Re: Active vs Passive

opeyesays@aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 4/13/00 2:34:33 PM Central Daylight Time,
baqrt@mta.ca
> writes:
> 
> <<
>     I can agree with this, but with one caveat. Given only a slight
advance
>  over present-day technology, the detection range will be VASTLY
greater
>  than the weapons range (even for a non-thrusting ship), therefore
you'll
>  probably have an excellent position/velocity track LONG before you
get
>  within weapons range (of course, weapons range with projectiles
against
>  ballistic targets is essentially infinite, but if you start
manuvering
>  to avoid being hit you've just announced your presence to anyone else
>  within about 50 AU).
>   >>
> 
> absolutely - lying doggoe with life support and sensors on auxilliary
and
> waste heat confined as much as you can stand to the inside of the ship
would
> probably make a picket ship a hell! Much like a U Boat running silent
in
> thickened air and sweltering heat from the bodies within.

	That sounds like an excellent analogy. Adding to that is that
your
trajectory is ABSOLUTELY predictable. Given that (since they don't have
to carry life-support), you could probably get railgun shells down to
(roughly) ambient temperature, it's also the case that you may not get a
chance to see the shot that kills you (if your position/trajectory are
known (but you don't know it), and you're keeping your engines off to
(try and) avoid detection, there isn't really any maximum range at which
a kinetic energy weapon can hit you, and unless you go active you
probably won't detect it approaching).
	Of course, defending ships probably wouldn't have to do this -
having a
fixed installation doing the detection work would probably give you even
better results. Assuming that ships can't just jump in on top of the
planet, there's essentially no way for a fleet to remain hidden after
it's jumped in (assuming the energy from the jump doesn't give it away
immediately). If they manuver, they've been spotted, and if they don't
all you have to do is put some debris in their path....

-Brian Quirt