Büro des Marinenachrichtendiensts Mainz Relay, Frankfurt
RE: Procurements for Evaluation
In order to evaluate your newest product, the Bulwark Heavy Frigate, for incorporation into our logistical arm and for assessment in regulatory and legalization concerns, the Buro would like to requisition one unit.
Please forward a quote and commissioning timeframe.
Christof Fahrmann, BDM Quartermaster Büro des Marinenachrichtendienstes
► Source: KKS-Kaiser, Lüneburg ► Encryption: port RM-MAS-1NTS-TMD-TRM ► Submitter: Konteradmiral Erich von Richter ► Recipient: Bristol Procurements ► Subject: Contract Tender: Next Generation Fleet Transport
To the Bristol Corporation:
We intend to issue a joint procurement project with the BDM and Rheinwehr. It will be integrated into a larger program upcoming for release, the Next Generation Fleet Program. Your corporation has been invited to submit the "Bulwark" to the Next Generation Fleet Transport segment of the program, along with other corporations pending contracts to compete. This will be done separately from any individual contracts BDM issues and will require separate vessel construction as a result. Regardless of program outcome the BDM are free to opt out of purchase for their own fleet, in which case only the Rheinwehr will submit a mass production request.
The basic tender is as follows:
Next Generation Fleet Transport:
Summary: This project aims to create a transport vessel capable of operating within contested space, replacing the current Uruz transport. Expected opposition includes guerilla snub craft, light gunboats, and light naval mines. The transport must be able to operate within the confines of the military system effectively and provide logistical support to naval elements up to the fleet level. The contractor must provide at least one demonstration vessel for testing at the Juist Testing Range in the Lüneburg system. One design will be chosen to enter mass production for the Kaiserliche Rheinwehr.
Overall Role/Background: The Next Generation Fleet Transport was borne out of the heavy losses in the Rheinwehr's logistics train during the Saigon and Rheinland Civil War. Attacks from GMG and KOI snubs in the former as well as Bundschuh irregulars in the latter war proved highly costly for Rheinland's war effort and in the case of the Saigon War may have prevented a decisive Rheinland victory. As a result, a transport capable of navigating extremely contested space has been proposed. The role of this ship should be to conduct heavy logistics while capable of fending off or destroying hostiles ranging from snub squadrons to cruiser commerce raiders. To reduce fleet operating costs it must fulfill several roles in addition to basic logistics capabilities. Ease of cost and modularity will ensure it can meet these roles effectively and be ready for wartime use and replacement. This will also aid in its supplantation of the Uruz as the primary heavy transport of the Rheinwehr.
Design Requirements:
Requirement A - Heavy Defensive Weaponry: The vessel will be required to operate in heavily contested space. It should be able to survive brief engagements with ships ranging but not limited to, bombers, gunboats, frigates, light cruisers, and militarized transports. A point defense screen capable of successfully engaging hostile snub formations with potential terrain advantages should be emphasized. An additional secondary capability to engage capital ships, with a particular focus on gunboats and light cruisers is encouraged.
Requirement B - Protection: Both the vessel and its cargo must be durable against combat conditions. Partial resistance to torpedoes and naval mines, heavy proofing against fighter-grade weapons, and the capability to withstand gunboat and cruiser-grade heavy weaponry are sought. The ship should be adequately capable of operating in radiation zones, volatile gas pockets, extreme temperature zones, and asteroid fields. Physical access or breach of the cargo holds should be difficult, provisions for remote or automated anti-personnel turrets within the ship are sought, as are alarms, motion sensors, highly reinforced entry points, and particular attention to external plating to prevent rapid theft or destruction of cargo contents.
Requirement C - Modularity: As this vessel is intended to be the primary heavy transport of the fleet, modularity in both cargo and in some cases, capabilities is highly desired. Contractors must present a ship capable of carrying out at least 3 of the following roles with moderate refit: H-Fuel transport, general cargo, heavy/volatile munitions carriage, naval minelaying, automated defense platform deployment, minesweeping, personnel transport, marine combat operations, fleet hospital duties, VIP transport, special sensor/exploration duties including reconnaissance, prisoner transport, electronic warfare, and possibly more as needs are evaluated. The first three requirements listed are mandatory. All personnel transport requirements except VIP transport do not need to be beholden to the commonly accepted standard set for Sirian Liners. Precise details on this and the needs required to carry out all requirements will be addressed in further detail.
Requirement D - Cargo Capacity: With exception to modules/refits listed in requirement C preventing this specification be met, the vessel must carry at minimum the 4200 Sirian Standard Cargo Units carried by the Uruz transport currently in use as the heavy transport of the Rheinwehr fleet.
Requirement E - Speed/Maneuverability: As a vessel expected to enter combat zones this vessel must meet a series of agility requirements. A desired cruise speed of 400-415 and maneuverability or thrust speed capable of achieving 80% simulated avoidance against the MD-4 "Rage" class torpedo launcher commonly employed by dissident forces is sought. Specifications and test examples of this weapon will be provided as needed or at request.
Requirement F - Cost, Ease of Construction/Maintenance: As a vessel intended to be the backbone of the Rheinwehr logistics fleet, several defense economics requirements must be met. A maximum construction time of 1 Sirian month is sought. Contractors must be able to provide adequate yard space to do so or license out such space to Rheinland corporations. Annual maintenance costs should not exceed 10 percent of construction costs, with basic repairs and refits, particularly module refits not exceeding a week, and major overhauls not exceeding a month of vessel yard time.
Expected Costs:
Prototype Construction - 10 to 20 Million Sirian Credits
R&D Work - 40 to 100 Million Sirian Credits (New Designs), 10 to 15 Million Sirian Credits (Existing Designs)
Trial/Exercise Costs - 3 to 5 Million Sirian Credits
Mass Production - 5 Billion Sirian Credits Max
Expected Output:
At least one prototype model demonstrating all requirements must be submitted for testing to the Juist Testing Range in Lüneburg. The winning design will enter mass production upon review by the Reichstag.
Initial/Final Delivery: Initial delivery is expected in late 834 to early 835 AS for existing designs, with new designs anticipated in 835 or 836 AS. Final delivery of all ships is anticipated in 844 AS at the latest. The accepted ship will be slated to supplant the Uruz and other similar capacity vessels in the Rheinwehr, with the BDM maintaining the right to not accept
Testing/Trials: At the Juist Training Range, a series of military exercises will be conducted with the submitted vessel to determine whether or not it meets the set requirements. In the case of ships already in service, data on combat, flight, and other outlined areas of performance will be accepted and considered in the final selection process.
END
Provided you accept this contract I am willing to personally authorize the deployment of the Bulwark-class vessel by your corporation within Rheinland space. While overall costs can be negotiated, this will come under the requirement that you transfer any combat data and records to my staff, as well as detailed flight logs (with allowance for corporate privacy where needed), and other miscellaneous data.
As previously noted, any individual contracts with the BDM (or KPR) are separate from this specific program. This is a joint procurement program with the BDM however, and success in any individual contracts may be reflected in the success of this tender. Testing will in this project be primarily conducted by the Rheinwehr.
We are willing to negotiate on the overall price of the demonstration vessel and any modifications you see fit to meet the contract, so long as it remains within reason. Payment will of course be made for the vessel and for any R&D costs incurred regardless of whether you win the project competition or not.
I would strongly advise you to consider this deal in full and accept it. I am a reasonable man, others may not give such mindfulness to a non-Rheinland corporation. I look forward to hearing your reply.
Für den Kaiser! Für das Volk! Für Rheinland!
Hochachtungsvoll,
Erich von Richter
Konteradmiral der Kaiserlichen Rheinwehr
Posts: 873
Threads: 73
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Incoming Transmission
. User ID:Daniel J. Lennox Recipient:Christof Fahrmann, BDM Quartermaster; Konteradmiral Erich von Richter Subject:Bulwark lease and evaluations .
Dear Vice Admiral von Richter and Quartermaster Fahrmann,
My name is Daniel Lennox, and I am a member of the Board at Bristol Constructions and Manufacturing, responsible for engaging with potential and existing clients at the highest level.
Our latest product is currently facing a somewhat challenging entry into the markets within the Houses due to legislative concerns sparked by introducing such a ship to the civilian sector. As a result, we are keen on identifying as many potential customers as possible. To this end, I believe the most optimal solution is to lease two Bulwark-class ships to the Büro des Marinenachrichtendiensts (BDM) and the Kaiserlichen Rheinwehr (RM) for testing and evaluations.
Our proposed terms for the potential lease are as follows:
Standard Rental Rate:
The standard rental fee is 500,000 credits per week.
Included in this fee, Bristol Constructions and Manufacturing commits to providing necessary technical assistance, including regular maintenance, refueling, and expertise for weapon and equipment exchanges.
Up to four weeks' rental fees will be deducted from the final contractual price if you decide to purchase these ships.
Ownership and Crew:
The leased ships will remain the property of Bristol Constructions and Manufacturing.
Our company will provide the crew for both vessels, who will be fully cooperative to meet the needs of your evaluations.
Purchase Option:
Bristol Constructions and Manufacturing commits that at any time during the trials, you may opt to purchase these ships. This will allow for full transfer of ownership and control over the leased vessels.
Data Security:
In the event that you decide not to proceed with the purchase, Bristol Constructions and Manufacturing commits to erasing any sensitive data from the ships' computer systems in cooperation with your personnel should you deem it necessary.
Are these preliminary terms acceptable to you, gentlemen?
Yours sincerely,
Boardmember Daniel J. Lennox,
Bristol C&M.
Büro des Marinenachrichtendiensts Mainz Relay, Frankfurt
RE: Procurements for Evaluation
This seems agreeable to us. The Buro would like to move forward with the proposed arrangement, but would like to add the option of purchasing a second should it be deemed satisfactory.
While we aknowledge the sole rights of Bristol to the sales, manufacturing, and maintenance of these vessels - we will of course be keeping strict control over vessel trafficking, sensor logs, and communications history.
Christof Fahrmann, BDM Quartermaster Büro des Marinenachrichtendienstes
Büro des Marinenachrichtendiensts Mainz Relay, Frankfurt
RE: Procurements for Evaluation
The ship bound for the Buro has been received from your facility in Bering and successfully docked on our shipyard for inspection. We can arrange for formal transfer of all paperwork at your convenience.
Christof Fahrmann, BDM Quartermaster Büro des Marinenachrichtendienstes
. User ID:Dominik Otork Recipient:Christof Fahrmann, BDM Quartermaster; Konteradmiral Erich von Richter Subject:Bulwark lease and evaluations .
Esteemed Quartermaster Fahrmann & Konteradmiral von Richter,
It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Dominik Otork, a representative of Bristol C&M. I would firstly like to offer my apologies for the delayed response. Mr. Lennox is unfortunately unavailable at present due to a personal matter that required his immediate and undivided attention. During such time, I will be stepping in here to assist in overseeing this transaction with yourselves and provide any assistance that our friends at the Büro des Marinenachrichtendiensts & the Kaiserlichen Rheinwehr may require.
From the available records, I can see that the initial leasing funds have been transferred to Bristol's finance department, that the activation and access codes have been shared with yourselves, and that both Bulwarks have already arrived at their respective destinations for evaluation.
As this marks the start of the leasing period, as Mr. Lennox explained, the funds you have already transferred and will transfer in the coming weeks, will all ultimately be deducted from the total value of the vessels, should you decide to make the purchase permanent. Of course, you need not wait the entire 4 weeks, should the vessel already be preforming to the standard you would require.
Lastly, as per Mr. Fahrmann request, an additional Bulwark has been made available for purchase by the BDM, should this evaluation prove successful.
If either of you gentlemen require any further assistance, or would like to move the lease to a full purchase, please do let me know.
Büro des Marinenachrichtendiensts Mainz Relay, Frankfurt
RE: Procurements for Evaluation
Herr Otork,
After evaluation of the ship in the current 'DRM' lockdown mode, we're still quite impressed. We would like to proceed with purchase for the evaluation model and the second unit.
Christof Fahrmann, BDM Quartermaster Büro des Marinenachrichtendienstes
► Source: KKS-Kaiser, Lüneburg ► Encryption: port RM-MAS-1NTS-TMD-TRM ► Submitter: Konteradmiral Erich von Richter ► Recipient: Bristol Procurements ► Subject: Bulwark-class
Herr Otork,
To carry out the full width of trials I intend a purchase will be necessary. I presume your people are not comfortable manning an experimental minelayer or modifying what is considered a "rental" yes?
My staff requires full details at the earliest convenience and training manuals and the like for handoff. If possible, I would prefer this to occur at Oder Shipyard, but your stations in Bering will make do if so desired. In the event you choose the latter, we would prefer to dispatch an escort in advance to ensure our investment does not meet an early end.
I look forward to closing this arrangement successfully.
Für den Kaiser! Für das Volk! Für Rheinland!
Hochachtungsvoll,
Erich von Richter
Konteradmiral der Kaiserlichen Rheinwehr
. User ID:Dominik Otork Recipient:Christof Fahrmann, BDM Quartermaster; Konteradmiral Erich von Richter Subject:Bulwark lease and evaluations .
Dear Quartermaster Fahrmann & Konteradmiral von Richter,
We are very pleased to hear that the Bulwark is preforming to the standard that Rheinland has come to expect from such a vessel. We can absolutely proceed with the complete purchase of the existing leased vessels. Our finance department has informed me that despite vessels IND-BRI00015-J834 & IND-BRI00016-J834 already being in the possession of the BDM and the Kaiserliches Rheinwehr for a bit over 2 weeks, we have only received the leasing payment for 1 week. Therefore, we will only be able to deduct the original 500,000 Credits from the total purchase value. Please see below the details for the purchase.
Craft ID
Owner
Paid Lease
Remaining for purchase
IND-BRI00015-J834
Büro des Marinenachrichtendiensts
₡500,000
₡14,500,000
IND-BRI00019-K834
Büro des Marinenachrichtendiensts
None
₡15,000,000
IND-BRI00016-J834
Kaiserliches Rheinwehr
₡500,000
₡14,500,000
Once the funds have been received by our finance department, we will release the command authorisation codes to yourselves in order to take full control of the rented vessels. We will also dispatch a transport vessel to the Oder Shipyard to collect the Bristol crew from the two vessels and well as bring any remaining documentation and training manuals that would usually be included in the standard purchase. The crews will also be instructed to provide any on-site support to your staff while awaiting transportation.
In relation to the additional purchase of the vessel IND-BRI00019-K834 by the BDM, standard procedures will apply. Funds will need to be transferred to the usual account Akutan. Once this has been received, the BDM team can collect the vessel at the drydocks in Bering, where full command and access codes will be transferred to the on-site captain.
Should there be anything else you gentlemen would like to request or discuss, please do let me know.
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