War in Space; how would you do it?

[Robert Walper]

Oh and Walper, here is what yous thip would look like to a UV filter

*snip*

Great. But since my arguement was not accounting for computer enhanced sensors, your picture is just another pointless Red Herring.

[Hotfoot]

Oh and Walper, here is what yous thip would look like to a UV filter

*snip*

Great. But since my arguement was not accounting for computer enhanced sensors, your picture is just another pointless Red Herring.

A photon is a photon is a photon. The only thing that really changes is wavelength. Granted, all the different wavelengths photons have different properties, each passing through and being "blocked" by different various types of matter, but in the end, they all follow similar rules.

By the way, fun little fact: Did you know that digital cameras can detect near-infrared light? It's true! You can try it yourself, but you can see the results very clearly in this picture.


It should be noted that this isn't any sort of "computer enhancement", but rather an effect of sensors that are capable of picking up that wavelength of photon.

[Stofsk]

If required, I suppose I could dig up some calculations and crunch some numbers to see just how far away we could detect a nice, hot warship, given modern sensors. Especially one that's painted black and turning all that nice visual light into hot hot IR. :)

You make it sound dirty.

[Hotfoot]

Dirty physics is the best kind. The Kama Inertia is a sight to behold ;)

[Comrade Tortoise]

Oh and Walper, here is what yous thip would look like to a UV filter

*snip*

Great. But since my arguement was not accounting for computer enhanced sensors, your picture is just another pointless Red Herring.

And my argument is that black paint is worthless desite the fact that the naked eye wont see it. You fool.

If you want to pull out that "arrogance"line again, WE CAN DETECT IR LIGHT AND UV NOW WITH EXISTING TECH.

[Knife]

People are saying 'stealth is the way to go' but the question is, how do you practice stealth in space?

The UV filter picture shows us that a spaceship sticks out like a sore thumb due to all the heat and radiation a ship emits. How do you control/mask that?

I would imagine that a minimal 'cross section' in a big space would help. Fire up the engines way back at the starting point and accelerate up to speed. Then shut down the engines and 'cruise' to your target. You're still going to emit some radiation, sensors/com and even reflect some radiation and shit from local bodies but it would be minimal. And as long as you're not a gigantic battleship the size of the moon, you might slip through just because of the sheer amount of sky someone would need to scan.

Also, people are saying ECMs will have an impact, but again how so? How will ECMs work?

ECM as most people think of it would depend on what the weapon systems of the society are. But yeah, if it's still radar based and/or if missiles home in with radar or even navigational and targeting data from a 'home ship', then pumping the airwave full of static would still work.

Another good example, though probably more ECCM, would be flares that would serve as decoys. A small missile like device that has an 'engine signiture' like the host ship. Fire off a couple of those in different vectors to confuse enemy sensors.

[frigidmagi]

Decoys, small parasite drones that when dropped do their best to "look" like a ship. Mainly by throwwing Electronic signals, heat and radition all over the place I would guess.

[Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman]

Moon-sized battlestations to neutralize (read: destroy) planets, capital ships as the backbone of the fleet, and starfighters for surgical strikes and exploiting holes. Also, there'll be long-range strategic WMD like Galaxy Guns and such.

[Ace Pace]

Moon-sized battlestations to neutralize (read: destroy) planets, capital ships as the backbone of the fleet, and starfighters for surgical strikes and exploiting holes. Also, there'll be long-range strategic WMD like Galaxy Guns and such.

In your far future dreams, human kind has no where NEAR the ability to create 2-3km long ships in space, nevermind moon sized ships.

And pray tell me what are 1-2 person fighters going to do against a crewed corvette? This isn't air combat where a fighter has a max size before you need far more power to run it, more space is far more usful in space, bigger better sensors, more room to release heat instead of concertrating it, more and better equipted weaponary.

And without FTL, how is a fucking Galaxy Gun going to be usful?

[Comrade Tortoise]

Moon-sized battlestations to neutralize (read: destroy) planets, capital ships as the backbone of the fleet, and starfighters for surgical strikes and exploiting holes. Also, there'll be long-range strategic WMD like Galaxy Guns and such.

In your far future dreams, human kind has no where NEAR the ability to create 2-3km long ships in space, nevermind moon sized ships.

And pray tell me what are 1-2 person fighters going to do against a crewed corvette? This isn't air combat where a fighter has a max size before you need far more power to run it, more space is far more usful in space, bigger better sensors, more room to release heat instead of concertrating it, more and better equipted weaponary.

And without FTL, how is a fucking Galaxy Gun going to be usful?

Well, small fighers do have their uses. As mobile weapons platforms, all it would take is a good projectile to puncture a hull

[Robert Walper]

As mobile weapons platforms, all it would take is a good projectile to puncture a hull

Assuming you work with some really big capital ships...how many hulls would be practical? I assume you could take the double hull concept pretty far...

[Ace Pace]

Double hulls, nevermind redundency, I imagine that not all weapons will be direct hits, those that are direct hits will be leathal, but imagine how easy it is to jink?

I imagine the most widely used weapon will be missles of some sort, nuclear perhaps? Someone who more education then me can add options.

Two problems with space combat, one of detection another of targeting, both linked, targeting relies on sensor systems, non of which are FTL, which leaves timegaps of anything from milliseconds to a few seconds, all crucial.

[Ace Pace]

Bump.


To add something, since we focused on tactical aspects...on what would space be fought over?

I assume location is irrelevent, you fight for resources, you can allways let them control some lane if it nets you minable astroids and etc.

[Surlethe]

Bump.


To add something, since we focused on tactical aspects...on what would space be fought over?

I assume location is irrelevent, you fight for resources, you can allways let them control some lane if it nets you minable astroids and etc.

Fight over strategic points and resources. Land and resources will be the most important military loci; oh, did I mention resources?

[Stofsk]

Space is big, and resources are somewhat limitless. If nation x holds star system y which has resources you want/need, why attack them when you can find another star system that isn't claimed?

Same goes for land. Uh, why invade and conquer another planet when you can, y'know, make countless space colonies in orbit of your homeworld?

I'm thinking wars would be fought for ideological grounds. Nation x and nation y hate each other because one's communist and the other is capitalist, or something. However that is about motives for war, not methods. When you go to war you attack the other nation's resource production. That means taking over their factories or bombing them (whichever is more convenient), distrupting their commerce, and cutting their supply lines.

[Ace Pace]

Planets are easy, remember space is HUGE, travel times are in decades(unless we get FTL). You conquer a planet because of population, basic stuff such as simple metals is easy to get, manpower to run everything, tax base, etc. isn't. Nevermind finding rare elements.

[Hedgecore]

VonNuman type ships and invasion forces. Preferably with some type of failsafe controlled by me. The principle of the VonNuman device is that it carries out its task, but at the same time creates more of its self to carry out that task...and then they create more etc etc. Essentially like a virus. Only robots and space ships and such.
The main concern is them becoming self-aware and turning on you, or continuing on for millennia after your war is over.

Or, hiring mercenaries...like Galactus. He eats plantes for breakfast, man...literally. Then again, he was stopped by the Fantastic Four. Come on, the FF? Pfft. More like Mediocre Four if you ask me (woo, lets hear it for un-funny jokes!).