Future of propulsion will merge hyper and worm drives, says Dr Forbidden

The Head of UNDF Research, Dr Forbidden, has said that in future the two separate methods of spaceship FTL propulsion - hyperdrive and wormdrive - will merge into a unified engine which can handle both modes. It is speculated this is the core technology behind the x-Core engine which is in early development and could replace n-Core sometime in the 2140s.

Dr Forbidden also said UNDF is working on it's first upgrade to the W1A worm drive, which will offer a greater speed in equivalent c (ec) thanks to refinements in the subspace tunnel and power management. DF are currently preparing to build a prototype of WX drive, this may be ready to enter service by the end of the decade.

UNDF set up Defence Development Agency

UNDF has set up the Defence Development Agency (DDA) as a replacement for the gutted NS Research which had been looted by the MBO. Dr Forbidden has been placed in charge of DDA and said that there would be a busy programme of new weapon and technology development to help UNDF recover from a couple of years of stagnation.

Dr Forbidden said that priorities would be New Core, the next development of the e-Core engine family and the next generation of TPM.

Three NS technologies which didn't make it

NS Research and NS Engineering have developed many technologies over the years but not all have been the success that was hoped for. In this article we will examine three technologies which failed to be a success and have largely faded out of use.

H-Scoop

The H-Scoop gathers in "free" hydrogen as a ship travels through space, this can then be recycled in the engine to reduce the need for nuclear fuel. The H-Scoop was fitted to a number of ships including the Freedom 41B, Rome 46A and Pentekonter families. When developed it was hoped the H-Scoop could reduce nuclear fuel burn by up to 5%, unfortunately in practice the reduced burn was around 0.4%! One ship has reported 2% when it travelled through an area of space rich in fuel though this was a one off.

With the small reduction in fuel burn plus the extra costs of maintaining the scoop and filters the H-Scoop has not been rolled out to any other types NS operate or sell. The e-Core family of engines has proven much more effective in reducing costs, though the scoop can help with this. NS say they will maintain the scoops on current ships but will not develop the technology any more or add it to any other types.

FIDO-VR

FIDO-VR or Fully Immersive Distributed Operations - Virtual Reality was considered the hottest new technology breakthrough in the early 2100s, Dr Forbidden even called it the future of the DDS! FIDO-VR was a way to operate ships remotely, even using holo-projection to make it look like the remote crew were aboard the ship.

Unfortunately despite the great promise, FIDO-VR did not work so well in practice, especially in combat situations due to communication and computing bottlenecks. FIDO-VR has been quietly shelved but some parts of the technology such as remote monitoring and virtual assistance have been successfully rolled out to the entire fleet. The VR aspects have also been used for crew training.

Anti-matter weapons

After tangling with the Vosun-Voth Star Empire, NS found it had a weakness to their anti-matter spray cannons which could disrupt NS shields. NS added a similar weapon to it's later Type 35 cruisers. However, the weapon is hardly used due to advances in other weapons such as the Zip cannon. The anti-matter spray is very expensive to run.

NS are not going to add it to any other ships and it may be withdrawn from existing ships when they receive upgrades.

Professor Piss takes over NS Research, to lead merge with MBO technology group

Professor Piss has been appointed the new head of NS Research, which has been leaderless since the traitor Dr Forbidden left. Piss will lead the merging of the Mutre Bee technology group with NS Research and help develop the next generation of NS and MBO weapon systems.

A key one will be the forthcoming Black Triangle next generation weapon system. Piss revealed that the project has been under development by MBO for a number of years as the replacement for the Nectar. Black Triangle will be built for both NS and the MBO.

Another project Piss mentioned was the Nectar E project which is apparently an upgrade for the MBO destroyer using NS weapon technology including Zip cannons and improved TPM support. Nectar E will be available as an upgrade for the ships in NS service but also new build for the MBO.

NS to reveal mysterious Type 126 later in 2123

Viceroy Caratore, in a New Year Eve address, has revealed that NS is working with the MBO on a "major new type of warship". No other details were given about this apart from the fact it is to be the Type 126. This indicates it will be either unmanned or a small combatant.

The latter may be a clue to the new ship. Work on the Alpha 121A Nano Fighting Ship ended a few years ago but NS Research continued development of automation technologies and two of the Alphas have been trialing some new (and secret) systems over the last year.

Whatever Type 126 turns out to be it should be revealed later this year according to the Viceroy.

NS admits defection of Dr Forbidden

MBO-New Sparta has admitted that the head of NS Research Dr Forbidden has defected to the so-called Real DDS renegade faction. Viceroy Caratore's deputy Admiral Gomber has cursed the "betrayal of the chief geek" which will be "punished one day with maximum intensity". He added that the function of NS Research would not be affected.

Dr Forbidden is thought to have defected during the attack on a research base on Proxima 7. The commander of the base has been executed.

NS develop "e-Core 2" for next generation of ship propulsion

The introduction of the e-Core a few years ago heralded a new family of ship engines using up to 20% less fuel and also with reduced IR emissions. Now NS Research has announced e-Core 2 which will power the next generation of engines from the mid-2120s. e-Core 2 uses a brand new method of fuel ignition along with built in energy recycling which claims to reduce fuel consumption by around 15%.

NS said IR emissions are also reduced, assisting with stealth characteristics. NS will field test e-Core 2 engines from next year.

Third generation Type 51 may be air-capable

Although production of the second generation Repulse 51B has only just begun, NS is already working on the third batch of twenty ships (Type 51C) which will be built late in this decade and in the early 2130s. An NS source said that the Type 51C may be capable of operating in atmospheres, the design team is working with the Revolution 35Z team analysing data and assisting computer modelling.

"If the Revolution is a success then we feel it will herald the future of the NS fleet, thus we will want the 51C to be part of that." Dr Forbidden said at a briefing.

Torus wants offensive bio-warfare capabilities

The last couple of years has seen the rise of so-called "bio-warfare" in the shape of clones and biological enhancements. The Mutre Bee Organisation has attacked New Sparta a number of times using these new weapons of war, forcing the creation of the DNA Scanning Agency and the DNA scanning of all NS personnel regularly.

At a husting for the NS Presidential Election, Torus said that she wanted NS to begin developing it's own offensive bio-weapons. However, she ruled out NS creating it's own clones. Torus said she would task Dr Forbidden with forming a research group as one of the first acts of her presidency if she wins (as she is overwhelming likely to do so).

NSIS to review ship security

NSIS are to conduct a review of ship security after a River 75A transport, SS Amazon, was taken over following the death of the crew. Dr Forbidden said that NS Research are looking into the possibility of using UCV technology to give ships the ability to fly themselves to the nearest port if all the crew aboard are killed. At the moment all NS ships have a "dead man switch" which stops the ship dead if the crew die, though this system can be fairly easily overruled.

NSIS have confirmed that SS Amazon was taken over by the Mutre Bee Organisation after bio-control technology was detected in the brain of one of the dead NS crew. It is thought the crewman was taken control of and used to take control of the ship. CCTV is said to show the crewman killing the ship's captain.

NS to experiment with AR ship interiors

NS is to experiment with augmented reality (AR) ship interiors according to a briefing given by Dr Forbidden. A test ship will be fitted with holographic projectors and will be able to adapt controls and interiors depending on mission and ship status. For example combat specific systems and controls may be hidden until a combat situation and vice versa to reduce visual clutter and potential confusion for crews.

Dr Forbidden said that the projectors would also be able to adapt controls and displays for specific crew members using a adaptive database. "The ship will learn what the crew member uses mostly, any specific likes and needs and optimise the display for them." he said. It is not yet known which ship will be fitted but it is likely to be one of the departmental service Pentekonters.

DSA now fully operational, improved scanner on the way

NSIS Chief Kalifei has announced that the new DNA Scanning Agency (DSA) is now fully operational with regular scans of all NS officers and random scans of lower ranks taking place daily. DSA scans the DNA of NS personnel looking for the tell-tale signs of cloning technology which leaves a trace due to accelerated growth.

An improved DNA scanner is currently under development which can perform the test more quickly. It is understood DSA is working with the Dino SS (who are also carrying out a scanning programme) on the scanning technology.

The head of NS Research Dr Forbidden was asked about the DNA traces at a media briefing. He said that a clone which was allowed to grow at a natural rate would not have the traces and thus would be undetectable. However there was little cause for alarm. "It would take remarkable foresight to create a clone of a baby knowing that they would grow up to become an important NS officer in 30 to 40 years time!"

Dr Forbidden said he did not think Mutre Bee's scientists would be able to remove the DNA traces and thus counter the scans. "We can guess they are working on improving their technology but there will always be a trace. They may try and mask it but we will also be able to improve our scans."

NS announce Multi-Mode Combat Ship project

Earlier in the year NS had chance to see the Dinomark AM up close and have liked the idea of a cruiser class warship able to operate in atmospheres so much they want their own! Today President Sea Urchin announced initial funding for the Multi-Mode Combat Ship (MMCS) project.

It is thought a modified Type 35 will be the core of the MMCS. NS Research have already conducted a design study of a modified Panther with turbines and aerodynamic changes. Sea Urchin has said the MMCS is a priority project and a specification will be drawn up in 2120.

Dr Forbidden announces Fluid Morphic Systems

Dr Forbidden has announced the latest technological advance which will be rolled out to NS ships over the coming years, Fluid Morphic Systems (FMS). This is an advanced new method of building circuits using holographic data. Instead of traditional wires and components circuits are built using holograms, these are able to be changed when needed by altering the holographic template.

Dr Forbidden said, "Imagine a ship in battle receives damage to it's tactical computer. In the past we've needed to switch to a back-up, but sometimes this is unavailable, maybe it has already been damaged too. With Fluid Morphic Systems another system can be reconfigured to replace the broken system in seconds. Perhaps a science console, not needed in combat, could be used. In a recent test we were indeed able to change a gravimetric analysis console into a tactical console in just three seconds!"

Updates and improvements can also be carried out instantly by sending changes to the holographic structure of FMS systems. Dr Forbidden said that field tests had been promising and NS would begin to roll out FMS in the next decade once some final details are worked out. These are thought to include data security, obviously an enemy would love to be able to configure NS systems admitted Dr Forbidden.

NS are planning to move to unhackable fractal encryption for data transmission in the 2120s, this will solve any security issues with FMS.

Type 51B will have Z8 cannon but next generation already planned

The second batch of twenty Type 51 ships will be the Type 51B which will be built in the first half of the 2120s. New Sparta has begun refining the specification for this second batch of Type 51s to follow on from the Corkscrew. The Type 51B is likely to be the same size as the A, earlier rumours of a longer hull are no thought unlikely, though the internal arrangement will be changed to give more space for Space Prowler special forces.

The biggest change though will be stub "wings", a source said the Type 51B will look a bit like the Clone Shark frigate in that regard. The wings will include two podded Z8 cannons. This is the follow on from the Zip/Z7 and is a full aspect cannon with a wide angle of fire. The two podded Z8s will have 360 degree coverage around the Type 51B.

The next step though, likely to enter service around 2125 will be the ZX cannon, which is said to be a merging of Zip technology with 360 CIWS. Instead of having a discreet cannon the entire hull will b a "cannon" with ZX giving 360 degree coverage and rapid rate of fire. One NS Research source said it could be the biggest revolution in space warfare since the TPM.

Dr Forbidden : Pace of progress is not slowing down

Recently there have been concerns in the media and even raised in a Politburo meeting that the pace of NS technological development is slowing. However Dr Forbidden has said this is not true.

"There are two kinds of research really, theoretical and applied." he said in an interview with NS News, "The last decade has seen a lot of applied research, resulting in tangible new technology like TPM, EA-X. Currently much research is theoretical, so maybe won't manifest itself in new applied technology immediately. However it will lay foundations for future decades."

Dr Forbidden said that Deep Subspace Burrowing Teleportation (DSBT) is the current major focus for his team. This is a variation of wormhole technology with cargo and equipment teleported through an opened artificial wormhole. The Dinos have recently opened the first link.

"We are progressing well with DSBT. We hope to be able to start building the first link between laboratories on Proxima 7 and Solaris soon. It will revolutionise transport throughout the UNP when we set up a DSBT network. Equipment and personnel can be transferred across light years in seconds." Dr Forbidden said.

Is NS technology stagnating?

After what can only be described as an epic ten to fifteen years of relentless technological development there are concerns that NS may be stagnating. Since the development of key technologies like transphasic weapons and worm drive NS has been waiting for the next big change but none have come and none seem to be on the horizon either.

However Dr Forbidden has sought to reassure the NS. "It is true that major new breakthroughs are few and far between now but that doesn't mean that we are standing still. There are many smaller improvements and iterative updates being deployed all the time."

Critics have pointed out the Dinos are now soon to deploy Deep Sub-Space Burrowing Transport (DSBT), a form of teleport that can transfer items and personnel light years in a second. The Clones are in their third generation of interstellar ballistic missile. Both are technologies the NS lack.

Proton e-Core engine cleared for operational service

After months of trials and several hundred light years the first engine in the new e-Core family, the Proton RM, has been cleared for operational service. Three Pentekonters have been using the engine for a number of months already as part of the development process and the rest of the fleet could receive the engine in an upgrade. The engine will also be part of the improved export Pentekonter Protector 2118.

Two versions of the engine have been produced, the RM-01 for export and the slightly uprated RM-02 for NS service.

Dr Forbidden gave a media briefing on Proton. The engine was very complicated and would generate some challenges for operational use. The target efficiency for Proton over the existing HS-760GX powerplant was to use "a third" less power. So far NS had managed to get it up to 28.6% but hoped that software refinement could improve that.

One interesting issue, Dr Forbidden said, was that Pentekonters with Proton now had a surplus of power, indeed one reactor too many. An NS Engineering chief said that a load balancing system was being developed to manage this and reduce wear and tear. This power surplus would not be so much of an issue on combat ships where the power could be used in weapons and other combat systems.

NS looking into "common core" for future warships

New Sparta has begun early development work on the future generation of warships for the NS Space Fleet - though any entry into service is still decades away. Dr Forbidden gave a briefing yesterday where he discussed the latest NS ideas including the "common core". This is the base spine of a spaceship - power and control systems - with mission dependent modules and facilities added depending on the ship's role.

For example future Fleet Combat Ships and Medium Combat Ships could have the same common core but have different modules added. This, it is thought, would reduce costs and increase reliability. While no new NS types are planned in these areas for some time the common core ideas may be used in future export orientated types.

NS consider Type 035 replacement

Although the 2140s are a long way off work has already begun on the replacement for the primary fighter of the New Sparta fleet, the Type 035 family. No firm plans are likely to be made until the 2130s but NS Research has been considering concepts and may even built a future fighter prototype in the next decade.

Dr Forbidden told senior NS officers at a recent briefing that the future fighter of the fleet could be much smaller with a small live crew (or even optionally manned) with greater use of remote crewing and artificial intelligence. It would also be "ultra flexible" with the ability to perform many roles with no or very little modification.

However there are different visions in NS. Director Sea Urchin is said to envisage a larger ship (perhaps Quasar sized) enabling greater operational flexibility, with a detachable "war fighting module".