Infrastructure Raid Targets.

So the overall strategy of the GA as I understand it is to do infrastructure raids against SL systems with shipbuilding industry. Thereby preventing the SLN from building new ships or refitting old ships and preserving their tech advantage. This also means construction of new merchant ships, to replace the manticorian ships, is hindered. The SL economy will tank and what is left can not be directed to support the war effort. Encourage individual Systems to become neutral or even switch sides. Watch the SL crumble.

The question I have is whether Sol will be targeted and if so when. Sol should be a very juicy target. Lots of shipyards and lots of SLN SDs. (If you blow them up while they are still mothballed you will at least save ammunition) It would be another even heavier blow to SL public moral. And while you are there you could invite various political and military leaders of the SL to an nice stay at a GA POW camp thereby further destabilizing the SL.

On the other hand you could easily wait a year or two and still strike Sol, before her ship yards could produce anything of consequence. Kolokoltsov (that name is a handful and I am to lazy to look it up) claimed an attack on Sol would only unite the SL (he might again extrapolate from Sol public opinion to the public opinion of the whole league). And whoever would replace the current SL leadership could hardly do worse.

Actually, we don't know that the GA intends to do infrastructure raids on the League. That is purely speculation by members of this forum--not unreasonable speculation, but still only speculation. What we know is that Case Lacoon II included a plan for commerce raiding. We don't know what other plans the GA may be implementing.

SWM wrote:Actually, we don't know that the GA intends to do infrastructure raids on the League. That is purely speculation by members of this forum--not unreasonable speculation, but still only speculation. What we know is that Case Lacoon II included a plan for commerce raiding. We don't know what other plans the GA may be implementing.

There is considerable text evidence the the Grand Alliance categorically opposes attacking Sol system under any foreseeable circumstances.

Torlek wrote:So the overall strategy of the GA as I understand it is to do infrastructure raids against SL systems with shipbuilding industry. Thereby preventing the SLN from building new ships or refitting old ships and preserving their tech advantage. This also means construction of new merchant ships, to replace the manticorian ships, is hindered. The SL economy will tank and what is left can not be directed to support the war effort. Encourage individual Systems to become neutral or even switch sides. Watch the SL crumble.

The question I have is whether Sol will be targeted and if so when. Sol should be a very juicy target. Lots of shipyards and lots of SLN SDs. (If you blow them up while they are still mothballed you will at least save ammunition) It would be another even heavier blow to SL public moral. And while you are there you could invite various political and military leaders of the SL to an nice stay at a GA POW camp thereby further destabilizing the SL.

On the other hand you could easily wait a year or two and still strike Sol, before her ship yards could produce anything of consequence. Kolokoltsov (that name is a handful and I am to lazy to look it up) claimed an attack on Sol would only unite the SL (he might again extrapolate from Sol public opinion to the public opinion of the whole league). And whoever would replace the current SL leadership could hardly do worse.

Of course, the Sol system being targeted by the GA is in RFC's pocket ful of "tum tee tum tum" like others have said, but since were're all armchair admirals here (or Cap'n Jr. Grade!), my thought is... blowing up old tech SD's in the Sol system would actually do the Mandarins a huge favor.

Using a wet navy example: if an enemy power has the most powerful fleet of battleships on the planet, armed with the world's most accurate 16" guns, the last thing I want to do is sink those battleships and get the enemy public pissed enough get into the business of building aircraft carriers and missile cruisers instead.

phillies wrote:

SWM wrote:Actually, we don't know that the GA intends to do infrastructure raids on the League. That is purely speculation by members of this forum--not unreasonable speculation, but still only speculation. What we know is that Case Lacoon II included a plan for commerce raiding. We don't know what other plans the GA may be implementing.

There is considerable text evidence the the Grand Alliance categorically opposes attacking Sol system under any foreseeable circumstances.

I have to question that, phillies; while there is ample textev in several books that the Mandarins think a Manty attack on Sol would be to their benefit, I am not sure that anyone in the SEM has ruled it out.

If you recall which book, I'll be glad to check for it, on this I am willing to admit that I am not sure.

The subject of attacking Sol has been discussed, I think, in ART. An actual attack on Old Earth has been ruled out on the basis it would provide a powerful emotional rallying point for the rest of the League. What is a bit fuzzy in my own mind is if this includes the rest of the Sol system. For example one of the League's big fleet basis is in orbit around Mars. I am not sure that the conversation would have included that or not. But for certain, no attack on Old Earth.

Don

n7axw wrote:The subject of attacking Sol has been discussed, I think, in ART. An actual attack on Old Earth has been ruled out on the basis it would provide a powerful emotional rallying point for the rest of the League. What is a bit fuzzy in my own mind is if this includes the rest of the Sol system. For example one of the League's big fleet basis is in orbit around Mars. I am not sure that the conversation would have included that or not. But for certain, no attack on Old Earth.

Don

I'll revisit ART in the next few days, Don, but I think the references are going to be from the Mandarins, not the GA.

I could be wrong, but I don't have ART on electrons, so I'll need to go to the paper for it.

Torlek wrote:So the overall strategy of the GA as I understand it is to do infrastructure raids against SL systems with shipbuilding industry. Thereby preventing the SLN from building new ships or refitting old ships and preserving their tech advantage.

Actually, the GA's overall strategy is primarily diplomatic; any military action is in support of the diplomatic efforts to convince systems to follow Beowulf's example. The majority of action is going to be "economic warfare" directed at shipping and control of shipping routes.

I don't think the GA is going to engage in any infrastructure destruction because their military target is the SLN and exposing its inability to protect Solarian commerce.

Some infrastructure is going to get trashed along the way; Technodyne Industry of Yildin (which is NOT a league member) has got to be fairly high on the target list because TIY has been caught with their fingers in several MAlign plots against Manticore.

The examples we've seen of Lacoon and tenth fleet suggests that Manticore, at least, will do as little damage as possible so they can turn over a functioning system to whomever gets to take over from OFS or SL bureaucrats.

Weird Harold wrote:

Torlek wrote:So the overall strategy of the GA as I understand it is to do infrastructure raids against SL systems with shipbuilding industry. Thereby preventing the SLN from building new ships or refitting old ships and preserving their tech advantage.

Actually, the GA's overall strategy is primarily diplomatic; any military action is in support of the diplomatic efforts to convince systems to follow Beowulf's example. The majority of action is going to be "economic warfare" directed at shipping and control of shipping routes.

I don't think the GA is going to engage in any infrastructure destruction because their military target is the SLN and exposing its inability to protect Solarian commerce.

Some infrastructure is going to get trashed along the way; Technodyne Industry of Yildin (which is NOT a league member) has got to be fairly high on the target list because TIY has been caught with their fingers in several MAlign plots against Manticore.

The examples we've seen of Lacoon and tenth fleet suggests that Manticore, at least, will do as little damage as possible so they can turn over a functioning system to whomever gets to take over from OFS or SL bureaucrats.

Also potentially they might counterattack any support bases from which FF (or other) attempt to raid against GA systems, or others under their protection.

Show there are consequences beyond just loss of the raiders

n7axw wrote:The subject of attacking Sol has been discussed, I think, in ART. An actual attack on Old Earth has been ruled out on the basis it would provide a powerful emotional rallying point for the rest of the League. What is a bit fuzzy in my own mind is if this includes the rest of the Sol system. For example one of the League's big fleet basis is in orbit around Mars. I am not sure that the conversation would have included that or not. But for certain, no attack on Old Earth.

Don

Yep. While an attack on Old Earth has been ruled out, I agree that the SLN base in orbit around Mars may have a bright future as plasma.