E.A.S. STYX
The E.A.S. Styx is the outcome of the most expensive program brought on by the Earth force Naval Intelligence and is the largest ship operated only by a Naval Intelligence crew. It is not enlisted in the Fleet, but is operated directly by the E.F.N.I. Naval Service.
Difficulties emerged between Psi-Corps and Naval Intelligence, due to the lack of information and access provided to the Corps by the Navy, which manages the entire program under extreme secrecy. The complaints of the Psi corps, which at the outset may seem unfair, are mainly related to the bad blood between the two organizations, which dated back to Clark's presidency, and to the prestige of Naval Intelligence.
The once declared role of this one-of-a-kind
unit *(See
note 2)is to provide Naval Intelligence with a powerful, effective
and self-sufficient unit. It is aimed at deep space surveillance
and information gathering in sensitive areas, reconnaissance,
unspecified special operations, and deep strike.
The ship is a Warlock (2nd batch), modified with the addiction of
ELINT and reconnaissance systems, and with a different
arrangement of the weapon plants. The following document, recetly disclosed, may
suggest a different point of view about the origins of the
program and the purpose of the ship.
********FROM*******
********Cdr.(N.I.) Thorne, Roderick***E.A.S. STYX***11th
S.O.G.***********
********TO*********
********EYES ONLY*********EYES ONLY***********EYES ONLY*******
********R.Adm.(N.I.) Cellini,Daryl***CINCOPS.N.I***E.F.Naval
Intelligence***Earthforce**********
********EYES ONLY*********EYES ONLY***********EYES ONLY*******
*Operation Report - E.A.S. STYX - I.S.A.
Fleet-Exercise "Brightstar VII"
*In accordance with the Oper.Orders and
Oper.Plan, we offered to gather data about the performances of
the Lockheed-Raytheon EGAD System, the A.M.S."ARGO"
I.L.S.S. and I.O.W.T. Mk.1, Mk.1a,Mk.2 and Mk.5, in an operative
environment. The operations went on regularly for the first three
days of Fleet-Ex,until I decided to withdraw my ship from the Ex.
because of the heavy risk of visual identification and detection
by units belonging to the LONAW and M
*(See
note 1)
Fleets.(See also Attached Reports 1, 1a - "Brightstar VII -
E.A.S. Styx operating report" (Official) and
"Brightstar VII - E.A.S. (N.I.) Styx operating report - Eyes
Only" )
1-EGAD
During the whole operating period, the EGAD was always able to detect the imminent opening of a jump point with forecast times variables from 14.7" to 46.4", at distances between 87,000 meters and 16.1 light seconds, covering all of the Fleet-Ex area. All the jumps executed during the Ex, until our withdrawal have been detected and located. (See also Attached Table Nr.2 - Jump Points Detection and location). The EGAD was able to detect, locate and track ALL the gravitic propulsion systems operating in the area (Included the one belonging to a Centauri ship (ELINT?) operating under EMCON, beyond the outer margin of the Op.Area, and undetected by the others Fleet-Ex participating units). (See also Attached report 3 - Gravitic propulsion track plots from 1 to 1322). The M. units were positively detected and located either with operating and non operating stealth cloaking systems, either capital ships and fighters. The N.C.T.I. was almost always able to identify the class, and in some cases was able to identify the single identity of the ships, except for the fighters and the Vree Xill and Xorr class vessels, that showed a remarkable similarity of the gravitic prints of the vessels of a same class.
Were identified, in particular: M.
Fleet: 24 different SL. warcruisers, 2 different SG.
Warcruisers,11 different TN. frigates.(See also Attached table
Nr. 4 - Gravitic Tracking and identification).
2-I.L.S.S.
The I.L.S.S. was used only for short
duration scannings, in order to avoid the counterdetection of the
device: the Lidars operated quite well, being able to locate
units at ranges between 1,400 and 126,000 Km., depending upon the
physical dimension of the target, but regardless of the E.C.M.
and stealth systems. The L.P.I. mode, combined with the execution
of short scans, seems to enable detection without counter
detection. (See also attached table Nr. 5 - Lidar location,
Tracking and identification).
3-I.O.W.T.
The I.O.W.T.'s were used only in the
passive mode. The I.O.W.T.'s of the turrets were able to
positively track and positively aim targets between ranges from
22,400 to 209,500 meters, regardless of E.C.M., with time to lock
between 0.035" and 0.126" The Bow I.O.W.T. was able to
positively track a M. SG. Warcruiser (Cloaking system status -
ON) at ranges between 372,000 and 134,000 meters, and to
positively lock on and aim the G.O.D. cannons.(See also attached
table Nr. 6 - Interferometric Optical Weapon Tracker performances
on Targets)
-Glossary-
EGAD = Enhanced Gravitic Anomaly
Detector
ELINT = ELectronic INTelligence
EMCON = ELectro-Magnetic emission CONtrol
I.L.S.S. = Integrated LIDAR Scanner system
I.O.W.T. = Interferometric Optical Weapon Tracker
L.P.I. = Low Probability of Intercept
N.C.T.I. = Non-Cooperative Target Identification
****** CONCLUSIONS *******
1-The EGAD is totally effective in
detection and tracking of gravitic anomalies (jump gates/gravitic
drives) at very high ranges, With resolutions better than 0.08
deg., regardless of E.C.M. and cloaking devices (M). The system
can generate the Tactical Battle Order in a few seconds, and has
effective early warning capability against targets jumping in
from the Hyperspace and/or operating gravitic drives, M.
included. The forecast time on a jumpgate opening is related to
the distance from the jump point, and close jump points are
detected with large lead times, making virtually useless the
tactic to jump directly into a formation. The detection range of
a gravitic drive is related to the dimensions of the ship and, in
a lesser measure, to the actual acceleration (engine output) of
the target. The shutoff of the artificial gravity and of the two
gravitic enhanced engines of our ship nearly doubled the
operating range. Better filters/algorithms are needed to allow
the operation of gravitic propulsion systems/A.G. continuously.
The liquid helium circuit worked well, and the vibration problems
of the antenna array seems almost totally resolved. The library
of gravitic prints and the N.C.T.I. elaboration system must be
improved. The software of the N.C.T.I. suffers of minor bugs, and
performed at a good level of functionality.
2-The I.L.S.S. is an effective,
extremely accurate and affordable system, but MUST be used ONLY
AFTER the positive detection by the enemy. It can provide
detection and ranging for the whole weapon and navigation system.
It can positively provide active and unjammable illumination for
the Mk.V-E2 missile homing head.
3-The optical tracking system (I.O.W.T.)
is totally immune to E.C.M. and cloaking, able to discriminate
between real and false (either olographics) targets, easy to
operate, and more accurate at greater ranges than the actual fire
control systems. The maintenance of the optical windows and of
the whole devices is not difficult, but can be easily
improved.(See also attached report Nr. 7- Technical Report). The
system itself is rugged and very effective and is a quantum leap
in the weapon targeting systems and in the whole tactical
capability of a Warship.
Please, accept my Best Regards.
Cdr. Roderick Thorne - E.A.S. Styx - E.F.N.I.
****EYES ONLY*********EYES
ONLY***********EYES ONLY*********
**ENDOFMSG*********************************************************
* NOTE 1 - After 20 years, some former classified informations can
be disclosed: as can be clearly understood from the attached
document, the Styx, that still today is the Flagship of the EFNI,
was the test platform for the EGAD, ILSS and I.O.W.T. systems,
outcome of the EFNI "Deep Eyes" project, that as a
whole integrated sensor system, enabled the EFNI, and
consequently the Earth Alliance, to definitively break through
the Minbari stealth system. (Note to the attached
document: "M" = Minbari).
The Warlocks were developed as ships
able to go against a Sharlin and defeat it (or,at least,
survive), but, while this overall target was reached in terms of
firepower and armor, (see also the Strelas'tha
incident of 2263) the gap in the sensors was still deep
enough to put the EA ships in a condition of relative
inferiority, until the inception in service of the Early Warning
(EGAD-G subsystem), long range detection (EGAD-L), short range
detection and tactical missile control (ILSS), and weapon
tracking (I.O.W.T.) subsystems of the EGAD. - This system was
extremely effective even against the Shadow ships, and was
instrumental in the first tactical confrontations against the
Thirdspace Aliens (Thirdspace
Incident of 2273) and in the following war, to ensure the
survival and the tactical and operational success of Earthforce,
and the victory of the ISA against the powerful enemy. Must be
remarked that, in the early days of the development of these
sensor systems ( 2250's) and in the full-scale reserch period
(2260's), the possibility of a backfire of the Earth-Minbari
conflict could not be deductively excluded, given the internal
political tension in the Minbari society that later broke out in
a civil war, (see
Chronolgy, Year 2261), and the perceptible resentment of the
Minbari warrior caste for the sudden and unexpected conclusion of
the Earth-Minbari War.
The Styx was upgraded at the Warlock Beta Brightwarrior standard in the 2271, but the original sensor installation, while subject to overhaul and obsolescence elimination, was left essentially at the state, given the well stated effectiveness of the overall configuration: in fact the Styx (and hers sister, the Phoenix) are still today the EA ships with the most complete, ranged, sensitive and accurate sensor and ESM/ECM/ECCM suites.
* NOTE 2 - In 2280 a second unit of the class, the E.A.S.Phoenix, has been commessioned in the EFNI Naval Service.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS - original
Class: Warlock-N - E.F.N.I. Modified
Warlock
Type: Heavy Destroyer/Special Operations
Length: 1,992.4 meters
Mass: 74.5 million metric tons
Acceleration: 2.85 G
Crew: 510
Troop: None (standard - up to 750 commandos if requested)
Fighters: 48*(see
SA-32-G Lockheed Thunderbolt Starfury (standard -
up to 64 if requested)
Other: up to 16* Lockheed-Coronado C27N space assault
shuttle, or 16*Hades-N or 24*Valkirye-N atmospheric assault shuttles.
Power/Propulsion:
2*Westinghouse "Event Horizon"
Gravitic Enhanced Fusion Reactors.
4*Westinghouse "Vulcan-VII" Fusion Reactors.
2*Lockheed-General Electric I-79LGE12 gravitic enhanced plasma
engines.
4*Lockheed-General Electric I-75GE110 plasma engines.
2*Lockheed-Mitchell M51e6 Jump engines.
Weapons:
2*Earthforce Arsenals Mk V Heavy Particle G.O.D. cannons.
8*Raytheon MI111
Heavy Pulse Cannon turrets.
4*O.T.O.Melara 406/240 Vulcano
Heavy Railgun Turrets.
2*Westinghouse HPM1 "Mjolnir" Heavy Plasma Mortars.
26*Walther-Raytheon WRX 1028
Light Pulse/particle Cannon Turrets.
24*Raytheon "Blue Phoenix" Missiles.12*launching tubes
32*Sandia "Shillelagh" missiles,16*launching tubes with automatic
reloading.
Defense:
16 to 22 meter armored hull CARBONAT-VIII-A (Multi-layer composite armour), anti-neutron
ablative armour. Layer
of Nanotechnological armor.
26*Interceptor Mk. III Defense Grid Projectors with E-Web Mk.III
E.A.S.STYX - Warlock Class Heavy Destroyer - enlisted in the E.F.N.I.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS - updated, after Brightwarrior upgrades
Class: Warlock-N Brightwarrior -
E.F.N.I. Modified Warlock
Mass: 77.5 million
metric tons
Acceleration: 3.52 G
Crew: As Above
Troop: As Above
Fighters: As Above
Other: As Above.
Power/Propulsion:
6*Westinghouse
"Event Horizon" Gravitic Enhanced Fusion Reactors.
6*Lockheed-General
Electric I-79LGE12 Gravitic Enhanced Plasma Engines.
1*Lockheed-Mitchell
"Waverider 2 - W" Gravitic Drive.
2*Lockheed-Mitchell M51e6 Jump engines.
Weapons:
2*Earthforce Arsenals Mk V Heavy Particle G.O.D. cannons
8*Westinghouse WI 999 Heavy Ion/Particle Beam cannons turrets.
4*O.T.O.Melara 406/240 Vulcano
Heavy Railgun Turrets.
2*WestinghouseHPM1 "Mjolnir" Heavy Plasma Mortars.
24*Raytheon "Blue Phoenix" Missiles.12*launching tubes
32*Sandia"Shillelagh" missiles,16*launching tubes with automatic
reloading.
26*Walther-RaytheonWRI 2028 Ion
Repeater Turrets.
Defense:
16 to 22 meter armored hull CARBONAT
-VIII-A (Multi-layer composite
armour), anti-neutron ablative armour. Localized additional layer of nanotechnologychal
armor.
26*Interceptor Mk. III Defense Grid Projectors with E-Web Mk.III
E.A.S.STYX - Warlock Class Heavy Destroyer - Brightwarrior Upgrade - 2271