The Rebel Faction

Fletchette II Defense and Missile Ordinance Control Systems

Fletchette II Defense System.

Based on the original Fletchette anti-missile system in use aboard the Matriarch, Lorell and Darkstar II Class ships, the Fletchette II system incorporates and upgrades the advanced system into something more practical for the modern galaxy.

The initial system incorporated the best features of the chaff and flare ECMs in use aboard advanced starfighters to provide a capital class anti-missile system that stood out amongst the pack as the only non-laser based system on the market. The weapon was able to engage any and all incoming ordinance from short to medium range with a high success rate.

Designed by Olanji Charubah Royal Shipworks, the upgrade comes as the Government released its most recent defence white paper, stating that an 'enemy denial' strategy was preferable to open space combat.

Slightly longer than a standard flare, the fletchette II itself contains a large base booster rocket which is fired after coasting from its launch pad. Once activated, the booster fires off its charge and breaks off in flight, spilling a long trail of ECM radar distorting Chaff strips behind it. The flare itself engages the missile, but the ECM strips also serve as a failsafe to send any not destroyed/targetted missiles haywire.

As an added side effect, the chaff strips also serve to heavily distort any targetting computer attempting to scan past or into the field of strips.

Replaces Fletchette I system on all craft, as well as being installed upon all Hapan craft. All weapon emplacements retain Fletchette I systems in triplets as failsafes, but specific point defence for the hull is entirely Fletchette II based. Typically FIIs are spaced evenly across a ships hull at regular intervals, but are also clustered around key ship systems, such as sheild generators, hangar bays, communications equipment etc.

Missile Ordinance Control System.

Designed as a footnote to the Fletchette II system, the newly designed MOCS allows missiles a preprogramed flightpath. Initially, the idea allowed missiles to simply avoid the chaff fields while maintaining a target, but it later evolved to allowing preprogramed internal missile targetting computers which allowed missiles to simply travel 'dumb' through the field (thereby avoiding going 'haywire') before activating their mini computers and moving to engage their targets.

MOCS also allows missiles to approach from multiple vectors in all altitude saturation attacks, thereby forcing enemy ships into all around sheild defence as well as changing fire directions. Military psycoanalysts, following testing, have also found the use of the MOCs system, in conjunction with the FtooD (as it has become known), greatly raises stress and fatigue amongst enemy crewmen, due to the constantly changing and unknown vectors of attack. Instead of simply looking at the enemy fleet, weapon crews most constantly scan their field of view to ensure no missiles are missed.

R&D Time: No Idea.