3.4.07

ANALysis : The Utrek Fleet

Using intelligence reports from various agencies as well as public domain information (and a dose of reasonable guesswork) we have calculated the make up of the Utrek Fleet. The Utrek are said to have a fleet that numbers at least 700 ships of the Tuul type. Tuul in Utrekian means warship though it's meaning in context is similar to cruiser. The Utrek also have other types of military ship though apart from the command ships these have never been seen outside of their territory. Its thought most are local patrol ships that lack interstella capability.

So the Utrek have over 700 Molentic and Kalahati Tuuls (plus an unknown number of the new Reptoli Tuul) which seems very formiddable but we have to consider that many of these ships, especially the Kalahatis are very old and very obsolete. Its estimated the fleet consists of roughly 65% Kalahati and the rest Molentic and Reptoli (but the latter in very small numbers still). Assuming a fleet of 700 cruisers that would give us around 455 Kalahati Tuuls and around 240 Molentic Tuuls plus a few Reptoli Tuuls.

However the Kalahati Tuul was in production for decades and although the ships were updated over time many of the older ships are not considered suitable for combat. These third-line ships are used as general purpose "hacks" and in some cases orbital defense posts. A Raegris report estimates the number of these third-line Kalahatis at around 250. Thus we can safely say that only around 200 Kalahatis are considered available for combat operations (though the others could be used if needs be of course). Its still a large number but most of these ships are second-line and are obsolete in themselves.

The Molentic Tuul force looks very formiddable on it's own as it consists of nearly 250 ships and many are modernised. Production is only now running down so there are a lot of nearly new Molentics in the fleet. However not all of these are available for the Utrekians to use in an attacking force.

The Utrek Urlik Federation is a large political entity, the far borders of which lie in space uncharted by the UNP or Dinos. Its known that the Utrekians have powerful enemies elsewhere on their huge borders, only the Rectoids being known about (though currently they are no longer a factor). The Raegris and Eritrans both report a mysterious force called the Manta who are the main rivals to the Utrekians on their far borders. Its thought that the Utrekians have to maintain at least 100 Molentic Tuuls along that border and around 40 to 50 at the capital planet Urlik. Back-up units of Kalahati Tuuls are also needed there and in other parts of Utrek space.

Thus from all that the DDS estimate that the most the Utrekians could deploy against the allies is around 80 to 110 Molentic Tuuls and 100-120 Kalahati Tuuls. Still very powerful fleets but with a disadvantage : there isn't much scope for reinforcement unless the Utrek wish to leave themselves open to attack from their other enemies. (Distance is another factor, its estimated that it would take a Molentic Tuul over 5 months to travel from the Manta border to Remedia). This is probably why the Utrekians have yet to launch a new offensive after losing so many ships in March.