Star Wars Cloaking Devices On Film/TV

[DSG2k]

Well, we've seen them in the canon now.

The following is based on a post I made to another board.

A ~135m long and roughly tubular-shape Republic prototype vessel is cloak-capable in the episode "Cat and Mouse"[TCW2]. The vessel's volume is perhaps 4000 cubic meters given its length and slenderness (the design reminds one of the Discovery from 2001), implying that it may not be significantly more voluminous than the Falcon or Twilight. This may suggest that length is somehow critical for cloaking, given that no ship as small as the Falcon is supposed to have a cloaking device per Needa in the original trilogy.

Regarding the capabilities of the cloak:

a. No visual distortion, even when touched on the hull by a Jedi hand.

b. No detection by Separatist ships (including Munificents, a Providence, and Trade Federation battleships) using standard scanning despite a hull-grazing pass of a Munificent. Even when the presence of the cloaked ship was known and the vessel had recloaked, scanning was ineffective until Separatist Admiral Trench's magnetic signature trick was employed. After that they had the ship on sensors without difficulty.

c. The ship cannot fire any weapons while cloaked, including "torpedoes and anti-aircraft cannons". When preparing to decloak and fire torpedoes, mixed within the torpedo firing prep lines was a note about diverting power. This may imply that Star Wars cloaks can't fire due to cloaking device power drain.

d. When detection was feared due to a close pass by fighters and bombers, Anakin ordered all systems and engines powered down save for the cloak, implying the possibility of some sort of signal leakage when these systems were functioning.

e. Cloak activation/deactivation requires only a couple of seconds, involving a luminous blue sparkly-bolt effect like electric arcs over the hull. However, after cloak deactivation, 15-35 seconds is apparently required to reactivate the cloak, at least after firing a full four-tube torpedo volley (it was 35 the first time, 15 the second).

f. Per Admiral Trench, any stealth ship could pass the Separatist blockade easily. This strongly suggests that cloaking devices are both rare (otherwise no one would bother to try to blockade) and rather effective (otherwise they'd be able to detect them readily).

And, though I neglected to mention it in the other post, yes you can see out from inside the cloak.

The Separatist admiral had used "tracking torpedoes" to destroy cloaked cruisers in prior engagements, but he'd only had a few engagements with cloaked ships, and the description suggests these ships were large cloaked vessels. All signs point to cloaking being sufficiently rare that these battles were few and far between.

His use of tracking torpedoes to destroy cloaked ships seemed confusing to the Republic, which apparently never determined how he did it until now (the magnetic signature issue that Anakin guessed).

So, now we've seen it. Thoughts and impressions?

[Aaron]

Wait...they got spotted by a high tech MAD?

My gawd that is sad.

[Captain Seafort]

It might be a characteristic of the specific design - it's clearly a different type of cloak to those previously observed, given that it can't use weapons but can use sensors. I haven't seen the ep in question, but it may be that whatever was used to detect it became SOP in the Imperial Navy to the extent that it ceasing being considered a "proper" cloak.

[Aaron]

It would make some sense given the others were "double blind" IIRC. I find it odd though that the Republic never picked up on it during testing, nor had means to reduce it.

Must be that "no war for a thousand years" BS thats used to explain away the foolish PT ground kit designs.

[DSG2k]

We've never observed cloaks in the Lucas canon before, so there's actually nothing to compare it to. The EU is a separate universe, so naturally its technology can be different. (If you wanna argue that, go start another thread.)

Anyway . . .

In this episode, there is no suggestion of other types of cloaking device or other capabilities of different ship cloaks, given that the "high-tech MAD" trick worked against other cloaked vessels previously in engagements between Trench and unknown assailants, and the fact that Trench penetrated them was known but his method was mysterious to the Republic. It was only Anakin's guess that it was magnetics, and it happened to be correct.

Whether future cloaks will share that weakness is unclear, but we didn't get any word suggesting they were going to do anything (or be able to do anything) about it. But, then, cloaking device tech has a way of getting inflated by writers given enough time, so we'll see what happens.

[Sionnach Glic]

The canon discussion has been relocated to here. Let's just say that I've got a feeling that'll be a long debate.

[Deepcrush]

Rochey, you should move DSG2k's first line as well since its the seed for the new thread. Otherwise you risk a cross over.

[Captain Seafort]

It wouldn't make any sense in the other thread, so best left here. Keep all other canon stuff in the other thread please gents.

[Deepcrush]

Its not going to happen... besides it would work in the other thread as he's saying that canon isn't canon unless its canon he likes. Its perfect for the other thread.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

"No ship that small has a cloaking device!" Also, Maul's ship had one too.

[Aaron]

"No ship that small has a cloaking device!" Also, Maul's ship had one too.

Eh?

[Captain Seafort]

Its not going to happen... besides it would work in the other thread as he's saying that canon isn't canon unless its canon he likes. Its perfect for the other thread.

Now can people please keep cloaking stuff in this thread and canon stuff in the other one.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

"No ship that small has a cloaking device!" Also, Maul's ship had one too.

Eh?

He posted:

We've never observed cloaks in the Lucas canon before, so there's actually nothing to compare it to. The EU is a separate universe, so naturally its technology can be different. (If you wanna argue that, go start another thread.)

And I am disputing such a claim.

[Deepcrush]

Its not going to happen... besides it would work in the other thread as he's saying that canon isn't canon unless its canon he likes. Its perfect for the other thread.

Now can people please keep cloaking stuff in this thread and canon stuff in the other one.

Dude, as long as its here. Its going to be a point of conflict. There's no way around it.

[Captain Seafort]

I can try.