Tactical

This department was in charge of the ship's weapon systems, their calibrations and upkeep. Furthermore, the tactical officers on starships and starbases were, basically, the ones firing the weapons at the tactical station on the bridge. This role could sometimes be filled by the Chief of Security depending on the officer's experience and responsibilities on the ship.

Tactical officers were men selected from the Academy on account of superior intelligence, reliability and mechanical knowledge. The assignment to Tacical was made with the idea that the officers should be somewhat higher in standard than other officers in regard to starship weaponry and their usage; that their knowledge of ordnance and targeting should be such that they would be able to also make repairs to the systems.

The physical layout of the Tactical station console often described a sweeping curve affording an unobstructed view of the main viewer, and an equally clear view of the command stations on the bridge. This allowed for an uninterrupted exchange between the Tactical Officer and other bridge officers during critical operations, as well as exchanges with crew members occupying the aft stations. The duty station console lacked a seat and was therefore a standup position, deemed ergonomically necessary for efficient tactical functions.

Positions

(Under Construction) As of 2381, these were the different roles in this department:

Tactical Roles
Role	Description
Chief Tactical Officer	WIP
Asst. Chief Tactical Officer	The Assist. Chief Tactical Officer was the second senior most Tactical Officer aboard and reported directly to the Chief Tactical Officer. On the Theurgy, there were two Asst. Chiefs because of the ship's MVAM capability. In the event that the ship had to separate for a longer duration, the Asst. Chief Tactical Officers would serve as Chiefs on their own hull sections respectively.
Tactical Officer	Tactical Officers reported to the Chief Tactical Officer and Asst. Chief Tactical Officer.

Tactical Policies

Starfleet proudly drew upon the traditions of the navies of many worlds, most notably those of Earth. Starfleet honored their distinguished forebears in many ceremonial aspects of their service, yet there was a fundamental difference between Starfleet and those ancient military organizations. Those sailors of old saw themselves as warriors. It was undeniably true that preparedness for battle was an important part of their mission, but Starfleet saw themselves foremost as explorers and diplomats. This might seem a tenuous distinction, yet it had a dramatic influence on the way they dealt with potential conflicts. When the soldiers of old pursued peace, the very nature of their organizations emphasized the option of using force when conflicts became difficult. That option had an inexorable way of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Peace was no easier than it was in ages past. Conflicts were real, and tensions could escalate at a moment's notice between adversaries who command awesome destructive forces. Yet they had finally learned a bitter lesson from our past: When they regarded force as a primary option, that option would be exercised. Starfleet's charter, framed some two centuries ago after the brutal Romulan Wars, was based on a solemn commitment that force was not to be regarded as an option in interstellar relations unless all other options have been exhausted.

Rules of Engagement

Although starships were fully equipped with sophisticated weaponry and defenses, Starfleet taught its people to use every means at their disposal to anticipate and defuse potential conflict before the need for force arises. This, according to Federation mandate, was Starfleet's primary mode of conflict resolution. Starfleet's rules of engagement were firmly based on these principles. Due to the extended range of Starfleet's theater of operations, it was not uncommon for starships to be beyond realtime communications range of Starfleet Command. This meant a starship captain often had broad discretionary powers in interpreting applicable Federation and Starfleet policies. The details of these rules are classified but the basics were as follows.

A starship was regarded as an instrument of policy for the United Federation of Planets and its member nations. As such, its officers and crew were expected to exhaust every option before resorting to the use of force in conflict resolution. More important, Federation policy required constant vigilance to anticipate potential conflicts and to take steps to avert them long before they escalate into armed combat. Perhaps the most dangerous conflict scenario was that of the unknown, technically sophisticated Threat force. This refers to a confrontation with a spacecraft or weapons system from an unknown culture whose spacefaring and/or weapons capability was estimated to be similar or superior to their own. In such cases, the lack of knowledge about the Threat force was a severe handicap in effective conflict resolution and in tactical planning. Complicating matters further, such conflicts were often First Contact scenarios, meaning cultural and sociologic analysis data were likely to be inadequate, yet further increasing the import of the contact in terms of future relationships with the Federation. For these reasons, Starfleet required cultural and technologic assessment during all First Contact scenarios, even those that occur during combat situations in deep space. Rules of engagement further required that adequate precaution be taken to avoid exposure of the ship and its crew or Federation interests to unnecessary risk, even when a potential Threat force had not specifically demonstrated a hostile intent. There were, however, specific diplomatic conditions under which the starship will be considered expendable.

More common than the unknown adversary was conflict with a known, technically sophisticated Threat force. This referred to confrontation with a spacecraft or weapons system from a culture with which contact has already been made, and whose spacefaring and/or weapons capability was similar or superior their own, even if the specific spacecraft or weapons system was of an unknown type. In such cases, tactical planning had the advantage of at least some cultural and technological background of the Threat force, and the ship's captain would have detailed briefings of Federation policies toward the Threat force. In general, starships were not permitted to fire first against any Threat force, and any response to provocation must be measured and in proportion to such provocation.

Here again, Starfleet required adequate precaution be taken to avoid excessive risk to the ship or other Federation interests. Much more limiting were conflicts with spaceborne Threat forces estimated to be substantially inferior in terms of weapons systems and spaceflight potential. Here again, the use of cultural and technologic assessment was of crucial importance. Prime Directive considerations may severely restrict tactical options to measured responses designed to reduce a Threat force's ability to endanger the starship or third parties. Typically, this meant limited strikes to disable weapons or propulsion systems only. Rules of engagement prohibited the destruction of such spacecraft except in extreme cases where Federation interests, third parties, or the starship itself are in immediate jeopardy.

Even more difficult were conflicts in which a Starfleet vessel or the Federation itself was considered to be a third party. Such scenarios included civil and intrasystem conflicts or terrorist situations. In evaluating such cases, due care had to be taken to avoid interference in purely local affairs. Still, there were occasionally situations where strategic or humanitarian considerations would require intervention. Starfleet personnel were expected to closely observe Prime Directive considerations in such cases.

Threat Assessment & Targeting System (TA & TS)

Known colloquially as the “targeting scanners,” the Threat Assessment/Tracking/Targeting System (TA/T/TS) was a ship’s tactical sensors and computer package. The Tactical Officer relied on the TA/T/TS in combat in much the same way as the Flight Control officer uses the navigational computer — it helps him do his job better. Different classes of TA/T/TS were available; the better ones make the Tactical Officer’s job easier, but took up more space and require more power to operate. Ships may have a backup TA/T/TS system to take over for the main system if it was damaged or malfunctioned.

In addition to using it to target weapons and assess tactical data, a Tactical Officer may use targeting scanners to obtain a transporter lock on a person or object, aiding the Ops staff and the Transporter Officers in extracting the target in hostile situations.

Attack Patterns

For when MVAM is executed via computer and not by use of the auxiliary Battle Bridges. Each vector can be controlled from the Main Bridge by continuously assigning them attack and defensive patterns. This is done from the Tactical station, with the influx of commands from the commanding officer on the Bridge.

Offensive / Attack Manoeuvres

Alpha

Starfleet's most basic offensive manoeuvre, attack pattern Alpha involves a mostly straight-on approach to the target, with some slight vectoring to the side based on the ship's weapons complement and the target's movement.

Beta-series Manoeuvres

Beta-1
The ship dives down between two enemy ships, firing at least once at each of them (and hoping they themselves will miss and hit each other if properly aligned.
Beta-2
Approaching the target closely, within 90,000 kilometres, the ship jinks to starboard of the target, then dives beneath it to emerge on its port ventral side, firing as it goes.
Beta-3
The ship makes a broad arc turn around one or more ships, attacking them as it goes.
Beta-4
The ship climbs steeply, veering to port or starboard, then quickly dives back down, firing at one or more targets as it goes.

Delta-series Manoeuvres

Delta-1
The ship swoops up from underneath a target to attack its vulnerable ventral side.
Delta-2
The ship swoops over the target from starboard to port, then back from port to starboard (diving underneath the target on the second pass of necessary), firing as it goes.
Delta-3
The ship dives straight down at, or climbs straight up at, the target, firing forward weapons.
Delta-4
An all-out, straightforward frontal attack.
Delta-5
A long, relatively shallow dive to one side of the target (usually whichever way allows the ship to bring the most weapons to bear or which uses the target to take cover from other ships' attacks.

Kappa-series Manoeuvres

Kappa 0-1-0
From a superior position, the ship arcs down and and around its target to port, firing as it goes.
Kappa 0-2-0
The ship flies on a carefully-calculated arc through a battlefield, firing at multiple targets.

Omega-series Manoeuvres

Omega-1
As the ship approaches the target head-on, it jinks to one side and dives steeply from one end of it to another.
Omega-2
The ship rolls from one side to the other giving its weapons maximum exposure so the Tactical Officer can engage multiple targets.
Omega-3
The ship veers back and forth across the battlefield like a darting swallow, attacking vulnerable targets.

Sierra-series Manoeuvres

Sierra-1
The ship swoops in from an aft dorsal angle to attack the target from behind.
Sierra-2
While seeming as if it will pass a particular target, the ship turns to face it head-on and attacks.
Sierra-3
The ship flies through the heart of a battle, jinking back and forth to avoid enemy attacks as it attacks choice targets.
Sierra-4
The ship comes up from beneath the target(s) and loops up over it/them.

Defensive / Evasive Manoeuvres

Alpha-series Manoeuvres

Alpha-1
The ship jinks to one side and dives.
Alpha-2
The ship climbs steeply out of harm's way.

Beta-series Manoeuvres

Beta-1
The ship climbs slightly, then dives down.
Beta 1-4-0
A quick complex manoeuvre involving several rapid turns.
Beta-2
The ship climbs slightly, then jinks hard to port or starboard.
Beta-3
The ship climbs slightly, then jinks slightly to port or starboard and lunges forward.
Beta-4
The ship climbs steeply, then jinks to port or starboard and climbs slightly.
Beta 9-3
A short, rapid dive followed by a quick series of jinks and turns designed to throw off the aim of any opponent.

Delta-series Manoeuvres

Delta-1
As it flies along a relatively straight vector, the ship jinks slightly from one side to the other.
Delta-2
The ship does a barrel roll to go from being in front of its pursuer to above and behind it.
Delta-3
The ship jinks hard to port or starboard and then drops back.
Delta-4
The ship jinks hard to port or starboard and then slides downward in a shallow dive.
Delta-5
The ship jinks hard to port or starboard and then climbs in a shallow, climbs in a shallow, curving arc.

Gamma-series Manoeuvres

Gamma-1
The ship veers to port or starboard in a broad arc, then suddenly jinks in the opposite direction.
Gamma-2
The ship jinks downward in a slight dive to port or starboard, then climbs steeply.
Gamma-3
The ship jinks upward in a slight climb to port or starboard, then dives steeply.
Gamma-4
The ship turns up its side, then falls away in a steep drop to port or starboard.
Gamma-5
The ship dives steeply, turning on its side towards the bottom of the dive and then climbing steeply and levelling out at the end of the climb.

Lambda-series Manoeuvres

Lambda-1
A full starboard roll.
Lambda-2
The ship makes a half-roll and then drops down.

Omega-series Manoeuvres

Omega-1
The ship engages in a complex, stomach-turning series of rapid turns which makes it difficult to track of follow.
Omega-2
The ship jinks to the right, upward, and to the right again.
Omega-3
The ship dives or climbs to port or starboard, executing a long S-turn as it does so.
Omega-4
The ship climbs in an arc, but before reaching the expected top of the arc, it darts quickly forward.
Omega-5
The ship peels off to port or starboard, then executes a turn designed to bring him underneath an enemy ship (perhaps one that was pursuing).
Omega-6
The ship arcs upward to port, then peels down swiftly to the side from the apex of the turn.

Theta-series Manoeuvres

Theta-1
The ship jinks to the side and dives slightly, back to the other side and dives steeply, then climbs about one ship length.
Theta-2
The ship arcs to port around its opponent, then peels downward and to starboard.
Theta-3
The ship peels off to the side, climbing as it does so, then dives straight down.
Theta-4
The ship jinks to starboard, then jinks to port and dives slightly, then jinks back to starboard in a steep dive.

Other Manoeuvres

Cochrane Deceleration

This manoeuvre is efficient when the ship is being pursued by an enemy within 300,000 kilometres. It decelerates suddenly, allowing the enemy to pass it so that it can fire forward weapons.

Picard Manoeuvre

Developed by Captain Jean-Luc Picard in 2355 when he commanded U.S.S. Stargazer, the Picard manoeuvre is only effective against a single target using only lateral sensors, since it relies on a starship's ability to move at faster than light velocities without the target realizing where it's gone. The ship must start out sufficiently far enough from its target that it takes more than five seconds for light to reach the target (more than 1,500,000 kilometres). The ship makes a microwarp burst, thus moving from its current position to one much closer to the target before the target realizes it has moved. The ship drops out of warp, appearing in two places at the same time and fires on the target, hopefully inflicting grievous damage before it realizes what has happened.

Riker Manoeuvre

Developed by Commander William Riker in battle against the Son'a in 2375, the Riker manoeuvre -due to practical considerations- can only be performed in regions of space filled with dangerous, combustible substances such as metreon gas. The ship passes through the gas, collecting it with its Bussard ramscoops. It then flushes the ramscoops, projecting the gas backwards at its pursuers, or forward toward an approaching enemy ship. The enemy's attacks, or a quick phaser blast from the ship ignites the gas, causing an explosion which damages the enemy ship.

Talluvian Manoeuvre

This manoeuvre is a flexible one designed to manoeuvre a ship so that its most powerful phasers are brought to bear on the target for as long as possible. It works best with ships which have streaming phasers rather than pulse phasers. The ship flies above or below its target (depending on which phaserbank is available to use) in a diagonal pattern which allows it to fire its phaser and keeping it locked continuously for as long as possible.