Vinda-Corp R&D #1 - ASCA
Advanced Sensor & Communications Array. ASCA


Stats:

Purpose: Planetary / system defence.
Length: 200m
Height: 80m
Buildtime: 200m
R&D time: 20 days
Consumables: 1 year.(for onboard maintainance crew, operators, and troops).
Personnel: 30 - 10 technicians, 20 troops.
Droids: 3 Astromech R2 units, and 5 Droidekas.
Shields: (2 )- 1 ray shield . and one particle shield.
Ray: 200 SBD
Particle: 250 SBD
Hull: 150 RU
Escape pods: 6 pods with a capacity of 5 personnel each.


Description:

The ASCA system is a highly sophisticated sensor, communications and monitoring array used for a variety of functions, in both a civilian and defensive context. A much improved distant relative to Vinda-Corp's own forerunner, the ASD system.

In a civilian capacity the sensor array is used to manage ingoing and outgoing traffic, whether in hyperspace or realspace, constantly monitoring , scanning, identifying, policing and hopefully clearing all ships that pass through its range. As well as to augment the network of communications of its own host planet, and the surrounding system. The array can be used to form a kind of network between other planets and systems that also employ the array, and therefore extending its range and reach by relaying information from system to system.

Distance in this case is of little hindrance as the array utilises advanced S-thread technology that allows it to constantly stream data in realtime to and from array to array creating a constantly updating web of information.
This is achieved via an encrypted, constantly modulating hypertransceiver carrier wave that utilises dedicated hyperspace pathways (known as simutunnels) to transmit information instantaneously to extremely remote locations.

The system is fully capable of handling all of VC's standard Holo-feed-frequencies , both for civilian and private, secure, VC communications use, instead of going through the general Holonet. VC operatives using these specially adapted, and encrypted channels via the ASCA, are able to send super secure transmissions through VC's own private holonet.

For the more archiac methods of communication, The ASCA is capable of monitoring the incredibly obsolete method of full broadband Radio Transmission.

In a Military role, the ASCA comes into its element, its initial purpose is to detect and identify in advance impending fleets or lone ships that could pose a potential threat. Therefore raising an alert early enough for its operators to stage an effectively prepared, forewarned defence.

Its use does not stop there , since even in the midst of battle it can continue to be a valuable resource. Capable of producing powerful sensor jamming , communication transmission and targetting disruption, to provide correlating targetting data for all Vinda-Corp ships and techs. Whether in orbit, or on the ground, all by a highly encrypted constantly modulating carrier signal.

With this versatility in mind the ASCA system was also designed to be able to network and downlink to Vinda-Corp's Opticon missile defence system, capable of manually / automatically controlling the missiles system's priming, target aquisition, and fly-by-wire functions.

The advanced auto-rover droid brain can be programmed to recognise certain threats and respond with certain set commands, behaving like a complex automated threat assessor ,
for example : If the auto-rover instantly detects what it recognises as a potential threat it could automatically prime the opticon system , leaving it ready on standby for action.
Another protocol could be for it to both send an emergency civilian grounding comms signal, halting all traffic, whilst giving the command to raise its host's planet's shields.

In addition to detecting ships passing through hyperspace and realspace, the ASCA was developed to help combat the threat of hidden or cloaked ships. Boasting a huge array of highly sensitive scanning and monitoring equipment, the array utilises every method it has at its diposal in order to gain some kind of trace to help to track the rogue ship(s) .
With its sensors monitoring nearly every spectrum known, the array is able to detect and monitor heat traces, partical trails, or ion residues, exhaust fumes, electromagnetic interference , tachyon emissions, laser communications, sonar, and radar signals.

As well as employing advanced detection technologies such as Crystal Gravfield Trap Receptors to detect movement or fluctuations across the gravimetric plane. The array also monitors hyperspace itself, constantly scanning and recording any kind of unusual or usual hyperspace anomaly or fluctuation via its highly advanced Hyperwave Signal Interceptors, a device used to scan and monitor such anomalies.

Further technological advancments in this area have also provided the ASCA system with extremely precise Interdiction and Abolisher field detection capabilities. Able to determine accurately the range, scope, extent, location, and strength of the fields used in the array's range.

To further examine points of interest , the array is able to launch small probes into hyperspace to investigate more throughly.

As a result of the level of complex sensory equipment the array uses , the system itself is quite a size, resembling more a kind of space defense platform than any normal scanning sattelite, (unlike its predeccessor).
As such the whole array was developed into a kind of orbiting installation, capable of housing its highly trained operators comfortably, and a small contingent of troops and droids for defence purposes.

The Array is not capable of moving, It remains either in deep space (where it is quite capable of operating , nearly autonomously ), or in a standard geo-synchronous orbit around a planetary body of some kind.

It does not have any weapons , since doing so would disrupt the sensitive scanning equipment , so it has to rely on other ships to back it up. Though it does have both particle and ray shielding.

The array is a highly sensitive piece of communication , sensory technology and as a consequence any major enemy fire inflicted upon it would disrupt the array's sensitive equipment. It would not be able to stand up to sustained enemy fire for very long.

Due to space-saving, the Array does not have any landing bays, however it does have two docking rings, mainly used for cargo and fuel resuppling and personnel relief.


Technology utilised and explained:

Jamming suite:

220-SIG Kuat Drive Yards' tactical combat jamming system:
This was the designation of Kuat Drive Yards' tactical combat jamming system. These incredibly powerful jammers were originally built for the Empire, used to prevent sensor and communication usage.

Magnetoran Wide-Beam Sweep device:
Used to disrupt targetting computers.

4x-Phantom Miradyne short-range sensor jamming package:
This was Miradyne's short-range sensor jamming package. These small sensor-jamming devices were originally used on A-Wing starfighters, to hide the fighter from enemy sensors during attack runs. The 4x-Phantom used a dedicated energy receptor (DER) to absorb and block incoming sensor energy.

Trickster Jammer:
This was the nickname given to the New Republic's repulsor-based gravitic countermeasures, used to disrupt the communications of a Yuuzhan Vong yammosk.


Sensor suite:

9000 Energy scanner:
Developed by Fabritech, this device is used as an energy scanner. It can detect the presence of various forms of energy, including repulsor fields, radiation sources, and communications signals.

Full-Spectrum Transceiver :
This sensor package that is often called a universal sensor because they can detect all sorts of objects, energies, and fields. These sensors use large receptor dishes to collect available sensory information. Thus, the larger the dish, the better quality information that can be gathered. (ASCA disc size = 80m)

Hyperwave Signal Interceptors :
These sensory devices are used to detect fluctuations in the field that separates realspace from the hyperspacial continuum. These fluctuations are caused when a starship enters or exits hyperspace, and so these sensors can be used to determine the mass, speed, and course of the starship. They cannot, however, determine the ship's point of origin or destination. These sensors also detect subspace and hyperspace transmissions.

Crystal Gravfield Trap Receptors (CGT) :
These sensory devices use a synthetic crystal grid to detect fluctuations in the gravimetric plane. They are very effective, but can be inconclusive if used near a large spacial body, such as a planet. They can also be rigged to reflect sensor scans, and are operable from thousands of kilometers away

Dedicated Energy Receptor :
This sensory device could detect electromagnetic emissions in their surroundings. Known as a DER, this system is accurate and effective at locating navigational beacons, comlink transmissions, and lasers.

Lightbounce System:
This Adumari sensor system uses lasers to determine the presence of objects nearby. Like sonar or radar, the lightbounce system is fairly archaic in the modern galaxy.

Magnograsp Transmitter :
This outdated sensor device used magnetic imaging to track large vehicles

Com scanner:
A specialized sensor sweeping device modulated to detect the energy generated by message transmission signals.

Doppraymagno Scanner:
A multifunction scanning device that used doppler imaging, X-rays, and magnetic resonance imaging to "see inside" a living being or other construct.

S-s3a:
Seinar Fleet System's long range tachyon detection scanner.

A-11 Scanner suite:
developed by Fabritech, this form of cargo scanner is used to determine the load, mass, and volume ratios of a starship's cargo.

Aorala Sensor 100:
This is BlasTech's original motion sensor device, enhanced for long range.




- EDIT: Edited in shield / hull stats

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Page Information
Created By
Seth Vinda
Created On
Mar 23 2003 4:18am
Last Updated
Mar 23 2003 4:18am
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