NS Military Realism Consultation Thread #3

[The Akasha Colony]

Mobile means moveable. If something can be moved, it's mobile. Speed is irrelevant to mobility. It's a purely objective term; something is either mobile or it isn't, not "sort of mobile but it's not really".

From a purely semantic standpoint yes, but from a functional standpoint, there are certainly gradations and types of mobility.

[The Kievan People]

It is a ballistic missile defense radar. No relation to AWACs whatsoever.

It's a mobile radar with a large range.

I don't see why I couldn't use it like an AWACS.

There is this thing called a horizon. You might have heard of it.

It is a gigantic, barely mobile, billion dollar radar set that cannot operate anywhere except the middle of the ocean and/or Mongolia. Avoiding it is as hard as flying a bit lower. Finding it is trivial.

A decent low frequency surveillance radar can still detect aircraft out to the radar horizon, can be moved on a large truck, do not cost billions of dollars and are much harder to find and destroy.

[Vitaphone Racing]

Mobile means moveable. If something can be moved, it's mobile. Speed is irrelevant to mobility. It's a purely objective term; something is either mobile or it isn't, not "sort of mobile but it's not really".

From a purely semantic standpoint yes, but from a functional standpoint, there are certainly gradations and types of mobility.

Then let's look at functionality.

The SBX is designed as a radar station to detect incoming ballistic missiles and be able to be moved to any area of ocean where it's needed the most. Can the SBX be moved from area to area? Yes, it can do this at 5 kts per hour. Can the SBX operate anywhere? Yes, it was specifically designed to operate in rough conditions. Was there any mandation in the design about how fast the SBX was able to be moved? Nope.

From a functional standpoint, looks like they nailed the design brief to me.

This fad of saying the SBX isn't mobile because it's slow is the same as saying the Leopard isn't mobile because it can't beat an AMG Merc around the Nurburgring. It does exactly what it's supposed to do, it's functionally mobile.

[The Kievan People]

It has strategic mobility. But no meaningful tactical or operational mobility.

You can pick it up and move it to Korea. You cannot move it in time to avoid an incoming attack, and you cannot move it in support of a fleet operation.

[The Akasha Colony]

From a purely semantic standpoint yes, but from a functional standpoint, there are certainly gradations and types of mobility.

Then let's look at functionality.

The SBX is designed as a radar station to detect incoming ballistic missiles and be able to be moved to any area of ocean where it's needed the most. Can the SBX be moved from area to area? Yes, it can do this at 5 kts per hour. Can the SBX operate anywhere? Yes, it was specifically designed to operate in rough conditions. Was there any mandation in the design about how fast the SBX was able to be moved? Nope.

From a functional standpoint, looks like they nailed the design brief to me.

This fad of saying the SBX isn't mobile because it's slow is the same as saying the Leopard isn't mobile because it can't beat an AMG Merc around the Nurburgring. It does exactly what it's supposed to do, it's functionally mobile.

Except that now we're moving the goalposts, since your original statement was that mobility exists as a simple binary state in which an object is either mobile or not, and thus theoretically an aircraft carrier has the same mobility as an F-22, a pigeon, a RHIB, a submarine, a tank, and a person. This response now indicates that there are indeed nuances within that great category of 'mobility,' which was the point of my statement.

[Samozaryadnyastan]

The primary reason one would send a jet to kill a helo would be a situation in which the enemy is trying to fly airmobile troops like special forces through a massive emptiness in your air defense network. Like in the Sinai desert in the Yom Kippur War, for example.

Then you question why your various stages of air defence on the ground aren't working.

Mobile means moveable. If something can be moved, it's mobile. Speed is irrelevant to mobility. It's a purely objective term; something is either mobile or it isn't, not "sort of mobile but it's not really".

Surely if it can be moved, then it's merely transportable.
If it can move, which that radar cannot, then it's mobile.

[Birkaine]

What are the disadvantages of free electron lasers? Solid-state lasers are thermally inefficient, chemical lasers run out of juice, but FELs seem to pretty much be able to run forever, are more efficient than solid, gas or liquid lasers and on top of that they can be tuned to the frequencies attainable by any other laser type.

Is that all there is to it? Is the FEL simply better in all aspects? If so, why have militaries even bothered with COILs or solid-state lasers?

[Triplebaconation]

If it can move, which that radar cannot, then it's mobile.[/quote]

It can probably move about as fast as you.

[Samozaryadnyastan]

If it can move, which that radar cannot, then it's mobile.

It can probably move about as fast as you.

Didn't see the floats.

[Triplebaconation]

At present, the SBX has had a ton of reliability problems; officially it's based in Alaska but I've seen it spending a ton of time chilling out in Pearl Harbor for maintenance and repairs whenever something breaks.

How does spending a quarter of its time in port indicate a "ton of reliability problems?"

[Heirosoloa]

-snip-

Thanks. I was reasonably sure that the idea was unfeasible; just wanted to run it by you guys.

As for functionality issues on BWBs, would they be useful for carrying space shuttles, a la An-225 and Buran?

[The Kievan People]

What are the disadvantages of free electron lasers? Solid-state lasers are thermally inefficient, chemical lasers run out of juice, but FELs seem to pretty much be able to run forever, are more efficient than solid, gas or liquid lasers and on top of that they can be tuned to the frequencies attainable by any other laser type.

Is that all there is to it? Is the FEL simply better in all aspects? If so, why have militaries even bothered with COILs or solid-state lasers?

http://flash.desy.de/sites2009/site_vuv ... layout.png

Pictured: 400 milliwatt free electron laser.

[The Akasha Colony]

At present, the SBX has had a ton of reliability problems; officially it's based in Alaska but I've seen it spending a ton of time chilling out in Pearl Harbor for maintenance and repairs whenever something breaks.

How does spending a quarter of its time in port indicate a "ton of reliability problems?"

Because that port is not its home port, and it's usually specifically stated in the newspaper every time it shows up (which is very noticeable) that it's for more unexpected maintenance work. I imagine spending 25% of its time off-station is less than optimal for a system that's supposed to be at near-constant readiness in order to detect ballistic missile launches.

[Triplebaconation]

Where is its home port? What availability would an 1,800 ton radar system operating in Pacific weather have to have before it could be deemed reliable?

[Samozaryadnyastan]

Where is its home port? What availability would an 1,800 ton radar system operating in Pacific weather have to have before it could be deemed reliable?

I imagine it'd depend on the nature of these 'unexpected maintenance' trips. But the fact they're 'unexpected' in the first place is probably an indicator.
More than 75% availability for what is supposed to be a critical component of the US missile defence network would be viable. Alternatively, get a second one.

[New Vihenia]

What are the disadvantages of free electron lasers? Solid-state lasers are thermally inefficient, chemical lasers run out of juice, but FELs seem to pretty much be able to run forever, are more efficient than solid, gas or liquid lasers and on top of that they can be tuned to the frequencies attainable by any other laser type.

Is that all there is to it? Is the FEL simply better in all aspects? If so, why have militaries even bothered with COILs or solid-state lasers?

http://flash.desy.de/sites2009/site_vuv ... layout.png

Pictured: 400 milliwatt free electron laser.

So big..but so small peak power o.o

[San-Silvacian]

I'm still so bent on what I want.

I think I'll just do AHHH MOTHERLAND.

But Anglo-Saxon white race protectors seems so NS and glory.

[Grand Britannia]

I was going over my military budget and noticed my Operations budget is higher than maintenance.

Good/bad?

[Purpelia]

Dunno. But nice flag.

[The Akasha Colony]

Where is its home port? What availability would an 1,800 ton radar system operating in Pacific weather have to have before it could be deemed reliable?

Adak Island, Alaska. There's a $26 million special mooring chain system they built there for it that has never been used. As for its port calls at Pearl Harbor, Wikipedia notes that:

The ship has spent time for maintenance and repair at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii several times, including 170 days in 2006, 63 days in 2007, 63 days in 2008, 177 days in 2009, and 51 days in 2010.

Spending half a year in port for repairs is not what I would call a high-readiness asset, or reliable. Evidently the Navy agrees since it's being dropped to extended readiness and removed from active service according to recent budget requests.

[Grand Britannia]

Dunno. But nice flag.

It does look better than the sloth.

[Lubyak]

Dunno. But nice flag.

It does look better than the sloth.

I doubt Darjeeling would approve Britannia getting rid of her lovely tanks for mechs though.

[The Akasha Colony]

Dunno. But nice flag.

It does look better than the sloth.

These threads need patron anime. Yukikaze seems uncontested for the fighter thread.

[Grand Britannia]

It does look better than the sloth.

I doubt Darjeeling would approve Britannia getting rid of her lovely tanks for mechs though.

I like Darjeeling way too much to disappoint her

It does look better than the sloth.

These threads need patron anime. Yukikaze seems uncontested for the fighter thread.

Main Fighter thread: Yukikaze

Main Tank thread: Girls und Panzer

Main Ship thread: Zipang ???

[The Akasha Colony]

I doubt Darjeeling would approve Britannia getting rid of her lovely tanks for mechs though.

I like Darjeeling way too much to disappoint her

These threads need patron anime. Yukikaze seems uncontested for the fighter thread.

Main Fighter thread: Yukikaze

Main Tank thread: Girls und Panzer

Main Ship thread: Zipang ???

Actually, for bonus hilarity, I would suggest Konpeki no Kantai.