some form of hydrogen injection. Shipboard weapons seem to be centered around a central gun of some type according to the Lirrir, but as far as anyone on the planet can tell none have seen it fired. Point defense is conducted through laser systems as expected with lens sizes smaller and made of a visibly non-transparent material indicating pumping bands that cannot be achieved domestically. Further, their radiator sizes are far smaller than expected with thermal efficiencies of almost ninety-nine percent expected from the drive with a negligible neutron fraction. No missile armament has been observed, either indicating that the technology is a dead end, or that the Synod has never invested into their proliferation.

    From primitive dissections done on Cimbonian casualties, the Lirrir have found two species comprising the bulk of forces. The first is a hard-skinned oxygen respiring quadruped with several adaptions for low oxygen use along with a carnivorous diet. All four limbs are fully capable of manipulation, indicating either a strong adaption to orbital operations, genetic modification, or a planet that was built around a wet wooded environment. The second species is far more exotic with an eight-limbed body plan covered in a coat of fur. Their biology is also oxygen based but their comfortable temperature range is effectively outside that of the first species. Musculature groups indicate that they likely developed as a form of ambush predators with a strong ability to climb and leap. Both have acceptably decent vision, but it is universally poor with muscle density that is lower than even that of the Lirrir.


    Intelligence Service:

    Briefing: Visoth's report on the situation of the army is broadly a negative one with several officers notably siloed off socially. These cliques have formed something of a series of social clubs where while nothing official is discussed there is an undercurrent of malcontent. Where the issues are worse are in the younger officers as even a cursory assessment has found them willing to endorse radical ideas, if ones that are presented in a democratic framework. The previous work on the army has still left behind several networks of agents, but they are broadly inadequate and insufficient for getting an accurate picture of the situation much less doing something. Visoth has so far refused to make a list due to uncertainty but is more than willing to make one if authorized to recruit agents and begin surveillance operations. (Choose One)

    []Operation Shut Pump: Formal programs for embedding agents into army structures can begin to provide something of a ground image. These will mostly be agents who are willing to report on their social groups rather than directly recruited agents, with the vast majority unaware of what they are participating in. Centralized intelligence operations will be with properly trained agents but only a few will be required to get an accurate picture of the forces. Little will be able to be done outside a major information cache or a high-level effective defector, but the program can provide a far more accurate picture of the military.

    []Operation Quiet Walk: The far right has never been capable of excessive communication discipline and that can be taken advantage of. Formalizing backdoors into most recreational communications as used by the military can create a scandal but is unlikely to be noticed or cared about outside the civilian government. This will give an accurate view of groups through the lowest common denominator of those who are determined to post their entire lives on social media. These are deeply unlikely to find anything major but will be key for limiting the promotion of radicalized officers. (Possible Political Support Loss)

    []Operation Ethereal Summer: Specialized units can be raised with deniable organizational structures along with a capacity for rapid redeployment. These are going to be direct recruits from special forces that have remained comparatively normal and loyal to the democratic republic instead of the typical tendency of special forces. These teams will report directly to an explicit dual command of the Minister of Defense and Directorate head, as their likely uses will be deeply questionable. Organizing the force itself will not be controversial but using the proverbial dagger in the dark will be disruptive.

    []Operation Moldy Vase: The infiltration of the army is happening at some scale from several political and social organizations. Some are comparatively innocent but a large portion represents direct damage to the command and the state's democratic institutions. The key point of entry remains officer school candidates as the enlisted are unlikely to ferment any large movement, leaving the officers the most questionable. Monitoring for officer school posts and social clubs will be essential to filter out the worst candidates and several that are caught can be used as agents for later operations, especially if they are vacillating.

    []Operation Luxuriant Hat: Preparing grey and black operation signals groups is effectivly as simple as protecting several hackers and placing them on a government payroll. Keeping said hackers from knowing they are on a government payroll will require several shadow groups, but ensuring that large organizations can be at least ostensibly directed will provide a further layer of obfuscation. These groups are uncertain, likely inconsistent, and can cause problems directly but with the numbers of disaffected youth, there is no shortage of experienced cybercriminals that can be productively used. Further, the most capable can be directly recruited, providing legitimate careers and expanding directorate capacity.

    []Operation Miniature Spark: Digital infiltration of the PSC is going to be the first step in uncovering party-military connections. There are several suspicions that the party leadership is working with several military officers but little has been definitively confirmed. Ensuring that several drives are left for staffers to insert malware along with more conventional attack vectors by unaligned groups will provide a comprehensive infiltration. The party almost certainly has several servers and databases protected by only the thinnest security that can be paid off, diverted, or even transferred to other sites to ensure operational security. (Very Unlikely Massive Political Support Loss)

    []Operation Flagrant Letter: A team needs to be prepared for initial diplomatic contact with the Lirrir both in a diplomatic and an intelligence-gathering sense. Personnel will be tapped from several diplomats that have retired along with several technological experts with as wide a basis as possible. Training the entire team and ensuring that they can provide some intelligence from diplomatic contact will take years. Still, the sooner this is started the sooner it will yield results as a prepared team of intelligence officers will ensure the Authority puts its best foot forward.


    New Programs

    (Currently, 4 Running, can select up to five concurrent programs)

    []Second Generation Infantry Equipment: The Alien Enemy has some form of viable laser weapons that no current system can compete with along with armor that is at a minimum resistant to GPMG-type munitions without significant degradation. The Lirrir were more primitive when fighting and suffered for it, but the general lessons from their engagements can still be applied to more modern systems. A new heavy rifle is going to be necessary in the mode of the battle rifles of old along with further improvements to mobility equipment and the issuance of a true heavy machine gun. (20B Or Expected)

    []Standardization of Orbital Troops: The enemy has a massive advantage in technology and an even larger advantage of experience for orbital fighting leaving it as the weakest sector of defense. The current orbital forces are not suited for heavy engagements and are effectively equipped with space-adapted weapons rather than more capable weapon systems. The effective microgravity allows for the use of heavier platforms along with provisions for low-intensity fighting over orbital bodies. (40B Or Expected)

    []Heavy Infantry Prototypes: We cannot remotely match the enemy in an infantry-sized platform but nothing inherently requires an infantry-scale platform. Going for a heavier integrated powered system incorporating the latest batteries and a direct neural interface can allow troops that can be partially defended against glancing beam exposures while providing the capacity for our laser weapons. They are almost certain to be restricted to a far lower rate of fire and total magazine capacity but weight can compensate for improved technology if only because of thermal limits. (???B Or Expected)

    []Space Capable Buggies: Making a buggy capable of carrying a fireteam and traversing a low-gravity lunar environment represents several massive technical challenges. Current examples have derived more from rovers but the technical work involved has left them deeply insufficient for most duties. The actual system would be a simple electric wide chassis focused on stability and the capacity for avoiding injury in case of a low gravity accident from lack of ground pressure. Weapon mountings on the system are going to be secondary with the vehicle serving more as a transport and towing platform. (80B Or Expected)

    []Hypersonic Missile Systems: The old inventory of plasma stealth high capacity independently guided munitions has been degraded by time and constant use. Some excess production capacity has been left over for the smattering of pre-war systems but there is little left and slower munitions are expected to have negligible effect. Unifying platform use will allow for a consolidation of several ordinance types especially as a swapable warhead can provide a far more generalized capability of each missile bus. Development costs for the advanced aerodynamic surfaces necessary for the missile will take time but the funding is currently available. (500B Or Expected)

    []Airmobile Armored Support: Building a dual-purpose armored vehicle that can be air transported represents several severe limitations. Cargo capacity limitations of Type 39 limit the design to forty tons or preferably twenty tons for dual-purpose capability. Armor protection would then need to be reduced considerably compared to more conventional IFV and armament will further likely be reduced. Capacity to operate during a direct drop would be preferable but not required, making the program likely to produce an intermediate between the current light vehicle and more conventional systems. (200B Or Expected)

    []SPG/SPAA Systems: The Type 36 lacks the capacity for mounting heavy laser armament due to its propulsion system and further presents several limitations for expanded turrets. Instead of using old methods of developing a system based on a tank, work can be done for a dedicated modular system. Artillery ammunition storage can be swapped between it and battery-capacitor storage systems, providing significant lasing capacity. Saturation issues will likely remain due to the limits of battery technology and a lowered continuous power but such continued heavy use is more likely to have thermal concerns long before battery depletion. (250B Or Expected)

    []New MBT: With the confirmation of enemy heavy vehicles and shuttles, new and radical gun systems are going to be necessary to threaten, much less bring down theoretical enemy armor across primary threat aspects. Current thinking is tending towards a sixty to seventy-ton platform with an integrated DNI crew allowing the commander to have a constant all-round perspective that is further enhanced by several linked AI copilots. There are trends towards lighter systems that give up on sufficient anti-laser protection in favor of improved battlefield information and mobility but a comprehensive program must be started to test them. (400B Or Expected)

    []Loitering Munitions: Autonomous systems with high loiter times built based on disposable munitions have a limited effect on protected vehicles but are perfectly adequate in an anti-personnel role. Effective simplified systems with total autonomous control can be easily developed and produced in the thousands as a field expedient source of fires and suppression for concentrations of manpower. Some proposals have been made for mounting proper kinetic ordinance for APS penetration but those are primarily going towards heavier systems. Core aspects of the program are almost certain to focus on a heavier degree of automation and eliminating communications and jamming vulnerabilities. (100B Or Expected)

    []Next Generation Fleet Combatant: Long-duration patrol missions with a new generation of nuclear vessels with a high-efficiency gas core-mhd system can be designed to significantly improve capability. Massive onboard power systems can go towards the driving of electrical propulsion and laser anti-missile weaponry. Extending the old system of VLS cells and reducing the overall radar and physical profile of the ships will allow a massive improvement in strike and anti-aircraft capacity. The class itself is expected to mostly replace most surface ships on the planet with a follow-on class of LCS expected to allow for marine capacity. (750B Or Expected across several funding phases)

    []Militarized Orbital Destroyer: The capacity to fit a particle beam into a ship is an entirely open question and one that is going to have to be answered. There is so far no concrete role for a heavy orbital competent capable of returning fire in an anti-shipping role. Designs for it range from a heavy missile carrier with liquid nuclear core missile busses to allow for closer range engagements to a heavy slow combatant with armor designed around firing heavy particle beams. Technical development will be the core aspect of the program with few examples of the class expected to be constructed before a refined follow-on is made. (500B Or Expected across several funding phases)


    Politics:

    (Select 3 Actions)

    []Large-Scale Exercises(Army): The military has not fought anything larger than a skirmish for the last forty years and that needs to be remedied before new equipment is brought in to fight an unknown enemy. There is an approximate estimation of the capability of the alien enemy but it is almost certainly a lower order estimate primarily over their infantry rather than any significant armor presence. Running a series of comprehensive exercises on the brigade level against both conventional and approximate Redfor will improve capability and ensure that we are preparing for the next war. (100B Or Cost)

    []Orbital Defense Exercises: The orbital troops are not ready to defend the orbits in any form and that is known to practically everyone in the military. The crews themselves are unprepared and undertrained to do their duty and provisions for final defense of the stations are not available in any significant form. Testing out theoretical defensive systems in lower orbit along with using the current fleet as Redfor can provide some experience on how to defend an orbit against a hostile fleet. (Political Support Gain) (50B Or Cost)

    []Weaponization of Orbit: Limited nuclear intercept batteries can be placed into LDO and around key infrastructures outside of low orbit. These will mostly be configured as box launchers with limited heat dissipation capacity, made to operate cold. The chemical ordinance will be prioritized for these installations as while they are likely to be burned down, their presence as neutral targets amid the debris belts can provide some protection. Most of the installations are unlikely to last even a momentary enemy weapon or beam exposure but even one survivor can likely retaliate with close-range nuclear fire. (Political Support Gain) (150B Or Cost)

    []Money-Free Orbital Zones: Evaluating the concept of eliminating money on the orbital stations and colonies will improve morale and allow troops to keep on station longer. Shifting the allocations to troops to ones based on their needs and delegating recreational activity on a voucher system will improve morale and allow a more responsive system. This would ostensibly improve the morale of the forces in orbit allowing them to trade recreational time and receive it for the performance of harder tasks as a bonus. (Possible Political Support Cost)

    []Strike Against Rogue Commands: Lower-level commanders that are raising their forces outside the army bureaucracy need to be headed off now before someone attempts something stupid. Punishing those involved with a demotion and a re-allocation to the Northern Policing Area as direct command officers will allow the worst examples to be made examples of. Further, the forces that are raised will be transferred to far more reliable commands that are not involved in the current issue and that can more importantly follow orders rather than raising an incompetent ramshackle militia. (??? Political Support) (??? Change in Army Unity)

    []Maneuver Commanders Around: Leaving commanders that are all but gathering personal forces alone would be idiocy but a softer approach can be taken. Promoting them to alternative administrative positions that are effective dead ends and giving them several unimportant yet essential jobs can ensure that they stay less of a problem. These will come as an effective series of demotions that are not likely to be popular and could in theory be refused if there is a cooperating network. Still, by moving personnel around the immediate threat of possible personal military action can be significantly reduced. (??? Political Support) (??? Change in Army Unity)

    []Expand Department 4: Expanding funding towards the Fourth Department will be essential for tracking down the issues in the army as the resignation can only be a signal of a deeper rot. The military has effectivly been run as its own governing body for the last thirty-five years and there are almost certainly hundreds of problems in the ranks that have been allowed to fester. Ignoring the significant political and social issues that can be caused by the army, the species cannot afford another first period of the war. An unprepared army of failsons will fall to more organised alien forces and there will not be the necessary operational pause necessary to get the military into fighting shape before extinction. (50B Or Cost, additional 50B Or Maintenance) (Immediate Additional Intel Action)

    []Mobilization of Equipment Reserves: Type 12 and 23 Tanks and Type 18 IFVs are obsolete in the extreme and mostly comprised of rusted hulks, but their armor is still theoretically sound. Equipping them with laser-resistant foam on the front aspect along with mass production civilian quality systems will narrow some of the gaps, and assuming the guns function adequately they can be further brought into service. Programs to fully refurbish the old hulls will take a considerable amount of funding but the armored strength of the army can be returned. Further, old nuclear ships that have been partially retired can receive new cores, bringing the fleet to fighting strength, if with entirely obsolete vessels. (Political Support Gain) (400B Or Cost)

    []Harden Force Discipline: Every soldier with any remote technical knowledge knows they are outmatched in the extreme and are broadly being sent to die for any hope of species survival. Ensuring that the enlisted are exposed to only media that focuses on the ability to survive and the necessities of such fighting will improve morale especially once the conflict starts. Targeted algorithms will provide the correct context for the future and will be developed to ensure that any crew on stations and military bases can maintain combat conditions even if entirely overmatched. (20B Or)

    []Orbital Command Expansion: With the deployment of new mining ships, actually organizing the auxiliary command has proven essential. Four squadrons of mining ships are to be created along with more unified industrial commands focused on increasing production in space. This will consolidate the general forces and ensure a consistent hierarchy, eliminating snags in command and stabilizing the overall defense of the system. Without a solid organization, the auxiliary force is likely to be incapable of responding to combat threats, much less surviving long enough to organize a counterattack.

    []Study Wartime Issues(Select Specific Program): Committing some time to do a full literature report on a critical wartime piece of equipment and how it exactly failed is going to be a massive crawl through the archives but someone needs to do it. Working for a few continuous days on pulling the papers will take some extra leisure time but it's expected if one is to understand anything of what they are doing. (-5 to +15 depending on roll) (Wartime Equipment Only)

    []Study Theoretical Proposals(Select Specific Program): Taking the time to directly analyze theoretical designs and technical aspects of procurement can improve the performance of several systems. Without a wide basis of understanding little can be done and attempting to interpret theoretical concepts remains an open question. Pouring over a few hundred papers to get a surface-level understanding is still a good use of time especially for matters as important as procurement but there are limitations without large-scale experience. (-5 to +5 depending on roll) (All Equipment)

    []Enforce Democracy: The current government has broken from the democratic principle through the alienation of the average worker and persistent failure to meet their needs. Instead of the army allowing the government to exist movements can be made to change over the green government and hold new elections to enable a transition to democratic methods. This is currently untested and it's questionable if elections would change anything but it remains a constitutional capability.

    Infantry-Equipment Set:


    Type 23 Combined Equipment: Working with wartime lessons learned and an anemic budget allocation that was expected to go towards all troops, a rationalized system of infantry equipment was developed. Any concept of semi-powered systems or technical sophistication was abandoned in favor of a more conventional system of a plate carrier and uniform combination with a degree of weather resistance. Chemical and biological protection has been limited to a simple respirator rather than the enclosed wartime suits, providing some resistance in the unlikely event of a chemical attack. The old electronically integrated rifles have been brought under a unified 6.5x52mm round along the lines of an R-45 system with effective mountings for optics. Anti-tank firepower has also been consolidated into a series of high-velocity kinetic systems favoring light systems capable of being fired at volume to overwhelm currently non-existent protection systems.


    ATGM:

    Type 35 Anti-Tank System: On the infantry end the Type-35 rocket system is an effective automated fire and forget that can fire on thermal or electro-optical signature acquisition from a polymer tube, coming in at a portable twenty-three-kilogram system loaded. Long-range and vehicle-based variations have been effectively constructed with the seventeen-kilogram terminal phase paired with a either thirteen or twenty-kilogram booster, providing long-range capability with an incorporated autonomous mode. Errant signature targeting remains a problem for the complex but all three are entering large-scale production to distribute anti-tank firepower. The forty-three-kilogram vehicle mount is to be standardized across the IFV force, providing a massive increase in long-range firepower.


    Wheeled Vehicles:

    Light Utility Vehicles: Repurposed vehicles ranging from civilian trucks to modified sedans that have formed several key fire elements. Design standardization has been implemented to the point that several models have a standard set of plating and mounting hardware, but these are effectively pressed into service civilian vehicles. Most mount some variety of medium or heavy machine guns but heavier variants do exist with anti-tank missile systems and recoilless rifles. A light vehicle replacement is considered a priority as the current mass of systems is both unwieldy and impossible to maintain.

    Type 38 8x8: Developed as an all-field improvement over the original Type 14 truck the Type 38 mostly delivers on several improvements. Moving to a reinforced frame made of more advanced materials along with improvements in development has allowed the new truck to carry eight tons offroad and seventeen tons on the road. Hill traversal capacity is limited and the engine is notably underpowered but the truck does incorporate several lessons learned for safety design compared to all that came before it. Variations capable of carrying artillery pieces and operating as a basic bed for the mounting of anti-aircraft systems have already been proposed. The entire truck only has armor along the cabin against small arms, but that has been judged as sufficient.


    IFV/APC:

    Type-36 IFV: A standardized 8x8 IFV built on a series of reliable technical concepts with novel engineering focused primarily on armor and protective systems. Improved HEA plating has been interspersed with ultrahard ceramics in a quasi-NERA array containing far more detailed ultra-hard elements with features. The shift towards materials lighter and stronger than conventional steels alone has ensured that protection is sufficient across the vehicle to resist conventional fire while the ceramics serve to break up threats from cumulative munitions. APS protection has also been extended with eight heavy charges and twenty-four light charges mounted across the turret. The armament is a combination of eight types 35 ATGM and an automated 24mm cannon effectively offering a direct continuation from older APCs. Amphibious capability on the vehicle has been maintained with space for eight dismounts creating several questions on optimal squad sizes. Mortar-carrying and artillery-carrying variants are already being considered though the lack of a power train precludes its use as a SPLAA.


    Tank:

    Type 38(Pre War) Tank: The other component of the heavy armored system built around a 1500kW diesel engine combined with an electric drive. The tank is practically built around its central 152mm cannon and autoloader, feeding shells into the system at an acceptable rate with long rod penetrators of up to 1.6 meters capable of being loaded in two parts from hull-based cassettes. APS systems have been pioneered onto the tank with sixteen heavy charges and twelve light charges focused around the frontal aspect to degrade ordinance. Armor protection is not technically sufficient to resist an integrated penetrator from its gun, but that has been judged as sufficient. Automatic gun systems based on the Type 36 APC have been integrated with smart return fire capacity built-in with the 24mm Canon. Despite nearly a hundred operational vehicles the chassis has been used for everything from mobile laser anti-aircraft systems to IFVs in greater numbers.


    Fixed Wing Aircraft:

    Type 39 Aircraft: The General Aerospace entrant that has been delivered to specification, if universally derided by pilots as the equivalent of operating a garbage truck. The plane is powered by two high-power 240kN turbofans with a capacity for climb-outs in most cargo regimes with only a single engine if necessary. Automatic landing has been incorporated into the plane and a significant degree of redundancy has been incorporated as hundreds of the lessons learned in the old passenger industry are relearned. Over a thousand units are expected to be purchased for the army with variations designed for transportation, low-intensity missile transportation, and several further roles as general-purpose airframes. Even the civilian sector has started work on adapting a copy for the rapid transportation of mail, allowing GA to recoup its costs. Poor surface takeoffs limit the ability of the airframe to operate in a safe mode with increased cargo allocation but even that has been judged as sufficient.


    Medium Drones:

    None-Operational


    Light Drones:

    Improvised Surveillance Drones: A massive number of diverse quadcopters and basic fixed-wing drones have been produced at a massive number of workshops as systems for surveillance. These have mostly been built with simple radio systems and radio control systems built around applications on civilians and some specialized tablets. Some variants have been modified with basic tandem charge warheads for suicide attacks. The lack of standardization has limited their use of improvised munitions making the commissioning of new systems a high priority.


    Naval Combat Ships:

    19xType 37 LCS(Pre War): The older generation of lighter littoral combat ships utilizing gas turbines instead of more complex nuclear power plants. Most were built primarily for patrol and anti-piracy duties rather than complex operational requirements in wartime leaving most of them intact in the aftermath. The hulls themselves are equipped with a universal VLS system containing one hundred and twenty tubes rated for anti-shipping missiles along with a series of radar systems and a dual electrochemical canon setup for closer range support duties. Radar integration is considered acceptable even if anti-stealth tracking leaves much to be desired as a platform. Carrying capacities of marines and personnel are the primary purpose of the ship, with the current remaining stocks of the class effectively serving as oversized police cutters.

    35xType 33 Frigate(Pre War): The lightest of the classes of ship in service in the thirties modernization program and one destined to act as a low profile low in the water universal combatant specialized in anti-aircraft work. A combined battery of sixty-four cells along with a light electrochemical gun makes up their primary armament. The main purpose of the vessels was the tracking and interception of anti-fleet missile systems while on a cheaper-to-build non-nuclear hull. More complex radar systems were pioneered on the class that would later go on every 30's era ship, allowing an unparalleled simultaneous over-the-horizon intercept capacity against sixteen targets in coordination with further data-linking radars along with data-link enabled lobs followed by terminal boost phase.


    Submarines:

    None-Operational


    Orbital Frigates:

    16xRiver-Class(Pre-War Type-35): Closer to a modified police ship than a true naval warship, the River class was originally designed as a vehicle to transport a platoon-sized element of marines between habitats. This was complemented by a limited degree of self-defense capability to police the orbitals along with enabling further orbital work. Drives were built around open cycle gas core reactors supplemented with MPDs for long-range maneuvers, giving each ship a healthy 50 km/s of delta V. With tensions increasing and ever-increasing conflicts with the northern colonial administration the 39 refit radically changed the role of the ships. A series of octagonal twelve-tube missile launches were incorporated into the frame by lengthening the ship along with an 8 MW pulsed laser system with a staggered series of lenses capable of engaging with three at any proper targeting angle. None of those helped in the retreat from lower orbit as guns ravaged the ships, but the few remaining examples have served as venerable shuttles after a total overhaul in 9AE. Reactor cores were replaced with new power ones and the crew section was further compressed to extend their capacities as troop ships, more than capable of supporting the transfer of three hundred men in an LDO-Lunar flight profile.


    Orbital Destroyers:

    6xDaring Class(Pre-War Type-32): More designed as a pleasure liner for important personnel in orbit along with a defended shuttle for crew transfers outward each Daring is practically the hallmark of a long gone age. Pioneering gas core systems in orbit along with massive travel drives the ships were meant to reach further than ever before in a state of unmatched luxury as tuned MPDs and massive power cores provided them with a usable delta-v of almost 180 km/s. In the 38 refit program, the previously peaceful ships were given a similar missile section to the Type-35 incorporating defensive systems and using the massive power system to mount massive high-temperature 12 MW lasers in a triplex configuration. Each ship can defend itself from anything short of a heavy missile attack, allowing unparalleled operational capacity while maintaining some luxuries. The 12AE refits only compounded on the class with the rationalization of quarters into a hot bunking system incorporating sectioned belonging storage and external mounts for additional crew or cargo. This has enabled a massive five hundred-man capacity along with tons of cargo, though life support resources are strained on such voyages.


    Spaceborne Auxiliary Ships:

    Debris Skiffs: The massive series of different classes of light skiffs that patrolled the orbits looking for debris and salvage have no unified class or performance envelope. The most universal factor for them has been the lack of a nuclear drive and a simple long-burning hydrogen engine for propulsion. Most were effectively a printed airlock, a radar, and a series of propellant tanks, capable of assessing larger debris and preparing them for deorbiting work. Lacking any defensive weaponry or nuclear systems a number of these have even been operated by practically civilian concerns from stations, offering tours and overviews. Standardization of small skiffs for moving around the orbital system is still deeply in demand but it remains a niche application now that debris has mostly stopped being a major threat.

    8xType-22 Barge: Effectively an oversized gas core reactor attached to tanks of water and a system for mass on-site refining from carbonate asteroids the Type-22 miner is more of a tug than a true mining ship. Operations are conducted through the processing of several rocks until a reserve of water is built up, afterward the ship approaches a metalloid rock or chunk, and its crew drills into it. Using highly efficient MPDs that are downgraded the ship steadily pushes the rock and itself into a slow intercept maneuver of Dannan, allowing the rock to be then mined in lower orbit. The two-year missions each Type-22 conducts are long and with a poor crew retention rate as the conditions on board are considered poor even compared to more rationalized ships, if only due to the length of missions. Iterations on the miners are already planned, even if they have not yet been implemented.


    Automation:


    Improved AI Market Models: Beating out a capable Seelie at modeling in the stock market has already been done but current ML models can take behaviors a step further. By optimizing direct data streams and using a model of learned behavior and information analysis, correct market decisions can be made well in advance by the general public and most investment agents. The actual deployment of the technology has been limited to financial firms focused on optimizing the market with significant gains expected for the early adopters. At this point, people have mostly been removed from market activity with high data algorithms trained off interpreting behavior taking precedence.

    Enhanced Population-Facing Algorithms: Advancing population-facing machine learning models has only intensified with the state operation of social media interactions. It is still impossible to make a model that cannot be distinguished from a Seelie in all circumstances, but that is almost within reach. Basic chatbots have been refined so that one can be used with a focused set of goals and a solid general comprehension of information. Further advances in ensuring that models that fail can indicate a low-confidence answer, allowing for an improved user perspective. (30 AE)

    Total Line Automation: Previous efforts at predictive logistics and advanced ordering programs have only developed further with improvements made to the autonomous operation of entire facilities. Current algorithms are insufficient to replace all staff but something as simple as balancing and troubleshooting basic parameter deviation has already been demonstrated with further gains expected on the direct testing level. There is little need for first-line employees when logistics can be conducted in an automated manner with a further simplification of most industries that require sterile standards. Continuous improvements are only expected to continue as more advanced algorithms can further reduce necessary labor. (35AE)

    Technical Generative AI: Continued improvement in machine learning along with engineering-specific developments have continued to enhance the automation of industries. Previous generations of generative AI have been limited to non-technical low-risk applications but it has steadily gone towards a capability to act as an immediate reference and design optimization tool. Training datasets are still limited and the machines are nowhere near perfect but as a first-line tool for rapid prototyping and a second-line tool for assessing projects it is invaluable. Automation can now replace most positions that produce novel intellectual labor for conventional design work, with just a few needed to check the AI and ensure consistency in training datasets. (35AE)

    Ballistics


    Economics


    Social Sciences


    Computing

    X-Ray Lithography Techniques: Next-generation lithography was judged as necessary to make the jump to 3nm gate widths, but even that has proven insufficient. New machines with X-ray light have been demonstrated on a laboratory scale, capable of making feature sizes smaller than previously considered possible with a lower number of errors from simplifications in the beam source. Effectively new machinery is now capable of making circuits on a previously thought-to-be impossible scale, eliminating lithographic challenges. The limitations of electron probability distributions are still notable, but they too can eventually be overcome.

    3D Electronics: Layering on a single integrated die was already practiced to a limited extent but with the latest lithographic techniques density of packaging can be further improved to allow for three-dimensional features. Thermal transfer limits still are the same as any other advanced silicon computer along with the inherent issues of electron tunneling but effective 1.2nm gates can be printed in a three-dimensional matrix. These are then underclocked to improve thermal stability, providing on-die performance gains without needing new technologies or a jump toward new types of computational hardware. (New 40 AE)

    Immature Carbon Electronics: Following a parallel solution of maintaining conventional electronics despite significant issues in electron tunneling the use of carbon rather than silicon has been considered at points. A carbon circuit has inherently far fewer issues than silicon ones and can be developed to an even smaller feature size with far less leakage. Current techniques allow for the manufacturing of gates down to a 45nm feature size, significantly improving the performance of non-silicon computers even if the tech is still a curiosity. (New 40 AE)

    Basic Quantum Computing: Further achievements in computing have not come from shortening gate lengths or improving the density of conventional circuits but through the creation of dedicated quantum computing units. These processors can hold almost ten thousand qbits with some capacity for calculation, even if they are not relevant for most tasks that are better suited for conventional computing. Most of the units are useless outside of discrete applications in small data problems and low-level particle modeling, but the application alone is sufficient to drive investment in the field and push for improved models.


    Cybernetics/DNI

    Dual-Band NI: Downband neural interfacing has always been considered a massive challenge for control systems and is not practical as a system. Basic sensation feedback can now be delivered with a neural splice avoiding any invasive procedures, and even with a significant learning period basic interfaces can be developed. Further, the technology offers the chance to directly train a single nerve to operate a multi-faceted machine through learning simulations comparable to physical therapy. Some sterile implant programs have started for first adopters with an exclusive up-band-only mounting but the technology once matured can apply to any number of military applications. (30 AE)

    Basic Cybernetics: Continued advancements in both genetics and neural interfacing have brought forward a practical new era of implantation and dual-way linkages between neurons and computers. Using basic genetic modification to designate several metals as non-invasive to prevent an immune response along with advanced coatings, safe implants can be produced with few issues of rejection and minimal follow-on treatment. Direct neural control along with the direct splicing of nerves represents a further improvement in old techniques allowing theoretical direct control of larger machinery from a direct linkage. (35AE)


    Transmission

    Terahertz Networking: Taking advantage of previously untapped bands of electromagnetic propagation has defined the last generations of networking but it can be taken a step even further. Consolidating work and increasing transmitter power can only go so far in improving penetration, but for most environments, a simple receiver can be used. Propagation of signals in the range can allow for the transmission of data in gigabytes per second over the air, simplifying significant areas of infrastructure. Signal doublers and lesser bands are still needed for the penetration of obstacles, but the improvements from moving into higher ranges hold immense promise.

    CNT Filament Radiators: The use of carbon nanotubes as radiator surfaces has been proposed several times but issues exist in inter-tube connections along with the intensive thermal environment. If long chain tubes can be synthesized and placed on large rollers, centrifugal forces can keep the radiator array extended without much issue all while radiating a massive amount of heat. Even in an optimized configuration, new systems are expected to be heavier than contemporary liquid metal droplet radiators but they can be operated at theoretically hotter temperatures while being far more resistant to damage. (New 40 AE)

    Currie Point Radiators: Taking an alternative track and basing the design of several proposals made for lower temperature circuits something of a novel concept radiator has been proposed. Rather than using large emissive structures of liquid metal the curie point of several materials can be taken advantage of. This way iron or cobalt can be ejected and then re-magnetized and returned as it cools to under 1000K, providing a significant radiative effect. Such a technique will not work for systems made to operate far outside 1300K but for civilian power systems, this is more than sufficient. (New 40 AE)


    Energy Storage

    MgLiS Batteries: A new revolution in the development of battery power has come from fundamental work on the development of next-generation battery chemistry. Combining the density of single-use aluminum-air cells with the rechargeability of lithium batteries, new magnesium-sulfur batteries with some lithium additives have been brought to commercial production. Voltage limitations and the need for finer electronics to take advantage of the lower voltage plateau have limited most implementations outside storage use to only 1000Wh/kg, but even that represents a massive improvement over previous chemistries. Current production costs are slightly greater than equivalent lithium ions, but as mass production takes off a cheap rechargeable battery capable of a massive number of cycles can be brought to every electronic device.

    Thermal Storage: Paired high-temperature molten storage with a high-efficiency high differential thermocouple offers a novel if mostly redundant cheap storage method. The effective price of the system is only dependent on its throughput in the thermocouple with the salts themselves forming a very cheap factor. Efficiency is poor and the actual capacity is mostly superseded by MgS battery compositions, but for several low-cost applications, it can be used. Some new batteries have been designed as a speaker system as massive volumes of salts are heated up to provide energy outside of the productive bands of renewable energy plants as entire lakes of salt are far cheaper than even the cheapest batteries. (30 AE)

    Ultracapacitors: The limitations of conventional capacitance are still notable but have been overcome through a new generation of designs. Even though the specific power of newer systems is only a fifth of electrolytic capacitors, new ultracapacitors have over one hundred times greater specific energy. The cells are hybrid capacitors based on a nitrogen-doped graphene nanocomposite with ZnCo2O4 that can be produced at some cost. The system itself is unlikely to replace batteries to any extent but the performance on offer has opened the way to several highly energetic systems. (New 40 AE)


    Fission

    Gas Core Reactors: In terrestrial applications, the maximum efficiency for a nuclear core operating in a conventional cycle has always been constrained by the Carnot equation. Working instead with a gaseous core and a partial system of harvesting using an MHD both thermodynamic efficiency and energy conversion efficiency can be nearly doubled. Electrical conversion efficiencies of nearly seventy percent have been achieved in theoretical test cases bringing orbital reactor core performance to larger-scale ground-side cores.

    Third Generation MHD Generators: Through combined improvements in harvesting methodologies for power and better systemic thermal isolation significant gains have been made in thermodynamic efficiencies of power production. These mostly involve a more refined MHD cycle with some secondary thermal harvesting, bringing waste heat output down to a far more manageable twenty percent of the generative process. This in no way gets rid of radiators and further efficiency improvements will be a massive technical challenge but they can still be undertaken. The far greater scale of new unit generation systems will make refits challenging but new vessels can be built to far improved margins of thermal control. (35AE)

    Non-Propulsive Dusty Plasma Reactor: Continued drives towards gaining efficiency and the modification of thrust systems have demonstrated significant further improvements to efficiency. By taking an ultra-light fissioning uranium plasma and confining it in a pinch between a dual-end MHD harvester an efficient method of power generation can be designed with few downsides. The power system will explicitly not be suitable for off-drive harvesting like previous generation gas-core MHD couplings but the gains from the new method will be massive. Thermal efficiencies in the order of eighty-five percent can be achieved with a hotter operating cycle, only limited by internal chamber materials, leading to more efficient radiative hot loops. (35AE)


    FTL

    FTL Tachyons: Combining a specialized method of particle physics, the interaction of W bosons in a strong magnetic and electrostatic field has managed to reliably produce several tachyons. These particles have managed to do a previously impossible interaction in conventional models of physics and effectively send a signal out instantaneously. Receiver infrastructure has only been built in another lab, but a basic signal was transmitted along with a narrow band data stream through a Morse-like system. Theoretically, larger and more capable systems have already been commissioned, but they are not expected to be smaller than dedicated buildings and will almost certainly be limited in data transmission. (An unscientific carve-out of relativity in the sense of a privileged special frame that is nonetheless for writing what I want to instead of the more speculative science approach I am taking with everything else.)

    FTL-Jump Drive(Theoretical): Through the prompt generation of exotic materials something of a temporary cross-dimensional linkage can be generated. Previous experiments with tachyons have significantly expanded the understanding of particle physics allowing for some glimpses into a possible even space where far larger objects can be sent in a theoretically faster-than-light trajectory. Current ideas of particle generation arrays are unstable at best and experience intense interference from gravitons effectively limiting techniques to areas of the system under less than 1e-4 m/s^2 of acceleration with even less preferred. Actual points where a transition can be induced are even fewer with four calculated to exist in the Dannan system but outside of testing with small objects, it is impossible to know if the model is applicable. Targeting is also assumed to be a major challenge with few known solutions outside of directing the field at the point of initiation, necessitating a massive amount of further testing. (30 AE) (More unscientific carveouts from relativity)

    FTL Jump Point Theory: The discrete detection of pockets of so-called jump-optimal space has proceeded logically from previous theories with the refit of a daring class destroyer to assessing pods. Initial guesses that the points would exist outside the orbit of the fifth planet and limitations of gravity have been confirmed though there is a curious phenomenon involved with most jump points in that some are significantly "deeper" dimensionally than others. It is believed that a jump conducted from a deeper point would both be easier and less intensive, leaving other areas of the system as more secondary. Confirmation of further points in the outer system will take time, but current mathematical understandings of jump space do indicate that there should be a few around the gas giant. (35AE)


    Fusion

    Optimal Band DT: Further improvements on the conventional fusion fuel cycle and a sustained temperature of 8 KeV can now be attained and maintained without a significant technical burden for reactors of the old scale. This effectively optimizes interaction cross-sections of the fuel, raising the reaction rate while maintaining a similar degree of plasma density. Improvements in the magnets involved have trickled down to smaller-scale reactors with the expectation that a positive 1 GWe reactor could be constructed. The largest improvements however come in the larger cores as once the optimal plasma temperatures are reached the reaction rate increases by almost five-fold making the largest cores economical for truly mass power-production applications. (35AE)

    Toroidal DT Drives: The development of fusion drives has come as a logical progression from terrestrial fusion reactors, lightening the entire assembly and introducing several thermal and neutron management concepts through the use of lighter plasma blankets. The gain factor of the system is expected to be just short of a hundred, allowing large-scale fusion drives to be designed. The inherent limitations of the DT reaction limit what can be done sustainably and without irradiating the crew but for everything but maximum thrust it effectively obsoletes fissile propulsion. Current drives are at the smallest 10GW of effective fusion power, but efficiency gains are expected as systems grow in size even if cooling plasma jackets will become more complex. (New 40AE)

    Toroidal DT Drives: The development of fusion drives has come as a logical progression from terrestrial fusion reactors, lightening the entire assembly and introducing several thermal and neutron management concepts through the use of lighter plasma blankets. The gain factor of the system is expected to be just short of a hundred, allowing large-scale fusion drives to be designed. The inherent limitations of the DT reaction limit what can be done sustainably and without irradiating the crew but for everything but maximum thrust it effectively obsoletes fissile propulsion. Current drives are at the smallest 10GW of effective fusion power, but efficiency gains are expected as systems grow in size even if cooling plasma jackets will become more complex. (New 40AE)

    Biosciences

    Genome Engineering: Taking a second look at the genome outside of the initial clumsy attempts by the old regime has yielded massive and rapid gains as transgenic applications have only grown in extent. Work towards tailoring physiological processes along with the specific location of genes responsible for appearance has effectively allowed an unlimited degree of modification. The forefront of the current breakthrough is a co-opting of internal systems of self-correction, allowing a specialized viral payload to infect large parts of the body along with the systems themselves with any remaining cells fixed to the new genetic package. Modifications ranging from more than tripling muscle mass set points to effective morphological control can be conducted, but most depend significantly on the degree of laws passed around them.

    Self Healing Concrete: Targeted genetic engineering work on previous programs has come to the fore with the integration of organisms in conventional concrete pours. These engineered organisms are built to produce calcite to fill any hole left in the concrete from micro-fractures or thermal stress. While the material itself will still steadily get weaker due to the limitations of biological systems, the ability to fix most micro-fractures will massively extend all lifespans. Further, as the integration of organisms is practically a cheap step of end-state processing, it can be done for almost nothing, allowing all modern grades of concrete to have limited self-repair for no real loss in initial durability.

    Hibernation Systems: Induction of a hibernation adjacent sleep-like state for long-duration orbital journeys has always been desirable but limitations in life support equipment have rendered it problematic. Rather than a total freezing of biological processes a sorta long duration low-calorie use sleep can be induced on a crew for long journeys performed by automated systems. Some degradation and risk are still expected from the process as it is refined but such sleepers can be kept at a minimal life support burden. Retrofits of the system onto ships have been delayed by the lack of automated systems capable of managing complex reactor parameters but several proposals have already been made for dual-setup craft. (30 AE)


    Materials Science

    High Entropy Alloys(Early): Developmental work on computational models of more complex crystalline structures has produced results practically as soon as sufficient computing power is applied. Breaking away from conventional understandings of bi-component alloys or base metals with mix-ins, the use of a massive number of mixed metals has allowed conventional material science to be revolutionized. Significant gains in basic structural alloys can be conducted in specialized smelting environments at a reasonable cost, even if many of the highest-performance materials capable of entering the realm of super-hard ceramics are limited by supplies of scandium and tantalum. Corresponding breakthroughs in additive manufacturing techniques have only improved performance, producing parts cheaply and with qualities well above conventional material science.

    Engineering Plastics: Work in the biological sciences on easy-to-produce materials has rapidly enabled the creation of biological systems capable of making short-chain polymers. Limitations in internal chemistries and the needs of organisms to process feedstock from the atmosphere have made the process inefficient compared to the energy committed, but for low-quality biologically derived plastics, this is a revolution. Incredible cheap plastic can be brought into bulk construction roles as fillers, improving structural design and further lowering costs for low-quality biodegradable material.

    Synthetic Diamondoids(low yield): Nothing prevents the production and shaping of a large block of diamondoid materials through innovative semi-conventional production methods along with improvements in deposition techniques. The only remaining question is if the expense of a diamondoid is useful in any good or product as the ultra-hardness can be almost replicated by more conventional and cheaper ultra-hard ceramics. Theoretical requirements involving only carbon are a positive factor but even those do not make the technology viable. (30 AE)

    CNT Mass Production: Improvements have been made in non-biological processes for the production of long-chain carbon nano-tubes effectively making biological methods obsolete. Large-scale macro-catalytics have developed significantly on older techniques with scalable production of new materials. The changeover has forced the rapid adoption of new methods along with the increase of the chemical industry as simpler methods are steadily pushed aside. After some reconfiguration, it is expected that CNT incorporation can become a common factor for several industrial applications. (35AE)


    Doctrine

    Autonomous Drone Warfare: New theories of automation have not failed to reach the battlefield with concepts around a general increase in semi-automatic and automatic combat platforms favored. ECCM has only improved over time with many asking why it is necessary to risk Seelie life in warfare when a single soldier can manage a dozen autonomous platforms. Development of doctrinal and technical concepts will involve committed testing of new platforms and new procurement goals limiting what can be done, but several visionary manuals have been written on the topic. (30 AE)


    Missiles/Small Craft

    Fission Drive Miniaturization: Technical work towards miniaturizing a liquid core fission drive has been possible if consistently problematic. Ensuring that effectively spinning fission fuel can have enough room for operation and adequate separation from the propellant is still a major technical challenge. Theoretical work towards slightly lowering temperatures and increasing mass flow while accepting emissions has been pushed forward but even that is theoretical. Effective launch profiles for rockets less than fifty tons can be made even if current costs make it prohibitive for anything disposable.


    Orbital Industry

    Early Spaceship ISRU: Procedures for the in-space refinement of metals have rapidly been developed to further exportation and increase yields. Next-generation mining techniques in the form of total asteroid capture followed by pulverization and liquefaction under mild centrifugal forces have yielded significant gains in refinement and on-site processing. The next generation of mining ships is expected to entirely incorporate new methods, effectively breaking off chunks of asteroids before capturing them and refining them internally. Water off-gas can be directly utilized for propulsion and life support while more solid elements are left for further refinement, allowing lighter nuclear drives to easily provide sufficient transit reserve.


    Particle Sciences

    MPD Improvements: With the start of construction for new ships, previously experimental techniques in the construction of magnetoplasmadynamic thrusters have effectively gone mainstream. Increasing the charge of the surface and allowing for a tentative protective coat in the flow has massively improved thruster durability for longer burns all while supplying more power. The already fairly efficient drives have been further thermally improved with the integration of superconducting materials on all non-contact components, reducing heat burdens and further power to weight.

    Bomb Pumped X-ray Lasers: Utilizing the fission fragments of a warhead to pump a laser has historically been attempted to consistent yet mediocre results, but with the integration of better lensing material and a slightly more coherent media far better results have been produced. The lasers are still hard to focus and carry forward a minuscule amount of power even compared to a shaped nuclear charge, but they have a far longer range and exist outside of conventional atmospheric limitations. Fissile material use for each laser-specialized warhead is expected to be heavy due to the negligible impact a second stage has on device design, limiting any approach to use a dirty single stage.

    Particle Beam Theories: Nothing prevents the mass scaling of the particle accelerator into a viable orbital weapon system capable of breaking the previous expectations of warship design. Massive linear accelerator designs can be made to accelerate a mass of particles to near relativistic speeds allowing for a massive impulse of radiation to be delivered to any target regardless of previous armoring attempts. The scattering will effectively limit the ranges and the massive capacitor banks required for the generation of the beam have made the system at its lightest a thousand-ton intensely magnetic tube, but it can be developed to a sufficient point to cram into a warship. (35 AE)


    Production Methods

    Advanced Additive Manufacturing: The largest gains in additive manufacturing techniques have not come from the methodologies themselves but from the materials fed into them and their integration into general industries. The manufacturing of specific specialty parts and the ability to rapidly prototype has remained from previous generations of manufacturing, what has changed however has been improvements in feedstock and deposition methods. Utilization of mixed powders has been a near-universal factor with finer grinding and materials that maintain hardness with a minimum degree of hardening prioritized. Using mixed powder high entropy alloy parts can be made to a higher standard than possible with other methods, integrating techniques as mainstream manufacturing methods on a previously unheard-of scale.

    Biological-Epoxies: Complete production chains for biosynthetic epoxies and resins have been developed with only some requirements remaining for molding. The material is not as cheap as conventional regenerative cement construction but it is better insulating and far more portable for logistically challenging areas. Molding is still necessary making the process not truly automated but some proponents of prefabricated resin paneling made in a factory as a light alternative to prefabricated panels especially for external insulation applications. (35 AE)

    Macro-Structural Polymers: Biological mechanisms for twisting the exact localization of structures along with the pre-production of dead tissue have long been coded for. Taking advantage of the more primitive systems left to us by nature most trees can be brought to productive ends. The production of ultrahard wooden items competitive with some lighter plastics can be made without too much issue. Better yet ultrahard microstructures can be built into them allowing materials to be grown that significantly outperform their contemporaries on a similar weight allotment. The use cases for such ultralight materials are limited by their flammability and the limits of biological systems but they still offer a useful capability. (New 40 AE)


    12-Hour Moratorium Vote by Plan
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Immediate reaction, im very glad we picked Visoth, these operations all seem competent and sensible, although some are quite ambitious. Not that its a bad thing to have a subordinate that got that dog in him, but we'll have to manage the enthusiasm somewhat.
     
    []Plan: Rush to aid and prep orbit
    -[]Promise Immediate Relief
    -[]Operation Luxuriant Hat
    -[]Operation Flagrant Letter
    -[]New MBT
    -[]Orbital Defense Exercises
    -[]Expand Department 4
    -[]Orbital Command Expansion

    Plan draft
    Immediate relief benefits political support and army unity, which we'll need considering we're investigating ourselves rn.
    Luxuriant Hat to start prepping our digital operations against the fascists. Flagrant letter to prep for immediate relief, just in case.
    New MBT because the Army desires it, and might actually be useful against these invaders.
    Now for potentially odd, Orbital Defense Exercises over Weaponization of Orbit. I'd like to prep out some scenarios, knowing what we do now about the Aliens capabilities, and then install our defenses.
    Orbital command expansion will be needed considering our fleet expansions. I don't want to put it off longer.
    Expanding department 4 is necessary for both dealing with the fascist infiltration and external analysis of the Aliens.
     
    Blackstar said:
    []Mobilization of Equipment Reserves: Type 12 and 23 Tanks and Type 18 IFVs are obsolete in the extreme and mostly comprised of rusted hulks, but their armor is still theoretically sound. Equipping them with laser-resistant foam on the front aspect along with mass production civilian quality systems will narrow some of the gaps, and assuming the guns function adequately they can be further brought into service. Programs to fully refurbish the old hulls will take a considerable amount of funding but the armored strength of the army can be returned. Further, old nuclear ships that have been partially retired can receive new cores, bringing the fleet to fighting strength, if with entirely obsolete vessels. (Political Support Gain) (400B Or Cost)
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    @Blackstar Since these old tanks aren't in the equipment list, could tell us how big and heavy they are compared to the more modern designs?

    And also if we took both Reserves and Army Exercises in the same turn, would the Reserves be in play quick enough to participate? I was thinking if would be possible if we could use them as stand-ins for a new big tank design so we could see how heavy not-very-mobile armor could work with our more Light-Infantry favoring modern force before we set out our requirements for a new MBT.
     
    7th Hex said:
    @Blackstar Since these old tanks aren't in the equipment list, could tell us how big and heavy they are compared to the more modern designs?

    And also if we took both Reserves and Army Exercises in the same turn, would the Reserves be in play quick enough to participate? I was thinking if would be possible if we could use them as stand-ins for a new big tank design so we could see how heavy not-very-mobile armor could work with our more Light-Infantry favoring modern force before we set out our requirements for a new MBT.
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    Type 12s are closer to a weird irl Type 90 if a bit lighter on protection and a bit smaller for the crew, omitting any fancy suspension in favor of low cost. They are approximately 45 tons, fairly light, fairly mobile, and with 120mm guns. They however are very much not new and the engines are rusted out baring some rare exceptions. You can still mobilize them and pretty them up but they're not going to uh, achieve that much in any reasonable timeframe and will not be ready for exercises.

    Type 23s are to an extent the heavier counterpart and closer to fifty tons with an improved armor package, massively improved engine, and with several gun options across the class. They in general better preserved and cared for because they were still the primary tank when the war kicked off as the newer models did not yet circulate in sufficient numbers by that point. Some of the better preserved and nicely warehoused ones can be made ready for exercises but it's still going to require a comprehensive refit and any large-scale formations won't be ready until like 43-44AE. Still, getting a few going will help a bit in that you'll have a far larger tank pool than the tiny amount currently available.

    With dragging things out of the boneyards, part of the issue is that you don't have an armor industry in most senses, with smaller shops doing refits and conversions rather than centralized factories. To an extent, remobilization will start the process of making one, but until you start issuing new tanks production capacity isn't going to climb quickly or easily, arguably it might still not depending on how the tank program goes.
     
    Blackstar said:
    Type 12s are closer to a weird irl Type 90 if a bit lighter on protection and a bit smaller for the crew, omitting any fancy suspension in favor of low cost. They are approximately 45 tons, fairly light, fairly mobile, and with 120mm guns. They however are very much not new and the engines are rusted out baring some rare exceptions. You can still mobilize them and pretty them up but they're not going to uh, achieve that much in any reasonable timeframe and will not be ready for exercises.

    Type 23s are to an extent the heavier counterpart and closer to fifty tons with an improved armor package, massively improved engine, and with several gun options across the class. They in general better preserved and cared for because they were still the primary tank when the war kicked off as the newer models did not yet circulate in sufficient numbers by that point. Some of the better preserved and nicely warehoused ones can be made ready for exercises but it's still going to require a comprehensive refit and any large-scale formations won't be ready until like 43-44AE. Still, getting a few going will help a bit in that you'll have a far larger tank pool than the tiny amount currently available.

    With dragging things out of the boneyards, part of the issue is that you don't have an armor industry in most senses, with smaller shops doing refits and conversions rather than centralized factories. To an extent, remobilization will start the process of making one, but until you start issuing new tanks production capacity isn't going to climb quickly or easily, arguably it might still not depending on how the tank program goes.
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    Thanks!

    Hmm, unfortunately not quite as heavy as I was hoping for in a possible stand-in. ~50t in the Type 23 when the Type 38 IFV is 55 and I presume the tank would be heavier still isn't the best substitute. Combine that with the time needed to get large formations assembled and it's probably for the best to not chase my idea of using them as a substitute for a large exercise.
     
    Blackstar said:
    The previous work on the army has still left behind several networks of agents, but they are broadly inadequate and insufficient for getting an accurate picture of the situation much less doing something. Visoth has so far refused to make a list due to uncertainty but is more than willing to make one if authorized to recruit agents and begin surveillance operations. (Choose One)
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    Visoth is basically signalling we should probably do []Operation Shut Pump/[]Operation Quiet Walk, while I am very tempted to go after the PSC right now, I think its probably best if we do that and generally enhance the capabilities of our intelligence service before doing so. We also can take a second action if we take []Expand Department 4, which we probably should so we can do []Operation Flagrant Letter as soon as possible.
     
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    []Plan No chances
    -[]Prepare for a Meeting
    -[]Operation Shut Pump
    -[]Operation Flagrant Letter
    -[]Standardization of Orbital Troops
    -[]Weaponization of Orbit
    -[]Money-Free Orbital Zones
    -[]Expand Department 4

    I think we need to be ready for the Lirrir as they probably will be here soon^tm and if we aren't ready massive egg on our face but with the same idea i don't think we have to rush to them until we are a bit stronger. Other than that i think i picked the infilitration of the lower ranks of the army as i think that is something our current head of intelligence will be good at and rearming of orbit as that in my mind is the best we can do to prepare for an invasion when it happens (trust me bro this is going to happen this is totally not bunker mentality).
     
    Blackstar said:
    The previous work on the army has still left behind several networks of agents, but they are broadly inadequate and insufficient for getting an accurate picture of the situation much less doing something. Visoth has so far refused to make a list due to uncertainty but is more than willing to make one if authorized to recruit agents and begin surveillance operations.
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    This seems to indicate rather clearly that operation Shut Pump is what Visoth wants and recruiting new agents seems like the sensible thing to do first before doing any of the other operations in any case.

    []Plan Prepare for Orbital Combat
    -[]Promise Immediate Relief
    -[]Operation Shut Pump
    -[]Operation Flagrant Letter
    -[]Standardization of Orbital Troops
    -[]Weaponization of Orbit
    -[]Expand Department 4
    -[]Orbital Command Expansion

    A draft plan from me that goes for getting the orbital troops some standardized equipment alongside the orbital batteries and the orbital command expansion that we needed to do anyway. A orbital defense exercise should only be done after these have been set up and a new set of standardized equipment procured. It should also hopefully be a fast program to complete given the expected costs.

    After this I would put the priority on second generation infantry equipment and new MBTs as far as procurement is concerned, while I think Luxuriant Hat is better to be taken next turn after we've set up more agents to manage them. And of course, the digital hacking actions like Quiet Walk will probably go a lot better after having recruited some hackers.
     
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