Evening from the Pacific Northwest Rupert,

> On November 16, 2019 at 5:41 PM Rupert Boleyn <xxxxxx@gmail.com> wrote:

> On 17Nov2019 0859, Thomas RUX wrote:
>
> > Yes, I found the entry that in "900 c Imperial Navy begins
> > upgrading ships to jump-4. Spinward Marches Campaign, GDW,
> > 1985, p. 32."
> >
> > I'd did make the comment that I would have thought that the IN
> > would have had J4 capability earlier. Unfortunately, I had not
> > thought that the above could mean that the IN began to upgrade
> > those hulls that came in for overhaul were being upgraded from
> > J3 to J4.
> >
> > The Express Boat Network could have been J4 in Imperial 624
> > along with the IN building new construction J4 hulls.
>
> I don't see what the IN's current standard jump range has to do
> with the X-boat system at all, frankly. The X=boat system is run
> by the Scouts, and has entirely different operational
> requirements from the IN's fleets.
>
> As for the IN moving to Jump-4 in about 900, I would assume
> that's a move to J4 as the standard for their fleet units, i.e.
> the lowest jump number acceptable for a fleet or general purpose
> unit. I'm sure they had couriers at whatever the current highest
> jump number was since forever, along with high jump number
> strike units, etc.

In Phil's reply that was snipped he indicated that the Express Boat Network was J3 and then upgraded to J4. Going back over the earlier posts the only item I found that mention J4 was about the IN.

Historically speaking the military usually gets the better toys. The Express Boat Network is part of the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service which is seconded to the IN during war, so I'm guessing that they probably would not have hulls that beat out the IN. The TL 15 Fleet Couirer is equiped with a J6 drive while the Express Boat Network is still using J4.

Tom Rux