 August 19, 2013 - 2:06pm | In the US, the National Guards belong to the states, until the Federal government comes calling, but are trained to Federal (regular Army or Air Force) standards, with standard equipment and uniforms and so on. I'm not saying the planetary militias should have the same relationship to UPF SpaceFleet, but what is their relationship, if any? These can be questions to ask. Is there a legal framework for a UPF commander to take operational control of militia vessels in case of Sathar invasion? (my slipshod reading: no?) Do some or all of the militias try to live up to UPF standards of training and professionalism? (I think Clarion certainly does-- of course, if you ask them, UPF only tries to live up to Their standards!) Have they got similar enough jargon that they don't have difficulty communicating (like a metric vs. English problem)? Do they buy the same ships from the same shipyards, or do they buy cast-off UPF ships? (the popularity of the Assault Scout indicates some similarities) What about other equipment--are the sensors and radio equipment and the like standard, so that parts might be swapped? I would assume that most comms are similar enough that they can use voice comms, but can their computers speak to each other on a meaningful level-- can they share tactical data and guide each other's weapons? If someone bought their ships and tactical computers from Streel, can they share data with a PGC-built network? For that matter, who buys their ships from one shipyard, but later upgrades the engines from somewhere else, then 10 years later, adds on weapons and guidance package from Source C, and so on? I'm thinking of the Israeli Sherman tanks-- American-built, but later added French guns and someone else's engines, and who knows what other components from somewhere else. Sooner or later, that kind of mix & match stuff might come back to bite someone! |
 August 19, 2013 - 4:16pm | I think its strongly implied in the KHs campaign game that the militias have the same relationship with Space Fleet as the US National Guard. In fact since the game was developed by a company called Tactical Study Rules I would bet that this relationship was in peoples minds. Now there is probably some room for variance between the admin of individual militias. I think that the articles of organization for the UPF or latter ammendments require individual militias to train to a certain standard and that experiences in the 1st and 2nd Common Musters led to the implimentation of simplifying the logistics issues and thus militias are required to equip with standardized ship and weapons designs. This should lead to a program where militias and signatory planets of the UPF Council of Worlds may purchase decommissioned equipment as a discount and subsidized equipment. The Israelis are an interesting example as they have a philosophy of tinkering with equipment to see how far they can push its performance. i remember seeing a 60 minute piece on the F4 fighter they had bought from the US and the, at that time, 280 some odd distinct changes they had made to the plane. Clearly the militias will maintain their own equipment once it was purchased and thus there will be some requirement of meeting the Space Fleet standard however there is plenty of room for individual militias to upgrade computer programs and make distinct changes: for example one militia might feel that assault rockets are costly and prefer to remove the launcher and install pod laser systems in their place. This does not actually complicate the logistics situation when and if the ship is "federalized" but if the militia installed a totally new rocket system that was different from munitions that space fleet was using then that would be a violation. Alternately, a militia might order the HARM assault rocket munitions that the Flight and the CFM like to use but this wouldn't really violate the "Space Fleet standard" as the ship still takes assault rockets and when it expends it's HARM munitions it's simply re-armed with what space fleet has on hand. I would also advocate that different militias would/could have different morale, training, and discipline standards which leads to a bit of an attitude on the part of some Space Fleet admiralty toward militia units in their order of battle. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 September 22, 2013 - 4:00am | In the rules it states, during SW II, that Militia can go into other systems (be attached to a fleet or task force) but, when their system is invaded they must return. I believe that the law probably has a loop hole that the UPF can "deputize" a Militia vessel but, in the event of conflict within the home system, the Militia ship can or must return to it's home system. Remeber this is a confederation of many planets, people and political sytems. A Corporate (or Communist or Yazirian, etc) system would not like it's ships out fighting in the void just to let their planet to be ravaged. The Fleet is to patrol the space lanes and void. The Militia is to enforce the law for it's home system and protect it. |
 September 22, 2013 - 8:34am | This is one reason the Confederate States of America lost, lack of total cooperation. General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomatix mainly due to a lack of supplies to continue the fight (lack of manpower too). At the same time General Wilson led his raid into Columbus , Georgia which he then burned down to deny the massive amount of supplies he found there to the Rebels. Georgia wasn't big on sharing apparently. Once taken in, Militia forces should not be able to just leave. Think of Admiral Morgaine on the morning of the Battle of Prenglar. "XO bring our ship around and have the Dixon Star ships cover the 183 Vector" "Admiral there are no Dixon Star Ships they all went home when they heard it was invaded." "Wonderful then move us into position to cover that Vector we should be able to handle it" "Aye Aye Sir." At the Grand Meeting "We honor the memory Admiral Morgaine whose ship was lost in a crossfire as he bravely held off the Sathar along two vectors." Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
September 22, 2013 - 9:18am | I understand but, maybe the Militia can deny the order prior. Admiral "We are requesting the ships of your militia to join Task Force Bravo" President of New Pale "I regret to inform you, Admiral, that due to the presence of the Sather in Laco's World, we are enacting the Home Defense Act" A confederacy is not good as it is decentralized but, that is what the UPF is. You have planets and systems such as Outer Reach, Hentz, White Light, Terledrom and Theseus that will not just give in. They believe in their own identity and will fight the laws in the Council that change that. Some of them have far reaching effect - Hentz could influence 3 more planets and Terledrom has a colony system. In the USA, it has been a constent issue of Federal vs States rights. They are a democracy with a strong central government. The UPF is a confederation with a weak central government. You need to rewrite the books and change it. |
