The "Helios" Project | IMG Research & Development: Military deparment

[Zynth]

IMG Research & Development: Military department

The "Helios" Project

Project Head: Prof. Alfred Schwermann, Nuremburg Institute of Technology Phd.
Assistant Head: Prof. Ellen Thatcher, Royal University of Cambridge Phd.

::: Updating Logs ::::



Overview:

The "Helios" Project is a foray into the usage of what is termed as "outdated technology" by today's standards. In this day and age, 99.7% of all weaponry in Sirius is energy based, establishing it as the gold standard in weapons technology. There is little wonder why, energy weapons are the pinnacle of energy efficiency, are highly space efficient and batteries are overall much lighter than ammunition. However, despite energy based weaponry's ability to deal a fair amount of damage, the sheer explosive power of ballistic and ordinance based weaponry of the past age leaves much to be desired. The field of ballistics remained undeveloped due to the advent and subsequent focus on energy based weaponry, resulting in a regression of ballistics.The "Helios" project hopes to reverse this regression via the mixing of the sheer power of ballistic technology together with the latest in weapons technology Sirius has to offer.

The "Helios" in the "Helios" Project stands for "High ExpLosIve Ordinance Strikecraft". The aim of the project is to produce a ship that relies fully on ballistic based weaponry that can hold its own in a fight.

Background:

In 816 A.S, IMG Research & Development: Mining department developed a ballistic payload capable of breaking up asteroids to facilitate ease of sample collection and and area clearing. The experimental "Crusher" bomb was implemented first in Omega-7 mining operations.

On one occasion, IMG miner Terry Scott, flying a SMV-612-C class "Scraper" miner and his mining group was targeted by a wing of Corsairs. By sheer chance and luck, a Corsair Titan collided with a "Crusher" bomb dropped by Mr. Scott, decimating its hull.

The incident was reported and sparked the concept idea of improving ancient ballistics weaponry to more modern standards. Although the "Crusher" bomb was discontinued due to volatility and safety hazards, blueprints were provided to the Military research department for analysis.

Aims of the "Helios" Project:

• Reduction of the volatility of ballistics.
  
• Capitalize on the power of ballistics.
  
• Advance the field of ballistics technology.
  
• Produce a military strikecraft capable to fully utilizing ballistics to its fullest potential.
  

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[Zynth]

Preliminary Testing stage:
IMGXF XBF-00 "Helios"

"Independent Miners Guild eXperimental Fighter - eXperimental Ballistics Fighter - Prototype Model-00 "Helios"

Overview

Initial tests involve a test bed model with zero fancy equipment. The first every "Helios" Prototype could not even be described as as a piece of technology. A factory made stock IMGF-18C "Lhotse" with Vampires and internal energy feeders replaced with missile banks.

The IMGXF XBF-00 "Helios" sole purpose was to test feasibility of utilizing a full ballistics weaponry in a modern dog fight. The "Double Zero" was built in Aland Shipyard and piloted by volunteer IMG paramilitary pilot Kyle White, data was collected from field tests in the Omega-3 system. There were two variants of the prototype 00 model.

IMGXF XBF-00j "Helios" was the variant that was used to test tracking and volatility. The "J" standing for "Javelin", the model was fitted with low yield J63 "Javelin" missiles to test the overall ability for missiles to track based upon ancient heat seeking abilities, volatility in the face of weapons fire and feasibility of the entire concept.

Results from the IMGXF XBF-00j "Helios" model showed an overall weakness of missile tracking due to the heat emitted from solar bodies and the high volatility of missiles due to poor containment in missile banks.

The second variant was the IMGXF XBF-00c "Helios", "C" being representative of the C242 "Cannonball", the pinnacle of lightweight ballistics weaponry of that time. The "C" variant was meant to test damage potential against a stationary target. The results were astonishing, the sheer destructive potential of a barrage of six missiles is capable of completely decimating a well armored target.

From preliminary tests, it was decided that the faults of a missile based strikecraft, despite being quite prominent, was subordinate to sheer damage potential. Thus the "Helios" project was given the green light and substantial funding to ensure its faults are dealt with and it's strengths, maximized.

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[Zynth]

Preliminary Testing stage:
IMGXF XBF-00 "Helios"

Experiment logs 00: Pilot vital statistics
Test subject: Kyle White, designation "00"

Test subject 00 "Kyle White", vital statistics outside testing zone are nominal.
Heart rate average of 67. Brain activity nominal.

During testing stage "C", vital monitors and shipboard monitoring devices have found the following:

• Shockwaves can course through a ship's hull.
  
• Shockwaves can shock the pilot. Heart rate doubles after shockwaves. Danger of cardiac arrest present.
  
• Shockwaves can send vibrations through the hull.
  
• Vibrations produce screeching sound that interferes with pilot concentration.
  
• Overall stress levels increase.
  
• Brain activity increase due to stress levels.
  
• Possible brain breakdown may occur.
  

The two main issues for the pilot as gathered from the tests are the possibility of a breakdown due to intense stress due to constant vibrations and screeches from proximity explosions and the possibility of a cardiac arrest should sudden shockwaves startle the pilot.

These two issues have to be addressed in the next prototype.

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[Zynth]

Preliminary Testing stage:
IMGXF XBF-00 "Helios"

Experiment logs 00: Ship statistics
Test subject: Kyle White, designation "00"

Test subject 00 "Kyle White".
Ship: IMGXF XBF-00 "Helios"

During testing stage "J", experimentation on moving target dummies have found the following:

• Tracking systems based upon heat seeking worked at 60% efficiency due to Solar radiation.
  
• Missiles often failed to hit especially when target moves directly in front of a Solar body, heat from Solar body negates heat signature from target.
  
• Susceptibility to CMs at 40%.

Missile tracking capabilities prone to failure. Issue is of a lower priority than pilot safety, will attempt to correct errors in next prototype.

During testing stage "C", experimentation on static dummies have found the following:

• C242 class missiles in a salvo of six decimates targets.
  
• Possibility of damage to ship should explosions occur in proximity.
  
• Earlier mentioned shockwaves prove a hazard to both pilot health and sensitive onboard equipment. 3 counts of monitoring equipment failure due to intense vibrations.

Damage potential is high, but due to area of effect, ship may get caught up in explosion. Sensitive equipment prone to failure due to shockwaves. Ensuring the safety of the pilot and the ship is paramount, preventing damage to sensitive on board equipment is also a priority that must be tackled in the next prototype.

An additional thing to note, all effects of ballistics on the host ship is likely to apply to hostiles as well. If we are able to negate the effect of these shockwaves on both the pilot and the ship, we have a case where our ship is immune to its effects and the enemy, susceptible to them, thus providing a huge bonus in combat.

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[Zynth]

Developmental stage:
IMGXF XBF-01 "Helios"

Overview

The Prototype 01 model was the first ever dedicated missile ship developed by the IMG Paramilitary. Based upon the IMGF-18C "Lhotse" chassis with a complete overhaul in internal and external equipment, the Test-type 01 marked the first ever true foray into upgrading the field of ballistic technology.

New features include:

• Overhauled armor involving an outer lightweight, impact resistant titanium alloy shell.
  
• Internal iridium sway bar struts to support the outer shell and absorb shockwaves.
  
• Newly developed targeting systems.
  
• Dedicated cockpit controls optimized for missile usage.
  
• Dedicated vital statistics monitoring equipment optimized to withstand vibrations.

The new features available allowed the new model a decent level of protection against itself, ease of usage and greater efficiency in dishing out damage to moving targets.

The Prototype model 01 was equipped solely with C242 class "Cannonball" missiles to ensure maximum explosive power capable of stripping the hull off enemy ships with ease.

IMG volunteer pilot Kyle White is still the test subject that will be piloting the ship.

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[Zynth]

Developmental stage:
HIM (Heat - Image Matching) Guidance system

Product info and testing.

The "HIM" Guidance system is a revolutionary step in missile guidance system. Based upon current day image scanning systems, the "HIM" uses a mixture of image matching and heat seeking to guide a missile to its target.

The original HIM-1 involved a simple matching system based upon a ship's scanners, that on top of the traditional heat seeking systems used for guiding missiles.

The development of the HIM-2a offered true "Heat matching" capabilities where a target's heat signature is recorded and matched, thus reducing susceptibility to CM packages and Solar radiation. The introduction of the HIM-2a meant a dedicated scanner had to be installed on the ship.

The HIM-2a's dedicated scanner features a specialized retina display and thermal imaging mounted on the front of the ship in a spherical container with 210 degrees vision in front and behind the ship.



The HIM-01 was tested separately. The HIM-2a was mounted on the Prototype 01 model for testing.

Tests on moving targets have proved to have a marked 20% increase in tracking capabilities and results are positive enough to justify further foray into the field of guidance technology.

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[Zynth]

Developmental stage:
Titanium Alloy shell and Iridium sway bars

Product info and testing.

The effects of shockwaves due to the explosions of missiles have been know to be catastrophic on the stress levels of a pilot, any sensitive equipment on board a ship and anything that is not nailed down properly.

This is a double edged sword, capable of disorientating and causing secondary damage to an opponent's ship but also capable of doing the same to the pilot of the ship firing the missiles.

The answer to this is an outer shell with internal iridium sway bars that absorb the impact by transferring it around the outer shell, leaving the cockpit and the equipment on board unaffected by shockwaves.

The extraordinary success of such an implementation in field tests warrants maintaining this basic idea throughout subsequent Helios models with minor adjustments.

Iridium sway bars and titanium pylon

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[Zynth]

Developmental stage:
IMGXF XBF-01 "Helios"

Experiment logs 01: Pilot vital statistics
Test subject: Kyle White, designation "00"

Test subject 00 "Kyle White", vital statistics outside testing zone are nominal.
Heart rate average of 64. Brain activity nominal.

During testing stage, we monitored Test subject 00's vital statistics relative to the initial readings from the preliminary testing stage of the Prototype 00 model.

The findings are as such:

• Shockwaves absorbed by outer shell and sway bars. Reduction of vibrations by 78%.
  
• Stress levels overall still high, pilot requires mental stamina.
  
• Heart rate overall still high, pilot needs to be physically fit.
  
• A calm pilot would be a good option for this ship.

From the findings, we can conclude that the titanium alloy shell and iridium sway bar design is highly effective and will be maintained throughout future tests and possibly refined. Despite the reduction in stress levels due to a 78% decrease in shockwave effect, pilots still require a calm mind, high mental stamina and have to be physically fit to fly with a lower risk of complications.

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[Zynth]

Developmental stage:
IMGXF XBF-01 "Helios"

Experiment logs 01: Ship statistics
Test subject: Kyle White, designation "00"

Missile guidance tests being conducted on moving targets that occasionally release CM packages.

We observed an increase in tracking ability and an overall decrease in susceptibility to CM packages, solar radiation and other possible countermeasures.

In conclusion, the HIM-2a guidance and targeting system is a success. Image tracking systems work well as long as the target is within visual range of the HIM-2a retina display. The HIM system will be further refined in future models in an attempt to negate the blind side of the HIM-2a retina display.

Aversion to proximity explosions were tested using the same six salvo of C242s in a proximity of 150m safety distance to the ship.

Findings are as follows:

• Shockwaves absorbed by outer shell and sway bars. Reduction in vibrations and shockwave effect.
  
• Sensitive on board equipment no longer affected by vibrations. Zero counts of monitoring equipment failure.
  
• Outer shell absorbs missile impact, reducing overall damage by 20%.
  
• Outer shell more susceptible to energy based weaponry due to design.

It is improbable to maintain same hull integrity under energy weapon fire due to the design of the outer shell. The trade off is reasonable as pilot can assume evasive manoeuvres when under fire.

Design of the outer shell is a success under the field of preventing ballistics related damage which is likely to occur, will be maintained in future models.

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[Zynth]

::: Emergency Log :::

The "Autumn" Incident

Several explosions and a fire broke out in Hangar Deck C. The fire spread to Hangar Deck B.

Damage report:

• Zero deaths
  
• No severely injured personnel
  
• Loss of the IMGXF XBF-01 "Helios" Prototype. Status: Unrecoverable.
  
• Loss of Helios upkeep facilities

Chain of events:

August 12th 817 A.S, electro-static energy from a nearby weapons discharge test in Hangar Deck C, bay 17 triggered a series of explosions. The electro-static energy interacted with the volatile state of the missiles on board the IMGXF XBF-01 "Helios" Prototype in the nearby bay 16 and resulted in a chain of explosions with a force of roughly 12 C242 class "Cannonball" missiles.

The blast instantly destroyed the Prototype model 01 and the surrounding facilities meant for its upkeep. A fire broke out and spread throughout the hangars to Deck B.

The Prototype model 01 was lost, a total of 59 million SC worth of research and funding was destroyed. The blueprints to the ship however, were safe.

Due to the success of the "Helios" project, the committee gave the green light to continue research despite the setback. The new priority for the research team was to discover and design a method of containing the volatility of ballistic weaponry.

All research stored on Aland and all materials, personnel and remaining facilities were shifted to Tau-39 for safety and secrecy. Jakarta Orbital Facility is now the new base of operations for the "Helios" project.

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