Turn 3 (35AE): The Funding Crisis
Budget: 290B Or
Political Support (this is 60 with an unknown digit): 6?
Politics:
Recruitment Programs: Shortfalls of recruitment have been an endemic problem of the military ever since someone decided to abolish the press gang. Campaigning in public and releasing several targeted advertisements in media can improve recruit numbers at a minimal cost to the army, with volunteers far more trusted to serve in the majority of positions. Raising conscription numbers can easily make up for current shortfalls but there is a strong political preference for volunteers. (5B Or Spent) (85)
The first step in any PR program is as with the world before the exchange the location of someone with an approximate understanding of the current state of media. Interviewing some of the younger fresh graduates with applicable papers for psyops and information warfare has immediately produced a bevy of candidates to form a small recruitment-centered command with targeted funding. Parallel efforts have been the primary goal with dedicated funding provided in grants to several low-budget proposals. Everything ranging from films depicting the average crew in space to a few hundred social media posters discussing military life in a frank but optimistic way has been organized. The production of new video games has also not been quiet with almost a dozen new games and a flexible licensing system made to allow the proliferation of everything from simplified tactical simulations to full simulator-adjacent systems for most combat. On the insistence of several well-published personnel, a competitive mode has been incorporated and funded, allowing rapid online war-gaming even if it is conducted in a reductionist manner.
Study Wartime Issues(IFV): 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. (+13 to IFV Trialsl) (89)
The resistance of armored structures in heavier units has proven essential but so has larger-scale maneuvering. By focusing on targeting a specific threat environment and ignoring the use of heavier kinetic ordinance the requirements for the program have been moderately tightened. A lighter system is going to be cheaper either way and several of its disadvantages can be reduced through maneuver. This has to an extent shifted the priority in the bid towards one of reliability, capacity for mutual tow, and a sufficient sustained speed to keep up with a theoretical armored component. The largest source of casualties in wartime experience has been the rapid dismount phase while under severe fire, with the stability of vehicle interiors a massive goal for the new program. The same degree of frontal aspect survivability is not going to be deliverable but something as simple as preventing a mission kill can be aimed for.
Procurement Decisions: Generally phases go from you wanting something, to a prototype, to low-rate production(LRP), to full-scale production. Once you have a prototype or something in LRP, you can request changes to it to bring it into line with requirements either military or political
IFV Program: Committing funding towards new prototype systems from each of the bids has come to no end of wrangling and dealing with individual idiots but it has finally been handled after a few dozen meetings and hundreds of conference calls. The general criteria of delivering a half dozen prototypes for evaluation and destructive testing has been authorized, with at least two needing to be complete with total systems integration while the others can be only partially built for further destructive testing. Some requirement changes have gone into the project with enhanced survivability features and stability in instances of penetration, but that has come as secondary for many of the enterprises. As some in the department expected from the second the program was announced, Avalon started a suit for anti-competitive practices that will require being paid down as an annoying cost of doing business. (40B Or Spent) (5B Or Legal Fees) (98)
[]Lunos Industries: Managing to push together prototypes first and with a massive drive towards funding Lunos has managed to deliver most of what was required for the bid. The thermal imagers and GPS systems that were integrated are closer to the performance of the early war generation than later on, but that still meets most requirements. Destructive testing of hulls has confirmed that all-around protection against 24mm APDS has been attained, even if the side and rear aspects are only resistant outside 500m. Power train issues have cropped up in that the vehicle cannot sustain full power from the electrics but as speed requirements have been met the additional power has been offered as a type of military emergency power. The largest issue however with the bid still largely remains as Lunos will have to outsource any production, limiting spool and almost guaranteeing further over-runs. (200B Or) (Moves to LRP next turn) (Funds Project?)
[]UNISA: UNISA effectively released their prototypes in two sets with an initial lightened one produced as a systems demonstrator with a following one that has effectively reached the maximum of the weight specification. Prioritizing the latter bid strongly and pushing it into destructive testing as rapidly as possible a combined array of aluminum-derived HEA has delivered performance significantly beyond that of older composite arrays. AlCrSiTiZr low-density printed hull sections have been combined with high-hardness boron ceramic elements incorporating discrete features to improve kinetic resistance. Kevlar backing has further been integrated demonstrating that on the front aspect, a shot from the light-weight bid of the Lunos ATGM can be resisted assuming APS degradation. The delivered conventional drive train is in itself unexceptional and only challenging for some torque applications when compared to the Lunos bid. Imagers are a direct clone of the Lunos systems, leaving little to talk about in that aspect. (240B Or) (Moves to LRP next turn) (Funds Project?) (Politcally Favored)
[]Milta Automotive Works: The most complete bid and one that has managed to commit a miracle in the realm of military procurement by coming in under budget. Redundant elements and a simple turbocharged diesel drive train have eliminated many of the complex systems necessary in previous examples. Standardized wide blocks of NERA have given the machine a bloated appearance but that is not relevant for the sake of procurement. The 30mm cannon and its automatic systems have caused some issues, but the rep has insisted that the software problems can be solved with few further issues. Armor protection is technically better than the Lunos bid with an improved resistance to cumulative munitions but that is a deeply tertiary requirement. Militarized high-quality variations of civilian systems have further brought the cost down as the imagers onboard are direct derivatives of already mass production systems integrated through an onboard computer. (160B Or) (Funds Project) (Moves to LRP next turn)
[]Avalon Industrial Trust: Avalon has managed to improve protection to a bare minimal standard but it has come at the cost of a passenger limiting the already cramped vehicle to a smaller sized section. Production costs for the new IFV will be significantly reduced due to improved systems integration and the use of off-the-shelf components. Despite the failed bid, Avalon immediately moved to sue for unfair and anti-competitive practices in procurement by funding other prototype construction. Trials of the new vehicle have demonstrated that despite other failures, the imaging systems have been improved past the other entrants with effectively a full AR rig set up and ready for integration, allowing troops to see "through" the vehicle if necessary. The lack of a passenger has further expanded storage space for the ordinance, allowing the carrying of a second missile reload or heavier infantry equipment. (200B Or) (Lawsuit money returned) (Funds Project?) (Moves to Low Rate Production)
ATGM Systems: Lunos has more than delivered with almost three hundred discrete systems moved to larger scale trials, though a few issues have cropped up. The company has been over-ambitious with the initial bid as the weight requirement cannot be met without significant improvements in the manufacturing of thinner monolithic perpetrators. This has left the matter an open question of what is to be done, the systems that have been delivered have been modified to be well short of the penetration requirement by mounting a restricted 80cm tungsten alloy penetrator rather than the expected 120cm one. Lunos executives are willing to take the buy-out clause from the contract if the system is subpar, handing back most of the funding with only what was already spent on development kept. According to the representative, using the already completed light dart system it would be easy to make a whole series of missiles ranging from 15kg infantry portable systems to long-range boosted ATGMs, if at a deeply insufficient penetration profile. The general staff has conversely pushed for a lengthening of the penetrator as a core factor to ensure that new armored threats can be engaged despite APS degradation. (30B Or Spent) (47)
[]Listen to Lunos: Prioritizing the development of a long-range low-penetration variant along with a short-range infantry portable launcher will take advantage of already-in-production systems. Working with the contractor should allow some positive impressions and would primarily use already existing hardware rather than necessitating the funding of further adaptations. It is already questionable if old-style darts can handle newly developed armor schemes on the frontal aspect and keeping to a lighter system is not going to make side-on engagements notably more challenging. (10B Or) (Procurement Finished) (Moderate Political Cost)
[]Push the Generals Advice: A heavy dart is going to be essential if the program is going to continue and armor has yet to develop to a point that it cannot be threatened by an even longer penetrator. The guidance package has already been made and mostly measures up to specification with a few minor issues involving the seeking of rouge heat signatures in the terminal phase. Providing some extra funding will reduce the minimal system weight to around 25kg with a longer range system coming in closer to 35kg, but it will meet both penetration and range requirements. (20B Or) (Further Trials)
[]Exit Clause: Letting Lunos pay out the exit clause and leave the contract for a new series of bids may be the only approach that makes a missile that meets the intensive technical requirements placed on the program. Lunos itself is already under some minor lawsuits for technically winning the contract with fraud, but those are only expected to go for as long as it takes to get a payout and settlement. (Finishes ATGM Procurement) (20B Or Paid Back)
Military Trucks: Evaluations of the Synger offering have immediately revealed several weaknesses in the prototype. The original hemming and hawing about the fuel efficiency has only become more of a problem with operational range limited through limited fuel capacity and a particularly inefficient engine. Further mechanical issues have only made the offer worse as the base model of the 6x6 puts near stress limit loads on the rear wheels making it risky to attempt to carry sixteen tons. Offroad capability has been delivered and if anything under-estimated but everything else about the truck is deficient in some way. Some have still pushed for the adoption of the truck with several modifications instead of a new bid, but any funding dumped that way will come from the company and possibly cause an involved lawsuit involving modification of the contract. (120B Or Spent) (17)
[]Insist on Full Delivery: Playing hardball with Synger is possible as they have so far failed to deliver even the primary requirements that were promised. They will directly be asked to deliver the full specifications promised on their funding or else fully exit the contract with all money returned. Politically this is as good of a full rejection of the bid and will significantly inflame tensions on the manufacturing end, but without discipline, the firms will exploit the government as far as they can go. The army has done fine with the Type 14 truck and it can continue to do so. (120B Or Returned) (Near Guaranteed Lawsuit) (Ends Program Next Turn Either way)
[]Push for Minimum Features: As long as the basic model can deliver enough carrying capacity to meet the off-road target and a significant enough safety improvement over the Type-14 it can be considered good enough. The 6x6 is cheaper anyways than the program originally expected and by cutting down the contract through re negotiations some money and face can be saved. Synger can be ignored for future procurement but they have still made an improvement even if it introduces several other problems, hitting their profit margin will have to be enough to encourage good behavior. (40B Or Returned) (Enters Production, Ends Program Next Turn)
[]Compromise with Synger: The company has delivered a frankly substandard product with its own set of issues but it's not inherently flawed. Playing along with their bid and continuing to provide funding without aggressive negotiations can ensure that a truck is provided while saving some funding on full equipment. Cost cutting can be conducted in the later per unit price of the program with the executives likely to accept the undercut. Minimum features can be enforced at the same time within a two-year clause with a harsh margin, ensuring that the executives either shape up or significant amounts of the money involved are recouped. (Enters Production, Ends Program Next Turn) (Possible Scandal)
Transport Aircraft: The massive import of machinery and technical specialists for the development of a new series of turbine aircraft is a major technical leap forward. The program itself has brought almost a dozen discrete teams back together and salvaged them from most of the old projects. The organization of the factories has immediately been split into programs aiming at the refinement and development of a new high bypass engine and a diversion for the production of a new jet engine. The entire business is effectively considered a core defensive concern in the same way as plutonium refining, leaving a legal basis as to why it would be entirely controlled by military authorities. The largest question remaining in the development of the plane though is its layout as that remains a mostly open question of capability. (150B Or Spent) (Negligible Political Costs) (94)
[]Two-Engine Light Transport: Building a configuration around two engines each delivering 140kN allowing a far lighter and more capable transport airframe to be constructed. The end goal of the program is going to be focused on the development of lighter transportation capacity to carry an IFV and associated equipment. Airborne transportation will not be able to move new production tanks of any weight, limiting them to naval transportation. The advantage of lighter transport is that critical experience can be built up before committing to a larger and more ambitious program. (150B Or Expected)
[]Two Engine Universal: Committing to a more ambitious high bypass design with a power closer to that of wartime high bypass engines will take significant engineering expertise but the same teams have been gathered and material science has improved. A far larger design built around higher power engines will be more efficient and more capable with the expectation that it can carry a single tank for long-distance transportation. Rough landing capability will be challenging to incorporate into the bid but it can still be done with a reasonable commitment of funding and technical coordination. (250B Or Expected)
[]Four Engine Heavy: Committing to a maximum design will rapidly improve airlift capacity and ensure that any unit can be rapidly transported to any corner of the world. Stacking three APCs in a heavy transporter or two tanks would be the core objective of the program, ensuring rapid air mobile deployment to any corner of the world. An ambitious 300kN engine will be required but the technical capacity for it certainly exists, leaving the matter more a question of scaling. Airport developments will have to follow to allow for more rapid movement, but heavy transport alone would significantly extend the capacity of the army to move around the globe. (300B Or Expected)
New Programs(Currently 4 Running, can select up to five concurrent programs)
[]Second Generation Infantry Equipment: Committing to an overhaul of the infantry equipment is a decision that can be made, but there is little funding to go around. Ensuring that at least the infantry has something resembling old systems of powered assistance, basic thermal imagers, and a rifle system capable of incorporating it will go a long way towards improving quality. New light anti-tank systems and armor will be developed to provide the average soldier with previously unmatched capabilities. Deciding on the degree of funding will be an open question but the program itself should be comparatively cheap despite the scale. (10B Or Expected)
[]Standardization of Orbital Troops: A space suit has been issued for the crew to operate in orbit along with some elements of a thrust system but entirely new systems are needed to accomplish basic military tasks. The current preferred format by the army is a type of unified pressure garment with a variety of systems integration for further models. A true heavy boarding suit is almost certainly beyond the budget or desired capacity but speculative bids can be put out to enterprises and companies on the topic. (20B Or Expected)
[]Light Vehicles: A simple 4x4 with a diesel engine and the capacity to mount small arms protection and basic crew-served weapons. The program in question will be more of a productive capability as automobile manufacturing is still limited with few experienced programs. Some have even suggested making the requirements amenable towards an electric vehicle to enable a new all-electric army. The scale of the program and necessary factory increases to accomplish a full transition for the army will leave the program expensive but necessary. (50B 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. (50B Or Expected)
[]New MBT: There is currently no tank in production nor the capacity to build a tank in any form, massively limiting the ability of the army to even utilize its doctrine. The arguments over what to put in a tank are just as varied as the proposals made by both enterprises and businesses of what to build into a tank with ideas ranging from a rapid production mobilization tank to a true successor to the Type-38 chassis. Opening the program is expected to be expensive and take time but will be essential for any terrestrial military operations. (250B Or Expected)
[]Multirole VTOL: Experience in producing aircraft for either naval or terrestrial purposes has effectively been dissipated as the enterprises involved have been broken up for the better part of the last two decades. Starting with new engine designs being pushed into production along with dedicated plants for the next generation of radar-absorbent materials will likely take a decade as technology needs to be developed to a point that it can meet all operational requirements. Core design requirements for the program itself are immensely political as the differences between a naval-capable airframe and one that the army wants are immense. (400B Or Expected across several funding phases)
[]Surveillance Drones: A long-distance loitering drone capable of linking towards uplinks in orbit and cruising to most points of the planet from either a catapult launch or airfield will be essential for observational capacity. The platform itself is almost certain to later be refitted for the carrying of ordinance but that is considered to be secondary relative to the massive technical demands of long loiter time and new electronic systems. Compact high-magnification thermals and optics will be the core product of the program no matter what bid is taken, providing a new basis for spotting fires. (40B 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. (40B Or Expected)
[]Anti-Orbital SSBN: Building out long-duration submarines capable of maintaining retaliation capacity in case of a sudden invasion or loss of orbitals is going to be an essential aspect of planetary defense. Committing to a massive program of construction will ensure that any ships caught in the initial ambush will be able to sustainably hide in the deep ocean. Independent supply capacity and long-duration nuclear reactors will have to be pioneered along with the capacity for building new higher-capacity pressure hulls. The program itself is going to be expensive and prolonged but there is nothing as important for national survival as the capacity to return fire against orbital dominance with hundreds of bomb-pumped lasers. (300B Or Expected across several funding phases)
[]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. (400B Or Expected across several funding phases)
[]Militarized Orbital Frigate: Instead of continued operations of frigates that were practically obsolete when they were constructed a new class can be laid down. Modernizing basic electronic systems towards new phased arrays and incorporating the latest generation of Gas core-MHD systems in a unified propulsion bus will be one of the core aspects of the program to provide sufficient thrust under combat conditions. MPD drives are almost expected for strategic travel requirements allowing the ships to flexibly patrol the inner system with a reasonable degree of acceleration. Technical requirements for the frigates are more expected to center around deep salvos of missiles and laser defensive systems forming a component of fleet actions. (250B 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. (300B Or Expected across several funding phases)
[]FTL Test Bed: A theoretical basis for an FTL drive is available, all that is left is its construction and integration into a new ship class. The drive section itself will be a dominant feature that cannot be protected outside of thermal limitations, locating it as an effective torus somewhere on the craft. Basic spacefaring capacity will further be built up along with a semi-autonomous operation to test the nearly entirely untested technologies going into the ship. Standard drive schemes are expected to improve reliability with a focus on long-duration systems with the targeted exploration of a nearby red dwarf without planets likely to serve as a test case. (???B Or Expected across several funding phases)
[]Second Generation Mining Ships: Building an improved gas core reactor and combining it with a developed MPD system can allow a massive improvement in local delta v to say less of the improvements made in harvesting equipment. ISRU systems developed in the last decade can be mounted onto the ships with significant leaps forward in the capacity for refining and storage, independently allowing mining trips to the belt and minimizing delta-v expenditure towards central collection points. The techniques needed for the permanent habitation of the belt are already here, all that is required are the ships for the task. (250B Or Expected across several funding phases)
[]Long Burn Space-Ships: Lying down a series of cargo ships with significant passenger capacities that are paired with enlarged reactors and improvements in droplet radiators can finally allow for the exploration of the outer planets. The long burn towards the gas giant will take time and impose severe logistical concerns but it can still be accomplished through the design of a new generation of ships. Technical integration of systems ranging from hibernation induction and automation can allow the vessels to minimize space dedicated to the crew, further improving efficiency and making the voyage far more possible. (???B Or Expected across several funding phases)
Political/Personal Reactions(Pick up to 2):
[]Large-Scale Exercises(Army): Testing doctrinal systems through large-scale exercises can be done through a bit of funding and working with the vehicles available. The fact is that current lighter elements are likely to remain for the next few decades leaving an open question of how exactly to use them. Using the technicals will cause consistent grumbling but the force may as well be trained on them. (Small Political Support Cost)
[]Publish a list of Recommendations: In an appropriate move to someone at the highest station, a list of recommended officers can be made and published for the lower ranks so that the next billets for promotion are filled. Further naval commissions especially in the case of a large shipbuilding program will open up slots for bright young commanders trying their craft, steadily rotating out some of the old guard. (Significant Political Cost)
[]Agitate for More Funding: Telling the civilian government that far more money is needed for programs outside of its darlings is going to be challenging with cost overruns but it will be essential for building an adequate fighting force. Not enough is going into the army to adequately obtain technical personnel, much less enough equipment to put them in and prepare them for duty. Something as simple as separating funds for salaries and allowing them to be drawn from a separate budget would be massive and soften the political view of the army. (Significant Political Cost)
[]Solving the Criminal Provocations: Panopticon was a ridiculous oppressive system but that does not discredit its original purpose for solving criminality through enforcement. With the recent rise in criminal activity, something needs to be done to reduce criminality to pre-war levels, especially for idle youths who are just entering the workforce. Taking a stand for a clean, transparent, and apolitical system with a robust series of checks and balances will be a radical but necessary step towards improving the general state of the population. (Massive Political Cost)
[]Lobby Politicians: As before, it's essential to talk to the politicians so that they know why they are funding the army and can at least understand the military partially. Meeting with representatives outside the BFP will cause some minor political ruffling but that will easily be compensated through further understanding. Of course, this will be getting excessively involved in parliament and could politicize the post, but a few dinners aren't going to be viewed as threatening outside the insane.
[]Study Wartime Issues(Select Category of Equipment): 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)
[]Organize Legal Teams: Taking the time away from politics will allow for the intensive study of law and the organization of dedicated military legal teams. The primary target of the teams will be a series of lawyers to protect procurement and military interests against bureaucratic over-zealousness. This will be accompanied by a focused effort to study the law and ensure that the organization is more than capable of managing in the current political environment. Expansion can follow on to improve justice in the force and provide a parallel command and then internal structures to reduce discipline errors. (Mild Political Cost)
[]Improve Force Morale: Social media has only served to sap the fighting spirit of the military both during the war and now. Consistent misinformation and the distribution of negative information have only intensified the lack of morale at the lowest level of the force with enlisted falling short of the expected standards. Control over the media is controversial but quick targeted programs to improve the morale of the force can be used with some algorithmic targeting, solving the problem and reducing preventable losses to mental illness. (Mild Political Cost)
[]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 43(Wartime) Anti-Tank System: A hyper-accelerated kinetic penetrator with a rocket motor built around it to aid in the penetration of heavy armor systems and their defenses. The wartime system represents a machine capable of penetrating all but the front aspect of the heaviest tanks while suffering an acceptable rate of attrition from defensive systems. The combined launcher and reload is a movable thirty-five kilograms, much of it taken up by the missile complex. Further, the penetration of heavy defenses is still inadequate and requires the simultaneous launch of two missiles to guarantee a kill. Spare parts for the system are not available and there are maybe a thousand missiles and a thousand launchers in inventory, with most not existing at the same bases simultaneously.
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 14G 6x4: Adapted from effectively a logging truck design from before the war and pushed into production as a dual-use vehicle to call the Type 14 inadequate is a failure in description. Initial models have been built with an all-analog system of controls to save on electronics with a suspension that is generally considered unreliable and the truck itself having negligible protection. Further variations have fixed some of the problems by installing some armor plating around the cab to protect against small arms fire, a roof-mounted machine gun, and all electronic control systems. The truck itself is still deeply inadequate and a death sentence for anything but moving infantry to fights, but it has been the ready replacement for most infantry units' mechanized elements.
APC:
Type 36(Pre-War) APC: An 8x8 mixed drive amphibious 1PC mounting one of the early refined diesel-electric drive systems to distribute power and provide improved throttle response in adverse conditions. Increased electrical power supplies have allowed the fitting of automatic laser blinders on all aspects with smart shot detection enabling automatic response fire by the mounted 24mm cannon. Further improvements in protection provide immunity of the craft from its gun on all but the rear aspect, with an active protection system integrated and containing eight front-focused heavy charges to deter missile attacks. Lighter chargers are further braced in the turret to allow smaller ordinances to also be engaged and deterred at a more reasonable mass cost, providing further improvements in protection. Troop capacity was cut down to only eight men in wartime, but that was judged as acceptable to extend missile capacity to eight launches of Type 43 missiles. Numbers in the current inventory are barely sufficient to equip a single division much less the entire force.
IFV:
Type 38(Pre-War) IFV: Taking design inspirations from the Type 38 tank and directly cloning over its drive system has allowed the standard IFV of the war to maintain a significant rate of advance despite weighing fifty-five tons. The machine is equipped with a primary 57mm cannon with several smart munitions along with significant reinforcement to a lengthened crew section for the complete transportation of an entire infantry section. Frontal composite screens are designed to be adequate against all but the longest rod 152mm munitions with significant resistance to penetration enabled by the engine-power system. Turret integration with the 57mm cannon has twelve heavy and twenty light APS charges along with a hex-emitter laser blinder system. The capacity for seven men exists only due to the automatic missile loader in the turret, limiting the system to firing off staggered shots from dual-missile cassettes in most cases. Less than two hundred functional examples exist due to the sheer age of the system, with most hulls entirely stripped for spare parts.
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 the existence of only 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:
None-Operational
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's 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 Civilian 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, afterwards 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 then be 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.
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.
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
Elementary Direct Neural Interfacing: Continuing on the developments of wartime that were primarily intended for the queuing of simple commands through an interface, further capabilities of trained signals have been able to accurately be mapped and utilized. Noninvasive up-band interfaces have only gotten better as multidirectional control at a thought has been combined with eye tracking and behavioral interpretation algorithms. In most use cases there is little reason to use a condensed setup compared to a conventional organization system, but the technology itself does hold a significant degree of promise for the control of complex machinery.
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. (New)
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.
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 peaker 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. (New)
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.
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. (New) (More unscientific carveouts from relativity)
Fusion
Gain positive DT: The creation of massive tokamaks was to an extent perfected pre-war with reactors capable of 10GWe designed theoretically and affordable relative to other power sources. Miniaturization is an open and significantly challenging question without an active reactor for technical development, leaving the technology at a theoretical and underfunded dead end. Plasma temperatures generated can theoretically be sufficient for other fuel cycles but due to the increased issues in generating sufficient conditions even larger cores would be required.
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.
Biological CNT: The elongation of CNT with specialized depositing cells built around organisms that build natural structures in an ordered matter has been accomplished through the creation of new catalytic proteins. Production of the nanotubes can effectively happen in liquid under some gravitational tension from the heavier tubes with few errors made by the biological system. Effectively the only feedstock required for the process is a massive amount of carbon dioxide in the nutrient slush along with clear walls incapable of deposition and good amounts of light. The ability to make nanotubes of arbitrary lengths is a massive gain, but one that remains expensive due to limitations in the width of any reasonable growing array. (New)
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. (New)
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. (New)
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 lives 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. (New)
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 irregardless 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. (New)
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.
12-Hour Moratorium Vote by Plan(Budget/5 year allocation coming after this turn with tech rolls on this post)
I was confused by a line in the description so asked in discord, and the UNISA IFV is in fact much better armored than the Milta one, even though milta has a line about armor in it. Just putting it for thread consideration
UNISA's bid is a lot more armored then any of the others.
Anyways I say go for UNISAs, accept the LUNOS atgm as is (new armor suggests heavier ATGMs will fail to be able to take out a new tank from the front anyways, whenever we get around to it) and play hardball with Synger. Our actions early on will have a huge effect on everything we do going forward, and while we need to be flexible in some aspects if you simply deliver trash you should expect to fail the bid.
Then organize legal teams and some lobbying, as the new budget is coming up and we want to touch base with the politicians.
[]Plan Legal Scramble
-[]UNISA:
-[]Listen to Lunos:
-[]Insist on Full Delivery:
-[]Two-Engine Light Transport:
-[]Second Generation Mining Ships:
-[]Lobby Politicians:
-[]Organize Legal Teams:
Spends 250/290 budget left, and we're recouping 120 from the trucks. Since we got our new 5 year allocation coming up its time to start something big and I think doing the new mining ship makes sense, both for our sake and to help smooth things over with the civilian government and ensure they'll be happy to keep funding us without much fuss.
Meanwhole lobby the politicians because the new budget is being drafted, and organize legal teams because lawsuits ahoy.
Speaking of, we really do want to play hardball here I believe. Since everyone is theoretically immortal the impression we make early on is gonns stick for a loooong time. Frankly the consequences of playing hardball doesnt bother me while the consequences of being accommodating to people who sells us garbage does bother me a hell of a lot. Who cares if some companies get cold feet, with the amount of money we offer someone will always try to make it big with the military contracts. Meanwhile lawsuits are a laugh, we can and should always fight that shit in court. We are a huge institution with immense funding, its laughable to be intimidated by that.
While it might not be something to take right now, with our next two big budget major projects likely to be the non-warfare Mining Ship and FTL Test Bed I'm thinking of trying to take advantage of that lull to try and grab a Wartime Study of our next major war equipment project before we start it. We didn't get the chance with the IFV since it was autopicked before the first turn even began, but if we had done so and gotten up to date on the issues and a better roll on starting the program itself I think we would have gotten a better list of IFV "archetypes" to pick from that met the new goals.
This would mean that we wouldn't have the one time bonus on the actual bids submitted to us from the companies, but if they're working from the start towards an ideal closer to what we want, then at least the bids will be slightly worse versions on what we want rather than slightly better versions of not quite what we were looking to get.
Study Wartime Issues(IFV): 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. (+13 to IFV Trialsl) (89)
I think before we go for our IFV, we should make sure to take away the lessons learned during wartime. More importantly, these:
"This has to an extent shifted the priority in the bid towards one of reliability, capacity for mutual tow, and a sufficient sustained speed to keep up with a theoretical armored component. The largest source of casualties in wartime experience has been the rapid dismount phase while under severe fire, with the stability of vehicle interiors a massive goal for the new program"
So the biggest priority in my mind is the capacity for our IFV to go in and out of a threatening environment with the utmost speed. So bids with a an underpowered engine/shitty acceleration are a no go imo. And the ones that can zoom in and out are a priority. Armored resistance is an important, but at the end of the day secondary consideration to this.
Taking a look at all of the bids, Milta's diesel drive seems the least likely to give us problems whilst giving us a good performance. Followed by Avalon with a perfectly boring engine that gets no mentions in the blurb (though we def should not pick it lol, UNISA's bid is better overall), UNISA's with torque issues and Lumos who can't even sustain their top speed.
Milta also has good enough armor, should have the least issues in delivering their product and their main issue, software, is something that can be resolved without refits. They also came significantly under budget which is great. The army will probably whine a bit that UNISA's bid was not picked, but we are in a good spot right now. We can afford it if it means we get a cheap reliable IFV that does its job well as soon as possible. This is the thing we will shit out by the tens of thousands and do a bunch of refits on, I think in this case simplicity has its own reward.
[]Plan ZOOM
-[]Milta Automotive Works
-[]Listen to Lunos
-[]Insist on Full Delivery
-[]Two-Engine Light Transport
-[]Light Vehicles
-[]Lobby Politicians
-[]Organize Legal Teams
As for everything else, I think the light transport is a no brainer considering the non-existant status of our aircraft industry, and hopefully allows us to push out aircraft capable of rough landings for disaster relief ASAP. We should get some legal teams because it's something that we will make good use of for the entirety of this quest. We should also listen to Lunos on this one, we don't even have a MBT in production, we have no ideia what kind of specifications will be needed to penetrate next gen armor. The General's demands would serve better as a new bid imo. Also, we shouldn't indulge in Syngner's insanity.
As for new bids, I think we should definitely start on light vehicles. One of the issues of the military truck program is that the firms had no experience in the field. A light vehicle program would fix that issue, expand the automotive industry so we can later on try for a military truck again, and it is desperately needed. Right now, we have this:
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.
Our conscripts are stuck with this, we can't maintain it, they are probable death traps. Definitely something we need to fix sooner rather than later. Furthermore, if you take a look at the exercises option, this notion is even more reinforced.
[]Large-Scale Exercises(Army): Testing doctrinal systems through large-scale exercises can be done through a bit of funding and working with the vehicles available. The fact is that current lighter elements are likely to remain for the next few decades leaving an open question of how exactly to use them. Using the technicals will cause consistent grumbling but the force may as well be trained on them. (Small Political Support Cost)
Fixing this will do more for morale than anything else I suspect. And its cheap too.
I think a combination of blowing off the army on tracked IFVs, then blowing them off on their favored IFV while also blowing them off on ATGMs all the while the trucks turn up a wash would be too much. We can afford to splurge a little on the IFVs, and honestly I strongly suspect if we dont give them the minimal of protection the army would want they'll be angrily demanding a 'proper' IFV and relegate the current program to an APC role.
The whole point was to try and create a bridge between the APC and IFV that let us just have a single system, and frankly I dont think the army will accept a system that cant even defeat the relatively light Lunos atgm, or for that matter it doesnt talk about defeating even our light infantry kinetic anti tank launchers either.
Ergo, UNISA seems like the superior bid both politically and actually potentially in cost by being the one option the army might actually accept calling an IFV.
[]Listen to Lunos: Prioritizing the development of a long-range low-penetration variant along with a short-range infantry portable launcher will take advantage of already-in-production systems. Working with the contractor should allow some positive impressions and would primarily use already existing hardware rather than necessitating the funding of further adaptations. It is already questionable if old-style darts can handle newly developed armor schemes on the frontal aspect and keeping to a lighter system is not going to make side-on engagements notably more challenging. (10B Or) (Procurement Finished) (Moderate Political Cost)
[]Push the Generals Advice: A heavy dart is going to be essential if the program is going to continue and armor has yet to develop to a point that it cannot be threatened by an even longer penetrator. The guidance package has already been made and mostly measures up to specification with a few minor issues involving the seeking of rouge heat signatures in the terminal phase. Providing some extra funding will reduce the minimal system weight to around 25kg with a longer range system coming in closer to 35kg, but it will meet both penetration and range requirements. (20B Or) (Further Trials)
True, so we would likely end up having to pay another 10-20B Or, before the procurement is finished. I am still unsure, what a decent trade between money and PS, but we can pay the price without problems either way.
