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Re: FT Ship Designations - OU/NAC

From: Phillip Atcliffe <P-ATCLIFFE@w...>
Date: Wed, 3 Sep 1997 11:49:38 -0400
Subject: Re: FT Ship Designations - OU/NAC

Brian Burger wrote:

>> The OU as a republic would make far more sense than, as another
poster
said, sharing a monarch with the NAC. 'OUSS' as a ship designator would
then
be used -- or maybe 'OUSF' -- OU Space Force (OUSN-- OU Space Navy??
take your pick...) <<

Or just "OUS" -- shorter and simpler. OUSF/DF/SN would be the Fleet
name,
not the ship designator.

As far as republic vs monarchy goes, I regret to say that I have to
agree. Given
Jon's future history, the OU, as a separate nation from the NAC, would
be highly
unlikely to be anything other than a republic. After all, the OU looks
to be
something of a collection of leftovers, unwanted by any of the major
power blocs
(except, maybe, the Indonesian Commonwealth), who got together for
mutual
protection against marauding nations like the IC. Given the political
conditions at
the time of the formation of the OU, I suspect that the NAC could have
invited
the OU members to join, and they might well have been glad to become the
"fourth province" of the Confederation (after the UK, Canada and the
US). But,
the NAC didn't ask, probably being too busy keeping their "core lands"
under
control, and the independent OU was formed. That being the case, I can't
really
see the OU states, former Commonwealth members of not, keeping the
British
(or NAC) Crown as titular head of state. There was a lot of resentment
in Oz and
NZ when Britain turned its back on them (or so it was perceived) to join
the EU,
and this would be the same thing, only more so.

>> I guess NAC ships would be HMS, of course -- or isn't there something
different in the FT book? CSN, I think it is -- Confederation Space
Navy? <<

CNS -- Confederation Navy(Naval?) [Space]Ship, I presume.

>> (I like HMS, personally. More traditional -- and navies tend to be
traditional
places.) <<

Jon Banderet asked:
> What about the American Contingent of the NAC? USS or HMS? <

Definitely not USS, 'cause there ain't no US any more, just the NAC,
consisting
of the 3 core ex-nations (minus Cal-Tex) and South America on Earth, and
their
colonies. One nation, one navy, one ship designation.

I suspect that Brian is right regarding HMS; that is what I would expect
to see
as a designator on NAC ships, given their allegiance to the Crown, but
Jon says
CNS, so CNS it is. It _is_ his universe, after all.

Phil, an ex-pat royalist Aussie
------------------------------------------------------------
"If you let a smile be your umbrella... 
   you'll get wet teeth!"
   -- a forgotten comedian, quoted by me: Phil Atcliffe
				      (p-atclif@uwe.ac.uk)

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