I should note that the March/April 2020 issue of Freelance Traveller had
Benedikt Schwarz's take on SAR. You can read the article in the PDF for
that issue, or at
https://www.freelancetraveller.com/features/preproom/starport/03sar.html
I wouldn't object if someone wanted to do a SAR career for Traveller (any
version), or work up some rules for actually conducting SAR operations as
[part of] an adventure...
On Sun, 9 Aug 2020 16:24:47 -0400, Thomas Jones-Low <xxxxxx@gmail.com>
wrote:
> 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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