NationStates Jolt Archive

This is just a thread for me to post designs I have made. Feel free to comment on whathaveyou, it doesn’t really matter.

Overview: In late 2007, the Neo-Fascist Conglomerate of Kargucagstan realized that the body armor currently assigned to its soldiers was insufficient for the job. Only the upper body could withstand rifle fire, and even then not for long. Something more was required. In the third quarter of 2008 Project Gasket was launched with the intent of developing an all-inclusive suit of powered armor. Over the next decade various designs were tried and discarded, and valuable knowledge in the field was gained. In 2021 exoskeleton technology had shrunken sufficiently to create the very first true set of armor. It never left the prototype stage, however, as it was prone to overheating and the complicated power sources tended to explode. Not until 2030 was the first set of combat power armor given to frontline troops. These mechanical behemoths were really small mecha, with unfeasibly large generators and very thin armor.

This suit, called the Hammer Mk.I, was kept in service until 2036, when the Mk.II was introduced. Slightly smaller and more efficient than its predecessor, it still had serious problems. The Mk.III was produced in 2040, and the Mk.IV in 2042. Although the designs were getting better, they were still too bulky. In late 2043, the government adopted a plan of mating technology with simplicity, a feat widely regarded as impossible. However, the critics were proved wrong when the Mk.V premiered. Less a suit of power armor and more protective clothing, it was a radical departure from previous attempts. The military deemed it still too complicated, however, and so the designers returned to their draft tables.

Now, in 2050, the very latest innovation in personal protection has been unveiled: the Hammer Mk.VI.

The Armor: Three separate layers compose the so-called “suit” of armor. Starting from the skin, troops put on a set of long-underwear woven from strands of artificial spider silk. While not as light as its natural counterpart, it is still a fourth of the weight of steel. The silk can stretch to a limited degree to provide a snug, comfortable fit without chaffing, but will seize up when excessively strained (as in under impact from a bullet). Gloves, “footies,” and a hood are sown into this jumpsuit, so as to form as close to an airtight seal as possible.

The next layer is the main armor. Fitted on top of the first by straps and buttons, it is meant to provide the direct stopping power necessary to protect the wearer without being overly restrictive. This is achieved through utilizing a combination of two different materials. The first is Dyneema, which forms a “sandwich” with a solution of a shear thickening fluid known as Glyceterol in the center. In Glyceterol, atoms are arranged in a loose pattern, giving the material liquid qualities. However, when sufficient pressure is applied (be it by a bullet, knife, or shrapnel), they line up in columns and instantly create a rigid shell that fully dissipates kinetic energy. When the pressure is removed, the Glyceterol reverts to its standard form. Working with the spider silk first layer, this forms a near-impenetrable defense against anything the enemy can field.

Many of my more astute readers will have realized that there has so far been no mention of power in this “power armor.” That, my dear friends, is where the third “layer” comes in. This is an exoskeleton and not so much a layer. After being custom-fit to the soldier assigned to it, it straps snuggly to legs, back, chest, arms, and the bottoms of the feet, and uses servomotors to adjust its position in relation to the current placement of the wearer’s limbs. When the armor senses the user’s arms are in a firing position, it locks the upper body joints in place to provide steady aim. The lock is not very strong, however, so the trooper only has to move a little to make the suit relax. The desired position that activates this locking and the strength of the hold can be programmed during the customization fitting. The servojoints also compensate for recoil.

Attached to the skeleton are .5” plates of ultrahard fullerite. Made of compressed carbon, this material is stronger than diamond, although very expensive. It can also conduct heat and electricity better than any other armor type, so lasers and shocking weapons are rendered ineffective. The central chest plate is not made of fullerite, however. Instead, a sheet of aggregated diamond nanorod composites is used. The single hardest material known to man, virtually nothing can penetrate this .8” chunk of pure armor, which is nearly 500 times as strong as steel. The original design of the Mk.VI called for all-around ADNC coverage, but the extreme expense of the material laid those plans to rest. All plates, like the firing positions, can be manually adjusted to fit the posture and preference of the soldier wearing the suit, although wrenches and pliers are required to do this.

A 20lb (9kg) pack is carried on the back, which contains the power supply, computer, gyro, temperature control mechanism, and fuel supply for the whole suit. Like the Mk.V, simplicity was desired when designing this generator, so instead of a fancy-shmancy reactor or fuel cell, a hyperefficient miniaturized internal combustion engine was chosen. They have several advantages over more complex devices, including being very well understood, small, lightweight, durable, fuel-efficient, and easy to repair. Replacement parts can be found worldwide, and although it can be difficult to find, say, a miniaturized crankshaft, it is far easier than trying to locate a thermocouple for a JSV-2248 Nuclear Fusion Pile. Exhaust from the engine is directed through a series of baffles at the base of the pack that reduce noise and heat emission. Even with the muffler, though, the sonic and thermal signatures of the Hammer are not small. If you want a stealth suit, look elsewhere. A compact Lithium-ion battery provides power for ignition.

At the top of the pack is the CPU for the unit. Like every piece of Conglomerate technology, all electronics in the Mk.VI use fiber-optic wiring. This renders the entire system impervious to the effects of electromagnetic radiation and also makes it a thousand times faster than its primitive metallic cousins. The CPU is in charge of regulating the basic functions of the Hammer, but also uses sensors in the limbs to “feel” the movements of the user and flow with them. This sidesteps the need for expensive, dangerous, permanent control interfaces like the neural chips used by some of the Hammer’s competitors. Attached to the computer is the gyrostabilizer, which keeps this machine upright and moving.

The ICE runs on pretty much anything you put in the tanks. Gasoline, kerosene, alcohol, diesel, vegetable oil, hydrogen, methane, natural gas, ethanol and crude oil all work, although with differing performance levels. Generally, though, the suit will run for 23 hours without needing to be topped off. Fuel is stored in two small tanks on either side of the engine. They are lined with a small amount of a specialized gel that foams when it comes in contact with oxygen, thus filling in any holes. So, unless the enemy is using incendiary rounds, it is impossible to catch the fuel supply on fire. Even then, it won’t explode, as the entire backpack is made of fullerite. When fuel runs out, more can be added by simply unscrewing a cap on top of the backpack and pouring in your combustible of choice. To avoid making this a weak point in the armor, a covering of fullerite holds the cap down.

Imbedded in the spider silk layer are tubes of water that serve to pull heat away from the wearer’s body. This water is circulated by a small pump in the temperature control mechanism that is responsible for maintaining working temperatures in both the suit and user. Depending on what the machine’s sensors tell it, the TCM can heat or cool.

Conglomerate standard-issue gasmasks fit snuggly against the hood of this suit, forming an airtight seal, and buckles on top of the head interface perfectly with the basic infantryman’s helmet, which resembles those the Germans fielded in WWII. Cameras in the front and back of the exoskeleton as well as on each shoulder are patched into a general feed that forms a panoramic image of what is around the soldier at all times. This image is projected onto an adjustable targeting screen placed over either eye. This unobtrusive panel displays heat build-up, CPU speed, warning lights, a minimap (if available), a targeting reticule, and the panoramic image. If an enabled weapon is programmed into it or plugged into the provided jack, an ammo counter and any other relevant information is also supplied. Several viewing modes are incorporated in the screen, including thermal, lowlight and motion tracking. The panoramic image changes to reflect the desired filter.

The job of the LOM is to consume the top 9 or so feet of the lunar regolith via a massive scoop thing like that seen on an agricultural combine. The material passes into the internal workings of the machine and is crushed and compressed into blocks that are later shipped to a refinery, where they extract oxygen, silicon, aluminum, helium-3, and titanium. When the bale hopper get full, a cargo buggy drives up next to it and and LOM dumps the containers into it, which are promptly replaced.

By automating the LOM and using fusion power and radioisotope heater units to keep it warm, the machine never needs to stop working, making it very efficient. Downtime is thus minimized. Instead of tracks like a comparable vehicle on Earth would have, the LOM makes use of large tires. By using eight of them it can easily cross most of the scarred landscape that makes up its workplace.

Length: 120 feet
Width: 40 feet
Heigth: 35 feet
Payload Capacity: 115 cubic yards
Maximum Speed: 19 mph
Cruising Speed: 7 mph
Defensive Weaponry: 4 CIWS guns with 1,000 rounds each
Armor: 4 inches of hardened steel alloy with an outer layer of metalized ceramic
Power Generation: 1 fusion reactor rated at 80 mW

The MPPDS is a simple, highly effective automated satellite meant to defend Conglomerate interests in Earth Orbit and beyond. Armed with a single 65mm rotary cannon with 7,000 rounds and a dual anti-ship missile launcher, these devices are very dangerous. Lubrication is provided by powdered molybdenum disulfide, and power is supplied to the various systems (including radar, LADAR, thermal, and radio sensors) by a single alpha Sterling Radioisotope Generator with a plutonium halflife of roughly 87 years. If ordered to, the MPPDS can detonate a small, 110mm internal nuclear charge, beginning a chain reaction that transforms any remaining fuel into a kiloton-scale bomb. Hopefully this will not be required, and to make sure the MPPDS has two inches of metalized ceramic with an outer coating of superconducting fullerite mesh.

Length: 29 feet
Diameter: 19 feet
Mass: 22 tons
Offensive Weaponry: 1 65mm rotary cannon, 2 anti-shipping missiles
Defensive Weaponry: 2 CIWS guns
Armor: 2 inches of metalized ceramic, fullerite mesh
Power Generation: 1 alpha SRG producing 1.1 mW
Engines: 3 limited-use correctional thrusters
Sensors: Radar, LADAR, thermal, radio, infrared, ultraviolet

Length: 281 meters
Beam: 52 meters
Dry Mass: 4,900 tons
Wet Mass 10,400 tons
Crew: 51
Offensive Weaponry: 1 215 mW pulsed laser; 10 130mm coilguns; 2 variable payload missile mounts
Defensive Weaponry: 1 6 mW astronomical/ point defense laser; 4 65mm rotary point defense cannon
Armor: 3.4 inches of metalized ceramic; .6 inches of fullerite; .4 inch aluminum Whipple shield; 2 inches of ablative foam
Propulsion: 4 open-cycle gas core NTRs; 6 chemical maneuvering rockets
Power Generation: 6 alpha Sterling Engines with thermophotovoltaic cell enhancements creating 1.1 gWs during normal operations; 2 SRGs with thermophotovoltaic cell enhancements produce 410 mWs at all times
Maximum Acceleration (linear, in open space): 5.1 Gs
Cruising Acceleration (linear, in open space): 1.1 Gs

The Zenith class EAV was designed specifically to achieve Earth-Moon-Lagrange point superiority and to counter similar ships being constructed by other nations. Kargucagstan lacks the experience of its neighbors in starship design, so the Zenith class was inspired by long-range shots and videos of foreign vessels taken by spy satellites. The heaviest influences are the Alexander Drexel class of the ZMSF, the Gorgan class of the IAF, and the Ortega class of the MRN.

Propulsion

Four open-cycle gas core nuclear thermal rockets deliver a specific impulse of 4,100 seconds at a maximum thrust of 5.1 Gs. This outstanding performance comes at a heavy price- much extra Uranium 235 must be carried in order to replace that lost during the reaction, and the exhaust fume given off by the Zenith is extremely radioactive. Six chemical maneuvering rockets allow the ship to change course, perform evasive actions, and travel through a body’s gravitational field without poisoning the atmosphere. Ten external fuel tanks give the ship at least decent range. An automatic attitude control system responds easily to bridge commands.

Power Generation

Six Sterling Engines connected to the NTRs provide most of the power. Thermophotovoltaic cells attached to the engines double the efficiency, leading to a total power generation of 1.1 gWs when NTRs are engaged. Additionally, two alpha Sterling Radioisotope Generators produce 410 mWs at all times.

Armament

One six mW astronomical laser and four 65mm rotary cannon, each with 7,500 rounds, provide autonomous point defense against mines, kinetic weapons, space debris, and missiles. For simplicity of engineering, the cannons on the Zenith are the same as on the MPPADS system. A single 215 mW pulsed laser fires beams of energy down a central channel inside the ship. Interior mirrors direct the pulses to one of two turrets. In this way one turret can be firing while the other tracks a new target, greatly increasing the effectiveness of the weapon. Because the laser is pulsed, less energy needs to come into contact with the enemy ship for less time to generate more damage.

Ten dual-mounted 130mm coilguns provide staying power. Because the shells do not physically touch the barrel, maintenance is relatively low, and due to the increased size of the ammunition, various warheads can be carried for orbital bombardment, giving the crew a choice other than kinetic. Rounding out the weapons are two variable payload missile pylons. Each can hold up to four large anti-ship missiles or two neutron/nuclear/salted fusion missiles.

Immense radiators located all over the hull can be opened to vent the massive heat generated by the superconductors and transistors of the weapons systems. Sheets of armor may be lowered on top of these to protect them if the need should arise.

Armor

The hull is composed of 3.4 inches of metalized ceramic backed with 1/10th of an inch of Dyneema to prevent spalling. .6 inches of fullerite is overlaid on the ceramic, followed by a .4 inch Whipple shield to protect against kinetic weapons. 2 inches of sprayed-on ablative foam provide further protection. A simple copper wire mesh is imbedded in the ceramic. A mild current is passed through this, and when a hole interrupts the flow, the bridge can immediately locate the breach. Plates of aggregated diamond nanorod composite sheath vital equipment, giving one last layer of protection to the machinery.

The crew’s water supply is stored in thin tanks placed around the hull. These help absorb radiation, but the cancer rate amongst Zenith crews is still 65%, and sterilization is almost certain. Because of this, the crews are extremely fatalistic.

Due of the abundance of fiber optic computing, an electromagnetic defense system is somewhat moot. To help replace is, the exterior is coated in RAM, and copious amounts of chaff and decoys are carried.

Sensors

A variety of advanced systems are present on the Zenith. Ultraviolet, thermal, and infrared visual sensors augment a full radar, LADAR, and radio suite. All systems can, like the lasers and coilguns, be shuttered behind blast doors to prevent damage coming to them. However, this effectively causes them to cease functioning until they are brought out again.

Mission

Due to the finite range limit imposed by the extreme fuel usage and crew fatality rates, the Zenith is confined to operations around Earth, the Moon, and the Lagrange points. Inside of this area it will easily dominate any other vessel.

Miscellaneous

The floor of the vessel is the very stern because of acceleration issues. There are no crew accommodations, only insulated sleeping bags strapped to the walls and floor. Sleeping arrangements are first come first serve, and most sacks are shared by three or four crewmen. A single ten seat Crew Reentry Vehicle has been provided to act as a way for the captain and his choice officers to escape. This small craft can reenter the atmosphere of a planet, but has no real thrust capabilities, so cannot come back up.

Five ships have been constructed for the Kargucagstani Stellar Navy so far:

KSN 00-01
KSN 01-02
KSN 02-03
KSN 03-04
KSN 04-05