Freelance Traveller

The Caladbolg System Defense Fleet

by Art Gorski

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2021 issue.

Most inhabited worlds in Charted Space have some type of local naval presence for system defense and other duties. Designing a local defense force for a system depends on several factors.

Designing a Defense Force

Defense Force Size

Depending on system resources available, a defense force ranges from a few customs inspection craft, to a non-jump capable defense squadron, up to a jump-capable defense fleet. A number of published Traveller supplements such as Classic Traveller’s Adventure 5: Trillion Credit Squadron and Pocket Empires from Marc Miller’s Traveller (T4) give guidelines for determining a fleet construction and maintenance budget, usually dependent on a world’s population, government type, and/or “Resource Units” (a proxy for multiple aspects of a world’s economy). This determines a maximum upper size of the defense force, which may not be that large depending on other factors such as local culture, perceived threats, or the presence of allied naval assets in the system.

Defense Force Composition

The composition of a defense force depends on the peacetime and wartime needs of the system. If a system is located in an area of space with no potential enemies nearby, then the naval organization will reflect a bias toward peacetime roles; otherwise, it will reflect more of an offensive or defensive bias. If the system has special peacetime needs, then assets will be designed and allocated to address these needs. This will determine both the unit organization of the defense fleet, as well as the ship types used.

Ship Design Considerations

Locally constructed ships will usually match the capabilities of the local system infrastructure. Class A starports can construct jump-capable starships while a Class B starport can construct relatively large non-jump capable spacecraft. The tech level of the main world usually determines the maximum tech level of locally constructed ships. The tech level of the ships may affect the features incorporated in the designs. Ships of greater capability than what the system can produce may be purchased elsewhere but introduce maintenance and repair issues which are preferably avoided. Locally produced ships may incorporate imported components of higher capability, such as a maneuver drive or computer. Systems with a Class C starport or less will have to import their ships but may have no problems with maintenance or repair. The specifics of ship designs will reflect the roles the ships are expected to perform.

The Caladbolg System Defense Fleet

The remainder of this article will develop an example of a naval defense force based on an analysis of local conditions, astrographics, and surrounding polities and their assets.

Relevant System Features

Caladbolg/Sword Worlds (Spinward Marches 1329) B565776-A

Caladbolg is a member world of the Third Imperium. It is a rich agricultural world at tech level 10 with sizable oceans.

The population of 70,000,000 is divided amongst 17 independent regions known as Colonies with strong economic ties and no history of major war. Planetary policy is established by the Colonial Congress which meets in the jointly operated Camelot City, the planet’s only major population center, which is the location of the Class B starport. The System Defense Fleet, composed of citizens from each of the Colonies, answers directly to the Congress.

The system has a primary star and two distant companions. Caladbolg is in the habitable zone of the primary. There is an asteroid belt one orbit closer to the primary with asteroids regularly crossing the orbit of Caladbolg. The system has no gas giants.

The system is located in an area isolated from the rest of the Third Imperium on a Jump-4 Route connecting Five Sisters subsector to Lunion subsector. The somewhat belligerent Sword Worlds Confederation is nearby. Caladbolg is 4 parsecs away from the tech level 12 Sword Worlds naval base at Sacnoth. Caladbolg has an Imperial scout base in-system and is 3 parsecs away from the Imperial naval base at Flammarion. Not having a gas giant for fleet refueling at Caladbolg is probably a good thing since it complicates an enemy force’s options.

Fleet Organization

The System Defense Fleet, under the command of a Commodore, is headquartered near the starport in Camelot City. Individual squadron headquarters are co-located here also. The headquarters is equipped with extensive communications capability. During hostilities, the fleet’s mission is to disrupt intruding enemy forces long enough for the arrival of support from the naval base at Flammarion.

The fleet is composed of four squadrons: the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Defense Squadrons, and the 4th Support Squadron. The three defense squadrons each have six system defense boats and the support squadron has six Dromedary supply boats. At any given time one boat from each squadron may be undergoing refit at the starport yards.

The 1st Defense Squadron is assigned to the area near the main world of Caladbolg. During peacetime it is responsible for customs enforcement and defense against asteroids threatening the world. During hostilities, if confronted with a superior force, its boats will lie submerged in the planetary oceans and emerge to engage targets of opportunity.

The 2nd Defense Squadron is assigned to the asteroid belt. During peacetime it assists the Caladbolg Defense Squadron in customs enforcement for ships approaching Caladbolg from that direction and defense against asteroids. During hostilities, its boats will hide behind major asteroids and emerge to engage targets of opportunity.

The 3rd Defense Squadron is assigned to the area between Caladbolg and the cometary cloud. During peacetime it is responsible for patrol of the outer system looking for illicit activity such as pirate vessels and enemy scouts. During hostilities, its boats will engage targets of opportunity entering or leaving the system.

The 4th Support Squadron is tasked with refueling, resupply, and crew replacement for system defense boats. Its boats are assigned as needed to support the defense squadrons. During hostilities, its boats are dispatched to support the squadrons on station.

The following designs were created using the Traveller⁵ rules. Some details have been omitted. Note the use of common components where possible to ease maintenance and repair. All are built at tech level 10 for ease of construction and maintenance at the local starport yards. Since there are no gas giants present, none include fuel scoops or fuel purification plants. The cargo hatch on each boat has the ability to connect directly to the cargo hatch of another boat alongside, allowing shirtsleeve transfer of cargo and personnel.

Colony Class System Defense Boat

Vessels of this class are named after the 17 colonies of Caladbolg, with one named “Camelot City.”

20 Ton Launch

Vessels of this class are referred to by hull number although crews have been known to assign an unofficial name. One of these is carried by each system defense boat for customs inspections and missile defense.

Ocean Class Dromedary

Vessels of this class are named after major bodies of water on Caladbolg. The design is a hybrid tanker, cargo, and passenger boat. It holds enough fuel for itself and two system defense boats, and includes passenger space for an entire system defense boat crew replacement.

Notes

1. Caladbolg system information was obtained from the Imperial Encyclopedia at https://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Caladbolg_(world).
2. Caladbolg regional information was obtained from TravellerMap at https://travellermap.com/?p=-100.892!51.5!7.5.
3. Planetary Navy information was obtained from the Imperial Encyclopedia at https://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Planetary_Navy.
4. Traveller⁵ ship designs were created using the Adventure Class Ships iOS app developed by the author.
5. Icon images were created with an app under development by the author.