Aerospace Logistics

Aerospace Logistics Corporation, generally known as either just Aerospace Logistics or ALC, is an international corporation, with headquarters and major development centers based in Vault 10, which works both constructs aircraft and spacecraft, and operates a civilian and military air fleets, providing transportation of passengers, cargoes and military payloads.

The Company

Aerospace Logistics is considered the largest corporation in Vault 10, directly employing about 10% of the nation's population, which accounts for about 20% of total population being or supporting ALC employees and their families. The potential rival in size might be Symmetriad/VaultTec Consortium, which employs only 8% of the population directly, but together with massive supporting industries ranging from mining, and the extensive service team is expected to involve about 30% of Vault 10. This figure is disputed, however, as it includes all personnel servicing vaults and surface cities built by the companies, from train drivers to cooks, and intersects with other companies. It is also frequently pointed that it is still only a consortium, with companies being separated, and their subcontractors not tied to the head company as with ALC.

Aerospace Logistics employs individuals of all ages, some being as young as 6 years old - however, not doing any work, but rather studying in schools and training centers run by ALC to later fill in positions of fighter pilots, space workers, command center operators and some others where early training is needed. There is also no high age limit, and employees who spent more than ten years with ALC are entitled to a limited retirement benefits, although strongly encouraged to continue doing some part-time home job or work as consultants for a good pay increase. However, while some younger surface-born citizens have impressions that Aerospace Logistics can be a life service, no one has yet served in ALC since childhood till retirement, as the company formed only some time after the Vault was left.

Products and services

Products of Aerospace Logistics encompass not only aerospace, but a lot of related and derived equipment. These include a significant part of Vault's shipbuilding, ranging from boats to aircraft carriers, consumer products like high-end cars, and a lot of analog and digital electronics, up to professional audio equipment.

The services are performed by separate, somewhat independent departments. The major service is logistics, which gave the company its name. Among production- and transporting-related departments, ALC includes a massive Science Department, highly involved in fundamental science as well as applied, Consulting and Economy Science departments, which in practice perform administration of other companies and are largely responsible for the thriving economy of Vault 10, and, finally, the Nonconsensual Delivery Department. Services of the latter are provided to countries far outside Vault 10, and include not only full-scale air campaigns accompanied by naval and land support, but also nuclear deterrence renting, which, under a strict no-first-use policy and control, rents submarine-launched ballistic missiles to non-nuclear states together with the space on a submarine. Since Aerospace Logistics is technically an independent international corporation and has divisions in these countries, this does not violate any international agreements. More peaceful services include space exploration, providing both equipment and launches.

Aircraft

Aerospace Logistics produces a variety of combat and cargo aircraft, fixed and rotary wing. All rotary wing models have coaxial rotors, which improve capabilities ([1]) and make the designs lighter.

One of the major, although being shifted out models is Ka-50 attack helicopter. The helicopters are equipped with standart western avionics, but use the same highly successful design for the rest parts.

V-series rockets

Tech notice: Tech Level MT+1 with current pricing, MT prices are higher. The costs are internal only.

The major space products of Aerospace Logistics are V-series rockets, ranging from V-4 to V-9. Of these, V-4 to V-6 are phased out, although some customers retain a number of V-5 and V-6.

V-7

V-7 is the most mass-produced Aerospace Logistics space and ICBM system. It applies a solid fuel rocket with payload of 32 tonnes to the Low Earth Orbit, or 25 tonnes to 500-km orbit. V-7 is highly cost-optimized, using pressing for most of the components, using alloyed steel and polymers instead of more expensive alloys wherever possible, and built on highly automated assembly lines, with minimal line speed 200 per month. The rocket takes 25 days from stage of metal products, chemical components and electronic parts to complete vehicle, using 3-step modular construction and spending only 6 hours average on each line stage. Lines required take a lot of space, use incompatible, but very finely optimized equipment and parts, therefore virtually no outsourcing is possible. V-7 can be only produced on two Aerospace Logistics factories.

With unit production cost about 9 million caps, V-7 allows delivery of any payloads to the orbit at a much lower price than existing expensive liquid fuel rockets. V-7 is a multi-purpose rocket, capable of delivering payloads to any orbits and even to the Moon, as well as transporting up to 35 tonnes of military payload to the surface. V-7 basic variant can be configured, but V-7MIL, V-7LEO, V-7GSO and V-10SOL variants exist, specifically optimized for military purposes, Low Earth Orbit, Geostationary Orbit and other planets of the Solar System.

V-8

Current liquid fuel rocket of ALC is V-8, carrying a payload of 310 tonnes, is currently used for lifting large or heavy loads. With price about 270 million caps, V-8 can compete with other manufacturers, but breaking anything into smaller loads that can be carried by V-7 still can save over 60% of launch expenditures. V-8 is used for spacecraft launch only. While for low orbits cost of payload is 870 caps/kg, much more than 310 caps/kg for V-7, it performs almost as well for the GSO and better for higher distances.

Unlike V-7, the V-8 rocket fully complies with international standarts on all stages, is largely manually assembled, and production can be highly distributed. Nations with cheaper workforce can order joint production, taking up to half of the production and potentially saving up to 35% off the price tag. Use of versatile equipment makes possible production of V-8 on general machinery factories, aerospace facilities and even some shipyards, without requiring large long-term investments. Manual work and semi-open architecture also allow to customize each vehicle individually, changing dimensions and costs.

However, while most production specifications are open, the variable calculation model is hard-coded into Aerospace Logistics mainframe, and redesign must be done by ALC. Firmware core also relies on closed-architecture chip to control turbopumps. This is largely due to bad reputation of completely open-architecture solid fuel rocket V-5, earned by foreign substandard clones. While depending on ALC for redesign and requiring special hardware to start, the rest of V-8 is run by open-source software, allowing high flexibility and ease of collaboration with the customer.

V-9

For information, see the main article: V-9 Rocket

Tech notice: Tech Level MT+1.

V-9 is the latest development, now in the prototype stage. It uses a combination of chemical and nuclear power to reach even lower launch costs.

Hub Class Aircraft Carrying Cruiser (future product)

Tech notice: Tech Level MT.

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Pre-production amidships cross-section schematics of Hub class aircraft carrying cruiser

Named after the city of Hub, the Hub class aircraft carrying cruiser is, de-facto, a large specialized aircraft carrier. While by size it can be defined as supercarrier, ALC avoids use of these terms to circumvent regulations regarding these ship classes. There is only one such ship in construction now, nearing completion.

Hub class is designed to provide a base of operations for large conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft, such as AWACS aircraft, cargo planes, tankers and heavy bombers. This is necessary for commercial overseas operations performed by Aerospace Logistics Military Department, as these aircraft can greatly increase operating capabilities of the air force group. Not all aircraft, however, can fully operate from the Hub, as the maximum runway length is 1400 meters, which is sufficient for specially designed or modified military aircraft and all smaller planes like fighters, but not for some commercial widebodies. With use of arresting gear and catapults, however, Hub can operate with even the heaviest transports, but they need to take off almost empty, fully fueled in the air.

Controversy

Since the first proposal, Hub class was subject to the most fierce controversy in all history of Aerospace Logistics. It was the first case when anti-spending groups from Shipbuilding and Aircraft departments united in their strive for cancellation of the project, since both could foresee that introduction of Hub class would require an entirely new class of aircraft. However, while the Aircraft Department has always looked somewhat down on the Economy Science, the good relations with them were maintained by the Nonconsensual Delivery and Shipbuilding, and, together with good fund transfers, have inclined Economy Science for a large-scale study, which revealed some advantages.

The major point of the opponents included the arguments:

• Hub class is comparable in size to superdreadnoughts, which are vulnerable and expensive targets.
• Draft of Hub would severely restrict operation, since only a few supertanker-prepared ports could handle the original design.
• Introduction of Hub would require modifications of existing aircraft design, which would bring further expenses.
• Providing strength for large ships is far harder, due to longer cantilevers and heavier loads, increasing disproportionally to displacement.
• Extensive air tanker fleet of Aerospace Logistics already allows operation of aircrafts of any size, in any sector of the world.

Proponents argued that, unlike with battleships, the size of Hub is essential to provide operation of large aircraft, and not an attempt to oversize existing designs. While some planes can use in-air refueling, it increases crew fatigue, leads to excessive fuel use, and still heavily restricts number of heavy aircraft used.

Despite its large size, massive efforts were made to keep Hub class affordable, and succeeded due to large-scale involvement of the Economy Science Department. A number of cost-saving measures, which were suggested, studied and implemented, include:

• Twin-hull approach. The main hulls of the contemporary Hub class form a catamaran. This greatly reduces draft and mass for given deck area, permitting much smaller hulls. Twin-hull design solved most of the problems, notably draft and strength. Furthermore, catamarans feature higher speeds, additionally improved by small waterplane area.
• Stealth technology. The newer design was to incorporate as much stealth features as possible without major expenses. While RCS only increases with 0.66th power of displacement, some stealth measures are known to reduce it thousands times. Having RCS similar to Zumwalt class destroyer and noise level of Ohio class submarine makes signature of Hub easily overshadowed by inexpensive decoys.
• Modular construction. Each hull is built in separate modules of the most financially preferable size. Therefore, Hub is better described as several connected relatively small aircraft carriers rather than a very large ship. This greatly lowered both development and unit costs, as well as opened the way to future modifications.
• Open and simple architecture. Normally, electronics count for a large part of design costs for aircraft carriers. Hub features very little specialized equipment, the rest being quadruple-redundant off-the-shelf equipment, mounted in standart 19" racks. Instead of complex optimized network structures, Hub uses tree architecture, countering lower efficiency by power of commercial processors, which far exceeds their military counterparts.
• Commercial power plant. Size of Hub allowed to install heavy nuclear reactors normally used in power plants, known for their low cost compared to compact naval designs. Furthermore, unlike naval ones, which rely on very expensive enriched uranium, heavy water reactors can use non-enriched uranium, and breeders even produce fuel out of depleted uranium. The only modifications to the designs concerned noise.

Hub class is not intended to operate on its own, but rather with support from conventional CVN-21 Type or older Nimitz class aircraft carriers.

Construction

Each main hull of this 1400 meter long ship displaces 480,000 tonnes at normal load, less than many oil tankers, and consists of five separate seaworthy modules 280-300 meters long and about 100 thousand tonnes each, which will be connected later. The joints between modules are designed not entirely stiff, but rather permit dampening vibrations and even slight primary bending, while the longitudinal load is carried by dedicated stiffeners. This also greatly improves survivability, as indirect torpedo hits may only damage the stiffeners and disrupt joints, but keep the ship operable or at least repairable. The modules are built on separate staples on four shipyards, and have been transported by sea after launch for final assembly in a special semi-submersible dock. However, Hub won't be able to disassemble, except in a dock, as the modules, lacking ballast, will need the joints for stability.

While neither fully a stealth ship, nor an armored one, Hub applies multiple design elements for detectability reduction and increased protection. Many of these are provided by the two additional hulls that are much smaller, and generally only deployed on lower speeds, which is acceptable, since Hub doesn't generally need to move for takeoff/landing due to large flight deck. These hulls are only connected to the main one by large flat structures, acting like the second board plate when retracted. When deployed, these plates are moved away from the ship, making it effectively tumblehome shaped. This shape, similar to stealth aircraft, Sea Shadow experimental stealth ship and Zumwalt class destroyers, deflects signals towards the sky and provides great reduction of radar signature.

Similar protection is possible for the front and aft sectors, but separate specialized vessels will be applied to support the structure. For underwater protection and sonar signature reduction, additional truce-supported sheets may be descended into water, reaching well below the keels. Built mostly out of sound dampening materials, they can absorb both possible noises from the ship and active sonar waves. However, the effect of these measures on speed will be drastic.

In case of attack, all these plates should effectively enclose the ship into a thin box, however sufficient to detonate torpedoes and missiles, and, while being torn, sustain successive conventional hits or, with some luck, even save the ship in case of light nuclear torpedo or missile. In addition, on all edges of the flight deck there are similar retractable shields, which cover the flight deck, eliminating reflections from aircraft. These are retracted when operations are conducted with heavy planes or the usable deck area needs to be increased, and lifted when attempting to remain unseen for radars. Bow and aft are enclosed as well, if no heavy planes are used, as the deck allows safe takeoff and landing even despite these borders. Another stealth feature is islands, which can be retracted for stealth cruising or serving large planes.

The first vessel is built without them, but these systems will be installed soon afterwards.

A special defensive unit will be Hub Active Radar Decoy, always called just Hubbard. Hubbard is a simple transport ship, which carries large amounts of metal net, thin foil, beams, floating barrels and other equipment, used in a semi-automated manner to construct a fake copy of Hub, which exactly mimics its radar signature and even resembles the visual appearance. To increase impression, sound of working engines can be reproduced, fake turbines and heat flares put above, all in designated pattern and amount. Several Hubbards can be deployed across the region, simulating deployed or undeployed Hub, and attracting missiles, bombers and submarines. SAM and ASW defenses are placed around them as well as around the Hub itself. The future of this version is not exactly certain.

Expected specifications

• Length: ~1400 m
• Beam: ~180 m (2x34m)
• Main Flight Deck: ~300 m
• Lower Flight Deck: ~130 m (110 usable)
• Draft: ~31 m in sea, ~20 m in port
• Propulsion: Nuclear, commercial fast reactor power plant modules
• Speed: Unknown, 50+ knots expected due to small waterplane area twin hull design
• Armament: CIWS only
• Complement: Expected 5,000-10,000 ships company, 10,000-20,000 air wing
• Aircraft complement:
  • Up to 2500 light STOL/STOVL aircraft and helicopters, or
  • Up to 1500 heavy CTOL fighter aircraft, or
  • Up to 80 non-modified heavy widebody aircraft, or
  • Up to 200 modified widebody aircraft with folding wings;
  • Mixed complement will be used in the actual ship, up to 1500 total.

Further reading

Vault 10

Supercarrier

• Strength of ships
• Batillus class supertanker
• Batillus class supertanker - Civilian experience in building ships displacing over 600,000 tons.