Federation News Service (Sim News)

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Federation News Service (Sim News)

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OOC: Please don't reply to things here. Remember this is the independent news service of the Federation. If you have something you want covered just let me know and I will do so. Also remember no player is writing this. If the editor of the FNS calls something you do stupid or mocks you that is for the flavor of the game, nothing else and it is not really something to hold a player responsible for. Next couple turns I might ask you for quotes, no time this time.

Romulan Government Re-established
March 2379- Romulus


The Romulan Government was re-established with the election of new Senators in the wake of the disastrous coup by Shinzon at the start of the year. While many had hoped the elections would bring about a massive change in the alignment of the Romulan Star Empire the initial results were cloudy at best.

While many of the new members of the Senate are relative unknowns from the regional governments of the empire sources within the Federation government indicate that the general makeup of the Romulan Senate is largely similar to where it stood prior to the coup with the vast majority of the members having ties to either the military of the Tal Shiar, the infamous Romulan secret police.

Rumors continue to swirl that an uprising by some civilians in the wake of the failed coup and subsequent attack on the Federation was swiftly put down by combined Tal Shiar and regular military forces seeking to maintain order. Whatever the case it seems that the short term prospects for change with the Star Empire are bleak.


Starfleet Continues Rebuilding Efforts, Downplays idea of Arms Race
June 2379, Earth


Starfleet continued re-building its forces from the Dominion War with production continuing at near wartime levels. Three-hundred and fifty-five ships are projected to join the fleet this year as both shipyards and training facilities work at capacity to rebuild a fleet that lost well over half its strength in the war.

Starfleet Admirals continue to walk a fine line between appearing to be engaging in an arms race while seeing to the overall security of the Federation.

"Simply math will tell you it is difficult to cover the whole Federation with less than half the ships we had prior to the war. However we have to remember most other powers suffered heavily during the war as well. Starfleet is not engaged in and does not desire an arms race. The increase in the fleets combat ability is simply a natural outgrowth of the raw numbers necessary to do our mission and the fact that the ships we are now building are much more advanced," said Admiral Allen.

Asked about the present deployment of the fleet Allen declined to comment though he did note that nearly 1,000 ships are serving in science or exploratory roles with the fleet and that production of the Nova Class, a nearly pure science ship, is continuing at a rapid pace as well.

There is much speculation within Starfleet about the state of other powers in the wake of the Dominion War. FNS asked all other major powers for a comment on this story but to date has received no official reply from those powers that have always been reluctant to discuss such issues openly.


Conference on Cloaking Devices off to Rocky Start
September 2379, Aldebaran


Federation diplomats attempted to follow up their great success in obtaining permission to use cloaking devices from the Romulan Star Empire by modifying the Treaty of Algeron by calling a general conference on the subject. It is believed their initial goal was to obtain a full ban on the use of the technology, citing the inherent paranoia and uncertainty it brings to complex intergalactic relations, but both the Klingons and Romulans balked at such a proposal.

"The negotiations were tense but productive," claimed Secretary of State T'Polm, head of the Federation delegation.

However reports form unnamed sources claim that at various points the Klingons and Romulans sparred verbally to the point of veiled threats and that the Ferengi were at one point physically threatened by another delegate for what was perceived by most as a simple money grab during discussion of a serious issue of strategic importance.

The conference continues but many within the council hold out little hope for the long term prospects of something constructive emerging from this meeting.

"If something does not come of this it seems inevitable that it will lead to an arms race between the major powers. Starfleet will be forced to deploy cloaks to help mask its strategic dispositions and everyone will just grow more suspicious of one another. If we could get rid of these devices and everyone could see what the other side is doing it would do wonders for stability, but that seems to be a lost goal at this point," said an aide to a council member on conditions of anonymity.

Absent a breakthrough in negotiations it is rumored that the Federation council will meet to appropriate emergency funds to bring cloaking devices to at least a portion of Starfleet as soon as possible. Analyst estimate widespread deployment could take anywhere from a few years to a few decades.
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Cardassian Union Votes for Demorcacy!
December 2379


The citizens of the Cardassian Union came out in overwhelming support of establishing a democratic republic. The transitional government, having taken over as the post-war occupation ended has announced a timetable for elections.

Planetery and other local officials will be elected in 2380. 2381 will see regional governments established within the 6 regions of the Union. Finally Union-wide elections will be held in December of 2382. The follow on appointment process is expected to take another year or two after that for the government to become fully functional and take over total authority from the transitional government which is comprised of one representative each from the Military, Interior Ministry and Foreign Ministry.

"We cannot undo history. Due to many factors our last attempt at Democratization ended in the disaster of the Dominion War. Our motives at the time were misunderstood and led to an invasion by outside powers. We alone then made the disasterous decision to invite the Dominion into this quadrent. A decision for which we and millions of others paid a steep price," remarked Interior Minister Lekat. "The Cardassian Union will not go down this path alone this time. A communication has been dispatched to the United Federation of Planets asking them to provide observers and technical support for setting up a free and fair election. We invite them to observe the process and report all that occurs to avoid any mis-understandings."
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Cloaking Technology Causes stir in the Quadrant
December 2379, Aldebaran
Sean'Ty FNN Political Desk


After a rocky start to the conference on cloaking technology hosted by the Federation, the conference suddenly ended with all parties leaving for their home worlds. After the fiasco of negotiations earlier on in the conference it doesn't seem likely that in two short months much headway was gained by the delegates on cloaking technology. This fact was later clarified by a public release from the Federation Government:

After months of deliberations, negotiations broke down as several of the key parties were unable to come to a compromise on the limited use of cloaking devices. The President believes that after a few months break another conference may be called to attempt negotiations again with better results.

Inside sources have relayed information that the Klingon and Romulan delegates engaged in several heated debates while at the conference, which many speculate was the ultimate cause of the abrupt end.

Other sources speculate that the whole conference was part of a Federation hidden agenda to gain the use of cloaking technology, a right they now hold we might have. Little is knows about the extent of Federation work with cloaking technology, except that the USS Defiant was outfitted with a Romulan cloaking device before the onset of the Dominion War.

Then a week later the Romulan Praetor shook up the Quadrant with a surprise announcement that they were giving up the continued production of cloaking devices and cloak-capable ships:

This is Preator Halflisk. After reading the report of the occurences at the recent conference on cloaking technology, I have made the following determination:

I agree with the Klingon representative. We are not responsible enough to continue in the use of cloaking technology. At least, not at a large scale. Therefore, from this date, we will no longer equipe our vessels with cloaking devices. We will also remove them from our new designs.

It would be too much work to remove cloaking devices from our old D'Deridex class warbirds, but we will cease production of them immediatly. They will serve out the remainder of their service life, and then we will have no warship with cloaking technology.

We also will not be removing the cloaking devices from our scouts and science ships. They too are old and poorly integrated.

If the time comes where cloaking devices are needed, we will, with permission from the other powers, resume integration and usage of them.
I appologize to the representatives of the conference, for it was more stressful than it need be.

Any questions or comments may be made public over the general subspace comm or private, if desired.

Thank you for your time.

Within days the Federation has called for a continuation of the failed conference, in hopes that more progress may be accomplished.

The future of this technology is truly a mystery as recent events have shown us. We will be keeping a close eye on this conference and any activity that arises.
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Federation News Service- 2380-85

Romulan Stunner
November 2380- Romulus


In the wake of the failed conference on cloaking devices held by the Federation in the prior year the Romulan Praetor stunned the quadrant with the unilateral announcement that they are walking away from the technology in their newest classes of ships. The announcement left analyst dumfounded as to what the Romulan motives might be.

"This is simply a stunning turn of events with far reaching implications for every power in the region," said Jeremiah Laske who is the head of the intergalactic relations department at Harvard on Earth. "We have never had a full picture of the inner workings of the Romulan Empire to begin with. Things like this are bound to lead to rampant speculation on just who is calling the shots in the Empire, or possible if a coup is pending."

Other powers responded positively though the overall tone was one of caution. The Federation clearly favors a more structured and universal approach to controlling cloaking devices and their proliferation throughout the area.

"We applaud the bold first step taken by the Romulan Star Empire and it is our fervent hope that this leads to a more productive and wide ranging protocol on the subject in the near future, "Secretary of State T'Polm said in a prepared statement on the matter.

Cardassian Election Results In!
November 2383, Cardassia Prime


In a surprising result to outsiders the leader of the transitional government was ousted in recent federal elections. The new leader (Mark) was considered an outside but was a vocal champion of the new form of government.

What this will mean for the rest of the quadrant is unknown. What is known is that a great deal of cooperation was shown between the Federation and Cardassian Union in preparing the elections and helping to retrain many of the Cardassian military officers to operate under civilian control for the first time in recent memory.

In fact things went so well that the commander of the Federation task force was recently appointed vice-ambassador to the Union and will serve as a direct liason with the Cardassian military.

Alliance Class Cruiser and Pulsar Class Deep Space Explorer Enter Service
June 2384, Earth


Amid much pomp and circumstance Starfleet launched its two newest classes of ship.

The Alliance Class Cruiser is intended as a supplement to the Sovereign and Prometheus Class ships already in service with Starfleet. While the exact details on the class are classified it is rumored that it sets a new standard for ships of its size. As the primary new ship component of a comprehensive plan to increase the defensive capabilities of Starfleet the ship has served as the initial test bed for new and improved weapons and shields that have found their way onto the Sovereign, Defiant and Prometheus Class ships already in the fleet and under production. At 3.1 million tons the ship checks in as slightly smaller than the Sovereign Class.

The Pulsar Class is the largest ship built by Starfleet since the Galaxy Class entered production. At 4.25 Million tons the ship is rumored to be the fastest in Starfleet and possibly the quadrant. Intended to serve as a long range explorer to supplement and eventually replace the Galaxy and Nebula Class ships in many roles the ship promises Starfleet expanded capabilities and a cutting edge exploratory capability.

Amid the celebration for the ships entering service the lingering question was just what this means for Starfleet and other powers in the region. Starfleet continues building at an increased pace to replace losses incurred during the Dominion War. Starfleet intelligence indicates other powers are continuing all out production as well.

With the Romulan Empire rumors of a new ship design continue to swirl among various circles. Details are sketchy but it is rumored to be a replacement for the D'Deridex class ships recently discontinued by declaration of the Praetor.

The Klingon Empire is rumored to be engaged in a rapid and expensive buildup of its forces as well. Rumors of tax rates well over 60% trickle out from those who do business in the area. For the Klingons rebuilding is not just a defensive necessity but a cultural one, as younger warriors demand the opportunity to serve.

From other powers information is sketchy at best. The Gorn, Tholians and Breen continue to remain fairly reclusive in all matters.



Pirates?
September 2385, Ferenginar


The office of the Grand Nagus was rocked by revelations that Ferengi ships were subject to apparent attacks by pirates in the region between themselves and the Cardassian Union. The physical damage was inconsequential with only a few small freighters being picked off for their disruptor charred remains to be found later by a small search party sent out after them.

However the fallout could prove damaging to stability in the area. The region of space has been largely devoid of control given the weakness of the Cardassian Union in recent years. The attacks drove up trip insurance cost on Ferenginar over 300% overnight. Though the panic quickly subsided and prices returned to normal the markets remained jumpy on the news.

News of such activity so close to the borders of three major powers is sure to provoke some sort of response as such activity cannot be tolerated by the civilized powers of the region.
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Re: Federation News Service (Sim News)

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OOC Note: Since people will ask here is how this was done. For certain powers that would be more open the numbers are pretty much straight off your spreadsheet. People are going to know what is in service. You will see a little to a lot of inaccuracy in the specific capabilities of the ship because those kind of things can be hidden pretty well. For other powers I used a random number generator and generated modifies based on just how secretive I think your government is.

Say for example you have 1,000 ship. If I turned up a 50 that meant your fleet was presented as 50% larger than it was. If a -25 came up it was 25% less than it is. This is done multiple times throughout each presentation as it is meant to represent basically an estimate by analyst looking at what data they can get. Hope you all enjoy.



Jane's Galactic Navies-2385



Jane's Galactic Information Service is proud to present the 2385 edition of our Galactic Navies Guide, the premier open source guide to all known
naval forces in the region. As always the information is presented in a format that gives a general overview of the force, an assessment of current
developments and recent operations, a summary of known and suspected procurement programs and an overview of the general equipment present in the fleet.


STARFLEET

Government: United Federation of Planets
Headquarters: Earth
Personnel: 8,126,567 (325,062 commissioned officers, 812,675 deployed shipboard, balance are support personel)
Ships in Commission: 5,773
Major Installations: 28

General Overview: Starfleet suffered heavily during the Dominion War, falling from peak strength of nearly 9,000 ships to just 3,384 in the immediate post-war period. Building programs begun during the war have continued and to a small degree been expanded in the post war period to bring the fleet back to its authorized strength. Initially a cause for worry among analyst given the large scale commitments of Starfleet the rebuilding process now seems likely to be a source of strength.

In short, entering the Dominion War over 65% of Starfleet's strength was comprised of ships 20 years or older. The long period of peace had led to a diminished building program and unexpectedly long service lives for many models. These classes of ship suffered far worse than more modern designs during the Dominion War. As a result the mix of the fleet shifted much closer to a 50/50 mix and the increased pace of building has tiled that mix to the point to the point where the vast majority of the fleet will soon be made up of ships of less than 10-15 years of service.

Production continues at a rapid pace, though there is much room for expansion both financially and industrially if the government were to choose to do so. The recently approved 5 year plan put before the Federation Council has authorized the construction of over 2,000 ships over the coming 5 years.

Recent Developments and Operations: The exploratory mission, neglected for a time in light of the Dominion War and the resulting scarce numbers of ships in the post war period, has begun to ramp over the past 5 years. Over 10% of Starfleet's authorized strength is devoted to scientific and exploration missions as older designs such as the Oberth are phased out for the Nova and Pulsar Class ships.

Starfleet has not engaged in major military operations since the end of the Dominion War. The standing fleet has been re-organized into defensive and battle fleets designed to support the border fleets that are forward deployed. Jane's analyst judge Starfleet to be more than capable of surging ships towards any potential threat in large numbers, though the exact nature and location of the deployments are classified.

The most telling change for the fleet has been the deployment of cloaking devices on the Sovereign, Alliance, Prometheus and Defiant class ships. The exact capability of these cloaking devices is unknown at this team and is a highly classified secret, though it is suspected that they were obtained from the Klingon's given the speed with which they were deployed following the treaty with the Romulan Star Empire.

Procurement Programs: A series of major bills were approved by the Council in the 2380 and 2385 Starfleet Appropriations Bills. A large sum of funds (over 12.5 million credits) were dedicated to classified research for which the purpose is unknown. Suspected uses range from cloaking device integration to weapons upgrade to next generation propulsion technology.

Known R&D programs produced two new ship classes for service.

The Alliance Class is described by Starfleet as a medium cruiser designed to replace aging Excelsior Class ships that can no longer keep up with the latest Starfleet models in service. Exact details on the armament for the ship remain classified though it is safe to presume that it uses at least the same class of phasers and torpedo tubes as the Sovereign and Prometheus Class ships that it shares many features with. The combat ability of these ships should comfortably exceed that of an Akira Class cruiser, which means it is an order of magnitude more effective than an Excelsior or Ambassador Class ship that it will replace over time.

The Pulsar Class occupies the other end of the spectrum. Known to be relatively lightly armed, at least compared to its contemporaries, the ship is designed for speed and sensor fit. Though the exact speed of the ship is classified sources within Starfleet confirm that it is comfortably faster than the Sovereign Class which were considered the fastest ships in the region. Carrying a large crew in considerable comfort the ships are designed for long range exploratory missions in mind as a replacement for the Galaxy Class in that role. At over 5 times the speed of the Galaxy Class these ships will push Starfleet further than ever when ti comes to exploration.

Refit and upgrades programs were known to be run on the following ship classes.

The Sovereign Class ships went in for a 2nd working over as production lines were modified to produce yet another new model of Starfleet's premier ship design. Reports are some thoughts were given to designing a new model from the ground up, but the basic bones of the Sovereign proved difficult to improve upon and instead a refit and life extension program was authorized. The only known part of the program was the installation of cloaking devices on all ships of this class. It is presumed that other changes were made but the budget for refit and upgrade programs is hidden within the general maintenance budget for Starfleet.

The Defiant and Prometheus Class ships also underwent similar upgrades of which the cloaking device is the only known change. There is some speculation that the overall power plant of the Defiant Class was overhauled to give it additional speed to allow it to keep pace with the newer ships, but Starfleet will not confirm or deny this rumor.

Other Equipment: Starfleet has begun the retirement and phasing out of many older ship classes for the first time in over a decade. An assortment of older and mis-matched ships have been offered up for sale.

The previous generation of ships (Galaxy, Nebula, New Orleans, Akira, Intrepid, Steamrunner, Saber and Centaur Classes) remain viable first and second line vessels within the region. The Akira, Intrepid and Nebula classes continue to be produced, though in lower numbers than their peak. The venerable Excelsior, Miranda and Ambassador Class ships are being increasingly relegated to border patrols as they are pushed further down the totem poll each year.

KLINGON DEFENSE FORCE

Government: Klingon Empire
Headquarters: Qo'Nos
Personnel: 165,000,000 est. (1.5 Million Naval, 15 Million Army, balance are support personel)
Ships in Commission: 3,800 est.
Major Installations: 15 est.

General Overview: The KDF suffered heavily during the Dominion War and is suspected to have been rebuilding its forces at a rapid pace since the end of the conflict. Due to the nature of the Empire the exact nature of the rebuilding is unknown in non-classified sources but can be inferred based on the material use of the KDF, the overall tax rate and the frequency with which certain ships are sighted.

Much like Starfleet many of the older classes suffered most heavily during the war, so the balance of the fleet is gradually shifting towards more modern designs as the rebuilding of the fleet continues.

Klingon ships have gradually been slipping from some of the foremost combatants in the galaxy over the past 30-50 years. While still fearsome in combat they make up for many technical shortcomings through sheer numbers and aggression. The Neg'Var is a large combatant but experience by Starfleet both in opposition and cooperation with these ships suggest that while very large they are not the equal of a Sovereign Class ship excepting the assault of fixed installations.

None the less the Klingon fleet has a long tradition of aggressiveness and its ships are admirably designed to that purpose.

Recent Developments and Operations: The only known deployment of a Klingon force since the end of the Dominion War has been the oddly noted move of a force through Federation territory for anti-piracy and security reasons. This occurred without incident and seemed to validate the ability of the KDF to deploy to distant locals on short notice.

Rumors about that the Klingons are active players on the galactic weapons market, both as buyers and sellers but the exact nature of such transactions are not known and fit with historic Klingon activity which has never frowned on arms dealing.

Procurement Programs: Little is known about the specifics of the Klingon ship building program but analysis of material consumption, spending patters and other rumors would place the number of ships being built between 120 to 160 major combatants being constructed each year.

No new Klingon ship classes have been noted to have appeared since the Negh'Var entered service. While there is no definitive proof that such a ship does not exist the persistent speculation from the KDF is that the Vor'Cha has been extensively reworked to increase its combat capability to the point where it would be comfortably outgun the newest Galaxy and Nebula class ships the Federation has put into service and not be far behind an original Sovereign Class ship in straight combat tends to lend credence to the idea that this reworked Vor'Cha is the centerpiece of Klingon ship building efforts rather than a new design.

Other Equipment: The remainder of the KDF is largely a known quantity in the region. The venerable Bird of Prey design soldiers on as a light combatant to be reckoned with. The B'Rel Class provides a solid second line warship as well. The K'Tinga class is nearly obsolete but there is no end to its service life in sight, at least until the fleet recovers from its wartime losses.

ROMULAN STAR NAVY

Government: Romulan Star Empire
Headquarters: Romulus
Personnel: 36.000,000 est. (1.1 million Naval, 2.5 Million Army, balance are support personnel)
Ships in Commission: 3,600 est.
Major Installations: 12 est.

General Overview: Like other powers the Romulan Star Navy suffered badly during the the Dominion War. However there is more uncertainty in the numbers of this fleet as the overall size of the fleet was not known with any certainty prior to the conflict. Of the forces known to be committed losses were known to be heavy but it is unknown how many, if any, ships the Romulans held back from view of their Allies.

The exact composition of the Romulan Star Navy is also the subject of much debate. There is some speculation that the reliance on large ships such as the D'Deridex class is viewed as a mistake and that new construction would focus on smaller ship classes, such as the Norexan. However the Scimitar would seem to again fly in the face of this supposition.

Recent Developments and Operations: The deployment of the Norexan Class has undoubtedly been a boon to the ranks of the RSN over the past several years. The combat action with the Scimitar showed it not to be the equal of a Sovereign Class ship, but it is likely available in larger numbers due to its smaller size. No other known deployments or combat actions were noted during this time.

The decision to no longer install cloaking devices on Romulan ships has the potential to drastically weaken the fleets first strike capability. Further analysis on this will be contained in the 2395 report when full details are known.

Procurement Programs: The Norexan Class is estimated to have been in serial production for some time with estimates on the numbers that have entered the fleet ranging between 400 and 500 ships total.

The Scimitar is the subject of much debate. Many view her as a one off prototype built for a specific purpose that is so resource intensive that it could never bee built in larger numbers for the fleet. In addition the ship as originally designed carried an explicitly banned weapon system so it is unknown if production would have continued in its present form or a new ship entirely would be produced based on the Scimitar platform.

The debate about the fate of Scimitar style ships within the empire has intensified with the leak of information that a new ship class, the Shiar Class, has entered production. Some speculate that the ship is indeed a reworked Scimitar type ship with the radiation emitter removed. Others believe it to be a yet smaller ship than the Norexan, intended to flesh out the ranks of the RSN in greater numbers.

Other Equipment: The Romulan Scout and Science ships were pressed into extensive service during the Dominion War, but are considered inadequate combatants at best if faced with a Bird of Prey or even Miranda class ship. Both will continue to serve in large numbers simply to fill out the ranks of a fleet heavily biased towards larger ship designs.

The D'Deridex class remains a competitive contemporary to the Galaxy and Nebula classes fielded by Starfleet. The major question is just what the overall inventory is. Estimates range from 350 to 550 presently in service.


CARDASSIAN NAVY

Government: Cardassian Union
Headquarters: Cardassia Prime
Personnel: 11,413,400 (141,340 shipboard, 1 Million Army, balance are support personnel)
Ships in Commission: 645
Major Installations: 10

General Overview: The Cardassian Navy was gutted during the Dominion War and has all but fallen apart during the lean period afterwards for the Union. The new government and associated economic recovery promises renewed hope for this fleet, but it will remain weak in comparison to its peers for some time.

Recent Developments and Operations: The Cardassian Navy has been occupied almost entirely with the internal rebuilding going on within the Union. No major operations or deployments have been noted.

Procurement Programs: No procurement has occurred in the Cardassian Union since the conclusion of the Dominion War. The government is set to vote on bills to fund new construction this year.

Other Equipment: The ships of the Cardassian Navy are well known to the other powers in the region. They are rugged combatants but have largely been left behind by developments of the past 15-20 years. Already long in the tooth at the outset of the Dominion War they are now verging on obsolete.

BREEN NAVY


Government: Breen
Headquarters: Breen
Personnel: 115 million est. (unknown composition)
Ships in Commission: 2,500 to 4,500
Major Installations: Unknown

General Overview: The Breen are a near unknown as far as open sources are concerned. Estimates on the size of the forces are based on extrapolation based on territorial extent of the empire and the number of ships committed to the Dominion cause during the war. Since the government is estimated to be something between a military dictatorship and a system of semi-independent clans it is nearly impossible to get a handle on just what resources are actually at the disposal of any one leader at any one time.

Recent Developments and Operations: Totally unknown at this time.

Procurement Programs: It is presumed that the Breen are continuing production of their one known ship class. It is possible they will attempt to branch out from this but the extent of the building program is impossible to estimate. Without an entry into service date it is impossible to know if the Breen force was built up over many years to the levels seen during the war or if the Breen Frigate was rapidly produced shortly before the war and is thus backed by a significant industrial base.

Other Equipment: Only one type is known at this time.

GORN NAVY


Government: Gorn Hegemony
Headquarters: Gorn
Personnel: 45 million est. (715,000 shipboard, 3.3 Million Army, balance are support personel)
Ships in Commission: 320
Major Installations: 5

General Overview: The Gorn have lived a somewhat remote existence despite their location between two major powers. Their military is considered to be small, but powerful and very well trained. Having stayed out of the Dominion War the fleet was not subject to the same losses as other powers. Comprised of unusually large and powerful ships it is a force to be reckoned with, particularly in its own backyard.

Recent Developments and Operations: The Gorn Navy continues to upgrade and produce its three main designs, a battleship, cruiser and destroyer for which the class names are not known. No major operations have been undertaken but the fleet is known to aggressively patrol its borders to maintain the Hegemony's territorial integrity.

Procurement Programs: The Gorn continue to undertake a balanced procurement program designed to allow them to field the strongest force possible on a limited budget and resources. The navy is overwhelmingly reliant on torpedo technology, a decision made to allow for easy upgrades as torpedo technology advances.

This fits in with the build and refit strategy that has allowed the Gorn to field a navy that hits far above its weight for centuries.

Other Equipment: Three main types are known with the Gorn Battleship being among the largest ship classes in service with any power in the region. The fleet is well designed to achieve its overall goals on the defensive. The primary deficiency is rumored to be in the area of speed, with the ships trading high end top speeds for more weapons, shields and armor.

FERENGI NAVY


Government: Ferengi Alliance
Headquarters: Ferenginar
Personnel: 1 Million est.
Ships in Commission: 250
Major Installations: 10

General Overview: Primarily a trading fleet the role of the Ferengi Navy is simply to facilitate trade. Not a serious threat to any major power it is none the less potentially dangerous in defense of Ferengi interest in what is a remote region of space. While it could not stand up to a serious attempt against its territory the deployed force is more than sufficient to deter the Cardassians and the Federation seems to have no hostile intent towards its neighbor.

Recent Developments and Operations: Presumed anti-piracy activity in nearby space.

Procurement Programs: The Ferengi continue to produce the D'Kora class at a slow but steady pace to continue furthering its interest in trade without unduly taxing business interest.

Other Equipment: Only one type is known at this time. The D'Kora is a contemporary of the Galaxy Class and as such is judged sufficient for Ferengi needs. However it is not a serious frontline combatant unless it is deployed in vastly greater numbers than it is now.

THOLIAN NAVY

Government: Tholian Assembly
Headquarters: Tholia
Personnel: 500 Million Est. (unknown composition)
Ships in Commission: 2,200 est
Major Installations: Unknown

General Overview: Much like the Breen the Tholians are largely a mystery to the powers that surround them. Having avoided the Dominion War their fleet did not suffer major losses recently but even so the size is hard to determine. Tholian ships are small, somewhat weak and numerous. Getting an exact estimate is almost impossible.

Recent Developments and Operations: Totally unknown at this time.

Procurement Programs: The Tholians are presumed to be continuing production of their continually improved attack ship at a decent rate. Little is known about the specifics of the ship but it is estimated the older Tholian Web technology has been replaced with more weapons, shields and higher speed.

Other Equipment: Only one type is known at this time.
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Federation News Service- 2385-90

Diplomatic Flurry
November 2387


After the disaster that was the first conference on cloaking devices and the follow on stunning announcement by the Romulans a burst of diplomatic activity worked its way across the quadrant.

Leading off the major developments was the Federation formalizing a defensive alliance with the Cardassian's and stunningly the Tholians. While the former was expected the latter was an about face in 100's of years of relations that was at the very least a surprise to the rest of the quadrant.

This was followed shortly by the announcement that a non-proliferation treaty had been reached between the three major powers regarding cloaking devices.

Finally this was followed up by the Federation reaching formal agreements with the Ferengi and Gorn to not develop such devices in exchange for a treaty of mutual defense.

The balance of power has changed drastically in the galaxy over the course of the past several years. The Federation by its various treaty obligations has essentially become the guarantor of security for all the smaller powers in the quadrant. Sources indicate that the hope in circles of power within the Federation is that by removing apparent easy targets from the equation stability within the quadrant will be enhanced.

Cloaking Conference Success
September 2385, Aldebaran
Sean'Ty FNN Political Desk


The Federation has deemed the newest conference on the infamous cloaking devises a success after the signing of a Non-Proliferation Treaty earlier this week. The three cloaking giants, the Romulan Star Empire, Klingon Empire, and Federation all signed the treaty which prevents the sale, giving, or general distribution of cloaking technology from any power which hasn't developed the technology.

Upon examination of the document it bears a striking resemblance to another document in high regard within the Federation: The Prime Directive. They both limit the interaction and technological trade with civilizations less advanced than ourselves based on a certain technology - cloaking devises for the treaty, and warp drive for the PD.

When asked a Vulcan Councilman replied, "Yes, the President's men who were the primary workers in the draft of the treaty did borrow certain ideas from the Prime Directive in their writing."

The treaty also contains a clause allowing other powers to sign once they discover cloaking technology with certain sanctions that will go into affect should they refuse.

An inside source has also leaked information that the Federation has engaged in negotiations with several smaller powers about an outright ban on their cloaking technology.

The conference may have been a success, but the future of cloaking technology and the conflicts that could arise are still very much in the air.

Starfleet Closes in on its pre-war strength
June 2385, Earth


Starfleet reported to the Federation Council that it now has in commission over 7,800 ships and that it expects to approach its pre-war numbers in the next year or two. The Federation Council has authorized several rounds of accelerated building to bring the fleet back to acceptable levels.

Discussion is now turning towards what sort of numbers the fleet should look to maintain over the long haul. The initial proposal by the council is that building plans be modified going forward to sustain a fleet of 12,000 active and 3,000 reserve ships to meet Starfleet's growing defensive and exploratory commitments.



Commerce Authority Imposes Tax Cut
September 2385, Ferenginar


The office of the Grand Nagus was informed that its tax collection authority was being restricted until such time as it disposes of what the FCA described as an "obscene surplus" of idle money within the government. This is not the first time the FCA has exercised such authority.

However such action against the office of the Grand Nagus is somewhat rare. The appears to be additional background behind such censure in that various business groups are unhappy with the seeming inability of the government to obtain trade rights with other powers to open a market for Ferengi goods and services.

The government is rumored to be moving rapidly to address these concerns.
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Federation News Service 2090-2091

Speed Record Shattered!

The Andorian Cup, awarded to the fastest ship to navigate an 80 LY course set by the foundation, was recaptured by Starfleet this past week when the Pulsar Class ship USS De'Kyer completed the course in a little over two and a half days. This crushed the previous record by nearly twenty-two hours.

No Starfleet ship had thrown its hat in the ring since the award was captured by the USS Lisbon three years prior to the Dominion War. That Intrepid Class ship was eventually eclipsed by the much spoken of Ferengi trade ship, Quick Profit that made its reputation as a weapons runner during the Dominion War, serving whomever was the highest bidder.

Though Starfleet has other vessels rumored to have been the equal of, or even faster than the previous record holder various pressures have kept them from entering the formal competition until now. With the fleet returning to normal Starfleet Command decided to take a run at the oldest known inter-galatic speed trophy.

By all reports the crew was highly pleased with their run, having not only bested the Ferengi but having acheived nearly double the speed of the typical Intrepid class ship. The Pulsar Class is expected to open new avenues of exploration for the Federation with the ship easily able to cover 40,000 LY's in a typical 5 year mission it offers nearly 5 times the range of the older Galaxy Class starships given the same mission duration.

Equipped with comfortable crew quarters, as well as accomodations for families given the mission duration this ships promise to add more to the Federations knowledge of the Alpha and Beta quadrants than all other starships types combined.

Trade Booms; Ferengi arrange Credit for the Tholians

Trade, once nearly extinct among the major powers, made a major resurgence over the past six years. The Dominion War saw many freight lines sustain crippling losses while those that did not were co-opted to support the war effort. Inter-galactic markets froze as production once geared for export was turned to war related purposes.

The wind down from the war and subsequent burst in trade has yielded large revenues for the major players in the business, with the Federation and Ferengi leading the way.

The big news in intergalactic finance was the long await re-opening of credit from the Ferengi Alliance to powers in need. Once a major business within the Alliance activities were curtailed during the Dominion War and had been slow to start back up due to the unsettled nature of intergalactic relations.

This first small step, the amount and terms were not disclosed, represents a belief by the Ferengi that the galactic sceen is entering a more stable period, conducive to this type of risk.
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Federation News Service 2391-2392

Starfleet Discovers 2nd known stable Wormhole

A stable wormhole to the Delta Quadrant has been discovered by Starfleets Exploratory Command marking only the second time in known history that such a phenomenon has been noted. The wormhole was discovered by a Pulsar class ship exploring the lightly charted disputed (and unclaimed) territory between the Gorn, Tholian and Klingon Empires.

The Federation has claimed the immediate surrounding system and has begun to establish facilities there. In addition the Federation has claimed a corridor of space between the Klingon and Gorn as territory to allow transit to the new wormhole. In the past the regions had been variously claimed by the Klingons, Gorn and Tholians though none had taken measures to secure the claim as there were no systems of value in the area.

The Alpha Quadrant terminus of the worm hole in in a system the Federation has named the Clock'Cha System.

The exact location within the Delta Quadrant where the wormhole exits is not being disclosed by Starfleet. Starfleet has extensive knowledge of much of the Delta Quadrant by virtue of the transit of Voyager through much of the territory so it is suspected they know a significant amount about the location.

The wormhole, unlike its Gamma Quadrant cousin, is expected to be a trade boon to those granted access indicate sources within the Federation. Open source information released from Voyager's journey indicated that much of the quadrant not inhabited by the Borg was significantly behind the Federation in technology and economic development. The initial estimates are that as much as 10 million units of trade could transit the wormhole within the next several years. An unnamed official within the Commerce Department called the market there "effectively unlimited".

The Gamma Quadrant wormhole has not hosted significant trade since the onset of the Dominion War. Even at the wars conclusion neither the Dominion nor Federation have been eager to allow much passage through it.

Kazon Attack USS Samuel B Roberts, take 15 Hostages

Starfleet sent a small task force of four starships to explore the immediate surroundings of the Delta Quadrant terminus of the newly discovered wormhole. The one Pulsar and three Nova Class ships of the task force were set for a short duration exploratory mission.

However, while separated, the USS Samuel B. Roberts (a Nova Class Ship) was attacked by a force of three Kazon Raiders and one Kazon Predator. After an initial broadcast declaring its peaceful intentions the Roberts detected the enemy powering weapons and attempted to flee, broadcasting a distress call on all channels.

The Nova Class ship was quickly run down by its assailants and the captain against long odds turned to face its pursuers near a gas-giant planet with 4 moons.

Designed for short duration science and exploratory missions the Nova Class is hardly equipped to combat dedicated combat craft. Nonetheless survivors indicate that Captain Copeland ordered his ship to close on the nearest assailant at maximum impulse and to fire all weapons. Closing to point blank range the small ship overwhelmed the stunned Kazon vessel and quickly crippled it.

Captain Copeland then set a course that took his ship dangerously close to one of the moons in an attempt to lose his pursuers and jumped to warp, headed towards the USS Sirius, the Pulsar Class ship racing to support it. The Roberts appeared to have gotten away free when two additional Kazon Raiders emerged in front of it and force it to drop from warp. Surrounded by five hostile ships the Roberts fought on for what can only be described as one of the most valiant and futile hours in Starfleet history.

Poor shooting by the Kazon and aggressive action by the Roberts only stemmed the inevitable. Her torpedoes expended and her phasers shot away the ship was eventually boarded. At least a dozen officers were taken hostage, not including Captain Copeland who was executed while still on board. Casualties were heavy. The Kazon eventually retreated when the USS Sirius arrived and drove them off.

The Roberts was towed back to the wormhole as the mission was recalled. Copeland has been posthumously awarded the Pike Medal of Valor for his actions.

Kazon Threaten War

Following the first incident with the Kazon forces the status of the captured Federation officers was made brutally clear.

Sources within the Starfleet indicate a message was received from the Kazon indicating that they consider themselves to be at war with the Federation and demanding the return of the crew of Voyager, Voyager itself and other compensation for their encounter with the lost Starfleet ship years ago.

The message, delivered through a sensor station left on the Delta Quadrant side of the wormhole, was accompanied by a stark threat. The Kazon have indicated they will execute one captured Starfleet officer each month. To punctuate this message the body of the Roberts executive officer was sent through the wormhole in a transport probe.

Sources indicate the officer was not only killed but likely tortured for a long period of time. They describe the condition of the body as being "horrifying beyond words."

No public response has yet been issued by the government.

Klingon, Gorn and Tholian Ambassadors React with silence to Federation Territorial Expansion

The Federations quick annexation of the territory around and leading to the wormhole, despite its often disputed status among the Gorn, Tholians and Klingons has been received silently thus far by the other major powers in that region. However many experts expect a variety of responses.

For the Gorn and Tholians there is likely anger at missing out on an economic opportunity badly needed by both, but if they are granted fair and reasonable access to such largess most experts assume they will be more than content to let Starfleet handle the security and traffic concerns around the wormhole, which will impose considerable financial burdens on the owner.

The Klingon reaction is likely to be more complex. Long a Federation ally there still remains and undercurrent of resentment at the growing power of the Federation. If they view the Federations actions as a slight to their authority a whole variety of reactions could be expected from the Klingon government.
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Starfleet Demolishes Kazon Force, saves five hostages

The recent hostage crisis in the Delta Quadrant was brought to a dramatic and violent end as Starfleet sent a large force through the Delta Quadrant wormhole to wrest its people back from the 400 plus ship Kazon armada that had assembled over the past year near its Delta Quadrant terminus.

Starfleet is not disclosing exactly what force it sent through but reports from various sources indicate it was some portion of 3rd Fleet, one of the four major defensive fleets around which Starfleet has re-organized it operations.

While the exact nature of the Starfleet force involved in the action are not certain what is certain is that they far outmatched the best the Kazon could offer. From what limited open source material exist on them it is known that even the best Kazon ships were not considered a match for even an Intrepid Class starship. However a force of 400 should have offered a substantial obstacle all the same.

Sources within the Delta Quadrant, primarily arms dealers, say that the Kazon were stunned at the ferocity and pace with which the assault developed. One surviving Kazon commander gave an account of the battle indicating that the Federation opened a long range torpedo barrage of unprecedented volume and followed it on for a close assault. Kazon ships attempting to flee were run down in short order. Due to their slow speed none escaped.

The Senior Defense analyst at Jane's offered the following commentary.

"Analysis of the open source information on this battle leads us to revise our estimation of the combat abilities of Starfleet upwards. They have clearly learned from and applied the lessons of the Dominion War to new ship designs and upgrades to existing ships as well as their tactical model."


Bluster and Blunder as Threats are Exchanged over new Wormhole


The discovery of the new wormhole touched off the latest diplomatic crisis in the region.

Initially the Federation claimed both the wormhole system and a corridor of unclaimed space between the Gorn and Klingons to connect the wormhole to their territory. Eventually this claim was modified to just the wormhole system itself after assurances from the Gorn and Klingons that the passage would not be blocked were given.

However many analyst are puzzled about the Gorn handling of this stage of the crisis.

"Frankly, it makes no sense at all. The Federation is an ally to the Gorn and the two have had good relations for some time. The proposed corridor that the Federation would have taken possession of would have shielded the Gorn from any potential Klingon aggression while not substantially increasing their risk should the Federation become hostile, which itself seems unlikely. Indeed it seems as if the Gorn let a woodenheaded notion of honor force them to act against their own self interest. Now they have expanded defensive commitments which take valuable forces pretty far from home. They have expanded the likelihood they will get drawn into a conflict they want no part of and dispersed their forces even further if they do. I cannot think of a single good outcome of this for the Gorn government," said the senior political analyst with FNN.

The affair additionally strained already frayed Federation and Klingon relations. What had been a quietly simmering suspicion erupted into a full blown volley of rhetoric during council debates on the issue with the following statement from the Andorian representative.

"How long will this council sit and deliberate while the Klingons and Breen openly consort against us? Will we wait again until the Breen strike out of the blue against Earth? Or until the Klingons are in possession of Vulcan? At some point reality must set in despite the mush headed optimism of our Human citizens and the incessant reasoning and rationalization of Vulcan's. If not the blood of our citizens will be on your hands."

A motion to order briefly clamed the representative until the Vulcan representative claimed that such action would be against Klingon conceptions of honor, which elicited this thundering reply.

"The Klingon people may have honor but their government has none. The leader of their government sharpens the knife he would drive into our back with the Breen one day while smiling at us on the next. If public drunkenness and stabbing one another with made one honorable then every pirate and criminal organization from the Mutara Nebula to the Black Cluster would have equal claims on "honor" to the current Klingon government. The some here are prone to willful blindness of unpleasant news will not alter the facts at hand. If the Klingons wish to be an ally let them act like one. If they wish to be an honorable enemy then they can act like that as well. But let us not accommodate their duplicity and outright treachery without willful ignorance to what is happening. If the Klingon Chancellor wishes to be our enemy let him stand up and be counted like a true Klingon, rather than maneuver in the darkness like common criminal."

The motion to annul the Khitomer Accords was squelched by parliamentary maneuvers initiated at the request of the President. The Andorian representative has emerged as one of the key contenders for the presidency in the elections coming up in two years as the "Klingon Issue" has become one of the key factors in the upcoming race.

At the very least it will be a thorny issue for the President going forward.

Ferengi make loan to Breen, Invite Breen Task Force in for Protection


The news that the Ferengi loaned the Breen a large sum of money certainly would not turn any heads in the world of high finance as it is a fairly normal occurrence.

However the follow up news shocked both the business and military establishments throughout the region when the Ferengi announced they would allow a Breen task force to operate in their territory.

The news was surprising to other central bankers who likened it to loaning money to someone then letting them guard the vault and handing them your gun.

Reaction was less muted among the diplomatic and military communities. The Cardassian Council, who blame the Breen for their role in the bombardment of Cardassian civilians at the close of the war, are said to be fuming at what they perceive as an ally turning its back on them.

The news made fewer waves in the Federation, where the council was already consumed with other major issues, but is sure to have drawn a reaction from Starfleet Command.
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Federation News Service

Where are the Borg?

While the powers that be have been focused on the Borg threat to the recently discovered Wormhole Federation exploratory ships have been carefully exploring Delta Quadrant space attempting to answer a question fundamental to the latest disagreement on how to defend the wormhole. Where are the Borg?

The newest Pulsar class ships are capable of far greater speed than previous Federation designs. Not being equipped with cloaks there is little risk that the Borg will capture such a ship. As it stands they operate under strict orders to purge their computer cores of navigational information before the Borg can enter weapons range. However the ships have now reached the edge of known Borg space and have started poking into it. They have relayed a shocking discovery.

"We have surveyed 6 known Borg planets that were charted by Voyager and found the same pattern on all of them. They have been stripped of most technologically valuable components and as far as we can tell the drones were essentially left to fend for themselves and expired from natural causes shortly after the encounter," said a Starfleet public relations officer.

Several suspected reasons for this have been given ranging from nearly natural attrition given the damage inflicted to their command structure by USS Voyager to the return of Species 8472. Starfleets exploration ships have pulled back towards the wormhole after this shocking discovery.

Reform in the Klingon Empire

Rumors of change in the basic culture of the Klingon Empire continue to reach Federation News Service Correspondents on QonoS. The most visible of these appear to be a reform of the basic educational system with an increased focus on practical military knowledge to go along with the current focus on ritual and tradition.

No official comments have been made by the government but it is thought that they wish to move away from the practice of having a large number of enthusiastic but informally trained warriors to having a more professional military culture across the board. The reforms are rumored to be part of the 1st 10 year plan of the Chancellor to re-work the image and internal functioning of the Empire.

Rumors of Romulan Buildup on Klingon Border

Klingon border worlds continue to buzz with news that the Romulan Fleet is massing opposite them. During what was later claimed to be a KDF exercise to test their response to a Romulan incursion the price of transport from the border to QonoS rose by 700% as rumor ran rampant of illegally cloaked Romulan ships already being across the border.

The Federation News Service is unable to verify any of these rumors at this time but they continue to play a large role in the day to day lives of the people of this border region, many of whom lived through the last border incident in which the USS Enterprise C intervened to such decisive effect.

"What if they cross the border with one of those Scootytar things like they went after the humans with? I did not survive Khitomer and the Dominion Wars to be turned into a pile of dust by some Romulan super-weapon," claimed one 137 year old resident of Klach D'Kel Brakt. "We should butcher the pointy eared devils now, before they do the same to us."
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Federation News Service- 2393 (Jan-June)


Romulan Government Dismisses Report that Klingon Ships Entered Territory

War jitters continue to dominate the daily lives of citizens along the Romulan-Klingon Border. The latest report to spread through the Romulan media had Romulan ships chasing and narrowly missing the capture of a Klingon ship that cloaked and eventually escaped.

Some reports indicated this ship fired upon a Romulan base causing unspecified but minor damage.

The Romulan government denies that such an incident took place and continues to re-assure its citizenry that it is working as hard as it can for peace in the region.

However their efforts appear to be for not as war appears likely within the next six to twelve months as the two sides continue to exchange threats and accusations.


Analyst Take on a potential Klingon-Romulan War

A recent roundtable discussion among leading defense analyst within the Federation covered many topics, the primary among them being the potential Klingon-Romulan War.

"One of the problems in trying to look at this from the outside is that the Romulans are a virtual black hole for information. We know a great deal about the Klingon fleet but much less about the Romulan military. The Norexan Class was once a fairly cutting edge design but it seems doubtful they have been built in the numbers necessary to stem the forces the Klingon's will throw at this conflict," said Harvard's senior intergalactic relations professor.

Most analyst seemed doubtful about the Romulan chances in a conflict but a few sounded warning bells for the Klingon's as well.

"When you back someone as dangerous and as ruthless as some elements of the Romulan state have proven to be into a corner you don't really know how they might react. You may very well win the war but you may suffer unimaginable pain in the process," said a private analyst from Tellar.

When asked how the Romulan's would deal with Federation entry into the conflict if the Klingons choose to invoke the mutual defense clause of the Khittomer Accords most agreed they would have no choice but to swiftly surrender and hope for protection at the hands of the Federation. The group was split on what the meaning of the Klingons not invoking the accords would mean.

Some believe that the Klingons will avoid doing so simply as a cultural imperative, seeing this war as an opportunity for a cultural renewal as much as anything and not wanting the Federation getting in the way of things.

Others believe that by not having the Federation take part in the conflict the Klingons are basically admitting to a war of conquest.

"If the Federation is involved large scale territorial concessions are unlikely by any party. The most likely outcome is that the Romulan government falls and is rebuilt over a long period of time along the model of the Cardassian Union. This would make them a potential Federation ally and the Klingon's don't want that," said a former Assistant Director to the Assistant Undersecretary of the State Departments Special Assistance Delegation to the Military Occupation of the Cardassian Union (abbreviated ADAUSDSDMOCU).

Most delegates again agreed the smaller powers would stay out of the conflict, though both the Gorn and Tholians would improve their relative positions if the Klingon's were weakened in the conflict.


Breen Send Massive Task Force as "Official Escort" of their Delegation to Q'onoS

In one of the more laughable incidences of diplomatic protocol the Federation has granted a Breen request to pass a diplomatic mission and its escort through Federation territory to its final destination at Q'onoS.

These sort of request are usual a matter of courtesy between powers as the Federation has granted the normal trade and diplomatic passage to Breen vessels transiting to Q'onoS for over a decade. However this time rather than the usual courier ship the Breen requested the right to send an escort.

This force numbered 400 warships with 350 of them being the known Breen Frigate from the Dominion War and the remainder being a new and larger type of warship.

Defense analyst say this was a thinly veiled diplomatic cover for the much more obvious mission of re-enforcing the Klingon Empire during the current crisis and that calling such a force a diplomatic escort is laughable.

This provoked a mocking response in the Council where the Andorian representative continued to make waves.

"Fellow members, let us not focus on the fact that hundreds of trade vessels carrying supplies between the Breen and our dear and loyal allies the Klingons pass through our territory every year without incident. It is only prudent that the Breen send such a massive force to escort a diplomatic mission through our territory. After all they may be set upon by all manner of threats such as Mecha-Godzilla who continues his journey through space in search of vengeance upon those who have wronged him," stated the Andorian representative, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He continued after the laughter subsided.

"In all seriousness the Breen continue their pattern of erratic behavior. Several months ago they were concerned about defending the wormhole against the Borg. The Federation and EVERY OTHER POWER IN THE REGION have sent forces to counter that threat, about which they were so worked up and the Breen now can't come up with a force to commit there. But they have enough resources to send four-hundred ships to Q'onoS."

"The Federation made concessions on territory in the area of the wormhole. The Federation agreed to respect the wishes of the Breen and Klingons and place the Breen under Klingon command and after all of this they have committed not one cruiser, not one destroyer, not one frigate, not one shuttle and indeed not one Breen soldier in a space suit wielding a hand phaser to this issue that so occupied their attention just a few months ago."

"Yet they have 400 ships to send to Q'onoS for unspecified reasons it should give the region something to think about at least the next time the Breen get all up in arms about something because their actions tell us what is really important and of concern to them and it sure as hell is not the security of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants."


Cardassians Experience Record Economic Growth

Cardassian GDP jumped on the heels of massive internal investment by the government. Improvements across the board in education, consumer manufacturing and other fields have fueled a large growth in their economic standing.

"The Cardassian government is uniquely positioned for such investments. Their current level of military spending is low, not so much by choice as by the fact they are still rebuilding from the Dominion War. They have a large pool of capital to invest and are doing so wisely before other expenses make such investment difficult," stated the head of the Federations economic delegation to the Union.


Pirates inflict heavy losses on Cardassian Merchants

Nearly 50% of the Cardassian Union's total exports were unable to reach their destinations as their trade routes were heavily raided by unknown pirates over the past six months.

With the Cardassian Military stretched thin as it is little protection is available for these merchants making them easy targets for pirates. This reduction has driven up the cost of trip insurance for ships and has reduced Cardassian income from those routes over the past six months.

The investigation is ongoing to determine the source of these attacks.
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Jane's Galactic Navies-2393


Jane's Galactic Information Service is proud to present the 2393 special edition of our Galactic Navies Guide, the premier open source guide to all known naval forces in the region. As always the information is presented in a format that gives a general overview of the force, an assessment of current developments and recent operations, a summary of known and suspected procurement programs and an overview of the general equipment present in the fleets.

This special edition is being produced in light of rising tensions between the Klingon and Romulan Governments with a special attention being paid to both of those forces.


STARFLEET

Government: United Federation of Planets
Headquarters: Earth
Personnel: 22,706,895 (477,809 commissioned officers, 1,586,454 deployed shipboard, balance are support personel)
Ships in Commission: 8,478
Major Installations: 30

General Overview: Starfleet suffered heavily during the Dominion War, falling from peak strength of nearly 9,000 ships to just 3,384 in the immediate post-war period. Building programs begun during the war have continued and to a small degree been expanded in the post war period to bring the fleet back to its authorized strength. Initially a cause for worry among analyst given the large scale commitments of Starfleet the rebuilding process now seems likely to be a source of strength.

In short, entering the Dominion War over 65% of Starfleet's strength was comprised of ships 20 years or older. The long period of peace had led to a diminished building program and unexpectedly long service lives for many models. These classes of ship suffered far worse than more modern designs during the Dominion War. As a result the mix of the fleet shifted much closer to a 50/50 mix and the increased pace of building has tiled that mix to the point to the point where the vast majority of the fleet will soon be made up of ships of less than 10-15 years of service.

Production continues at a rapid pace, though there is much room for expansion both financially and industrially if the government were to choose to do so. A new 5-year plan will be submitted to the council where it is expected that the a stable fleet size will be determined and set around 10,000 active ships, with a further 5,000 in reserve.

Recent Developments and Operations: The exploratory mission, neglected for a time in light of the Dominion War and the resulting scarce numbers of ships in the post war period, has begun to ramp over the past 5 years. Over 7% of Starfleet's authorized strength is devoted to scientific and exploration missions as older designs such as the Oberth are phased out for the Nova and Pulsar Class ships.

And example of the new capabilities of Starfleet was shown in the engagement with the Kazon following the hostage crisis in the Delta Quadrant. A portion of one of Starfleets four major combat fleets was dispatched to deal with the problem and laid waste to a large Kazon force numbering in the hundreds. Examination of the wrecks by Jane's officials indicate that most Kazon forces were impacted by a large number of quantum torpedoes given the duration of the battle. This has caused us to refine upwards the rate of fire capabilities of Starfleet ships. Additionally phaser damage was significantly more sever than that inflicted in the Dominion War, which indicates that Starfleet has also enhanced that weapon capability.

The most telling change for the fleet has been the deployment of cloaking devices on the Sovereign, Alliance, Prometheus and Defiant class ships. The exact capability of these cloaking devices is unknown at this time but it is widely suspected that they are in fact inter-phase cloaking devices.

Procurement Programs: Starfleet continue to procure the following ships; Sovereign, Prometheus, Defiant, Akira, Akron, Nova, Intrepid, Alliance and Pulsar Classes.

Known R&D programs produced one new ship classes for service.

The Akron class is the eventual Akira replacement as a border patrol cruiser. It is not equipped with a cloaking device but has received a comprehensive upgrade to its armament and defensive systems. Designed to be the cornerstone of border patrol fleets it is a formidable combatant ship.

Other Equipment: Starfleet has continued to aggressively retire ships from service as new construction has allowed them to do so. Many are being sold with others just being scrapped rather than placed into reserve.

The previous generation of ships (Galaxy, Nebula, New Orleans, Akira, Intrepid, Steamrunner, Saber and Centaur Classes) remain viable first and second line vessels within the region. The Akira and Intrepid classes continue to be produced, though in lower numbers than their peak. The venerable Excelsior, Miranda and Ambassador Class ships are being increasingly relegated to border patrols as they are pushed further down the totem poll each year.

KLINGON DEFENSE FORCE

Government: Klingon Empire
Headquarters: Qo'Nos
Personnel: 213,000,000 est. (3.3 Million Naval, 15 Million Army, balance are support personel)
Ships in Commission: 5,200 est.
Major Installations: 15 est.

General Overview: The KDF suffered heavily during the Dominion War and is suspected to have been rebuilding its forces at a rapid pace since the end of the conflict. Due to the nature of the Empire the exact nature of the rebuilding is unknown in non-classified sources but can be inferred based on the material use of the KDF, the overall tax rate and the frequency with which certain ships are sighted.

Much like Starfleet many of the older classes suffered most heavily during the war, so the balance of the fleet is gradually shifting towards more modern designs as the rebuilding of the fleet continues.

Klingon ships have gradually been slipping from some of the foremost combatants in the galaxy over the past 30-50 years. While still fearsome in combat they make up for many technical shortcomings through sheer numbers and aggression. The Neg'Var is a large combatant but experience by Starfleet both in opposition and cooperation with these ships suggest that while very large they are not the equal of a Sovereign Class ship excepting the assault of fixed installations.

The focus of the fleet is rumoured to be on upgrading existing combatants as much as it is on building new ones. This is suspected to be part of a strategy to remain relevant as their economy cannot support the same large scale R&D and building programs that Starfleet has undertaken.

None the less the Klingon fleet has a long tradition of aggressiveness and its ships are admirably designed to that purpose.

Recent Developments and Operations: The Klingons deployed a small force of Neg'Var class ships to the Delta Quadrant side of the wormhole with unknown results.

Procurement Programs: Little is known about the specifics of the Klingon ship building program but analysis of material consumption, spending patters and other rumors would place the number of ships being built between 120 to 160 major combatants being constructed each year.

A new ship class is suspected to have been introduced to replace the Vor'Cha. Most assume this is a linear development of the Vor'Cha type and that it may in fact just be another upgrade program to that long serving class.

Other Equipment: The remainder of the KDF is largely a known quantity in the region. The venerable Bird of Prey design soldiers on as a light combatant to be reckoned with. The B'Rel Class provides a solid second line warship as well. The K'Tinga class is nearly obsolete but there is no end to its service life in sight, at least until the fleet recovers from its wartime losses.

ROMULAN STAR NAVY

Government: Romulan Star Empire
Headquarters: Romulus
Personnel: 100,000,000 est. (1.1 million Naval, 9 Million Army, balance are support personnel)
Ships in Commission: 4,000 est.
Major Installations: 12 est.

General Overview: Like other powers the Romulan Star Navy suffered badly during the the Dominion War. However there is more uncertainty in the numbers of this fleet as the overall size of the fleet was not known with any certainty prior to the conflict. Of the forces known to be committed losses were known to be heavy but it is unknown how many, if any, ships the Romulans held back from view of their Allies.

The exact composition of the Romulan Star Navy is also the subject of much debate. There is some speculation that the reliance on large ships such as the D'Deridex class is viewed as a mistake and that new construction would focus on smaller ship classes, such as the Norexan. However the Scimitar would seem to again fly in the face of this supposition.

It is now suspected that the Scimitar was not built in serial production and that the Romulans built a smaller version of the Norexan they could obtain cheaply.

Recent Developments and Operations: The deployment of the Norexan Class has undoubtedly been a boon to the ranks of the RSN over the past several years. The combat action with the Scimitar showed it not to be the equal of a Sovereign Class ship, but it is likely available in larger numbers due to its smaller size. No other known deployments or combat actions were noted during this time.

The decision to de-connect cloaking devices has left the fleet vulnerable to a first strike and limited its ability to deliver one itself.

Procurement Programs: The Norexan Class is estimated to have been in serial production for some time with estimates on the numbers that have entered the fleet ranging between 700 and 800 ships total.

Reports are that a smaller ship known as the Shiar Class, has entered production.

Other Equipment: The Romulan Scout and Science ships were pressed into extensive service during the Dominion War, but are considered inadequate combatants at best if faced with a Bird of Prey or even Miranda class ship. Both will continue to serve in large numbers simply to fill out the ranks of a fleet heavily biased towards larger ship designs.

The D'Deridex class remains a competitive contemporary to the Galaxy and Nebula classes fielded by Starfleet. The major question is just what the overall inventory is. Estimates range from 350 to 550 presently in service.


CARDASSIAN NAVY

Government: Cardassian Union
Headquarters: Cardassia Prime
Personnel: 22,990,000 (240,090 shipboard, 1.85 Million Army, balance are support personnel)
Ships in Commission: 828
Major Installations: 10

General Overview: The Cardassian Navy was gutted during the Dominion War and has all but fallen apart during the lean period afterwards for the Union. The new government and associated economic recovery promises renewed hope for this fleet, but it will remain weak in comparison to its peers for some time.

Recent Developments and Operations: The Cardassian Navy has been occupied almost entirely with the internal rebuilding going on within the Union. No major operations or deployments have been noted.

Procurement Programs: The rebuilding of the Navy has begun. The Zeutor Class, which is essentially an upgraded Keldon Type has been placed into service and is in low rate production. It is assumed most Keldon's will be updated to this standard.

The major procurement program for the Navy is known as the Prophet Class. Believed to be a mix of purchased and developed technology this class is a true first line combatant ship and is being built in ever larger numbers for the Cardassian Navy and was designed in cooperation with the Ferengi and the Gorn.

Other Equipment: The ships of the Cardassian Navy are well known to the other powers in the region. They are rugged combatants but have largely been left behind by developments of the past 15-20 years. Already long in the tooth at the outset of the Dominion War they are now verging on obsolete. Even the Zeutor is not a true first line ship. Only the Prophet Class has a true place in a proper fleet.

Additionally 21 Excelsior type ships were purchased from the Federation to supplement the rebuilding of the fleet.

BREEN NAVY

Government: Breen
Headquarters: Breen
Personnel: 115 million est. (unknown composition)
Ships in Commission: 3,000 to 5,000
Major Installations: Unknown

General Overview: The Breen are a near unknown as far as open sources are concerned. Estimates on the size of the forces are based on extrapolation based on territorial extent of the empire and the number of ships committed to the Dominion cause during the war. Since the government is estimated to be something between a military dictatorship and a system of semi-independent clans it is nearly impossible to get a handle on just what resources are actually at the disposal of any one leader at any one time.

Recent Developments and Operations: They recently dispatched a large fleet towards Klingon territory. This force contained the first glimpse of a new and larger type of ship that has been designated a cruiser.

Procurement Programs: The proportion of the newer, larger ships to the smaller and older Frigates has allowed an educated guess at the extent of the Breen building program, which has been revised downward. If it were able to rapidly spin up then it seems unlikely that the vast majority of a deployed force would still consist of the older types seen.

Other Equipment: Two types are known. The familiar Breen Frigate and the larger Breen Cruiser. The cruiser should be stronger across the board and is likely equipped with disruptors in addition to torpedo weapons.

GORN NAVY

Government: Gorn Hegemony
Headquarters: Gorn
Personnel: 50 million est. (715,000 shipboard, 3.3 Million Army, balance are support personel)
Ships in Commission: 350
Major Installations: 5

General Overview: The Gorn have lived a somewhat remote existence despite their location between two major powers. Their military is considered to be small, but powerful and very well trained. Having stayed out of the Dominion War the fleet was not subject to the same losses as other powers. Comprised of unusually large and powerful ships it is a force to be reckoned with, particularly in its own backyard.

Recent Developments and Operations: The Gorn Navy is rumoured to have put into service Profit Class ships but due to their reclusive nature little is known about its exact specifications. They have sent a task force to the wormhole that does not include any of these new ships.

Procurement Programs: The Gorn continue to undertake a balanced procurement program designed to allow them to field the strongest force possible on a limited budget and resources. The navy is overwhelmingly reliant on torpedo technology, a decision made to allow for easy upgrades as torpedo technology advances.

This fits in with the build and refit strategy that has allowed the Gorn to field a navy that hits far above its weight for centuries.

Other Equipment: Three main types are known with the Gorn Battleship being among the largest ship classes in service with any power in the region. The fleet is well designed to achieve its overall goals on the defensive. The primary deficiency is rumored to be in the area of speed, with the ships trading high end top speeds for more weapons, shields and armor.

The new 4th type is part of the Profit Class program between the Ferengi, Gorn and Cardassian.

FERENGI NAVY

Government: Ferengi Alliance
Headquarters: Ferenginar
Personnel: 1.3 Million est.
Ships in Commission: 300
Major Installations: 10

General Overview: Primarily a trading fleet the role of the Ferengi Navy is simply to facilitate trade. Not a serious threat to any major power it is none the less potentially dangerous in defense of Ferengi interest in what is a remote region of space. While it could not stand up to a serious attempt against its territory the deployed force is more than sufficient to deter the Cardassians and the Federation seems to have no hostile intent towards its neighbor.

Recent Developments and Operations: Presumed anti-piracy activity in nearby space and the commitment of a mid-level force to the wormhole have kept what ships the Ferengi do have busy.

Procurement Programs: The Ferengi have developed the new Profit Class about which little is known. It is widely rumoured to be available for export sales.

Other Equipment: None

THOLIAN NAVY

Government: Tholian Assembly
Headquarters: Tholia
Personnel: 500 Million Est. (unknown composition)
Ships in Commission: 3,400 est
Major Installations: Unknown

General Overview: Much like the Breen the Tholians are largely a mystery to the powers that surround them. Having avoided the Dominion War their fleet did not suffer major losses recently but even so the size is hard to determine. Tholian ships are small, somewhat weak and numerous. Getting an exact estimate is almost impossible.

However they did purchase from the Federation an assortment of obsolete ships for which the utility is not known.

The 600 Oberths are largely junk and can be disregarded.

The rest of the ships, Excelsior, Ambassador, Rigel and other such types, are essential obsolete.

Recent Developments and Operations: Totally unknown at this time except for the force they have committed to the wormhole fleet.

Procurement Programs: The Tholians are known to have produced a larger version of their attack ship known as the Tur'Loc Class. This ship has been observed at the wormhole and is thought to be simply an enlarged and more comprehensively armed version of the previous attack ship.

Other Equipment: Only one type is known at this time.




The Prophet Class

This vessel is the first of its type, developed as a joint venture between the Cardassian Union, the Gorn Hegemony and the Ferengi Alliance. What little that is known about the ship comes from Cardassian open records materials.

The development project was done in equal shares by each of the three involved powers, with the Ferengi believed to have provided the financing and the Gorn and Cardassians each putting in their technological assistance to bring the project to fruition.

Each power produces its own variant of the ship that is slightly distinct from the others. Little is known about the armament of the ship but it is estimated to be at least the equal of the latest Klingon and Romulan designs.
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Re: Federation News Service (Sim News)

Post by BigJKU316 »

Klingon's Invade Romulan Territory! Massive losses on both sides!

July 1st, 2393

Hundreds of Klingon ships and millions of troops flooded across the border with the Romulan Star Empire and attacked systems 136, 137 and 138. Klingon high command annoucned it landed nearly 2 million troops on each of the three border worlds. According to Klingon high command the invasion of system 138 was accomplished in short order with Romulan troops being routed and totally crushed.

High Command states that initial landings were successful in systems 136 and 137 and more troops are being sent in to mop up the fragments of the Romulan armies that remain.

Independent reports vary but the rumor in the area is that the Klingon's were unexpectedly turned back at systems 136 and 137 by stout Romulan resistance. Both sides suffered horrendous casualties with the Klingons losing at least four million soldiers in these initial attacks.

Romulan Command is not speaking to the press but leaks to various outlets suggest their casualties numbered nearly 2.5 million men in the initial assault.
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