Solly Fleet Advancements

SWM wrote:I was going to argue against this at first, based on previous infodumps from RFC. But you have a point. While Manticore has something better than this, the League does not. As a stand-in for Manticore-style LACs, this could serve as a short-term solution. Over-specialized ships is usually a bad idea, but this is an unusual and temporary situation. The downside is that they will be much more vulnerable than LACs. They will suffer losses far worse than even the first few outings of LACs in the First Havenite War. But enough of them might allow Solarian wallers to survive long enough to do some damage. It's a case where the League's sheer size can help offset the tech disparity.

Exactly - dirt cheap & quick to build - faster than a DD & way faster than any capitol ship (especially a LAC/CV since the Solies haven't invented such a thing - or the advanced LACs to go with them) - yes a GA DD can run them down but if they're fleeing and heavier units are still available to shoot at then why - attrition will be high but its the SL - they can afford some attrition (less than what they'll loose if the GA runs amuck before they can get any effective waller's out) it'll take at least a year maybe 2 to get the first new waller's out but EF's could be out in months & with the SL production- out in the thousands! they would also serve to put new "draft" crews into the thick of it for experience & when new (better) hulls come out to take their place they get scraped & the (now experienced) crews transferred. the RN & RCN both did as much in WWII - producing whatever would float & carry a couple of DCs just to get hulls out to escort their convoys then scraped them after the war.

Hutch wrote:

Michael Riddell wrote:In addition, Henke deployed them in Spindle after O'Cleary surrendered what was left of Crandell's ships in AAC.

True enough, but they took no part in the Battle (mostly because the Sollies never came into range to do any shooting) and IIRC, neither Crandall or her staff made the connection between the LAC's and the "withdrawing Frieghters".

But they did take part in Second Manticore (Filareta's Fiasco). Honor told the SLN that each of their LACs had more anti-missile capability than a typical SLN DD has. Then when they launched the suicide salvo, that capability was amply demonstrated. The only GA losses in the battle were LAC crews.

Once the Mandarins learn this, they should logically realize that LACs are a necessary auxiliary to any wall of battle, and undertake building programs to replicate what the Haven Quadrant navies have done.

Frigates are not any faster to build than a destroyer, not by any appreciable amount. Nor do they have any appreciable difference in procurement costs. It is all there in the infodumps. There is no reason to build frigates, because destroyers have only a marginal difference industrially and economically, but do have a huge difference in capability. Unless you are some pissant navy (which the SLN is not, despite its warts), if you can build destroyers, you build destroyers.

Weird Harold wrote:I think the main problem with the idea is bunkerage and magazine space. Frigates just aren't big enough for both to be adequate for offensive expeditions.

that's why you dumb their offensive stores to just 1 chase launcher and a handful of missiles (just incase)

Weird Harold wrote:A squadron of frigates would have to be accompanied by a tanker and probably by a missile collier as well. I think it would be simpler to solve the problems of a LAC carrier for an AMS-LAC -- upgradeable as more capable LACs get developed. Use the space saved by excluding the hyper generator and sails for more missiles (CM or SK) or bunkerage.

no more than a LAC or CLAC. they can (if they survive) reload from other larger ships, their main expenditure would be CMs which they can pull from the SDs they escort - though a fleet train would be needed for any extended fleet operation anyway.

Weird Harold wrote:Frigates as Anti-missile/anti-LAC support is possible, but it doesn't fit with the conservative mind-set of the SLN. They're more likely to favor up-gunned/up-armored/up-sized versions of existing types. (The "super BB" would be considered a down-sized SD/DN or an up-sized BC.)

I think their whole mindset has met a 10.0 on the Richter scale even a new BB would take (at least) close to a year to get into service they need something "now" the smaller it is the faster they get it & the smallest hyper capable is the FF. a new BB (or maybe BBPD) may come later as a quick stopgap for their wall but for their existing ships to survive the missile barrages they face - "as much AMS as we can get - as fast as we can get it!" should be first on their mind, and more wedges between the wall & those missiles (they saw what Honors LAC did with 11ths salvo).

Potato wrote:1) The SLN is so hidebound that it will ignore the need to build matching light combatant capability as the Alliance, in which case it will continue building its usual classes;

if this is so then it's pointless to discuss because the war is already lost! If they can't adapt to the changing tactics then their is no chance for them.

Potato wrote:A frigate is barely more than a LAC with a hyper generator piled on top. If you are positing that the SLN is capable of radically rethinking its ship design paradigm enough to even think about resurrecting a dead and buried ship type, then it must also be capable of recognizing that building a frigate without the hyper generator (i.e., a LAC) is at least equally desirable, especially given that it knows that the Alliance has also gone to building LACs. And since the SLN knows that it LACs are much cheaper than frigates.

and are stationary without a CLAC to carry them - it will take at least a year, if then, for the SL to produce their first CLAC to copy the tactic, in the mean time;

Potato wrote:and frigates have zero advantages above and beyond hyper capability

that IS their advantage - they can travel with the fleet on their own without the need for a carrier - yes they are a little more expensive but the SL won't care about that - they are much cheaper than loosing SD's to long range missiles & there is an applicable difference in production cost & time over DD's - not a lot individually but multiplied by thousands and it is a sizable number. that can mean a difference in hulls on the front line.

Weird Harold wrote:The only mention of LACs deploying or deployed in ART is the confrontation with Filareta.

which they were given full sensor reports on - they may publicly denounce them but you can bet ONI is spending sleepless nights with bloodshot eyes in front of them.

MAD-4A wrote:and are stationary without a CLAC to carry them - it will take at least a year, if then, for the SL to produce their first CLAC to copy the tactic, in the mean time;

I said read the infodumps. I linked to the infodumps. If you had bothered to do so, you would see that CLACs are not a necessary component in developing LAC doctrine as long as you are willing to accept lower efficiency operationally.

that IS their advantage - they can travel with the fleet on their own without the need for a carrier - yes they are a little more expensive but the SL won't care about that - they are much cheaper than loosing SD's to long range missiles & there is an applicable difference in production cost & time over DD's - not a lot individually but multiplied by thousands and it is a sizable number. that can mean a difference in hulls on the front line.

If independent hyper capability is so critical to the mission at hand, then you would just build destroyers. Destroyers have virtually no economic or industrial premium over frigates, but have at least half again the combat effectiveness. Why buy a barebones Toyota Corolla when you can get a top of the line Camry for virtually the same price? It is incomprehensible to choose the lesser option when by any yardstick the destroyer ends up the better choice.

Alizon wrote:

SWM wrote:A destroyer or cruiser sized anti-missile platform is not going to be significantly more survivable than a frigate, in the environment it will be deployed (anti-missile screen for wallers). Whatever ship is used, you can expect crushing losses among the screen. So there is some wisdom to making the anti-missile ships as cheap as possible. In this temporary environment, most of the usual arguments against frigates are moot.

The question boils down to this: will X credits spent on disposable frigates give more protection than X credits spent on disposable destroyers or cruisers--with the expectation of 80%+ losses whatever ships you use?

Given that a [edit]destroyer has essentially the same crew size as a frigate[/edit], costs only slightly more, and has considerably more bunkerage and room for PDLCs, I tentatively think a destroyer is the best size for disposable anti-missile platforms. With the understanding that Manticoran-style LACs would be even better, of course. But I'm not as well versed in military matters to make a good judgement.

Well, this all depends on what you plan to use your vessels for. The SLN has any number of needs for vessels which don't include fighting the RMN. They have more systems to patrol, more planets to keep in line than you can shake a supernova at and the LAC's that they can build are essentially the whole rowboat with a machine gun variety.

From a strategic point of view, you have a need to concentrate your forces but if you leave the rest of the SLN and it's client states unpatrolled, any number of bad things can happen. You can't use LAC's because you really don't have them and since in have a bizzilion systems to worry about.

The existing ships in the Solarian League Navy are quite adequate for those missions. They do not need anti-missile platforms for that. The only purpose for building anti-missile platforms would be as screen for a wall of battle, and the only possible targets for a wall are the Grand Alliance or the Mesan Alignment (which they don't believe in).

Now to an analysis of the strategy of the SLN.

At the present time your resources are vast. You have a huge reserve you can mobilze and I believe in time of war the SLN can call upon the various SDF's for support. The SLN further has a potentially huge advantage in population, industrial strength and basic wealth compared to which the Andermani, Republic of Haven and the Star Empire of Manticore are simply drops in the bucket.

These resources have never been fully mobilized but they are present in such profusion that even bringing a fraction of it to bear would create a situation which the SEM and it's allies could not hope to contend with in the long term.

That being said, in the short term your primary means of defense, the SLN is completely outmatched in every category except for raw numbers and the difference is so great that, except in very very limited cases, those numbers simply don't count.

Previously I posted about a phased plan of warship procurement and improvement, at this juncture I'm going to present what I believe is the best option strategy for the Solarians for each phase.

Early Phase I:

In the near term, the Solarian stategy related to the GA has to be one of essentially avoidance wherever practical. The vessels you currently have are essentially no better than targets vs anything except medium combatants which are still equipped with SDM's as their primary missile armament.

That being said, pretty much all of the RHN and Andermani medium units fall into this category as do a number of RMN units. This is what makes the current SLN commerce raiding strategy make a degree of sense when applied judiciously. As long as such raiding forces are careful, and attempt to avoid combat with MDM equipped forces, this is a strategy that can make sense. If such forces are handled well and with a clear idea of what truthfully constitutes a disadvantageous engagement environment, this is a strategy that can actually serve to pull Manty front line units into the roll of trade protection denying them for use by the front line fleets.

Another advantage, however temporary is that during this phase, Manticorian and Greyson vessels are going to be more reluctant to engage in massed missle combat which may give your fleet some additional degree of freedom they wouldn't otherwise possess. This problem is not one, however that faces the Andermani or the Republic so this pause in operations will not likely be absolute, just less intense.

There is one and only one place where you can use your unmodified Wallers against significant GA fleets and that is in the defense of a wormhole junction wherein the GA fleet is advancing through the wormhole. In this situation the SLN, if they are in position, can choose the range and make the combat into one of Grasers and Lasers which is a fight they can actually win.

So what are the priorities during the early parts of phase I?

1) Avoid fleet engagements between the primary battle lines. You might be able to take on LAC's and lighter units which lack substantial MDM's but nothing else. If a real GA fleet appears, you run into hyperspace if you possibly can. The Solarian League is unimaginably BIG, which gives you depth. Trade space for time.

3) Raid into Manty, Havenite and Andermani secondary theatres with your BC and lighter units to force the Manties to support older non MDM capable units with frontline vessels and hopefully attrit some of their older units, which they aren't going to be able to readily replace, in the process. You will undoubtedly catch at least some convoys and their escorts in a disadvantageous position which should give you a few badly needed propaganda victories.

You'll have more success against the less advanced Havenite and Andermani units so concentrate your efforts there, by you need a victory of some kind against the Manties so make sure to put some effort in raiding the Manty portion of the Silesian backwaters or possibly the Talbot cluster. There are way too many merchants out there and not nearly enough front line ships to cover them all. It's worth the investment.

On the other hand, don't spend your ships like water. They will become more effective after they've received a phase I upgrade but you cant upgrade an expanding ball of nuclear fire that used to be a Battlecruiser. If the odds are not in your favor, avoid the engagement.

4) If you are going to risk a fleet action, a wormhole terminus leading from Haven, Manticore or the Andermanis into Solarian of near Solarian space might be a worthwhile target. If you can occupy a termininus you can station your SD's in close proximity and either block it or make it a very expensive proposition for a GA attack to succeed. This can force the GA ships to take the long way around which buys you time, which is the entire point of the exercise.

If the Terminus is one leading to a location where you know a large GA fleet is just waiting in support don't bother with this just yet. You simply won't be able to reach and clear the Terminus before the GA comes through in which case you're dead.

5) Push the development of a new missile system with the needed range at all costs. Without this weapon you don't have prayer and the whole trading space for time only works if that time gives you this resource.

6) Also launch a massive effort to identify the technology needed for the phase I upgrades and identify the shipyards and resources you can use. Don't wait for the final best solution, an adequate solution right now is better than the best solution too late. Begin the process of bringing the reserve online with these upgrades installed and divert as many of your active fleet units to this purpose as possible and as materials and space are available.

In doing this, disperse your yards. The GA will likely raid some important facilities so you can't put all your eggs in just a couple of high profile baskets. One advantage you do have here however is GA arrogance. The GA knows you can't build a warship capable of challenging them so they are likely to not assign your yards as their top priority to begin with.

From a political standpoint, these raids may actually work in your favor but mobilizing systems to get behind the war effort and support the SLN, provided you can give them some hope that you can eventually succeed.

7) Construction of new medium units up to BC size should probably continue at this site but with an eye toward incorporating Phase I improvements as they become available. These units will still be useful and will probably need replacements during this period. However priority should be given to merchant hulls at this point since you need as much transport as possible to replace that which the Manties have withdrawn.

Late Phase I:

At this point you are upgrading your vessels with Phase I systems and hopefully have a workable missile design either in service or coming in to service.

The strategy at this point, however, doesn't change appreciably. Phase I upgrades are still a far cry from GA capabilities so you need a huge advantage in numbers to take on anything resembling a GA Waller. However Phase I vessels are now capable of engaging older GA BC's and below with a decent chance of success so you can not think about dealing with smaller GA task forces operating within your territory. At this point possibly even an attempt to sieze a supported wormhole terminus might make sense especially if it's one supported by the Republic or the Andermani. In fact, such an attack might be the best time to reveal to the Manties what you've been up to.

At this point SD construction in progress that was earlier halted should be resumed with the idea of completing the vessel using as much Phase I technology as possible so that they emerge from the yard in something of a hybrid between a straight Phase I upgrade and Phase II construction. The goal, however, should be to clear the yards of these hulls by the time Phase II new construction begins. Old designs which are sufficiently completed to be finished prior to the projected Phase II start date and not suitable to be finished as essentially a Phase II vessel will instead be scrapped and removed from the yards.

By this time pressure is probably increasing from systems which want to break away from the League so it is at this stage that a building program of small combatants to reinforce depleted SLN resources along the frontier will probably be contemplated.

There will be some pressure at this point to construct "forts" and to divert missile pods to the defense of member systems. Some of this will need to be done for morale purposes but beyond that, this is wasted resources. "Forts" are only truly viable if they can defend a fixed point from which an enemy must approach, such as a wormhole terminus. Forts in orbit or in fixed points in space can be dealt with either by avoiding the installation, approaching from the back side of the body being orbited or by simply lobbing large chunks of rock or steel from well beyond missile range at what is essentially a stationary target.

Missile pods can be more useful but only if deployed in sufficient numbers and with adequate fire control at a point the GA fleet must approach. The best use of these pods is with the fleet since, ultimately, it is the fleet that will need to stop the GA and it will need a lot of them to do so.

Phase II early:

By this time the Phase I refits are well underway. A significant number of vessels from the reserve have been activated and upgraded to Phase I standards and improved designed for the purpose Phase II systems are now available.

Phase II builds begin but the fleet now depends on increasing numbers of Phase I refits with an ever decreasing number of unmodified vessels. Those vessels which remain unmodified will be either slated for upgrade or rotated out of the combat zone to deal with increasing problems along the frontier where practicable.

The main fleet can now reply to GA battlefleet salvos but requires a significant numerical advantage to do so which they probably can not achieve if faced with the GA main battle fleets. On the other hand, the main fleet can now deal with medium GA fleet units so the days of RMN Heavy Cruisers taking down entire SLN fleets is probably over. In addition, GA raiding forces made up of fast CLAC's with standard BC and lighter unit support can also be opposed with some degree of success.

Pressure from commerce raiders should be continued where practicable to continue tying down more capable frontline GA units in escort duty and to create strain, especially for Manticore and Greyson which are only now beginning new fleet construction again. If possible, efforts should continue to be focused on Republican and Andermani space with the goal of forcing those nations to deploy actual Waller as convoy escorts or to divert MDM capable Manticorian units to the task.

By this time SLN should be well into it's reduced capability small combatant production which will be deployed in increasing numbers to the frontiers of the League and provide additional resources for the beleaguered vessels attempting to hold the line against increasingly rebellious worlds as well as against those simply seeking to profit from the situation. If successful, these forces in addition to non-Phase I fleet units will be sufficient to slow the chaos forming in certain areas of these areas and potentially stop in in some regions.

The League by this point will probably begin producing it's first crude LAC's in small numbers. These will be more akin to early Havenite efforts than Manticorian and will be designed primarily for close in fleet defense.

Late Phase II:

Phase II light and medium combatants begin to join the fleet is some numbers. The reserve fleet has largely been upgraded to Phase I standards and in most units the crude off the shelf Phase I systems have been replaced with specifically designed improved systems. Most light combatants are similarly equipped.

Missile systems, while still over large and greatly inferior to GA systems are becoming faster and smaller allowing SLN units to tow more and gain deeper salvo depth. Some crude gav pulse systems may begin to be deployed in small numbers at this time.

Small combatant production continues at a rapid pace but LAC's are now becoming available in some numbers. The "fire brigade" nature of what's going on in the League limits their usefulness but they are now increasingly deployed in the close in fleet defense and reconnaissance role and specialize carriers, usually fleet auxiliaries, appear to support them with the fleet and in more distant assignments.

By this time, all unmodified vessels have been assigned to secondary tasks and are no longer a part of the main fleets. The main fleets now consist almost entirely of vessels which have undergone Phase I version 2 refits and all hybrid Phase I/II vessels are now in service.

By this time Manticore and Greyson post Oyster Bay production levels of light and medium units will begin to be available is some numbers but nowhere in pre-Oyster Bay numbers. However the GA will continue to be distracted by Alignment activities.

It is probably at this stage that the Renaissance Alignment begins to take shape as well as several other break away polities including, perhaps, Maya.

At this stage, if the SLN hasn't blundered into a combined fleet engagement alla Battle of Manticore and been gutted, there should have on hand enough capability to challenge GA incursions and guarantee that such incursions need to be primarily supported by Wallers to be successful. A more aggressive defense can now be mounted with the goal of bringing outnumbered GA forces into action on favorable terms. In particular, SLN fleet units should act to prevent small GA task forces from threatening League worlds and require the GA to deploy their main fleets to seize important targets.

Commerce raiding should continue where practicable but by this time increased deployment of front line GA units to this task and the presence of new construction should make this more dangerous. Raiding forces should now also shift their efforts to the main GA supply routes supporting GA fleets as they advance into League space. League forces at this point are not going to be solid enough to snap this line, but they can force the GA to actively defend them taking pressure off raiding forces elsewhere.

However this period should also see some redeployment of raiding forces back into League space in order to assist in stabilizing the increasingly difficult situation within the League and it's border client states.

Early Phase III:

Phase II production vessels begin to become available but the core of the fleet remains Phase I and improved Phase I refitted vessels which some Phase I/II hybrids. While Phase II production rates at this time should be considerable, it will still take time to build in the numbers or Captial Ships needed to make a major impact. However Phase II units in medium and light vessels BC and lower, are available in some numbers and will be able to significantly increase the capabilities of these forces.

Small combatant construction continues but new larger designs clearly into the destroyer range begin to be the norm for this construction as the combat environment away from the main combat zones becomes more threatening. LAC's become more of a focus in this area but are still limited in the "fire brigade" situations which face the SLN in these regions. Specialized carriers based almost purely on merchant designs begin to appear specifically to deploy LAC's in low threat combat environments.

The fleet will also begin deploying LAC's more along the line of early generation Manticorian LAC's to join those already in service. Small (CA sized) special purpose CLAC's begin to join the fleet supplementing the more vulnerable fleet auxiliaries which have been functioning in that role.

The SLN begins to deploy it's first operational MDM's in the form of two stage capacitor fed systems. These will be designed with slower acceleration curves than GA versions in order to stretch their range to the required amount but will still be considerably larger than equivalent GA designs and may still need a booster stage to system to help them achieve the required range. While the combined systems will not be capable of fired by shipborne launchers missile size will continue to reduce increasing missiles per pod and overall salvo density. This advance will further aid in the deployment of improved performance CMs as well and internally launched missiles from medium and small combatants.

Strategy and targets will remain much the same but with increased capability, SLN units continue to improve and require a useful reduction in numerical superiority that has to be achieved in order to engage GA forces under reasonable odds. This capability will be key in protecting core worlds which the GA has not yet been able to reach and systems can now be reasonably defended with a combination of mobile units, in pre-positioned planetary defenses and substantial numbers of LAC's. This will give the SLN the capability of reasonably resisting even heavy GA attacks provided the planetary defense has been well constructed and sufficient heavy fleet units are available to support those defenses.

Early grav pulse systems will begin to become more common and improve in capability though still in the fairly early stages of development and smaller fission plants on the order of early Manticorian models allows the deployment of limited numbers of advance recon drones similar to the early versions of Ghost Rider.

By this time there have been some actual break aways from the League and a number of border client states are in significant disarray, but the League will now have control of it's most important core systems and the means to reasonably defend them and the slide toward chaos will have slowed considerably. The SLN does not have the capability to force powerful break away systems with powerful SDF's back into line but are, at this point, capable of halting the wholesale disintegration that the Alignment has planned on.

Late Phase III:

Small and medium combatants of the Phase III builds become available and Phase II heavy and lighter units are now a substantial part of the battle line fleet with surviving Phase I refits being rotated as possible to less demanding duties.

Small combatant production continues but as the threat posed by breakaway systems increases and systems with more powerful SDF's become part of the problem, the reduced capability building programs begin looking towards larger more capable vessels probably in the small CL range and production of the small DD designs are significantly curtailed.

LAC's continue to become more common in these internal security issues and can be used to help hold wavering systems in line and support fleet units if and when they are required to engage SDF's with medium and light combatants.

By this stage all of the reserve that can be made active has been so any new vessels must come from new construction. Fortuneately, even partially mobilized the Core Solarian industrial capacity is awe inspiring and so construction output soars helping to replace SLN combat losses it has suffered in it's many unequal holding actions.

With Phase II vessels far more prolific, the SLN can begin considering options which it's Phase I fleet could not engage. Unlike their Phase I counterparts, Phase II vessels have been designed with pod based combat in mind and have far more tractors than their older counterparts and an increased capability to hold pods inside of their wedges. They are also far better defended with designed in systems placed to best advantage rather than refit efforts which had to work within existing structures. The not only makes Phase II vessels more powerful and survivable, they can also carry a useful number of pods within their wedge increasing their tactical speed and ability to influence engagements or react more quickly to threats and opportunities and when in the pod towing role improved drive nodes allow them to tow more faster further increasing salvo density.

While these capabilities are significantly less than those of GA vessels, once Phase II is available in sufficient numbers, defense of the fleet even against strong GA forces becomes more of a realistic possibility. Beginning at this stage, SLN forces, while not capable of forcing engagements are now capable of defending themselves and inflicting significant damage to attacking forces, even those operating in major fleet strength. SLN still need to be cautious because they still do not have the superiority they need to meet the combined GA fleet in a Battle of Manticore style of engagement. As such they need to deploy continue to strongly cover key well defended systems but they can also seek battle with detached elements of the main GA fleet for important objectives.

Commerce raiding by medium elements of the fleet continues to be a strong element of SLN strategy but with better and more capable units now available a portion of these forces is redirected to enhance fleet screening and protecting the peace both within the League and along it's borders. Improvement is SLN medium SDM's enables SLN vessels to engage their RHN, Andermani and non MDM equipped Manticorian/Greyson counterparts on more equal terms. However by this time the RMN will begin to withdraw older vessels from this service and will deploy more Sagamani C's and Rolands to this task which SLN medium forces can still not deal with in the absence of towed pods. However it is possible that some Phase I SD's may be deployed to stiffen these forces giving lighter units a more capable set of units to fall back on that can reply to RMN medium MDM equipped units.

Late Phase III:

Phase III medium and light combatants begin to become available in an increasing avalanche of numbers. These vessels are nearly new designs and while not pod layers they are designed to carry the maximum number of external pods possible and the Fire Control to use them.

Phase II units now form the core of SLN battlefleet units and are available in very large numbers. Older Phase I combatants are largely redeployed to maintain order within the League and their presence virtually halts the disintegration of the League planned by the Alignment. A number of key systems and a larger number of border systems have broken away from the League to the Solarians still hold a significant majority of their systems and almost all of their most important core worlds and those worlds are becoming increasingly mobilized to war production.

Solarian MDM's continue to improve with certain two stage MDM's capable of being launched internally to give heavy units a weapon capable of allowing them to retain full mobility but still able to engage Manty MDM capable BC's and CA's. Still, these MDM's do not have the range to match Manty heavy MDM's so SLN vessels still rely heavily on larger pod based MDM's which can not be shipborne launched. These MDS's are still slower than GA MDM's but are faster than previous models and have better penetration aides and power budgets. While not yet as capable as the last generation of Manty capacitor powered MDM's, in many performance characteristics the SLN is getting close to this standard.

The SLN also adopts "flat packs" at this juncture intended to increase the inside wedge capabilities of it's Phase II builds and in anticipation to the oncoming Phase III capital ships. The SLN at this stage also begins to deploy "armored pods" which are lightly armored and shop protected to make the shipborne pods more durable and able to survive punishment. Remote tethered fire control systems are improved and while small and unimpressive by RMN standards still offer vast improvements to SLN capabilities.

CLAC's become and increasingly common fixture in SLN battle and raiding formations. While considerably smaller that GA CLAC's these vessels do become available in large numbers during this period and give considerable increases in capability to SLN raiding forces, and in the fleet defense role, with the Battle Fleet itself. Older Auxillary style CLAC's are redeployed into the League interior.

SLN drone and gratatic technology continue to improve and deployment becomes common in all combat vessels.

Small combatant construction largely ends during this period with priority in reduced capability designs focusing more fully on the large DD small CL region all with at least Phase I technical or Phase II technical enhancements. Smaller escort CLAC's based on the reduced capability CL design begin to be deployed in this role to act in moderate threat conditions which are not suitable for the Auxillary CLAC's or merchant based LAC transports previously deployed.

At this point SLN main battle fleets achieve a numerical advantage sufficient to engage in unsupported combat with the main elements of the GA fleet though at this stage, this is not preferred. Instead the SLN main fleet begins defensive/offensive operations maneuvering in relatively close proximity to their fortified bases of operations or in smaller task forces operating in secondary, but still important theatres or missions.

Medium and light units are continue to operate in commerce raiding rolls but are increasingly dedicated to important commerce protection and missions more closely tied to fleet operations.

Early Phase IV:

Heavy Phase III units begin deployment in large numbers while Phase III medium and light units become the primary combatants in this area.

Phase III heavy units represent another significant improvement in SLN capabilities. These units are expressly designed to incorporate the best features of known RMN and RHN designs and are maximized for external pod carrying. These pods are often armored pods and some are further protected in surface bays with sliding armored shutters. While capable of towing large numbers of pods, these vessels are designed to fight with all of their pods well within their wedge allowing them full freedom to maneuver. These vessels also use a new generation of drive nodes and compensators significantly increasing their maneuvering capabilities over earlier classes. Early heavy units in these classes are BB's but they are soon joined by DN's at this stage with the DN design predominating and it is at this point that SLN maneuvering capabilities begin to approach those of the Republic or the Andermani.

While Phase II heavy combatants still form the core of the growing SLN battle fleet during the early portions of this stage, Phase III units become and increasingly important factor as League yards produce them in ever accelerating numbers.

SLN missile technology continues to advance as the SLN begins to explore incorporating small fission reactors to at first supplement but then replace their capacitor fed missiles. At first these are bulky and large but the can equal GA missile ranges without the use of a booster stage. So while the missile itself is larger than the engagement stage of a long range capacitor fed MDM, since it does not need to booster stage, the entire system is smaller and more can be fitted into a standard pod.

Capacity fed MDM's now equal the performance of the best capacitor fed MDM's produced by the SEM or the RH and can be fired from internal missile tubes of SLN capital ships. While these don't have the range necessary to equal current SEM systems they do significantly increase the capabilities of SLN units particular Phase III BC's and CA's which have been designed to use them in addition to their towed pods.

Third generation SLN LAC's are introduced which are capable of significant increases in fleet defense and also pose an offensive risk to GA medium combatants. Produced in vast numbers these LAC's become primary mobile units supporting fixed defenses enabling the fleet more maneuvering flexibility as well as in increasingly successful efforts to stabilize the League and it's border worlds themselves.

As construction continues to surge, builds of reduced capability vessels decrease as the Solarian shipyard expansions are beginning to build medium and light combatants at a rate sufficient to divert an increasing percentage or production to non-combat zone deployments.

During this phase the SLN can begin more traditional fleet operations rather than those which are primarily defensive. While GA vessels are individually more capable than their SLN counterparts, SLN vessels of sufficient capability are available in the numbers necessary to make the overall capabilities of the fleets more evenly matched. While the GA still holds many advantages, the SLN now represents a formidable foe capable or meeting it in open battle

At this time the SLN begins construction of their Phase IV vessels. These will be the SLN's first pod based combatants but may also retain exterior mounted capabilities. Armored pods and protection for exterior pods will increasingly become a feature of vessels not capable of being pod layers such as CA's and smaller vessels. These will be the first vessels to actually approaching the capabilities of SEM and RH vessels in some regards. Even though these vessels will still not be a match GA vessels they will be close enough and available in enough numbers to push the GA fleets onto the defensive throughout much of League space and begin the process of tipping the balance in the League's favor.