DDS happy with Pentekonter / New AE

The DDS have conducted a review of the Pentekonter patrol vessel (OPV) now it has spent it's first few months in service. The DDS is largely happy with the ship which has had fewer teething troubles than is usual for a brand new type. Starting with the 11th (and this half-way point of the class) ship 3511 Euripides the Pentekonter will be updated to Mod B standard which will have improved sensors and a slightly larger ion cannon. There will also be a software update for the entire fleet.

The DDS has decided to build 2 specialist ammunition transports (AE). These will be based on the Provider AK but will have improved security and hazardous material handling equipment, as well as better shielding. They will be used to ferry supplies of the highly strategic transphasic missile.

The ANALyst : What is the DDS?

This time Dr Carlos Judas Vincentos OBE goes intellectual and muses on what exactly the DDS is.

What is the DDS? It might seem a strange question and even an easy question to answer. But i don't mean the UNP Security Force, i mean what is the DDS really? The DDS is everything and anything, the DDS is all around us. Confused? Well obviously you do not have as high an IQ as myself so I will explain.

The DDS is a way of life, an attitude. Its a spirit that drives like minded young men on. Cheating on your girlfriend is DDS (especially if its cheating on her with a guy), getting the highest mark in class is DDS, cheating to get the highest mark is very DDS. Cheating anyway just for the Hell of it is Uber DDS. The DDS is violence, attitude, single-mindedness and more violence. The DDS is a code, a recipe for life. The DDS is Hardcore.

So even if you cannot join the DDS you can still be DDS. Understand? No you probably don't, as I am more intelligent. Thats so DDS.

Open Architecture 2.0 to make its debut

Open Architecture (OA) is one of the key new technologies of the DDS. A preliminary version made it's debut with the Terran Sea Block 2 frigate but the full version OA 2.0 will soon be introduced on the Block 3 and will also appear on the Velocity VS, Panther and Quasar ILU. So what is it?

OA 2.0 is a revolution in spaceship design. It is a plug & play architecture for ship equipment using the wireless control now in place. With OA 2.0 equipment can be replaced very easily by simply bringing the new equipment on board and changing the control link to it. The replaced equipment does not even have to be removed. All the changes are done automatically. Equipment is also automatically monitored, maintained and updated.

Another part of OA 2.0 is remote processing. Many ship systems can transmit data to another ship or a ground station for processing and then receive back the processed data. In tests ships have had certain systems switched off without the crew realising the processing was now being done elsewhere. In a combat situation this could be invaluable in allowing ships to keep operating even if systems have been damaged.

All OA 2.0 ships will also transmit a log of telemetry and control data to centralised DDS databases. This will allow the DDS to analyse the mass of data and potentially look for problems before they reach a stage they can be detected by other means and also track trends to allow improvment of DDS systems.

Dr Forbidden discusses Open Architecture

Conspiracy magazine accuses Ronald of massacre

A conspiracy magazine in Dino Land has caused a stir by accusing that Ronald ordered the massacre of a native tribe over 40 years ago. The magazine, Conspiracy Nation, says the tribe was massacred early in Ronald's reign as Emperor. Elements of the Black Dragon Martyrs Brigade, the most notorious unit in the SS, are said to have carried out the massacre and were under the direct command of Ronald. Butchering thousands of men, women and children. The tribe was utterly wiped out and then removed from all official records so that now no one even knows they exist.

The magazine also said that nearly all of the SS men who took part in the massacre are now dead, many dying in mysterious circumstances. The magazine says that one survivor came forward and gave the wherabouts of a mass grave, which is where the killed tribesdinos were buried.

No one from the Dino government was available for comment. Ronald is currently on the northern frontier world of Pulsin for the funeral of an old colleague.

DDS announce details of LCX

The DDS have announced some details of their future Light Cruiser, the LCX. The class will be named Pangaea class (interestingly this was the final class name of the cancelled Isometric III frigate class - hopefully not a bad omen!) The DDS say that the primary role of the Pangaea will be science and general fleet duties. It will also be able to perform combat and patrol missions successfully. The DDS say the Pangaea will be a true multi-role design.

When asked if the LCX was an admission that the DDS had built too many single-mission ships Director Of Operations Action Painting replied, "Our fleet has been designed and built due to need. We needed combat optimised ships to protect the DDS and patrol optimised ships for DDS patrol and revenue generating patrols. Now we have enough ships either built or ordered for both missions we at last have the luxury of being able to procure a multi-role hull. The Pangaea class will be a great asset and will be able to fill in any gaps in the DDS capability."

Character Of The Week : Torus

(Back for a new season is our weekly look at some of the top names in the DDS game)

Torus is one of the so-called "Next Generation". A group of young captains identified by Windscorpion as being the blood that will take the DDS forward in the next decade. However Torus has been around for awhile. A childhood accident took his voicebox away so he grew up unable to speak. After he joined the DDS Dr Forbidden developed a synthetic voicebox that translates his thoughts into speech. He is even able to sing much to everyone's misery.

Torus is a good captain who has already shown a lot of initiative in combat situations. In fact in fleet engagements Windy has trusted Torus with one of the fleet's flanks, a vitally important position that can make or break a victory. His years of being unable to speak has made Torus rather introspective though and often he shuns others' company.

Torus has a scientist background, having a degree in astro-physics. Its thought he has asked to be head of the forthcoming DDS' science fleet.