Character
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: Battlefield Communication Dominance in a Time of War.
- Image Source: Parabolicarc (Earliest Working, Tineye) - CubeSat
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source:
- Manufacturer: Leviathan Ring, Confederacy of Independent Systems
- Affiliation: Confederacy of Independent Systems
- Model: FAL MS-NC Mk I
- Production: Minor
- Material: Durasteel, Plasteel, Aluminum, Isotope-5A Micro Reactor
- Classification: Military Counter Insurgency Satellite
- Length: 3 Meters
- Width: 3 Meters
- Height: 3 Meters
- Armament: None
- Defenses: Extreme
- Hangar Space: Base: 0
- Hangar Allocations:
- Starfighters: 0 squadrons
- Support Craft: 0 squadrons
- Maneuverability Rating: High
- Speed Rating: Average
- Hyperdrive Class: N/A
- Maneuvering Thrusters
- Small Form Factor
- Uni- or Omni-Directional Blackout: Capable of overpowering one or more specific frequencies, or engaging in a broad spectrum multi-frequency sweep to saturate the airwaves for total communication dominance.
- Communication Hub: When not engaged in a complete communication blackout of all frequencies near the planet or on the ground, the mini satellites can act as communication hubs for whitelisted frequencies or acting as a range booster for vessels or ground troops.
- Enemy Movement Tracking: Specialized sensor package designed to track enemy vessels, dropships, and group troop movements that can be relayed to allied command.
- Self-Learning Protection Protocols: A specialized Electronic Intelligence manages on-board systems and analyzes all 'authorized' communication to identify enemy combatants attempting to utilize whitelisted frequencies allowed by allied command.
- Distributed, Mesh Network: NulCom Mini-Satellites are deployed in orbit around a planet or space-bound facility. A single satellite has a wide area affect in close orbit or on a planet below; combined with a network of satellites they can form a protective layer able to withstand some losses should they be targeted by hostile forces.
- Isotope-5A Micro Reactor: The small version of an extremely powerful energy source supplying the satellites with the energy they need to blanket the field of battle.
- Ion/EMP Protected Circuitry: A Faraday cage with shielded wires to external transmitters and receivers, ion surge shielding, and miniaturized cap drains provide ION/EMP protection often used by hostile forces in an effort to disable Capital vessels or ground defenses.
- Sensor Deflector Net: A good defense is not letting the enemy know where you are to begin with.
- Dynamic Frequency Dominance: Selective or Broad-spectrum high-powered frequency jamming able to target specific ground locations, or cut off a planet or facility from interstellar communication -- both by recognized and unrecognized means.
- Self-Defense Protocol: It's not always feasible to have Intelligence personnel personally managing the defense of every cyber warfare suite. With the Confederacy being proponents of droids, automation, and artificial intelligence it was only natural a high specialized counter-breech security intelligence was installed to protect the satellites from being tampered with or turned against allied command.
- Many Small Packages: The small size of the satellites, their distributed deployment, and built-in ION/EMP protection makes destroying the net difficult.
- Deployment: Their small size makes carrying the satellites in bulk easy, but the larger the network (or the more redundancy built-in) the more satellites need to be deployed. In the spur of the moment this could take time for a full, blanketing screen to be setup.
- Tug of War: The one with the stronger (more powerful) transmitter wins, but even if overcome your signal may suffer signal degradation of varying degrees.
- Fragile: They can take micro-meteorites like a champ, but when it comes to being struck head-on by a torpedo or successfully pelted by incoming fire the satellites won't stand a chance. Their size and sensor scrambling (stealth) are their greatest means of survival. Also, it's better if you don't drop them on the hanger deck when loading them -- they're expressive.
Why have one Capital ship blocking transmission by an enemy fleet, or task friendly hackers with the banal job of locking down enemy ground communication when you can automate it and let people focus on the really important things in war -- like out maneuvering the enemy, finding the enemy commander, and staying alive. Classified command codes sent by the various Field Commanders of the Confederacy's defensive and offensive branches can activate the satellite network once positioned to block enemy communications. Activation can target a specific ground facility, blanket an entire planet in the event of insurrection, or cut the planet off from the rest of the galaxy to cut enemy ground units from their orbital intelligence and command.
The NulCom Satellite Network was also designed with a certain amount of self-management involved, especially when it comes to unauthorized attempts at accessing on-board systems. While there's little it can do if the enemy breaks out a massive power source and screams to high heavens louder than the satellites can garble the transmission, they can and will defend themselves against hackers. The Confederacy's efforts in automation and droid intelligence has produced some of the most effective cybersecurity.
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