The development of space warfare tactics (1) : DDS

With new developments like the Ferret-E, Missileer and Combat Link set to change totally the way the DDS fights it's space battles we thought it was time we took a look at how DDS tactics have developed up to now.

Tactics have had to change in line with technological improvement. The earliest warships were rather slow and ponderous compared to today and ships tended to not move at all during the battle because as much power as possible was needed for weapons and shields. Thus the classic space battle up until the 2090s saw two lines of space warships meet up in space and then proceed to fire at each other until one side gave up or was destroyed (known colloquially as the "Blast The Crap Out Of Them Method").

These were tactics inherited from races like the Tarbotians, Bolitic and Utrek (the Dinos with their smaller faster ships have always tended to go for more hit and run tactics). The DDS decided they needed an edge so developed a refinement to the classic line battle.

The DDS came up with the "Overbalanced Line", this is where instead of spreading your forces out evenly in an orthodox manner you "overload" one side of your line. This side can then apply much more pressure on your enemy and aim to break through and then attack him in the rear (a very DDS tactic). It of course means the ships along the rest of the line have a tougher job to do but their job is not to attack but to hold. Indeed the job of smaller ships like frigates in DDS fleet battles is to hold ground and maintain pressure on the enemy.

The tactic was introduced during the Tarbotian War of the late 2090s and was a great success. The above diagram shows a typical example of the tactic. Two evenly matched fleets (3 CC, 3 DD and 9 FF) meet up. The aliens in a standard balanced line, however the DDS have heavily loaded the right flank. As the battle progresses the right flank will aim to punch through the alien flank and then attack the centre of the line. This should then cause the whole line to collapse and many alien deaths will ensue.

As said above tactics are modified as technology is improved. The introduction of super weapons like the Z Cannon was capitalised on by another modification of the line tactic.

With the "Central Focus Line" the heavy warships are collected together and use their heavy firepower in conjunction, supported on each flank by the rest of the ships whose job again is to hold and maintain the pressure. The heavy warships (which in variants of the tactics can sometimes be at either flank instead) concentrate their firepower and aim to make a breakthrough in the opposing part of the enemy line. As their line collapses then the flanks will fall in allowing the DDS to rout the enemy and kill many aliens. The tactic first appeared in the First Utrek War and also was used in the Second Utrek War a couple of years ago.

In later parts of this series we will look at alien tactics and also how DDS tactics have evolved and may evolve in future.

ANALysis : Latest developments in the Tarbotian Empire

The mighty Tarbotian Empire has been quiet for some time since the last skirmishes a few years ago but DDS, Dino and Starbotian intelligence has continued to observe them and conclude that there are some interesting changes taking place in the empire to equipment, doctrine and tactics. Changes that have been sped up after the Tarbotians observed themselves how a similar monolithic empire, the Utrek, were defeated by a numerically much smaller but much more nimble and technically advanced and adventurous enemy.

Traditionally the Tarbotians have fielded a fleet consisting of 3 tiers of ship : (I) a small escort and patrol ship, (II) a medium-sized fleet cruiser and (III) a large heavy cruiser. In the war between the Tarbotians and the DDS/Dinos/Remedians/Starbotians in the late 2090s (which the Tarbotians lost of course) these 3 tiers consisted of (I) Samaras, (II) Vormix and late-model Hyper Ships and (III) Kenora Type F&G.

Now however the Tier II cruiser type is being withdrawn and the Tarbotians are concentrating on building large numbers of improved Samara destroyers (Samara V+ and a possible Samara VI) and a core fleet of heavy cruisers, the current type being the Kenora H+ with a Kenora J also now ready for production.

These changes are due to changes in Tarbot doctrine away from the traditional imperial model of large mixed-type fleets to a more fluid model called the Destroyer Net Model by Starbotian analysts. This more dynamic model consists of groups of 5-10 Samara destroyers operating in conjunction with groups of 3 Kenoras. The groups (or "nets") of Samaras harrying and disrupting an enemy force until it can be "hooked" by the Kenoras and destroyed using the heavy weapons on the formidable cruiser.

This new doctrine is said to have been influenced by DDS and Dino space warfare innovations of the mid-2100s which have seen a more more fluid and info-rich method of fighting and a definate move away from large set-piece battles. The success of these tactics against the monolithic Utrek further spurred the Tarbotians, it is known Tarbotian intelligence ships (along with others from powers like the HCS and Bolitic) were regularly encountered by DDS and Dino patrols and "encouraged to stop being so nosy".

The DDS and Dino tactics do depend on superior firepower however in the shape of TPM and the Tarbotians lack such a potent weapon though it is known they have greatly improved the firepower on the latest Kenora and Samara models and have developed a new range of particle weapons said to much superior to earlier types though still without the incredible one-shot-kill potential of transphasic technologies.

It will be interesting to see how the Tarbotians continue to develop their new doctrine and how it fares when finally put to the "test", though the DDS hope they are not the object of the test for some time at least!