Database and Lore

Warfare of 24th Century Page 1

“The entire premise of ship-based combat and ground combat is very much the same. The only thing that has really changed is how we perceive it and how our future strategy is planned out,” Historian Gregory Smith. The history of 24th-century weapons is one that easily bleeds out from the past centuries. Since the dawn of humanity, new and more effective ways have been made to progress in how we operate various weapons. The goal of this page is to go into detail about how ship-to-ship combat is initiated. It’s also the goal to go into detail on the various weapons that are used on naval, surface, and ground warfare. In order to learn more about this, we must first go into detail about the last four hundred years of how it has evolved today. It is the goal of this page to focus on the basis of naval (space) warfare. However, aspects of ground combat will still be covered.  20^th Century Warfare Before the advent of spaceship warfare, warships at sea were used to dominate the Earth spectrum. Control over sea-based resources could be a matter between life and death for various nations. As the coined phrase from Mahan of 1883, “Whoever rules the waves, rules the world.” While ground-based combat would eventually evolve to the usage of tanks and armored vehicles, artillery was often the measurement of success. To have a better cannon or machine gun or the access to manufacturing them could determine victory in a large-scale setting. The 20^th century is considered to be one of the most significant advancements in warfare. Warships such as the HMS Dreadnought would revolutionize how battleships were portrayed when used as a display of sea power. The terminology would never fade out and would be coined off and on throughout the future centuries as well. Smaller torpedo boats would also show the strength and advantage of simple non-guided munitions that could sink much larger targets. During World War 1, tanks and warships would prove their worth even if they were only in their infancy of technological progression. World War 2 would further press warfare, but at the same time, would usher at the end of the 20^th-century battleship. Aircraft Carriers, Destroyers (the evolution of the Torpedo Boat Destroyer), and Submarines would advance naval warfare. However, it would be the 1950s and 1960s that would see the usage of newly acquired technology. This would include the advent of guided missiles, guided torpedoes, and early forms of Close-in Weapon Systems or CIWS would come into existence. By the end of the 20^th century, missiles would replace much of the usage of naval guns. In addition, guided munitions had the power and range to hit targets from much more extreme ranges. At the same time, aircraft also carried the ability to travel far distances while deploying missiles, further extending those ranges. The tank and other ground vehicles would also undergo similar evolutionary changes. During the 20^th century, naval warfare would occur during certain wars and events. World War 1 and World War 2 would see the most significant usage, although the post wars would still see extensive naval strength, battles, and various shows of force. By the end of the 20^th century, Battleships were fully retired, although they were still employed to short campaigns or brief conflicts. The cruiser would further see a decline in usage even if destroyers and frigates were used in similar roles. The concept of the submarine would be used from the beginning of the 20^th century to the end of it. The aspect of having a hidden warship that could strike from beneath the waters had proven to be very effective. Only limits in technology would limit some of their usages. This would also cover the aspect that much in ASW (Anti- Submarine Warfare) was devoted to eliminating submarines. However, it was later shown that submarines could be used to deploy nuclear weapons to land-based targets. The term for SSBN or Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine had become a symbol of power by the end of the 20^th century. 21^st Century Warfare By the beginning of the 21^st century, many naval warfare strategies would continue to evolve and progress. By then, the aircraft carrier and submarine were considered to be the most powerful assets in naval warfare. Aircraft carriers could launch and deploy aircraft that could deploy missiles to distant targets. Submarines could be used to attack land-based targets or sink enemy vessels. Escort ships would be used to protect the aircraft carrier and engage against submarines. While there were no major wars in the early 21^st  century, the display of sea power was still of vital importance. Conflicts still occurred in which these naval assets were used to target and destroy key areas or targets of certain nations. The most significant change for combat was technological progression. Missiles were continually updated more and more to the point that anti-satellite warfare had become a possibility. The railgun would see some of the first experimentations, although their ability to fire hypervelocity rounds was gravely limited. The CIWS would also see enormous changes during much of the 21^st century. Laser weapons were often employed more and more by the mid-20^th  century. Technically, laser weapons still had limits, but a prolonged burst could be used to blind enemy radar or burn targets. Even with the advent of laser technology, the cost of building them was enormous. Sometimes, the most effective weapon was the same thing that existed a hundred years ago. A missile could destroy a target, and a missile could be used to destroy those missiles before they hit. Technically, the aspect of space warfare was mainly muted through the 21^st century. Ships were too fragile to engage in it properly, and at the same time, the cost of outfitting weapons to them was just as enormous and costly. While sea warfare and sea power were at their zenith through this century, many nations were beginning to see that the control of the oceans was not as vital as it used to be. The introduction of the Direct Fusion Drive had made Luna and Mars more easily accessible. By the later 21^st century, spaceships were more easily built. Colonizing Luna to have access to Helium-3 was just as essential to help fund the production of cheap Nuclear reactors. Helium-3 was a vital fuel and resource that produced no nuclear waste after usage. During the end of the 21^st century, there were two major superpowers, the United States and the Chinese, although this doesn’t exclude the other nations that also vied for reaching Mars and Luna. Rare earth metals could be easily obtained on Luna and this often-prompted space races or space competitions to gain access to those resources. It was evident that future conflict between these superpowers was inevitable. The first warships that came from Earth were basic in construction. They were little more than space stations with missile launchers, lasers, and CIWS batteries. The concept of the mobile space station came at the very end of the 21^st century. They were still expensive to create, but even then, a few of these powerful mobile platforms could determine the difference between absolute control over Luna or even Mars. Eventually, the coined phrase “Battleships” would be later implemented by the beginning of the 22^nd century. Early use of “Starfighters” did come into existence, although they were little more than planetary launched fighter craft with the ability to launch missiles at certain targets. Drones had become more implemented, even though lasers could effectively target and destroy them. Warfare on Earth was sporadic through the late 21^st century, even with the loss of much landmass. Flooding from the melted polar icecaps had created more infighting than true wars. Civil wars and government destabilization were more evident than wars between two nations. At the same time, nuclear proliferation had also placed limits on full-scale conflicts. If a war between nations were to occur, then nuclear annihilation could be right around the corner. This was something that nations tried to avoid while trying to have the upper hand over the other. Having a technological edge was more important than anything else. The latest missiles and torpedoes could have greater ranges. The latest CIWS weapons could more effectively target incoming munitions. The latest lasers and countermeasures could also make a difference. It became a war of technological innovation and expansion. 22nd Century Warfare It wouldn’t be until the beginning of the 22^nd  century that new technologies would arise. The Super Direct Fusion Drive was becoming available. Basic replication technology had also allowed basic Nuclear and standard Direct Fusion Drives to be more mass-produced. At the same time, Luna had become colonized, and mining for Helium-3 had been underway. The desire to have access to Helium-3 would turn into the tipping point for the United States and the Chinese to go to war with each other. It became known as the NATO-Chinese Crisis of 2127. In this, a battle had broken out on Luna. A call for a cease-fire by the United Nations was heard, but only after several weeks had passed. The modern Guided Missile Battleships and Cruisers would come into existence by now. They were the evolved frames of the early combat and defense space stations that were used prior. By now, the coined usage of “Battleship” truly came from the fact that railguns were being employed. Railguns were now capable of firing hypervelocity rounds that could devastate ground bases. This, coupled with the long-range hitting power of missiles, made the spaceships versatile attack and defense platforms. It’s not surprising that some historians simply refer to the 22^nd century Earth spaceships as the “22^nd Century Battleship.” Various nations had their own spaceships and warships that operated in space. Basic alliances, treaties, and other organizations had allowed technological exchanges to ensure that the said group could keep up with the other.  The crisis on Luna of 2127 had highlighted combat in the 22^nd century. Even if the conflict was short-lived, the United States and Chinese spaceships were at a standoff. On the ground, marines and gunships were fighting it out. Occasional shelling from orbit would be the only course of action that warships made as additional troops were placed down on the Luna soil. Fear of a nuclear war, both on Luna and Earth, had made the crisis come to an early close, but not after thousands of marines and sailors had paid for their lives. Submarine warfare would evolve into stealth warfare and even anti-stealth warfare. Early ships would be introduced with carbon fiber and advanced carbon fiber materials. Eventually, heat non-emitting materials became paramount in traveling in the fabric of space. Even the lightest amount of heat could reveal stealth warships. While the first couple of stealth spaceships were crude and completely expensive, it revealed that creating stealth warships was possible. These ships were essentially the evolution of the SSBNs of the oceans. They were similarly equipped with large ballistic missile tubes that could nuke the entire surface of a planet if need be. The later years of 22^nd-century warfare had come to a close as Earth’s environment had become unbearable. The Earth to Mars Exodus had called an end to technological advancements in weapon research. Some warships were built prior to the evacuation, but they were primarily used to “escort” civilian ships to Mars and provide basic protection. Even by the end of the 22^nd century, the cost of war was too much, and saving lives was more paramount. Everyone had to work together or die separately.    23^rd Century Warfare It would be another 100 years before the very advent of weapons research would ever be looked at again for humanity. With a vast majority of Earth’s population now living on Mars, the process of settling down and creating canyon cities and homes was paramount. Many of the warships, guns, weapons, and equipment had remained the same since the Exodus from Earth. At the same time, many of the factories had been long abandoned. Mars had been living on a concept of “borrowing” anything that might have been left behind on Earth. Railguns, missile launchers, and warheads were being grabbed. However, it was pretty evident that the equipment and weapons were falling apart. With no infrastructure to maintain them, they simply rotted and broke down. Famous tanks and vehicles of Earth’s past would rust and deteriorate as nature, and the orange muck had taken their toll. The same was mentioned about any other weapon emplacement that was available. Mars fared no better. Warships were becoming inoperable as parts were becoming scarcer. Half the ordinance, CIWS, and guns were still working on the Earth Exodus warships. The operational readiness of the Martian fleet by 2220 was a joke, and it was becoming too dangerous for crews to operate them. In the 2230s, however, the Martian military was created. Eventually, two major weapons companies would come forth. Genisen, which supposedly had a different name of the second- largest arms manufactures of the early 21^st  century, is one that had its origins on Luna as a parts distribution corporation. Technically, Genisen didn’t t have an excellent record as a weapon’s research tech in the early 23^rd century, but they gladly expanded themselves to fit into it. Genisen, for twenty years, would bear most of the responsibility of repairing and creating new parts to get the Martian spaceships and its equipment to function again. Another major early weapon research and development corporation, Orinics, would help create a series of new torpedoes and guided munitions. Technically, Orinics had a very slow start as a corporation but would gain a reputation as one of the best arms research organizations. By the late 2290s, the company would undergo an enormous overhaul as the CEO would announce that Orinics would change its name to Tenix. The Gabatrix Experiment and the creation of the Deimos Shipyards would see the largest advancement of weapons production that hadn’t been seen since the 2140s. While it was confirmed that much of it was devoted to restoring broken- down equipment, many historians argued that humanity had to take a step back so it could take two steps forward. Many individuals and corporations had to revaluate weapons and how they functioned. By the time the 2270s and 2280s had come into fruition, Genisen was at its prime. Its corporate empire expanded through Luna, Mars, and even into Batrice’s upcoming shipyards. However, Genisen wasn’t expected to last forever, even with a strong system. The company had been plagued with constant ridicule. Rumors were constant of backpedaling deals, corporate espionage, scandals, cutting corners, and lavish lifestyles of the top chain of corporate leadership. This often forced the Martian military and the upcoming development of the UHN to continuously reanalyze having a central monopolized corporation to service the fleet and provide weapons. By the 2290s and end of the 23^rd  century, Genisen would see a cut in the supplied income as the UHN began to look at Tenix as a possible candidate to help challenge Genisen’s monopoly. Despite all of the corporate history, the end of the 23^rd century would see the rise and rebirth of humanity’s weapon research. Warships, once again, began to bear railguns, CIWS, laser emitters, and missile tubes. Much like that of 22^nd century Earth, the Martian warships were the evolution of the former Earth vessels. Missile tubes were often called Flex tubes in that various ordinance could be primed, loaded, and deployed through the adjustable launch tubes. Various torpedoes such as the Mark 1s could be fitted with anti-armor warheads or nuclear tips to cause widespread damage. Railguns would see future advancements to fire the shells at faster and faster hypervelocity speeds. Eventually, the All-In-One Flak, Laser, and Anti-Missile Missile Launcher or AIO turret were created to replace the CIWS. Many have often considered the AIO turrets as the evolution of the famous Kashtan CIWS system that was used in the 20^th Century. Another invention that would come through would be the EMP torpedo. EMP warheads are the evolution of electromagnetic bombs or devices that could safely generate an electromagnetic pulse without the damaging radiation or concussive shockwaves that nuclear weapons would generate. It had been a constant issue for the UHN that a less-than-lethal weapon was needed to disable and assist police vessels in countering criminal aspects. At the same time, a revival in various ordinances to handle the different aspects of atmospheric began to return. Debates often waged that the need for armies was almost not needed. Warships could carry enough firepower to devastate entire cities and populations. At the same time, the famous words of Mahan were being spoken again in the UHN but had evolved. “Those that have a powerful naval force can control their own destiny.” 24^th Century Warfare Undoubtedly, the 24^th century was simply the continuation in momentum that the 23^rd century had created in weapons and warfare. Two prime companies manufactured military and civilian weapons. Genisen and Tenix are often head competitors that try to rival against the other. A general consensus is that Genisen is good at developing components for ships and ship manufacturing, but Tenix has a slight advantage in better weapons. By 2349, Tenix holds the lead in high-quality guns, technology, and research gains. However, the dawning of the 24^th century would see new arrivals to advance UWA and UHN weapons further. Batrice and Gillan, two colonies of the UWA, have held high interests in creating weapons of their own. With their own shipyards, Batrice has become a leading competitor to Deimos in being able to mass-produce warships. The same argument can be agreed with the weapons that are created. Batrice would introduce vehicles, such as the Kujang, that could carry and fire a railgun turret. Its anti-armor capabilities are incredible that can be easily used to shoot down smaller capital ships while being fast and maneuverable on the ground. However, it was further argued that the UHN needed not just warships but a firm defensive platform. It would be Batrice that would begin constructing one of the most potent battle stations to ever exist. The entire premise of Fort Batrice was that it would incorporate multiple weapons that could be used to obliterate fleets of warships. While the UHN never fully endorsed the concept, Batrice decided to fund the money to have Fort Batrice built. Construction is slated to be complete by 2350. Among one of the advancements in warfare is the evolution of drone warfare. Space drone warfare is something that had been toyed with often in the late 21^st and early 22^nd century. Drones and starfighters seemed to have a popularized acceptance, but there were problems in their application into space warfare. Most of the reasons were a simple fact that space was utterly enormous. Limited fuel capacities and the countering of laser weapons made small, nimble starfighters and drones practically useless. Large spaceships simply carried all the equipment to make them applicable in combat. Their cost and justification made them the only feasible way to conduct naval warfare. With that said, the 24^th century did return to drones. Spaceships still had use of basic drone warfare. They could be used to launch basic security and illegal interception or destroy incoming munitions. Despite their smaller fuel reserves, if drones were kept close to the main mothership, then they could be easily retrieved, refueled, and rearmed. New advancements in metal alloys have made drones more versatile in repelling laser weapons. If enough of them were used on a carrier, they could provide a defense CIWS net that could protect other warships. The Drone Fleet Carrier would be introduced, although the cost of these ships and their limited, but useful niche capabilities, would often limit their overall production. However, the drone carriers are still looked at as versatile fleet support vessels. Their introduction had even revitalized the Aircraft Carrier concept that was so famously used in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Another significant technological innovation is the return of the stealth warship. Stealth cruisers are slightly more easily built than the ancient 22^nd-century stealth ships. While the overall cost is reduced, the slight advancements have only done so much. However, a series of new hard to detect warships have been introduced. Technically, the stealth cruisers are not looked at as SSBNs, but they can still carry a nuclear payload to devastate large areas. Their ordinance is more flexible to ambush wayward vessels or attack enemy warships. Despite this, only so many stealth cruisers have been constructed as the standard battleship is way cheaper and more versatile to build.