Vulkan Wrote:Whilst Gallic and Sirian weapons hardpoints differ in practical evolutionary principles, coincidental similarities between the nature of Sirius and Gallia’s respective intersystem societies have pushed the use of space fighters down similar strategic requirement trees, resulting in functionally similar solutions due to the shared realisation of relativistic dogfighting within a confined volume.

A fighter weapons hardpoint is nothing more – and nothing less, than an electromagnetically actuated ball joint that provides rapid rotation to firing solutions of man-sized anti-fighter weaponry that function, with the exception of more antiquarian solutions such as Gatling guns, an effective projection of the fighter’s power supply to inflict shock against external materials. Hardpoints have to be able to be both widely mobile and follow the eyesight of the pilot’s helmet whilst being able to avoid damage from the angular momentum of both spacecraft and the gun itself, which can move with extreme violence against its bracket during combat rigour. The purpose of the hardpoint gimbal is to allow the fighter, which will rarely be at completely optimal intercept angles with spacecraft its pursuing, to shoot beyond its cone of approach, or to allow evasive manoeuvres to be committed whilst acquiring a firing solution – an essential aspect of modern sirian dogfighting, which would otherwise be widely impossible.

Gallic hardpoints are nevertheless widely distinct. They should be compared to Sirian counterparts just as Lions and Tigers are within the zoological, rather than the technological, sciences. Lions and Tigers can interbreed and produce offspring, but their offspring is invariably infertile. Equally, Gallic and Sirian technology can be spliced together – there are a few historic examples on public record of combined Gallic and Sirian devices in the decade after Gallic contact – yet the results are often technologically inefficient compared to either solution.

We, instead, have created a new species. Call this hardpoint a Leopard. It is a combination hardpoint created through a first principles design ethos.

- We lack a supply of Gallic weaponry and the ability to service Gallic weaponry.

- The hardpoints must interface with Gallic hardware without creating excessive wear or strain that EFL did not design for.

- Proprietary EFL design technology will not interface with hardpoint standardisation systems as pioneered by Daumann, Deep Space Engineering, Samura, and others.

This leads us to the following design conclusions:

- The hardpoints will be optimised for Sirian weaponry only.

- They will be optimised for UN and LWB weaponry and components, due to the reduced numbers of enforced standardisation devices and the greater adaptability of the components concerned.

- Gallic interfacing hardware must be used to connect the guns to the hull.


Fortunately all of the Gallic resources required are already inbuilt into the Lynx. Mating Gallic technology to Sirian hardware will result in a reduced life expectancy of the guns – hardware degradation is to be expected within the next ten years, however, they will be sufficient for the near-term.




Your hardpoints will be installed in a matter of hours. If the project is successful, we may re-use the concept for any future Gallic fighters we may come under the possession of. Whilst the design will operate successfully in simulation, we cannot predict the total efficiency of the weapons system until Arbeiter Rousse physically fires the cannons.

We will collect data in the field.

Below: Project Leopard 3D Design concept.