I've just been spending a fair amount of time reading through GT:Starports in
pursuit of updating the wiki articles on starports (and connected articles).

	Also, there was/is an ongoing campaign with the Imperial Scout Rescue service,
which may provide ideas and background.
1) http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=40189
2) http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=40406
3) http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=41149

	Based upon my reading of GT:Starports, the Imperium generally, and the Starport
Authority specifically, is tasked only with running the port. Which pushes the
idea of a system coast guard service onto the system government itself. Services
are paid for by local taxes as the system government has no ability to raise
money from the ships conducting trade by Imperial decree.

	Officially.

	What is more likely is the local SPA director has several of your really neat
designs available to perform specific SAR operations, and do some level of
customs work.

	The Imperium allows worlds to build a local naval force. But given the Imperial
Navy outclasses almost anything a local system could build and maintain, and
most worlds are far enough from the border that the Imperial Navy should protect
them, raising a system guard naval force may sound like a really good idea.
Especially if there are colonies or stations on other worlds in the same system.

	The SPA can't charge post-fact charges for services rendered, but the world
government could.

On 8/9/2020 3:50 PM, xxxxxx@gmail.com wrote:
>
> The discussion of the Coast Guards in various places and particularly of the
> USCG has led me to wonder what typical system wide rescue and system LE/security
> might look like.
>
> I would assume that such a thing might start to exist once you'd been spacing
> for a while and could get out to the various planets and belts and so on with
> some ease enough to see some populations out there regularly and on a
> sustainable basis.
>
> So such an entity might start to be relevant around TL-9, but TL-10 would likely
> be where it started to be more robust and be justified in the economy and in
> security terms.
>
> SG-SR would have several broad mandates:
>
>   * Law enforcement of system-wide laws. In Imperial space, they could be in
>     addition to Imperial enforcement, work in conjunction with Imperial
>     enforcement, or they could even largely shoulder the burden to allow
>     Imperial assets (other than some inspectors/monitors) to be allocated
>     elsewhere. Local naval elements could assist SG-SR, be an parallel structure
>     in terms of this mandate, or direct SG-SR depending on agencies and their
>     heirarchies. In some particularly peaceful regions, some planets may not
>     even retain a system navy but instead have an SG-SR. There would be
>     integration/cooperation generally with local and Imperial law enforcement
>     around ports-of-entry, stations, and such like.
>
>   * Providing security within the system - investigating crimes beyond the
>     mainworlds, pursuing and/or deterring piracy or barratry, securing stations,
>     high ports, and other sensitive system or Imperial assets (details would
>     vary depending on relationship of planet and Imperial government likely via
>     the charter that brought the planet into the Imperium). This also would
>     include security inspections of vessels, checks on the bona fides and
>     qualifications of ships and their crews, enforcement of safety and traffic
>     laws at times, and setting up temporary or permanent exclusion zones (to
>     avoid a danger for one reason, others exist) and for deploying aides to
>     navigation as necessary and maintaining them.
>
>   * Conducting Intelligence work that falls within the mandate of protecting
>     ports, shipping, and so on related to system travel and commerce.
>
>   * Search and rescue everywhere but on mainworlds - space search and rescue,
>     search and rescue on moons, small colonies, space habitats/stations, etc.
>     throughout the system.
>
>   * In times of conflict, SG-SR vessels and personnel could be seconded to
>     either the system navy or the Imperial Navy.
>
>   * May be seconded to assist in system-related science (schlepping boffins and
>     gear around, helping get the boffins near stellar or planetary environments
>     without losing them, etc). This could include some periodic system surveys
>     for any changes in the worlds/objects in the system and/or concerns that may
>     require warnings to be posted.
>
> What sorts of space-going assets would be involved:
>
>   * Small fast response vessels - 500 tons or less - with a J-2 capacity
>     primarily used for fast in-system deployment and evacuation of injured to
>     stations/worlds/etc. that have better and more advanced medical options, and
>     with a thrust of 3gs or more (once wounded are embarked, no more than 0.75
>     or so perceivable gravities would be applied). Likely bearing a turret or
>     two to deter some threats, but mostly focused on medical response. High
>     quality sensors and computers would be used to do fast, accurate searches.
>     There would be one or more modular cutters with casualty evacuation
>     configurations available. Would have a loaded rack of dropable traffic
>     beacons and/or sensor platforms to increase search capacity.
>
>   * Medium sized response vessels - Small hospital ship - a J-2 capacity vessel
>     with thrust of at J-3 (again limited with wounded embarked) and that would
>     include one or more surgical blocks (ORs, decontam, isolation, ICU and
>     standard beds, autodocs, nurses, parameds, doctors). A few turrets just for
>     basic deterrence, a situation room/fleet command capacity so good comms,
>     decent to high end sensors to help in searches and coordination of larger
>     responses. Also would have the ability to drop traffic beacons and sensor
>     platforms. Includes multiple offloading mechanisms (cutters, straight
>     docking, close-in assisted line crossings, etc). Would respond to more major
>     incidents or help to coordinate many smaller vessels for a search of a lot
>     of space/ground.
>
>   * Fast Pursuit Vessels - 500 tons or less. Thrust 6 Gees, Jump 2 for similar
>     reasons as above, full complement of weapons, high end sensors for pursuing
>     and tracking vessels and other spacial objects that are of concern related
>     to security or law enforcement concerns. Includes SG boarding parties who
>     are specialists in ship boarding and inspection for security reasons.
>     Includes at least one armed auxilliary able to deploy up to 16 boarders (two
>     teams). These vessels would be able to help in a search with their sensors
>     and could help with the security / traffic management during a large
>     disaster, but would have a primary role in going after fugitives and
>     inspecting vessels flagged as a potential threat to security.
>
>   * System Tugs - J-2 wth capacity to bring back other ships on the return leg.
>     May be over 1000 tons. May be smaller ones that can provide a real-space
>     tow. Their job is to help get damaged or hazardous vessels or objects moved
>     to safer places for rescue/repair/disposal.
>
>   * Tender - 400 to 600 tons - for deploying and maintaining (including annual
>     PMs) navigation aides, system sensor buoys, search platforms, science
>     platforms, and sometimes recovering or fixing in situ smaller SG-SR vessels
>     that have experienced serious problems that preclude them jumping of
>     thrusting to a repair destination.
>
> Funding would have a component derived from all corporations operating in or
> passing through the system (a fee charged to ships or enterprises in the system
> or passing through), some portion of mainworld and corporate businesses in the
> system (because it is a public service), and perhaps in some places, they may
> require payments after the fact for their services to help sustain operations.
>
> THoughts?
>
>
>
> --
> “The only stable state is the one in which all men are equal before the law.” ―
> Aristotle
>
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--
         Thomas Jones-Low
Work:	xxxxxx@softstart.com
Home:   xxxxxx@gmail.com