Re: [FT]SML question

Ryan Gill wrote:

> At 9:46 AM -0500 6/16/01, David Rodemaker wrote:
> >
> >If were are going to look at "reality" then you might want to examine
the
> >issues behind why *we* don't have a Navy full of PT boats for assault
and
> >patrol purposes... ;-)
>
> We (the US and the USN) don't fight in our own littoral waters. We
> fight in other people's space. We project power. Small combatants are
> useful in your own littoral. The US does have 13 Cyclone class
> coastal combatants. They are operated for the SEALs or by Coast Guard
> Detachements.  (http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/usa/littoral.htm#pc)

Non-FTL vessels are not similar in role to coastal combatants, they more
closely resemble towed artillery.  They can only usefully defend targets
within six hours (the minimum time between jumps) of their current
location
(or the attackers will jump out before their arrival), and they cannot
charge
out to meet attackers before they approach the defended target; unless,
they
can be assured that the attackers cannot jump past them.  Essentially,
non-FTL
equipped vessels can only defend one small volume of space.  Even FTL
equipped
ships have supreme difficulties defending multiple targets in the same
system,
as the defenders must guard against being caught out of position, due to
the