Shuklaar Kyrdol
CEO of Breshig War Forge Consolidated
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a networked intelligent battle analysis computer system that interfaces with ship systems.
- Image Source: Hosted here, screenshot taken from here.
- Canon Link: N/A.
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: Battle Analysis Computer.
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
- Manufacturer: Breshig War Forge Consolidated.
- Affiliation: Breshig War Forge Consolidated and Strill Securities.
- Market Status: Closed-Market.
- Model: 'Manda' Tactical Battlenet.
- Modularity: Yes, the other systems that the system can interface with can be changed.
- Production: Minor.
- Material:
- Housing:
- Agrimium mesh
- Reinforced Duraplast plating
- Duranium frame
- Combat de-ionizer
- Software:
- Code
- Hardware Components
- Housing:
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Failsafe: Given that the system's database of information could do great harm if it fell into enemy hands, the system includes a ion explosive failsafe that will wipe it clean of all data that can be activated by the vessel's senior command officers.
STRENGTHS
- Closed System: Given that the system isn't connected into the regular communications systems of the ship, it is extremely difficult for slicers to attempt to gain access to the system.
- Sensors: The system enhances the capabilities of whatever sensors systems its connected to. Powerful, advanced sensors become better, and absolutely worthless low end bargain bin pieces of trash, presuming they don't fry, are now somewhat usable.
- Optimized Firing: The systems predictions and targeting adjustments make for accurate fire at long-ranges, making it all the more effective to fire at an enemy from long-ranges and even perform precision orbital bombardment.
- Multiple Targets: The system makes it far easier to engage multiple targets by reducing the amount of busy work required by the crew to do so, and tracking said targets with a high degree of precision, thus increasing the lethality of the ship.
- I've Got You Figured Out: The system can analyze enemy tactics so that the vessel's commander/pilot can gain the advantage. Particularly advanced or complicated tactics will definitely take far longer to analyze to the point that the analysis may not arrive in time to be useful.
- No-Blindspot: Given that the sensors of all ships in a naval detachment are networked together, sensor blind-spots are all but eliminated. In addition, ships become less susceptible to sensor masking technology, especially if their individual Manda modules have dealt with said technology or craft before and on multiple occasions.
- Multiple Eyes: Starfighters, bombers and gunships effectively become extensions of a ship's own sensor system with the Manda, potentially increasing the range of sensors dramatically.
WEAKNESSES
- Data: To truly be useful the Manda needs to be loaded with information on friendly craft, the host ship as well as potential hostiles. Without said data, target identification takes longer and could cause delays in the predictive algorithms as the system has to analyze the target.
- From The Inside: While a closed system, should a slicer gain access to a ship part of the network, they can potentially wreak all manner of havoc given time.
- EMP/Ion: While sufficiently protected against such weapons, a powerful enough surge through the ship's power grid, or from a personnel grade weapon fired at the housing, can overwhelm its protection and fry the system entirely.
- Sensors: The system is entirely dependant on sensors, if the sensors of the host ship and the other ones in a naval formation are not sufficiently powerful and/or advanced, then the system is severely bottlenecked by this limitation.
- Overwhelmed: While extremely difficult, it is possible to overwhelm the system with data. If the input filter buffers overflow, the system will experience significant processing delays and in a worst case scenario might even crash and need to be rebooted. Such a procedure takes a long time, time that most ships won't have in a battle.
- Quirks: One of the more problematic quirks the system can develop is its hatred of certain targets it might routinely face. A sudden cease fire will not go over entirely well with the system, and there have been cases where Manda modules needed to be rebooted because they refused to break targeting lock of a ship.
- I Know What I'm Doing: Receiving constant advice from a computer is something many seasoned warriors hate, unfortunately because the system is a learning computer, it will learn to give advice less if the user frequently disregards its advice, whether for good or for bad.
- The Force: The system has no defence against force powers that might manipulate it.
DESCRIPTION
The 'Manda' started life as a great many Mandalorian ideas do, as a drunken conversation at a tapcafe after a hard day's work. This conversation in particular was between a group of Mandalorians and a Verpine, all members of Breshig War Forge Consolidated's R&D division, and was about the Verpine ability to communicate with one another over large distances in their language silently. Someone joked how it would be really useful if their forces could do that during a battle so that ships would never really have a sensor blindspot, or if one ship was being jammed it could use sensor data from other ships in a fleet or naval formation. Another added it would be useful for ground forces as well. They then laughed it off and moved on to the next conversation topic before they dispersed for the night.
Except, it didn't entirely leave their minds, and before long their curiosity peaked enough that they were all back at the office. Not entirely surprised to find each other there, they got to work putting their ideas down to figure out how their booze addled ideas could be made into something useful. Shuklaar, who'd been working late on the least favorite part of his job, found them on his way out but decided to join them instead. Surprised to see the CEO himself, but happy for the extra help, they brought him up to speed on their efforts so far. Actually surprised that no one at the company had thought of the concept sooner, Shuklaar immediately approved and got to work along with them. Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks and it was a few months before anything real came out of it. Shuklaar much to his dismay couldn't put as much time as he'd wanted to into the project, but was happy to see something finally come of it.
The system consisted of multiple parts and multiple subsystems. At the core was a highly advanced battle analysis computer. This part of the system is designed to act as both a battle analysis computer as well as a targeting computer. To this end, the system employs two different 'nodes', which are separate processing systems, to spread the load. One node interfaces with the host ship's various sensor systems and sorts through the data, preparing it for processing by the main system. The main system them processes the data, checking it against its data stores of stellar phenomenon, known jamming and signals interference patterns, weapon system and ship profiles, and various other pertinent databases, to create a complete 'map' of the battlefield that is constantly updated by fresh sensor data. This map is then projected onto the ship's main tactical display or equivalent system.
The computer's predictive algorithms then analyze enemy tactics, and provide a commander with the system's best analysis of such, which takes into account enemy vessels positioning, aggression, capabilities and current situation. As an added benefit, the system also projects enemy and friendly vessel's defensive/offensive capabilities, possible intentions, aggression, location and current status onto the 'map'. The system also makes recommendations to the vessel's commanding officer regarding positioning, weapon use, targeting prioritization, shield strength allocation, use of the vessel complement of small craft and even recommended ordnance for such craft.
The main system then transfers all targeting related data to the second node, which creates an accurate and adaptive firing matrix, making real-time adjustments for movement, battlefield debris, atmospheric conditions and other factors. When used during atmospheric flight, the system can allow accurate tracking and target identification through thick cloud cover, storms and heavy rain, fog and other conditions that might otherwise impair targeting. The system can also coordinate point defence fire by ensuring that the ship's positioning and available point defence systems are optimized for use against whatever missile or starfighter threats the vessel may be facing.
Because of its heuristic processor, the system will update its own databases based on information it 'learned' during battles. This means that like its fellow organic crew, the Manda system gains battle experience with each battle fought. This feature tends to endear it to the organic crew, who grow to see it as 'one of them' like a favored droid rather than just a piece of hardware. Of course, this does mean that some systems develop quirks, and do indeed genuinely grow to 'hate' certain ships or even manufacturers and operators of said ships. Which can be a problem if the crew finds themselves in the middle of a sudden ceasefire and the system very much would like nothing more than to render all non-friendly targets into dust.
While impressive enough on its own, this on its own is not what makes the 'Manda' special. Where it truly shines is in its mesh networking capabilities. Linking ships in a fleet up through dedicated laser comms, which have the benefit of being impossible to jam and nigh on impossible to intercept, each Manda system in the fleet are able to communicate with each other. This makes it possible to share sensor and targeting data between the various ships. This means that every ship in the fleet sees what the other ships see. However, the system possesses advanced input filtering, meaning that if one ship is experiencing heavy jamming, it will not affect the other ships, but rather benefit from their sensor data. It also allows ships to coordinate both regular and point defence weapons fire to a great extent.
A scaled down less powerful version was developed for several starfighters and gunships the company manufactured. In such a case, the system doesn't track capital ships as much as it tracks starfighters, bombers and gunships and provides the same predictive analysis features that the larger capital ship mounted version does. In addition, it also tracks threats to the starfighters, such as detecting missile launches from other craft and point-defence weapons on larger ships. If configured to, the system can automatically deploy the appropriate countermeasures, if the craft possess them. During dogfights, the system attempts to analyze the other craft and the pilot's flying style and give the pilot of the ship its mounted on suggestions on how best to counter the enemy craft. During atmospheric operations, the system tracks ground-side and airborne threats for the craft in the same manner as it does in space.
To go with the system, the team developed a separate fleet commander's module. This module does the same predictive analysis it does for individual craft but on a fleet-wide level rather than for the craft it is mounted on, providing positioning, weapon use, targeting prioritization, shield strength allocation, use of small craft and ordnance recommendation for aforementioned craft for the entire fleet. This additional module also streamlined the process of giving orders to other ships during battles which can become a complicated process, especially with large fleets. The fleet commander can issue orders to each ship via the Manda's mesh network, at which point the order would be reflected on the respective vessel's tactical holodisplay connected to its own Manda module.
The company's marketing division was told to subtly market the system as initial production was rushed to be fitted to the warships being produced for Strill Securities as well as local clans. Once those orders were fulfilled, however, the company began producing the system for other Mandalorians and select others. Breshig War Forge Consolidated is confident that the system will make an impact on the market, and net an impressive profit.
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And silly me xD I've added it now.