Screening Elements

cthia wrote:I don't have the stories handy. And I've just put to bed a home full of people playing silly games, roasting marshmallows, eating cotton candy, popcorn, brandy... yatta yatta yatta.

Anyways, I don't recall if Honor's ship was screened when she was shot down on Grayson. I suppose sting ships aren't exactly an effective screen from shoulder launched missiles.

Doubtful an airborne ship could have shot Honor down. Yet a shoulder launcher did quite well for itself.

Reminds me of a saying by a well liked engineer...

The more advanced the plumbing the easier it is to plug the drain.

-- Montgomery Scott, USS Enterprise no A, B, C or bloody D.

Sting ship escorts are I believe a combat escort to chase off/shoot down unfriendly aircraft not there to physically take the missile if the bad guys get it off.

Silverwall wrote:
Sting ship escorts are I believe a combat escort to chase off/shoot down unfriendly aircraft not there to physically take the missile if the bad guys get it off.

They'd do it if they got the chance, especially if piloted by Grayson armsmen. However, Honor's pinnace was so close to the ground that there just wasn't time for a sting ship to interpose itself between her and the missile.

Dafmeister wrote:

Silverwall wrote:Sting ship escorts are I believe a combat escort to chase off/shoot down unfriendly aircraft not there to physically take the missile if the bad guys get it off.

They'd do it if they got the chance, especially if piloted by Grayson armsmen. However, Honor's pinnace was so close to the ground that there just wasn't time for a sting ship to interpose itself between her and the missile.

Indeed.

My thoughts as well.

The plumbing I refer to in my previous post represents the advanced protection of the sting ships afforded Honor's ship.

That advanced plumbing was easily circumvented by a shoulder launcher at close range. I was broadly ascribing the veracity of Scotty's sentiment.

A whole range of the question about a "screen" is the relative speed and manuverability of the various ships. The larger ones- pick your time period and weapons mix- tend to be be heavier, better protected against weapons but slower and less maneuverable. The screen elements are smaller, lighter, less protected or essentialy not protected by anything but speed, are more maneuverable and faster.
You are typicaly screening against lighter, faster, more maneuverable units with other lighter, fast more maneuverable units. The screen does any combination of 1) spotting and reporting on enemy movements, 2) defending your heavier units against enemy weapons or light weapons platforms, harrasing and attempting to destroy your enemy's both light and heavy units.

This was the same when it was torpedo boats and destroyers (both with powerful "long distance" weapons") against the same things on the other side or destroyers and other light -to medium- ships having been upgraded to anti-aircraft protection agains fighters/bombers/torpedo planes.

Another air limo type, being escorted (screened) by sting ships, was Constance Palmer-Levy, during Pierre's takeover of the People's Republic.

Both Honor's shuttle, and CPL's air limo were at very low speeds, and within easy range of the shoulder launched missiles. Both craft were also being escorted by sting ships.

Sting ships are great against air-threats, but when you're just taking off (CPL) or just about to land (Honor), there's nothing they can do. There's just not enough room to maneuver, or even try to physically interpose between an incoming vampire like Honor did for Queen Elizabeth and Benjamin in AAC.

Somtaaw wrote:Another air limo type, being escorted (screened) by sting ships, was Constance Palmer-Levy, during Pierre's takeover of the People's Republic.

Both Honor's shuttle, and CPL's air limo were at very low speeds, and within easy range of the shoulder launched missiles. Both craft were also being escorted by sting ships.

Sting ships are great against air-threats, but when you're just taking off (CPL) or just about to land (Honor), there's nothing they can do. There's just not enough room to maneuver, or even try to physically interpose between an incoming vampire like Honor did for Queen Elizabeth and Benjamin in AAC.

Just seems wrong somehow, that a stingship screen can be circumvented by a shoulder launcher. You just can't plan for everything.

Aside:
I suppose that the Dazzlers and Dragon's Teeth can be considered as more localized screens for the missiles themselves. Similar to the early smokescreens on the battle field. Reminds me of AF-One's and fighter jets' flare screens.

Honor actually used the sun as a screen during her operation at Hades.

cthia wrote:

Somtaaw wrote:Another air limo type, being escorted (screened) by sting ships, was Constance Palmer-Levy, during Pierre's takeover of the People's Republic.

Both Honor's shuttle, and CPL's air limo were at very low speeds, and within easy range of the shoulder launched missiles. Both craft were also being escorted by sting ships.

Sting ships are great against air-threats, but when you're just taking off (CPL) or just about to land (Honor), there's nothing they can do. There's just not enough room to maneuver, or even try to physically interpose between an incoming vampire like Honor did for Queen Elizabeth and Benjamin in AAC.

Just seems wrong somehow, that a stingship screen can be circumvented by a shoulder launcher. You just can't plan for everything.

Aside:
I suppose that the Dazzlers and Dragon's Teeth can be considered as more localized screens for the missiles themselves. Similar to the early smokescreens on the battle field. Reminds me of AF-One's and fighter jets' flare screens.

Honor actually used the sun as a screen during her operation at Hades.

This is where you rely on your passive defenses which in both cases obviously failed. I am sure that one of the nightmares of the Secret Service is someone firing a Stinger type missile at Marine One as it takes off. The way they avoid that is by stationing thier ground troops on all the nearby buildings. They had a similar ground cordon at the Harrington steading spaceport but the bad guys managed to get inside the perimiter. In the Palmer-Levy case I believe it was an unscheduled, unannounced trip that Pierre's people know about so basically a counterintelligence failure.

cthia wrote:Just seems wrong somehow, that a stingship screen can be circumvented by a shoulder launcher. You just can't plan for everything.

The real-world response to someone launching a missile at the vessel you are escorting is to immediately open fire on the launching team's site. Plus there are obvious countermeasures to wedge missiles that David has chosen not to use. For example, the Rafael Trophy system would kill them pretty effectively. This would leave the fragments of the body to deal with, but that is a much easier thing to defend against than the gravity plane of a wedge.