Operation:Dreadnought Bill Passes by Narrow Majority
---Morgaine's World, Prenglar
f.y. 5/33/70
The Council of Worlds finally approved the bill that allows for larger than Class:20 military craft. The bill wasn't being taken too seriously at first, that is until the recent appearance of what the UPF dubbed as the "Juggernaut", a massive Sathar vessel that dwarfed small space stations in sheer mass. This opened the eyes of many UPF strategists and they realized that the possibility of more (or worse yet, larger) craft of such magnitude would spell certain doom for the Frontier.
Immediately following the passage of this bill, military contracters drafted blueprints for such craft as a class:24 craft dubbed "Strike Cruiser", a class:30 hull dubbed as a "Stike Carrier" that can carry up to 24 fighter craft or 6 assault scouts in its massive bay, all the way up to one enormous class:50 craft that will simply be known as a "Frontier Cruiser".
News of passage brought smiles to WarTech executives, following a recently awarded extension of their Battleship contract which now translates to even more of their craft that will be called on as support to such larger craft, hinting that the construction of as many as five more battleships may be contracted within the next year or two. And little doubt exists that their offices in the Gran Quivera shipyard will host some of the initial dreadnought constructions as well. Needless to say, shares of WarTech stock should be enjoying more healthy gains in the near future. Pan Galactic is another happy company, an increase in carriers means an increase in their star fighter production. They are also in the final reviewing stages for a new updated frigate design, no doubt a wide array of smaller capital ships will be required to serve as escort duty for the larger ships on their way.
But Streel executives aren't frowning. Their new shipyard in Cassidine is scheduled to pump out a completely revamped Heavy Cruiser design with modern features that will blow away the original leftovers from the first Sathar War. CEO Hilo Headow (ym) was quoted as saying "We're confident that once all this gets underway, our new cruisers will become the mainstay capital ship of UPF fleets. Add to that, they cost less and we can produce them quicker than our competition's battleships. There's a certain advantage to being number two: it lets the competition know that there's something uncomfortable up their backsides, and when it's all said and done they still have to look behind them to see what it is." Spacefleet is considering the purchase of no fewer than three of the new craft, assuming the prototype lives up to Streel's marketing promises.
Many rallies staged by the Frontier Peace Organization expressing their outrage cropped up during the time this bill was up for consideration, and most of them continue to rage today. Some of them turned violent as supporters from the Anti-Satharian League gathered nearby for retaliating demonstrations. ASL leader J. Harrington Farnsworth (hm) was quoted saying "We're all very happy about the passage of Operation: Dreadnought. It's about time the UPF stepped up their efforts." With regards to the FPO, he simply said "When those fools are done hugging their trees, I hope for their sake a strangler chute drops down on them before a worm blasts them in the back. It's always nicer to die thinking that you were right." FPO leaders were unavailable for comment.
An ammendment for the possibility of larger civilian freight haulers and liners is now up for consideration.