Aerie O-1

Written by skairunner

The Aerie O-1 is the first dedicated Spaceborne Warning and Control System (SWACS) fielded by the Jovian Orbital Guard. Its hull is pockmarked with integrated radio dishes and broken up by countless masts and antennae. Large, bulky, and packed full with sophisticated electronics and sensors, it is capable of precisely identifying and tracking objects in space as small as a mot and thousands of kilometers away. It can also calculate the speed and direction of tracked objects, giving its operators total knowledge of the environment.

Background

It was introduced alongside the Jovian Cyklopes SSF-9 as the Guard's next generation of military spacecraft, designed with an eye towards the most common missions it would be carrying out alongside the Cyklopes: anti-piracy.
The most common type of pirate attack attempts to intercept victim cargo carriers on their deceleration burn. Early anti-piracy was reactive, focusing on tracking the cargo carrier after it was captured. Thought by some to be the golden age of modern space piracy, countless high value hijackings were successfully undertaken, and many pirates, including the notorious Lexi Lazarus, made their names during this time.
The Orbital Guard quickly discovered that it was easier to prevent pirates from boarding in the first place. Station traffic control tracking systems were sporadically used, but only the largest space stations had the range required to detect pirates. Most space stations rely on Voluntary Indication of Position (VIP) systems instead of direct surveillance of spacecraft, except for when close to the station terminal.
The first SWACS were existing civilian spacecraft that were modified with sensor dishes similar to those on stations. Despite this rudimentary design, they quickly proved the value of the concept. The limited range was no longer an issue as the platform itself could be relocated, and the increased surveillance on the space of operations proved deadly for pirates. Successive designs were trialed and fielded, though none of them were purpose-built hulls.
Despite these successes, piracy was still a major problem, particularly in less-trafficked space. Following pressure from key stakeholders, the Jovian Senate approved a large budget for Project Eyes in the Skies, which would later become the Aerie O-1.

Operation

Development of the Aerie was relatively smooth. Two manufacturers were tapped for the project, Magnomight Systems for its expertise in space surveillance technology and Jupiter Stella for the platform itself. Both companies are headquartered directly on Jupiter, which some observers critiqued as a move that would alienate Jupiter's moons regardless of intentionality.
Although the unprecendented size and scale of its sensor suite was considered a high risk factor, previous experience with SWACS coupled with the advantage of a custom-designed hull allowed design compromises to be kept to a minimum. After the initial few deployments, the most pressing issues were ironed out.
The true issue with the Aerie was neither price nor design, but personnel. The increased surveillance capabilities were matched by an increase in staffing requirements. The higher expertise required to operate the Aerie's systems strained the Orbital Guard training pipeline to its limit, and they were forced to bring on civilian contractors on many Aeries. Even now, some decades since the introduction of the Aerie there are more craft mothballed than deployed, and Aeries deployed to low-risk areas are run with a skeleton crew.

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Speed 3/7

Mobility 2/7

Sensors 7/7

Toughness 3/7

Manufacturer

Jupiter Stella

Owning Organization

Jovian Orbital Guard

Current location

Jupiter

Complement / Crew

20-30

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

Minimal