Aerospace Logistics

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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 both constructs aircraft and spacecraft, and operates a civilian and military air fleets, providing transportation of passengers, cargoes and military payloads.

Aerospace Logistics has No Liability Company status, but is normally referred to as corporation.

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, MT+1. The costs are internal. Also, note that each cap is over 2 N$.

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 extrusion for most of the components, applying alloyed steel and polymers instead of more expensive alloys wherever possible, and built on highly automated assembly lines, with line speed 200 per month. The rocket takes just 30 days from the 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, and 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, the Hub and Klamath factories.

With unit production cost about 11 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 30 tonnes of military payload to the surface. V-7 basic variant can be configured, but V-7MIL, V-7LEO, V-7GSO and V-7SOL 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 maximum 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 350 caps/kg for V-7, it performs comparably for GSO and better for higher distances. Besides, reliability of V-8 is 99% versus 95% of V-7, which may be important for particularly expensive payloads.

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 25% off the price tag. Use of versatile equipment makes possible to produce 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 the 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 PMT.
OOC notice: was made in haste, and to be totally redesigned.

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.

Protection

Tech notice: Tech Level strict MT.

Aerospace Logistics manufactures a wide variety of personal protection equipment. The best known are versatile polymer suits, using Kevlar, Dyneema, Nomex, Mylar and Kapton. Originally created to satisfy high standarts of pilot protection, which other companies couldn't provide, today the Protection Department supplies a lot of equipment designed for infantry and civilian personnel working in harsh conditions. Many of the higher protection models are reinforced with ceramics, some contain metal wires for knife protection, and most are equipped with electronics and body ventilation and cooling systems.

The series include:

  • Basic models are normal Kevlar vests. They include Type I to Type IV models. All are suited for concealed wearing.
  • Light Infantry Suit is the major model. It consists of several parts, which can be customized mostly independently:
    • Body: NIJ Type IIIA to Type IV+ protection
    • Limbs: NIJ Type I to Type III protection


Prices for military Kevlar vests start at $950/item, for Type IIIA Basic Model, and range up to $32,000/item for Type IV+ Advanced Light Infantry Suit (Type III protection for limbs, NBC protection, low encumbrance). In this range, there surely will be a model for you, with good price and performance combination.

We have recently made a deal with selling Type III Versatile Suits, notable for good price/performance ratio. It is built of Kevlar, some Nomex and Kapton coating, metal wires and a few small ceramic plates, and provides Type III protection for the chest, which is sufficient against firearms calibers up to 7.62x39. All of the body is protected against knives, regular 9 mm bullets and fire, plus somewhat against gases.

The helmet is included in the suit, and can fully enclose the face, acting as a gas mask if filter is attached. Helmet has "Chameleon" armor glass faceplate, which partially darkens if subjected to very bright light, and is equipped with radio communications microphone and headphones. The full suit with helmet costs N$11,000 (N$=NationStates exchange unit).

For officers a valuable addition is Full Communications helmet, which features head-up display, satellite and multi-band radio communication channels, and avionics-class operation control features, for extra N$4000 per suit. It works only with full suit, as systems are distributed to facilitate operation.

Hub Class Aircraft Carrying Cruiser (future product)

Tech notice: Tech Level MT+1, PMT.
OOC Notice: Almost canceled as is. To be redesigned. Another hasty made-on-the-run design.


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 now.

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 700 meters, which is sufficient for specially designed or modified military aircraft and all smaller planes like fighters, but not for commercial widebodies. With use of arresting gear and catapults, however, Hub can operate with even heavier 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, which usually only criticize each other's departments, united in their strive for cancellation of the project, since 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, good relations with them have always been 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 cost reduction possibilities.

The major point of the opponents included the arguments:

  • Hub class is comparable in size to superdreadnoughts, which are expensive targets, too vulnerable for their cost.
  • Draft of Hub would severely restrict operation, since only a few supertanker-prepared ports could handle the original monohull 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 beams 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 mid-air refueling, it increases crew fatigue, leads to excessive fuel use, and heavily restricts the 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 design 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, most notably draft, strength and weight. Furthermore, twin-hulls feature higher speeds, additionally improved by smaller waterplane area.
  • Stealth technology. The newer design was to incorporate as much stealth features as possible without major expenses. Having low radar cross section and lower noise level makes signature of Hub overshadowed by inexpensive decoys. Planes aboard can increase the radar signature, but, if they are stored only on the hangar deck, radar signature of Hub would be one of the lowest among capital ships.
  • 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 standard 19" racks. Instead of complex optimized network structures, Hub uses tree architecture, countering lower efficiency by power of commercial processors, which 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.

Therefore, it was decided that introduction of Hub would be more efficient than addition of another six conventional carriers to the already extensive aircraft carrier fleet of Aerospace Logistics.

Hub class is not intended to operate on its own, but rather with support from conventional Gerard Ford or Nimitz class aircraft carriers. The role of Hub will be provision of AWACS aircraft, bombers and air domination fighters, while the strike role will be carried out by conventional naval F/A-18E/F, Su-30MKI or F-35 fighters stationed on surrounding carriers.

Construction

Each main hull of this 700 meter long ship displaces 300,000 tonnes at normal load, less than many oil tankers, and consists of three separate seaworthy modules 220-240 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 stiffener structure, not welded to the hull. This also greatly improves survivability, as indirect torpedo hits may only damage the stiffeners and disrupt joints, but keep the ship repairable. The modules are built on separate staples on two 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 a well 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 reduction of radar signature.

Similar protection is possible for the front and aft sectors, but separate vessels will be applied to support the structure. For underwater protection and sonar signature reduction, additional truce-supported sheets may be descended into the water, reaching below the keels. Built mostly out of sound dampening materials, they can absorb both possible noises from the ship and, most importantly, active sonar waves. However, the effect of underwater shields on speed would be drastic, and it's unclear if they will ever be implemented.

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 a small nuclear explosion.

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 might be Hub Active Radar Decoy, or just Hubbard. Hubbard is to be based on any old cargo ship, which would carry large amounts of metal net, thin steel, beams, pontoons and other equipment, used in a semi-automated manner to construct a fake copy of Hub, which mimics its radar signature. To increase impression, sound of working engines can be reproduced, heat flares put above, all in designated pattern and amount. Several Hubbards can be deployed across the region, simulating Hub, and attracting opponents. SAM and ASW defenses could placed around them as well as around the Hub itself. The future of this decoy is not exactly certain.


Expected specifications

  • Length: ~700 m
  • Beam: ~130 m (2x34m for each hull)
  • Main Flight Deck: ~220 m
  • Lower Flight Deck: ~60 m (40 usable)
  • Draft: ~31 m in sea
  • Propulsion: Nuclear, commercial power plant modules
  • Speed: Up to 40 knots
  • Armament: CIWS, ESSM
  • Complement: Expected 20-30 thousands capacity, for 5,000-15,000 ship's company, 5,000-15,000 air wing
  • Aircraft complement (maximum possible):
    • Up to 800 light STOL/STOVL aircraft and helicopters, or
    • Up to 400 heavy CTOL fighter aircraft, or
    • Up to 20 non-modified heavy aircraft, or
    • Up to 50 modified heavy aircraft with folding wings;
    • Mixed complement will be used in the actual ship, 250-500 total.

Further reading

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