2074: Stars Ablaze mod

Commander,

The communications section intercepted this transmission at approximately 10.00.30 (R'mec Time) last night, apparently between two high-ranking officers from the Human Nation of "America". I have made my best effort to translate it, though I admittedly had trouble with their crude and unwieldy language. Translation was further slowed by their excessive use of slang and profanity, a trait seemingly unique to transmissions by the Americans.

The gist of the transmission seems to regard some minor enhancements made to the smallest ships in their fleet (they refer to them as "frigates", but a better term would be "yachts", if I may say so). Schematics were included, which I have attempted to translate into holographic images. I am afraid their quality leaves something to be desired, and obviously we will be incapable of identifying details such as hull markings and the like (though this should be of no consequence).

To: CNO Daniel Kennedy
From: Adm. Daniel Flores, USS Nimitz
RE: Fleet Modernization Project

As per your orders, I have constructed this report regarding the recent refits and modernizations of some of the older ships in our fleet. This being done instead of items of lesser importance such as the coordination of a war against the Soviet Union, mind.

Roughly 80% of the ships to be affected by this program have received full refits, the most prominent being the Ohio and Ironside-class ships. Most of the refits were performed in either the shipyards of Io or those over New Pennsylvania, over the course of two years. Most notably, this program lead to the complete removal of projectile-based light weapons from our navy; our ships are now much more self sufficient, and only need rely on ammunition resupply for their heavy weapons. This bodes quite well for the possibility of long-range black ops raids into Soviet Territory, especially in light of the research being made into stealth technology at Tarkk Station.

However, in addition to the modification to our frigates, the F41 Vacuum Fighter has finally been replaced with a more modern vehicle, the F72. In previous battles, our fighters, while more powerful than the Soviet Designs (not an especially difficult task, given that their fightercraft started life as nothing but modified MiG-29s), they were quite easily outmaneuvered. This is no longer the case with the new F72, which is both faster and more maneuverable than anything the soviets utilize.

Eawnexus.gamingsource.net

Specifications:
Length: 15.3M
Wingspan: 8M
Height: 5M
Armament:
- 1 x M71 Anti-Fighter Laser Cannon.
- 2 Racks AIM-12 Sidewinder General Purpose Missiles

The Ohio­-class Frigate is the lightest ship in our navy, as well as the oldest; the flagship of the class, the USS Ohio, was pressed into service before the invention of the Freney Drive, and was among the ships that we utilized to bombard Havana into submission during the Cuban War of 1986. Taking it's age into account, it is admirable how well the class continues to serve, and this performance will only improve with the modifications made to the vessels as a result of the program. Among the changes are an increase in fighter capacity, the replacement of it's railguns with light lasers, and the addition of an M76 Laser System, which lends the ship similar reach to that of Soviet vessels.

Eawnexus.gamingsource.net

Specifications:
Decks: 19
Length: 300 Meters
Width: 200 M
Fighter Compliment: 16 F72 Vacuum Fighters
Armament:
-4 x M71 Anti-Fighter Laser Cannons
-1 x M76 Long-Range Laser Cannon

The Ironside-class Light Cruiser is not nearly so old as the Ohio, but is still ancient by any standard, having first been commissioned in 2031, a mere two years before the Soviet-American War sparked. The class, so named because of it's incredible capacity for absorbing punishment, has had this capacity further augmented as a response to the recent introduction of the Soviet Gauss Rifle to the scene, a weapon capable of cracking most forms of armor we've thrown at it. In addition, the ironside has received a pair of Tomahawk Laser-tipped Missile Batteries and an M80 High-Powered Laser Cannon, providing vastly superior mid-range firepower to any soviet vessel of equal of lesser class.

Eawnexus.gamingsource.net

Specifications:
Decks: 26
Length: 450m
Width: 250m
Fighter Compliment: 16 F72 Vacuum Fighters
Armament:
-4 x M71 Anti-fighter Laser Cannons
-2 x M76 Long-Range Laser Cannons
-1 x M80 High-Power Laser Cannon
-2 x Tomahawk Laser-tipped Missile Batteries

Now that I've wasted a good half hour telling you why these new refits are so wonderful, allow me to respectfully point out what would be more wonderful: More Nimitz-class Supercarriers. These frigates are all well and good, but if half of what the spooks infiltrating the Soviets say is true, this new Lenin-class Dreadnaught the Reds are cranking out like rabbits is going to win the war for them if we don't keep on building something that can match guns with it.

Analysis of this transmission have only further validated the opinions already held by the admiralty: these American ships are horrifically undergunned compared to our own, and their reliance to these preposterous single-being craft is surely a sign of their lack of tactical sense.

If you have any further questions, feel free to ask either myself or any other volkar officers in the communications section, each of whom I have personally instructed on our current knowledge of the human fleets.

With respects,

Shimraan, Volkar Lieutenant