Last use for SL SD captured

Theemile wrote:

Lord Skimper wrote:Still think Beowulf could use the best of the captured ships to flesh out their SD's. 67-167 ships should do the trick. Add 2,000 Shrike A's and as many pods as 100-200 SD's can tow and Beowulf is secured until reinforcements can arrive. Easy to get to Beowulf too. Beowulf should have enough trained crews and spare parts to keep everything running in tip top condition.

While it's as good of a plan as any, and any properly staffed peacetime navy should be able to shake the trees and find enough personnel to man 50% again of their current fleet, chances are Beowulf won't follow that path.

First, there are only 109 undamaged or lightly damaged SDs between Spindle and Manticore, so any plan requiring more than that would require using the 70ish damaged ships, which will have to wait in line to get repaired. Second, we are supposing that Beowulf is using SLN SD designs; while we know they are only deploying SLN tech, we do not actually know if Beowulf's home built ships are a home built design, or a standard SLN design. Third, Havenite SD(p)s with KHII are just months away, and each of them is worth more than a squadron of the SLN Scientists, while having a crew 2/3rds the size of a Scientist. Finally, each Scientist only had 50-60 broadside missile control channels, which was one of their failures against Manticore, making their massive number of missiles ineffective, even though they were inside their own missile range.

All that being said, I wouldn't be surprised if they grabbed a squadron or 2 to bolster their fleet temporarily while they trained up crews for the "Alliance" SD(p)s.

We also have details on the Shrike A that there were not many made before the shift to the -b mod and by 1921, they had all been retired/lost. Looks like Beowulf will have to get the good stuff.

saber964 wrote:Plus what if the SEM sold them the plans to a older but still serviceable SD design like a Sphinx class or Victory class. Like the U.S. did with the Burke class destroyers to Japan and Korea

Weird Harold wrote:

saber964 wrote:Plus what if the SEM sold them the plans to a older but still serviceable SD design like a Sphinx class or Victory class. Like the U.S. did with the Burke class destroyers to Japan and Korea

It would be kind of pointless, since Beowulf is building the Keyhole II installations for the Alliance SD(P)s. How long would it take Beowulf to build/modify everything they own to KHII standards?

Brigade XO wrote:Why would Beowulf want SL SDs for anything beyond salvage/surplus materials?

Even if you presume that Beowulf had been using highly modified SL designs for it's SDF and integrated a lot of SEM equipment into it, they are now manufacturing SEM spec equipment and should be able to start turning out SEM ship designs from their own yards. We have already been told (and shown) that Beowulf regularly trained with SEM units and they have encorporated a lot of SEM tech into their ships even if they have taken grate pains to keep that information from the League. At this point, I would expect that new construction and any ongoing maintenance/upgrades to the existing SDF ships would incorporate the SEM/GA advances.
Sure, they are going to need to be able to maintain and resupply the existing ships and so continue to manufacture spair parts and munitions to keep them viable for years. Beowulf is still probably able to deal with SLN and most other SDF ships on a better than one to one basis in engagements. The Malignment ships and those from the RF SDFs are another story but we (and they) already know that- other than that the RF exists and the RF shouldn't be in any hurry to openly attack Beowulf or any of it's SDF units.

saber964 wrote:Plus what if the SEM sold them the plans to a older but still serviceable SD design like a Sphinx class or Victory class. Like the U.S. did with the Burke class destroyers to Japan and Korea

Jonathan_S wrote:

Weird Harold wrote:It would be kind of pointless, since Beowulf is building the Keyhole II installations for the Alliance SD(P)s. How long would it take Beowulf to build/modify everything they own to KHII standards?

Based on what we've been told, and given that their current units aren't even SD(P)s much less Keyhole I enabled?
Modifying to Keyhole II would take least as long, and at higher cost, than just building new Keyhole II podnaughts.


But they can probably have the first of the Alliance collaborative Apollo podnaught designs in around 2 years.

Rincewind wrote:I've got another use for the infamous Solly SDs.

A new Intergalactic Sport

Interplanetary Darts!

The rules of the game!
1) Find yourself a thoroughly useless asteroid in the local system's asteroid belt & create a series of rings & a bull's-eye on the surface.
2) Each competitor has three Solly SDs adapted to remote control stationed about a thousand or so kilometres from the asteroid.
3) Play starts by each competitor in turn accelerating one of their SDs from a standing start using the Impellor Drive for a few seconds. The drive then automatically shuts down & they have to steer it using the reaction thrusters.
4) Closest one to the bull's-eye wins!

It's bound to be a smash hit.

Rincewind wrote:I've got another use for the infamous Solly SDs.

A new Intergalactic Sport

Interplanetary Darts!

The rules of the game!
1) Find yourself a thoroughly useless asteroid in the local system's asteroid belt & create a series of rings & a bull's-eye on the surface.
2) Each competitor has three Solly SDs adapted to remote control stationed about a thousand or so kilometres from the asteroid.
3) Play starts by each competitor in turn accelerating one of their SDs from a standing start using the Impellor Drive for a few seconds. The drive then automatically shuts down & they have to steer it using the reaction thrusters.
4) Closest one to the bull's-eye wins!

It's bound to be a smash hit.

ThisName1 wrote:

Rincewind wrote:I've got another use for the infamous Solly SDs.

A new Intergalactic Sport

Interplanetary Darts!

The rules of the game!
1) Find yourself a thoroughly useless asteroid in the local system's asteroid belt & create a series of rings & a bull's-eye on the surface.
2) Each competitor has three Solly SDs adapted to remote control stationed about a thousand or so kilometres from the asteroid.
3) Play starts by each competitor in turn accelerating one of their SDs from a standing start using the Impellor Drive for a few seconds. The drive then automatically shuts down & they have to steer it using the reaction thrusters.
4) Closest one to the bull's-eye wins!

It's bound to be a smash hit.

Intergalactic Demolition Derby:

Find an uninhabited star system with a good mix of obstacles, mark out a track, remote control some SD's, then enjoy!