Honorverse ramblings and musings

If in each colony one freighter carried a modern LAC along with 90% of its normal cargo, that would deter pirates, at relatively little expense.

Daryl wrote:If in each colony one freighter carried a modern LAC along with 90% of its normal cargo, that would deter pirates, at relatively little expense.

That is still 10 percent less cargo carrying revenue they are losing plus you add the cost of maintaining the LAC. Also governments would be concerned that a crew would instead of using that LAC capability to fight pirates they would use it to become pirates.

Daryl wrote:If in each colony one freighter carried a modern LAC along with 90% of its normal cargo, that would deter pirates, at relatively little expense.

And when you grabbed it with a Cruiser, you would have a complete sample of modern RMN tech, plus the spare parts, reloads and technical staff to investigate. What could possibly go wrong?

Duckk wrote:One does not come up with ships, then find them an operational role. Chris Weuve's section in House of Steel covers how one would come up with a fleet force mix, and come up with mission requirements that might prompt the design of new ships. The question you should be asking is what need does the Q-ship fulfill in the current operational environment above and beyond the existing fleet mix? Frankly, I don't see it.

The only exception might be if someone gave you some ships and they were clearly both far superior to what you had and within your capabilities to operate. But building special snowflakes requires a really high payoff mission for them.

One thing is that is unless you are carrying real valuable cargo regularly carrying a LAC becomes a heavy expense unless need to use regularly. Unless they are very lucky a merchant ship will get damaged fighting which cost time and money to repair.


One of the major reasons that Andermani and Manticoran governments finally deiced to annex the Silesia sector was to deny the pirates safe havens from friendly governors in the area. Once the safe havens are gone the pirates will be forced to move out of the area or face destruction.

Daryl wrote:If in each colony one freighter carried a modern LAC along with 90% of its normal cargo, that would deter pirates, at relatively little expense.

I think you mean convoy.

One LAC is no serious deterrence to piracy. A squadron of LACs is. If you need a squadron of LACs, bringing a CLAC along to carry and service them would be more efficient -- and probably cheaper in the long run.

Convoy, new auto correct, will double check in future .
I still believe a LAC would be appropriate in some environments. Manticore already spends money in escorting convoys. In areas that are infested by hard scrabble minor pirates a LAC or two could well be effective against an antiquated frigate.
Passage paid by Manticore, staffed as a Manty ship with volunteers from the regular service, safeguards against capture, much cheaper than a Roland in lower intensity areas.

I don't buy the argument of pirates using the technology in a captured LAC to improve their ships. Firstly a Manty wouldn't surrender until scrap metal, secondly self destructs would finish the job, thirdly tools to build tools etc, fourth if all was impossible Manty stealth would enable them to hide and report later. Hell they risked capture against Haven with their tech base.

Weird Harold wrote:

Daryl wrote:If in each colony one freighter carried a modern LAC along with 90% of its normal cargo, that would deter pirates, at relatively little expense.

I think you mean convoy.

One LAC is no serious deterrence to piracy. A squadron of LACs is. If you need a squadron of LACs, bringing a CLAC along to carry and service them would be more efficient -- and probably cheaper in the long run.

Daryl wrote:Convoy, new auto correct, will double check in future .
I still believe a LAC would be appropriate in some environments. Manticore already spends money in escorting convoys. In areas that are infested by hard scrabble minor pirates a LAC or two could well be effective against an antiquated frigate.
Passage paid by Manticore, staffed as a Manty ship with volunteers from the regular service, safeguards against capture, much cheaper than a Roland in lower intensity areas.

I don't buy the argument of pirates using the technology in a captured LAC to improve their ships. Firstly a Manty wouldn't surrender until scrap metal, secondly self destructs would finish the job, thirdly tools to build tools etc, fourth if all was impossible Manty stealth would enable them to hide and report later. Hell they risked capture against Haven with their tech base.

It isn't that the pirates would use the LAC to upgrade - which they might do under certain, rare circumstances - but more importantly, who they will sell the LAC's tech to. A Pirate crew could have retired wealthy men if they gave a working fission reactor or ECM suite to the Havenites prior to Erewhon's defection. Sollie companies will currently do the same. Thus making the convoys targets for their defenders, with tactics designed to negate the LAC's effectiveness.

Even more importantly, such private ships with LACs would not have been allowed in Silesia - they had rules about privately armed warships and weapons on freighters - for fear of them turning pirate themselves. The only option to include weapons in convoys in Silesia was to include foreign warships (Bachfitch skirted by getting Silly navy "reserve" status for his ships, obtained for him via the RMN)

Theemile wrote:Even more importantly, such private ships with LACs would not have been allowed in Silesia - they had rules about privately armed warships and weapons on freighters - for fear of them turning pirate themselves. The only option to include weapons in convoys in Silesia was to include foreign warships (Bachfitch skirted by getting Silly navy "reserve" status for his ships, obtained for him via the RMN)

I've seen the argument before that using LACs to escort freighters is a way to get around this armed-ship problem: simply drop the LACs off outside the hyper limit and pick them up on the way out. Like checking your guns at the door.

munroburton wrote:

Theemile wrote:Even more importantly, such private ships with LACs would not have been allowed in Silesia - they had rules about privately armed warships and weapons on freighters - for fear of them turning pirate themselves. The only option to include weapons in convoys in Silesia was to include foreign warships (Bachfitch skirted by getting Silly navy "reserve" status for his ships, obtained for him via the RMN)

I've seen the argument before that using LACs to escort freighters is a way to get around this armed-ship problem: simply drop the LACs off outside the hyper limit and pick them up on the way out. Like checking your guns at the door.

But you ned the LACS to protect the freighter inside the hyperlimit in normal space. If the Pirate jumps your freighter an hour or 2 inside the Hyper limit, you may as not have brought them.