From: wolfone@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (no one of consequence)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science
Subject: Re: Invading planets
Date: 25 Jan 1993 22:01:31 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX
NNTP-Posting-Host: huey.cc.utexas.edu
Summary: LOGISTICS?! Drat
Keywords: this newsreader is quite annoying.

In article <kzm3jt_@rpi.edu> kasprj@rpi.edu writes:
] Here's my two cents on the problem of invading a planet. Essentially,
]it all boils down to one factor: logistics. 

Logistics? No armchair strategist ever thinks of that. :)
 
] Let's look at an attack on a planet. The rock-dropping solution looks 
]like a good one, assuming that you have the capability to get to where the 
]rocks are and point them in the right direction. So where are your rocks 
]coming from? The minimum-energy solution is to use the rocks that are already 
]in the target planet's solar system. But if you're coming from another solar
]system, your enemies can get to those rocks more easily than you can.
]You're going to have to fight for control of the rocks, and you have to 
]truck your air, water and propellant over several light-years, whereas the
]enemy only has to deal with distances on the AU level. 

Not necessarily. Air, water and propellant can be found in the target system
and your enemy can't be everywhere. Replacement soldiers and a lot of 
equipment would have to be shipped over from the origin point of the invasion.

BTW, I don't even *think* about interstellar warfare w/o some sort of FTL
drive. _Footfall_ nonwithstanding, I think STL interstellar warfare is just
too damn difficult unless you are really desperate (say, you're home sun is
about to go nova and your target system for refugees is inhabited by beings
who don't want you to come in).

Still, even with FTL, logistics can be a nightmare.
  
] Now, a solar system is a big place. Let's assume you managed to establish
]a beachhead (an ironic word to use here, but I can't think of a better one)
]on a good-sized asteroid. Now you have to get the rocks to the planet. Your
]enemy isn't going to just sit there until the rocks are within a few thousand
]miles of home. They've got plenty of transit time and distance in which to 
]intercept your rocks, and again, they're sitting a lot closer to their supply
]sources than you are. 

Of course, the enemy has to know you are there. Hang out near the Oort Cloud
or an outer planet the natives have basically ignored and build up your forces
a bit more before attacking them. Of course, if your FTL system is only 
workable at a specific point in space, stealth won't be an option.

] What you need to do, clearly, is secure "space superiority" over the solar
]system before the invasion can work, just as a planet-based invasion must
]have control of the air and sea routes to its target to be successful. So 
]you need to send in preliminary strike forces to knock out as many of the 
]enemy's spacecraft and bases as possible, or else come in with a completely
]overwhelming force. 

Or use above strategy.
  
] Now think about this for a minute. We're talking about having to move your
]forces _trillions_ of miles, while your enemy only has to deal with millions
]or, at the most, billions. If you've got the resources at your disposal to 
]do this successfully, then the problem of securing the solar system becomes
]trivial in comparison. And if your opponent also has the resources for this,
]then he's probably already attacked _your_ system and you have other things 
]to worry about.   

Not necessarily. They may be the peaceful race that gets invaded and you
might be the evil, warmongering race that hits peaceful races before they
know what hit them. :)
  
] My contention is, then, that the enormous distances and amounts of energy
]involved serve to pre-ordain the outcome of any planetary invasion attempt.
]It will either be an almost-certain success, or an almost-certain failure.

Nothing is ever so cut and dried.

]------------------------------------------------------------------
]     __  Live from Capitaland, heart of the Empire State...
] ___/  | Jim Kasprzak, computer operator @ RPI, Troy, NY, USA
]/____ *|          he who refuses to do nonsense  
]     \_|          is doomed to talk arithmetic.
]      ====  e-mail: kasprj@rpi.edu or kasprzak@mts.rpi.edu 
]
]


-- 
Patrick Chester (Retiring from a crazy bout of .sig* envy :)
"If the Earth is our Cradle, then why are we still here?"
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