Elrich von Richt Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 [font="Book Antiqua"]Karl Valshannar had been dispatched by the Queen for a 'special assignment'. Never before in his life had a cigarette tasted so good as now. Given a set of royal orders, and a general map of the destination to the where he was headed, he could feel the tension that had been resting in his upper back let itself loose. He wished he could be sitting back home in Gotland, but when the royal family required a 'messenger boy' to take care of a special assignment, he let the fervor for adventure and national pride within him get the best of him. He was feeling rather stupid now, but their was nothing he could do about it, except function as a 'messenger boy' now. Although the packet contained information on the kind of meeting he'd be attending, it didn't list any specifics, not even a location. The window of the private plane that was transporting him was his only indicator as to where he was, and it was a poor one, regardless. The only thing he was sure of was that he'd never seen the scenery beneath him, although it looked similar to home. Hell, for all he knew, the assignment could involve him circling around Gotland until he reached some kind of Guinness Record. Much to his interest, however, the plane began to descend towards what appeared to be a landing strip that was hidden underneath a pool of fog. He could only fathom what he was getting involved in at the appearance of a Germanic Union flag some distance down the flight-line. He was set to play an important role in Sweden's story.[/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Martens Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 When he eventually sets foot on Aaland, the place was a testament as to how blurry the Germanic Borders seemed to have been over time. The place looked and felt much like Sweden, and the language was often spoken on the streets, although Nordlandic was also heard. Yet it had been before a part of Russia as well as Finland. It was one of those ambiguous border zones where you could not determine where one country and culture started and the other ended - much like where Denmark had met Germany and where Germany had met Austria. There was a loose continuity, and this was no exception. He would be welcomed and taken for a drive in an armored car, which, in fact, seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary - just about every other vehicle everybody would drive seemed to be quasi-military. He would see the impressive factories of the main Island, the home of Mariehamm and Kettenheim Inc, and probably one of the many reasons why Berlin had gone out of its way to rescue this land. When it all ends, he is at a large warehouse where many boxes are being opened, some containing small arms of all kinds and flavours, and a few other containing vehicles or parts of Airplanes ready to be assembled. There is a desk, at which sits a man who steps up, shakes hands and identifies himself, "Waldemar Torheim, Reichswehr Major General, at your service." On the desk is a huge catalog of weapons, as if it were a shopping center's addvertising tool. "I have been told that Sverige requires assistance when it comes to matters of defense." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elrich von Richt Posted April 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 Valshannar took a few moments to get an idea of where he was, and whom he was talking to. He felt like he'd been on operating on some half-assed drone mode for the past couple of minutes, and didn't really understand his surroundings when he came out of it. Surveying the room, he could recall what was occurring and to some extent what he was doing here. Locating an interesting folder held snuggly in his left armpit, he read through the files once more. The full extent of what he was doing for the Queen now became apparent. He was to serve a consultant and representative of the people of Sweden, and it's government. His actual representation was in order to study Germanic Union technology, along with the leading the way for the creation of a stronger, and more advanced Swedish military. Brushing off the collar-area of his outfit, which had been given to him by the queen as well, he coughed, and then began to respond to the man in front of him. "Pleasure to meet you, sir. I am Karl Valshannar, representative of the Swedish Crown and people. What you say is true. From what I have been briefed, my goal here is to discuss matters of defense with you in order to further the Swedish military and increase it's potential. By taking the stock technology we've been given, and using our ties and technological levels to come up with advanced designs for weapons, aircraft, and vehicles, we hope to accomplish something great on this god-forsaken island." Karl stumbled over trying to pronounced the island's name at times, and refrained from saying it. His distaste for the location he'd been dispatched grew all the more apparent with his behavior, especially around the Germanic Union's Major General. He almost seemed hurried, like he wanted to get off the damned place and go back home to his 'god-forsaken island'. Whatever time he'd be here, he realized he'd need to learn to suppress that. He'd volunteered, and this is what he was given. Farming back on Götland didn't hold a candle to the opportunities for entertainment and advancement that lied with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Martens Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 He seems disgusted at first but then chuckles. "Well that's how Aaland ended up under the Finns don't you know? Having been Sweden's god forsaken island. But now our industrial capacity rivals that of Sweden itself, you must know. In any case, I have all this here, from knives to nukes, and, it should be noted that having captured much of the UK supply, we might be able to simply sell you their equipment for a very low price. I would not recommend their armor though, but the small arms seemed to be excellent. Still, it'd be only an interim solution, we must assist you in being able to manufacture your own weaponry in time." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elrich von Richt Posted April 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 Valshannar quietly listened to the man speak, and then pulled one of the many blueprints that were within the folder he'd been given. Looking over it himself for a moment rather than presenting it right away, it appeared to be a design for a new form of aircraft that would replace a good deal of the JAS 39 Gripen's that the Flygvapnet had in stock. The aircraft (although he was no engineer, or aerospace technician of any sort) looked much more advanced than the JAS 39, which was now beginning to age. After surveying it enough to his liking, he presented it to the general in front of him and read from the text inside the folder. "Herr General, it is with pleasure that I introduce to you our nation's first endeavour into the future. This is the JAS 44 'Vampyr', a replacement for our aging fighter, the JAS 39 Gripen. The following specifications are what Her Majesty wanted me to present you with to see if such an endeavour, and/or improvements to this endeavour are possible. [quote][size=1]General characteristics Crew: 1 Length: 62 ft 1 in (20 m) Wingspan: 44 ft 6 in (14 m) Height: 16 ft 8 in (6 m) Wing area: 840 ft² (78.04 m²) Airfoil: NACA 64A?05.92 root, NACA 64A?04.29 tip Empty weight: 43,430 lb (19,700 kg) Loaded weight: 64,460 lb (29,300 kg) Max takeoff weight: 83,500 lb (38,000 kg) Fuel capacity: 18,000 lb (8,200 kg) internally, or 26,000 lb (11,900 kg) with two external fuel tanks Performance Maximum speed: At altitude: Mach 2.25 (1,500 mph, 2,410 km/h Supercruise: Mach 1.82 (1,220 mph, 1,963 km/h) Range: >1,600 nmi (1,840 mi, 2,960 km) with 2 external fuel tanks Combat radius: 410 nmi (471 mi, 759 km) Ferry range: 2,000 mi (1,738 nautical mile, 3,219 km) Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (19,812 m) Wing loading: 77 lb/ft² (375 kg/m²) Maximum design g-load: -3.0/+9.0 g</ul></ul> Armament Guns: 2× 30 mm (1.18 in) GSh-6-30 Gatling 6-barreled gatling cannon in both wing roots, 10,800 rounds Air to air loadout: 4× AIM-9X Sidewinder 1× M68 Gauss cannon Air to ground loadout: 4× AIM-9 Sidewinder for self-protection, and one of the following: 1× M68 Gauss cannon or 3× SUU-33 ADMM pods Hardpoints: 4× under-wing pylon stations can be fitted to carry 600 US gallon drop tanks or weapons, each with a capacity of 5,000 lb (2,268 kg). Avionics RWR (Radar warning receiver): 250 nautical mile (463 km) or more Radar: 125–150 miles (200–240 km) (estimated range) Chemring MJU-39/40 flares for protection against IR missiles Length 20 meters Width 14 meters Height/depth 6 meters Mass 15,000 kilograms Maximum speed (atmosphere) Mach 3+ Engine unit(s) 2x Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 Pitch Thrust vectoring turbofans Slipspace Drive None Power output 25,000 lb. each Shielding None Hull Ferroceramic Titanium Armor Targeting systems IR Search and Track System Avionics Radar Warning Receiver Radar Countermeasures MJU-7 Flare dispenser RR-188 Chaff dispenser Armament 30mm GSh-6-30 Gatling gun (2) SUU-38 ADMM pod (3) M68 Gauss Cannon (1)[/size][/quote] He handed him the specifications, along with the blueprint and several CGI models of the aircraft on both a carrier and a runway. "What do you think, Herr General?" He let out a smile and was curious to see what the General would say next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Martens Posted April 26, 2011 Report Share Posted April 26, 2011 "I think that whoever placed a Coilgun on this thing must have been watching too much science fiction. We cannot do that, but we can surely do just about everything else. I will consult our aerospacial design bureau specialists as soon as possible and have them contact your Government." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elrich von Richt Posted April 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2011 (edited) Valshanner shifted through the other files within the folder as the man spoke, paying attention regardless of his flipping. "So... from what it seems, the next priority is naval development. What would you suggest?" Edited April 28, 2011 by Elrich von Richt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elrich von Richt Posted April 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2011 (edited) Edit: Curse you laggy internet. Double post. Edited April 28, 2011 by Elrich von Richt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Martens Posted April 28, 2011 Report Share Posted April 28, 2011 "Our current doctrine calls for wide use of submarine warfare, which is perhaps unsurprising considering our main territories' history. We have in adition to regular submarines, underwater air carriers which however only transport one squadron at a time and then many unarmed underwater carriers. With the current proliferation of antinaval long range missiles, doing this we can negate them their advantage." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elrich von Richt Posted April 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2011 Valshannar surveyed the idea in his mind, and read through the Queen's future thoughts on naval warfare in the Kingdom. "It appears that the Queen has noticed this, and views such a thing as acceptable. However, she would also like to maintain a conventional fleet alongside this. One would be situated in the Baltic, and the other would be docked on the other half of our territory in Norway. Both fleets would contain a full detachment including, but not limited to: carriers, corvettes, battleships, cruisers, destroyers, LSTs, etc. What are your thoughts on this, honestly, sir? I view it as a bit sketchy honestly, but having a 'Grand Navy' would be something attainable for our nation." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Martens Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 He rubs his chin, thoughtfully. After an awkward silence, he nods a few times and says... "I see...you do not want a Navy merely in order to defend yourselves. Such a great navy such as the one you plan, and the one we can indeed provide, can only mean that you require a higher power projection capability. We can create a navy, for until relatively recently in history we've always had similar forces ourselves. Well...for surface navy, we are to develop new AD systems which may be able to make the missile-spam thread less of a problem. Additionally, the ships must for the very same reason be fast. Big, hulking Bismarckian battleships are completely out of the question." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elrich von Richt Posted May 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 He nodded with his eyes shut, and then opened them once again in the direction of the General. "Such a concept is desirable and understandable, sir. A slow navy would only to impede the progress of offensive operations, and perhaps falter the defense of the nation in defensive operations. The navy we plan, and the one I presume the queen envisioned despite being of no military background, would be one of good cruising speed that is capable of moving where it needs to be at the drop of an order. While Carriers would be hard to outfit with a stunning amount of speed, I believe they should still be considered since they are integral in operations more so than battleships of the yesteryears. As for other lightly armed ships, we could drop the possibility of large battleships in favor of corvettes, destroyers, and other lighter vessels. To project large firepower, we could replace the actual battleship neccessity with cruisers of a fast size, yet a sizeable amount of firepower and defensive capability. As for what could potentially fill the holes that these require, I have only limited ideas. Adding submarines into the mix could work perfectly for disrupting enemy convoy, as well as knocking out ships posed to engage in our territorial waters." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Martens Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 "Yes. Start with Submarines, and then with Patrol Boats. Then do Air Carriers. The rest of the navy's job will be to protect these air carriers, essentially." "If you give us a list of the units you are intending on fielding, we can start designing them. It will take some time, but it will be done. If only building ships were as easy as building tanks, yes?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elrich von Richt Posted May 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 Valshannar chuckled after the General's last comment. "As for ideas, the following are on file..." [quote][i]Gustavus Adolphus class aircraft carrier[/i] OOC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_R._Ford_class_aircraft_carrier[/quote] "As far as I can see, no concrete design plans exist for corvettes, frigates, or cruisers beyond those currently in service. If you would like to assist in the effort of designing a modernized, superior class of such vessels, I believe the Queen would greatly appreciate it. Whatever kind of submarine you are currently producing, since they seem effective enough, will be acceptable to." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Martens Posted May 4, 2011 Report Share Posted May 4, 2011 "Well, we do have the Patrol Boats done, and all of the submarine vessels there as they are, but what we suggest doing is for us to see how we can improve our existing-yet-not-commissioned Kriesgmarine surface models. If we are able to re-use much of the ships, construction will be faster...but if we have concerns that something may act as a bottleneck to design, then we will scrap and go from scratch." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elrich von Richt Posted May 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 "I believe the Queen would find your proposal acceptable. Other than the carrier, we will improve on Kriegsmarine vessels." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaiser Martens Posted May 5, 2011 Report Share Posted May 5, 2011 "Alright. If there is nothing else which you require, I will head directly to meet the Economy and War ministers and get this started so that it can be completed as soon as possible of course." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.