RE: Its Doctrine, Scouting and Tactics not Fighters

--- B Lin <lin@rxkinetix.com> wrote:

> Lightning strikes could work, but would not be used
> if both sides retain the capability to perform them
> (i.e. modern nuclear submarines)in a manner that
> would cripple both sides.  You can never be sure if
> there is a cloaked ship waiting just outside your
> base waiting for signal to lob a mass of SM's into
> your fleet.  Most nations would not want to get
> involved in the economic cost of "securing" all
> their bases against such a first strike, and so
> there would be a de facto ban against such tactics.

The result historically was that, since the
introduction of the nuclear weapon there has been no
fighting between any two nuclear-armed powers (except
via proxy), nor has a nuclear-armed state been
attacked with enough force to truly threaten it's
existence.  The sole counter example was Israel in
1973, and they managed to use conventional weapons to
stop the Arabs cold in the buffer zones (Golan,
Sinai).  Had the Syrian penetrated to Heights, there
is no question in anyone's mind that Damascus would
have exploded in a radioactive cloud.  Along with as
many other Arab cities as was necessary to get the
message across.  

Since _all_ powers in the GZGverse have starships, as
do private individuals and corporations, then we are
faced with peace breaking out due to the excessive
risks involved in warfare (excepting on-planet
brushfire conflicts between fringe groups).  Or
writing our PSB so that starship drives are detectable
at a significant distance.  IMU, FTL drives give off a
detectable signature, so that even if you put stealth
systems/cloaking devices on your ships, they are
detected as they jump insystem.  This makes cloaking
device more use as tactical application rather than
general invulnerability/first strike weapon.  

We're writing a background for a wargame, folks.  This
means the human race has been sustaining conflict
among the stars for nearly a century and hasn't
wrecked the habilitable planets.  Nor has any major
power been defeated decisively enough to remove it
from the Great Game.  So obviously it's not easy or
everyone would have gotten together and slagged the
IFed planets down to bare rock.  And the IFed would
have slagged New Israel--regardless of the potential
consequences.

John

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