Prismarine Aerial Defense System
| Prismarine Aerial Defense System | |
|---|---|
| Yelwuh Njer Frewed Aerial Priyamasinea | |
| Country |  Trident Union |
| Branch | Trident Union Air Force |
| Type | Aerial Defense System & Anti-Ballistic Missile System |
| Role | Defense of Trident Union aerospace and/or destruction of aerial targets. |
| Part of | Branch of Trident Air Force |
| Nickname(s) | The Prismarine System |
| Motto(s) | "Defense, from sea to sky." |
| Sea Green | Sea Green |
| Equipment | Zinc Detection Array Chromium Array Onshore Inferno VLS Battery Inferno "Triumph" Battery Inferno Offshore Battery Gallium Array Republica Battery |
| Engagements | 2022 Ardo Riots |
| Website | www.prismarineads.com/ |
| Commanders | |
| Chief General | Ywgt Shalmada |
| Asistant General | Uxdima Gruiomer |
| Deputy General | Maria Antoinette |
The Prismarine Aerial Defense System (Kowy: Yelwuh Njer Frewed Aerial Priyamasinea), abreviated to PADS, is an anti-ballistic missile and anti-aircraft defense system, designed to detect, eliminate, and destroy any threats to the Trident Union's aerospace. Developed through 2021 and 2022, the system was desinged as a replacement for the aging Trident Aerial Defense System, which had been ineffective in eliminating modern simulated targets. Launched on March 20th, 2022, it was deployed to multiple provinces. After a failure in the Smolder 3 missiles equiped by a Mobile Battery, a village in Ardo was destroying, causing the 2022 Ardo Crisis. It also demonstrated the first combat use of the system when three planes were shot down upon being identified as a threat. To this day, the system is deployed in many regions of the Union. The Prismarine System involves multiple components: Detection, Tracking, and Elimination. This three part formula involves a multitude of units to fulfill these tasks. First, there are multiple "Zinc Detection Array's" deployed across the Union, which continously scan the aerospace for threats. These are primarily deployed on the borders and coasts of the Union, to find a target as it approaches the Union. Next, these Zinc Detection Array's continue to track these threats, or look for new ones. Meanwhile, a Chromium Array, designed for accurate tracking of a target once detected, will be activated to maintain continous tracking. In some cases, the older Gallium Array is also used. Finally, Inferno Batteries will fire surface-to-air missiles at the target, or anti-ballistic missiles. These batteries are either on mobile trucks, VLS systems on the ground, "Triumph" batteries with higher accuracy, or offshore batteries on navy ships. In some cases, the older Gallium Battery is used to destroy targets.
Etymology
The word "Prismarine" is singificant to the Union. Prismarine shards, which are actually blue rocks that are found uniquely in the Trident Union, are of historical significance of being used to repel invaders, including Spanish conquistadors. It was chosen as the name of the new system to represent it's use in defending the Union from invasive airborne targets. Meanwhile, most of the units in the system are uniquely named after elements. Previously, the "Gallium Array" was part of the Trident Aerial Defense System, and the engineers decided to stick with the name. The name Chromium in particular is special, becasue it represents a strong, durable element. The array, designed to represent a new and much more rigid system when it comes to tracking, was named this. Finally, "Inferno" was named that due to it's large plume, which was larger than previous surface-to-air missiles.
History
Near the end of the year 1975, the Trident Defense Force determined that it needed to create a defense against aerial targets. The first system was developed over the course of seven years, containing multiple home-made ballistic missiles, there launchers, and tracking/detection systems. These were not however extremely advanced, and as time went on, they failed to destroy many modern targets. Thus, in early 2021, it was determined that simple but new upgradeds were needed. Rather than upgrade the existing missiles, which were entirely redundant, the Union developed the new Smolder missiles. These were much faster, and could evade modern countermeasures. They had a larger range and a larger warhead to maximize the damage. That too, the existing launchers could not effectively fire the missiles, meaning new launchers were developed, along with a new tracking and detection array due to the ineffectiveeness of the last one. The TADS was eventually retired, it's batteries and arrays being cannabilized to create the Prismarine units. Some were kept as a safe guard in case other batteries were busy. As deployment was nearly finished, it was announced to the public. This was received relatively positively, though some were concerned about the cost. However, in one relatively normal test of the system, a Mobile Battery fired multiple Smolder 3 missiles. Halfway to there targets, the motors failed, causing it to fall short of the simulated target. While it origanally would have been detonated by the proximity fuse before impacting the Ardo village below, there was a critical programming glitch that prevented this from happening. The village was destroyed in the ensuing inferno, and this sparked the ensuing Ardo Riots of 2022. Multiple PADS equipment and units were destroyed due to them being blamed for the village fire. However, the TDF sucessfully stopped the riots. The system was successfully deployed around the Union over the course of 2022, and to this day continues to be active.
Units & Equipment
Detection
The "Detection" Units of the system are designed to detect incoming targets before they strike. This consists of the Zinc Detection Array, which is deploed along the coasts and borders of the Trident Union.
Zinc Detection Array
The Zinc Detection Array is the early warning system of the Prismarine Aerial Defense System. Capable of detecting aerial targets, they are an advanced system that is the most employed. The Zinc Detection Array was developed as a successor for the Ulodo Detection Array, which is still employed as a reserve detection system. With much clearer tracking, Zinc has nearly two times larger and clearer of a tracking range. Zincs are located either near borders and the coast, or on specialized aircraft and ships.
Oncoast Early Warning Detection Facilty
Early Warning Detection Facilities are the most common setup of Zinc arrays. This consists of buildings, usually in a Trident Defense Force base, called Main Control. These faciltiies connect to dozens of large Zinc Arrays across the small area they connect to. From this building, these arrays are controlled by specialized operators, which work 24/7 to monitor these arrays and check for any threats. The array's themselves are large, usually facing away from the Union where threats most likely will come from. They are capable of turning to track any targets needed, and have a wide range. They are always active, 24/7.
Airborne Early Warning & Detection Aircraft
Airborne Early Warning & Detection Aircraft (AEW&DA) are medium sized aircraft that carry Zinc Array's. These planes provide the array much more range to search for incoming threats, and the Union operates a large force of these planes.
Currently, the only existing EW&DA is the T15, and is also one of the only ways to track threats in enemy territory or places where other Zinc arrays are not active.
These T15's take off from any TDF or allied Air Force Base, and in peacetime usually patrol borders and other coasts to track any threats. If a threat is detected, the track will be maintained a relayed down to the ground, where Chromium Tracking Array's will take over to track the target. In wartimes, these planes often fly with fighter escorts, and patrol areas of high risk. They have large fuel tanks, though are slow as a consequence. However, they are critical for detecting targets that evade other arrays, such as cruise missiles which hug the ground.
Seaborne Early Warning & Detection Crafts
Seaborne Early Warning & Detection Crafts (SEW&DC) are specialized watercraft designed to detect aircraft. These are medium sized ships designed for tracking aerial targets, and are equipped with both Zinc and Chromium Array's. Usually converted patrol ships or large ferry's, they are each very potent, though not very numerous. These ships are deployed along the coasts of the Union or allied nations, as early warning systems. In times of conflict or threat, they may be deployed to specific areas to protect that area or track active threat, many times travelling with small escorts.
Tracking
Chromium Tracking Array
The Chromium Tracking Array is a tracking array to maintain active tracks on aircraft of missiles. Designed to be quickly activated after an active threat has been found, they are designed for a clear and accurate track of a target, rather than simple detection. Once a Zinc Array has detected a target, they continue to track that target until one or multiple Chromium's are activated. Then, the Zinc Array returns to search for other threats, and the Chromium's maintain a lock on the enemy air craft. This array is extremely effecient, operated by trained specialists to relay information to a missile battery which will eliminate it using the info from that array. The array is used on a variet of vehicles. Uniquely, the PADS Mobile Tracking Station is a common sight, essentially flatbed truck with an array sitting on the back. It is operated by specialists on the front of the truck, who maintain a track. Also, there are land-based array's, which are usually more common and can use multiple for one target. This provides more probabily of maintaining a constant lock. Finally, a large amount of navy ships have these equipped on them, to track any aerial targets and destroy them before they damage the target. SEW&DC ships have Chromium's on them to track targets going over the ocean, sea, or lakes of the Union.
Gallium Tracking Array
The Gallium Tracking Array is the predecessor to the Chromium Array, still being operated today as a reserve to Chromium array's.