NationStates Jolt Archive

A cold wind was blowing accross the harbor, causing many of the onlookers to shiver. Most were Delkorian natives, a few were visiting from allied nations. Belfalas Harbor (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/DelkorSubBase.jpg) was the first place all Delkorian submarines go after construction. It also served as a home port for many of Delkor's subs. Now, it will host a new fleet, all powered by liquid-metal nuclear reators, which had been in development for many years. After many prototypes, the Moria metallurgists were able to provide a liquid metal that provided excellent power density, allowing the new subs to reach speeds unabtainable with conventional pressurised-water reactors.
On a small stage next to the drydock, Tirus, High King of Delkor, stood holding a bottle of the finest Shireland wine. He looked out among those gathered befor him. "Friends of Delkor, friends of the King, I bid you welcome. Today, we witness the begining of a new era for the Imperial Delkorian Navy. A transition from the old into the new. Behold! The first of many newly built vessels that will form the core of our new Navy! The largest class of submarine ever built in Earthica (ooc: my region) ! I give you, the I.D.S. Omega! (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/typhoondrydock.jpg)" He grasped the bottle, and with a long swing, broke it over the sub's hull. It shattered, scattering glass and wine around the stage. "Honored guests," Tirus continued after the applause died down a bit, "I thank you for joining me here today. The people of Delkor will always welcome you in our lands. Do any wish to speak?" he asked...

Lhaaran Áedh, a relatively young-man in terms of international politics, stepped out in front of the crowd and admired the machine for a moment. He then turned to face Tirius and spoke with a lowered voice;
"I apologies that Sir Kadesh could not attend, for he is currently in battle in Iberia. I hope my presence is sufficient"
Lhaaran was wrapped tightly-up in a long, black jacket, with a large polo neck protecting his lower-face. He had packed his kilt for this occasion, however the icy winds of Belfalas soon deterred his intention. He began to rub his gloved hands together, trying to massage some life back into them,, and turned to face the crowd;
"Friends of the Commonwealth, people of Delkor, I am Lharan Áedh of the High Council of the Pictish Imperium. The people of Delkor followed us into battle against the Cnian barbarians, the treacherous forces of British Londinium, and their lap-dog Akimonad: and we were victorious! The Imperium could never request a more dedicated and honorable hand of allies than those who stand with us here today"
Lhaaran paused fir a moment to gage the audiences response, but was unable to read any sort of reaction from their faces,
"Things will get worse, before they can better, my friends. I do not doubt that these impressive war-machines of the Delkorian fleet will feel the heat of battle, and I am truly glad they will be on our side. In order to attain peace, we must first prepare for war"

A Kiravian naval officer, Admiral Narvik Herringsea, spoke, "We congratulate the people of Delkor upon their great achievement towards helping defend their nation and the free world. While we would hope otherwise, naval war is inevitable in the near future, and those of the Kiravian military will be honoured to fught alongside such an impressive work of engineering."

Yanitarian Diplomat (OOC: Hope it's cool if I come. You invited all UC members) Felix Laroque examined the machine.

"Indeed. What is the combat rating of such a vessel? And does it have a single screw or double screw configuration? Better yet, do you have the specifications? Excuse my eagerness to get to them, but I cannot praise a machine unless I know a bit about it."

(ooc: Yanitaria, it's kool. All UC members are welcome. All tech info will be available soon. Should I wait for more UC members, or move on to the private conference?)

OOC: I don't think Southeastern Greenland's going to come, so its just Echo that's missing...

(OOC: moving on... oh and my neighbor, the Uchia Clan, may join in. I'm helping him get experiance in rp'ing...)

After a few more comments to the crowd, Tirus stepped down and faced his guests. "Gentlemen," he said, "Thank you again for coming. Now that the public appearence is over, I invite you to join me onboard my personal train for refreshment and a more, private discussion." He waved a hand at a nearby rail track, where a 5 car train rested. Waiting in front was an old steam engine (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/4-6-4hudson.jpg). "I wish to talk about the UC's military situation. And I will also share the technical data for the Omega-class ships, Mr. Laroque."

"Allons-y, then, unless anyone has an objection? I must say before we leave, the sheer size of such a vessel is impressive. If it can compete with the Typhoon class, my country would be very interested in buying some."

Lord Uchiha upon having seen the vessel is impresed with the prowes of his neighbor and ally. Smilling he can't wait to see their strangth put to use. now with the launching done he awaits the start of the confrence.

Tirus turned to face Mr. Laroque. "That is part of what I wish to discuss. While my military designers have produced good naval vessels, we are lacking in quality ground vehicals and, more importantly, military aircraft. While we have excellent rotory vehicals, reliable jet fighters are beyond our current capabilities. My 3 Tirus-class (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/Tirus-classFleetCarrier.jpg) fleet carriers are equiped with F-14 Tomcat interceptors that I purchased from a foreign supplier. I had hoped to form a type of 'military trade agreement' for members of the UC, where we would provide submarines," he waved a hand at the Omega (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/typhoon2.jpg), "in exchange for aircraft." By this time, the group had reached the train. "We shall continue this talk onboard. But first, allow me to introduce one of my favorite machines." He turned to face the locomotive, "This is an original 4-6-4 Hudson steam locomotive, built about 60 years ago. It has been used to pull the Royal Express for the last 40 years." A porter opened the rail car door, and placed a step on the ground. Tirus faced his guests, "Shall we?"

OOC: Are you looking for RL vehicles, or NS originals?

Lhaaran admired the archaic machine with some surprise, as he had never seen such a smoke-bellowing iron-horse before, lest not in the Imperium. He pulled a hip flask out of his pocket and took a swig, however it contained but pure water from the Pictish Highlands and not the slightest hint of alcohol: Lhaaran was a soldier, and as a result never ventured far without some sort of source of water. Although he may have temporarily drifted off into his own thoughts, he overheard the Delkorian King discussing the military state of the UC, an object of his own attention during the voyage to Earthica.
"Sir, I would be delighted to discuss the enlistment of the Omega-Class as part of the UC-RRF once the UC combined forces are fully operational. Firstly though, I agree with my comrade in the matter of reviewing the machine's specifications and performance records. I also ask that according to the charter of the UC, the relevant military personnel and hardware be established from each member-nation as soon as possible. A decisive military force may secure the future of the commonwealth"

As Tirus entered the lounge car (http://www.travelinstyle.com/africa/S.Africa/ImagesBlueTrain/lounge-car01.jpg), he signaled an officer waiting inside. "Gentlemen, please take a seat. This is Captain Tefros, head of Naval R&D. He will describe our new sub fleet and answer any questions you may have." Tirus sat in one of the leather chairs, "Captain?" "Thank you my lord," Tefros replied. "Gentlemen, you have already seen the new Omega-class (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/typhoon2.jpg) boats. It is only one of our new nuclear-powered submarines." He used a remote to turn on an image projector on the far wall. "This is our new missile sub, the Zeta-class (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/Zeta-classSD.jpg). It has 8 25.6in torpedo tubes and 24 missile tubes, 12 per side. The missile tubes can fire anti-ship, anti-ground, or anti-air missiles, and was designed for use against enemy surface groups." He changed the image to a smaller sub. "This is the Lambda-class (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/Lambda-classSE.jpg) escort sub. Designed to protect the Zeta and Omega classes, it carries an impressive 40 torpedoes." Another push of the button, and the image changed again. "Gentlemen," said Tefros, "allow me to introduce our crown jewel, the Theta-class (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/Theta-classSA.jpg). This is an amazing boat. With its liquid-metal reactors, it has a design speed of 43knots, however the 1st-of-class reached 47.62 knots on trials. With 6 21in torpedo tubes, deep diving depth of 2,400 feet, and high speed, it will surve as our new attack submarine. All four classes are powered by our new liquid-metal reactors, which provide much greater power for higher speeds. We have already produced a few of each class, with the Omega being the last in the program." Another image change, "We are also developing different versions of the Omega. For example, this is an extended model, the Omega Mod 2-class (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/typhoon.jpg). It replaces the missile tubes with a large crew compartment for a commando team. The missile hatched remain, but are fake, except for two which are airlocks. This model is being developed with the Uchia Clan, and will carry a group of their elite warriors. We can re-configure the Omega for other uses as well." He turned off the projector. "Questions, gentlemen?"

"Indeed," said Laroque, "The screw configurations, can those be modified? As I have seen, they come with two screws. These make it more maneuverable, but are noisy when they aren't aligned properly. If we could, we would like to see a triple screw configuration, so that a single screw could be used for stealth, and a double for maneuverability. Certainly the machine is big enough to accommodate this. Yanitaria alone would be willing to pay for the development of such a configuration.

"Also, of all the configurations how do they compare in stealth to other submarines? And survivability?"

Lhaaran followed the men into the cabin, and sat silently while Captain Tefros delivered his presentation. He then got up and headed straight for the mini-bar, where he poured himself a Highland malt and water, sipping it expectantly before downing the first glass. He then poured himself a second and returned to his seat. He continued to stare into his drink when he spoke;

"What about countermeasures and electronic warfare capabilities? In short; what do these machines have over the Spirit Class? (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12608170&postcount=10/)"

Lhaaran downed his second whiskey.

"And again, my previous statement on the formation of the "UC-RRF Combined Force" still stands"

Lhaaran followed the men into the cabin, and sat silently while Captain Tefros delivered his presentation. He then got up and headed straight for the mini-bar, where he poured himself a Highland malt and water, sipping it expectantly before downing the first glass. He then poured himself a second and returned to his seat. He continued to stare into his drink when he spoke;

"What about countermeasures and electronic warfare capabilities? In short; what do these machines have over the Spirit Class? (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12608170&postcount=10/)"

Lhaaran downed his second whiskey.

"And again, my previous statement on the formation of the "UC-RRF Combined Force" still stands"

"Perhaps it should be made up of equipment designed by UC member nations? The USSY still has a large stockpile of AY-112 assault rifles and their variants. We've given most to Southern Greenland though, during their fight with Red Tide."

Captain Tefros brought up the images again. "The Theta and Lambda classes are single screw boats. Their hull design makes it impossible to mount more shafts. However, the Omega and Zeta classes could be fitted with a third shaft run by batteries, however both do have a 'creep' mode, where they can slowly manuver using small thrusters mounted on the bow and stern." He turned off the projector. "Keep in mind, that the liquid-metal in the reactors must be keep at high temperatures at all times. Shutting down the reactor without using the heating system will cause the coolant to solidify, which would ruin the reactor. However, with proper maintanence and care, this problem can be easily avoided." He quickly looked over the specs for the Spirt-class (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12608170&postcount=10/). "Compared to the Spirt, the Omega is larger and slower, and carries fewer torpedoes. However, it has 20 missiles, bigger supply stores for longer range, and an opperational depth of 2,000 ft. Also, its large size allows for under-ice opperations, where the reinforced sail can break through the ice with ease." He stepped back when Tirus stood up to address the group. "Thank you Captain," he said. "Lhaaran, I understand your statement. A joint UC military force would be a benefit, however, logistics would make opperating a Combined Fleet difficult. There are two ways to do this. The first would be to divide it up between different member nations. For example, a combined submarine fleet could be based here in Delkor, while your nation could host a combined air force. The second method would be to have each member nation donate forces as needed. For example, my own 2nd Battle Force would continue to opperate as my own fleet, but would become part of the Combined Fleet when needed." He paused, considering another matter. "I am willing to build submarines for a UC Combined Fleet, and would base them here in Belfalas. They would opperate under my Navy's command for standard patrols, but would be under Joint Command for and UC action. The crews can be made up of volunters from the different navies of UC member nations. I will also be willing to allow other UC members access to the designs of these new subs, and to work with our shipyard to perfect them. Delkor lags behind many other nations in advanced computer technology, and I would welcome any modifications to our naval designs." Tirus turned and looked out the window. In the distance, the battleship I.D.S. Challenger (http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h52/nx9100/Challenger-classTypeCBattleship.jpg) was sitting at anchor, just outside the breakwater. "Delkor has a prowd navy," Tirus continued, "and a prowd shipbuilding industry. We would wecome the chance to share that with other UC nations by providing ships and subs for their navies."