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Title Posted
Effectiveness of cruisers-vs-battlecruisers Feb 2003
<em>Wayfarer </em>and camouflaging itself as a merchantman Feb 2003
"Buckshot" missile defenses Jan 2003
Why doesn't Elizabeth <em>pack</em> the Lords? Dec 2002
Administrative and tactical organization of the RMN Dec 2002
Fission/fusion power reactors Dec 2002
Counter-missile canisters Dec 2002
Counter-missile fire control issues and counter-missile pods Dec 2002
Does the Manticoran Peerage allow Proxy Voting Dec 2002
Manticoran Peerage seating Nov 2002

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Pearls of Weber

A collection of posts by David Weber containing background information for his stories, collected and generously made available Joe Buckley.

Asymmetrical broadsides

  • Series: Honorverse
  • Date: October 22, 2002

Why Are Starships Symmetrical? The question of why ships aren't designed with separate broadsides optimized for different types of combat -- that is, missile-range combat as opposed to energy-range combat -- has emerged once again. Do you want to comment on this one at all?

 

Symmetrical Broadsides. No, I don't want to comment on this. I've done it before, and the statements I made then still apply. Indeed, they've become even more relevant in an era in which broadside missile tubes are becoming less and less significant for major combatants and the need for missile defenses has never been greater. Asymmetrical broadsides would be a bad idea.