Federation Naval Patrol

[sunnyside]

I seem to recall that people had said there wasn't any reference to other armed forces beyond starfleet. However 30 days has Paris referencing a Federation Naval Patrol which is distinct from starfleet.

The fact that it is called "Federation" and not just "Earth" seems to indicate that it operates, probably like the coast guard, on a range of worlds.

At any rate it opens up the idea that other armed forces might be bumping around that we don't see. A National Guard at the least.

[Mikey]

I don't recall the reference, or the context. Could it have been used to refer to an NCIS/JAG/MP type of organization?

[sunnyside]

They're chatting about various old ships and naval books and then

PARIS: I had it all planned. Finish high school, join the Federation Naval Patrol, but my father had other ideas.
JANEWAY: You'd think Admiral Paris might have understood his son's passion.
PARIS: As far as he was concerned the only ship I was going to serve on had to have a Starfleet insignia on it.

From the context it isn't clear what sort of ships the Patrol uses. But one might guess that due to the cost of starships it operates vessels that actually float on the water and probably parks a shuttlecraft on the back like a modern helicopter.

[Mikey]

Curious. With the availability of globe-wide transporters and air/low-orbit travel, oen would think wet navies would have gone the way of the dodo. I would guess it meant a Coast Guard, in-system protection/police type, but we've seen or heard of Starfleet taking care of those duties as well.

[sunnyside]

It is also possible that the Naval Patrol doesn't use floating ships but patrols the oceans with something like an impulse only Danube class. That's still big enough they'd consider it "as ship".

Again I'm struck that we don't really know the "costs" of Trek. For example someone from 100 years ago watching a show about a modern carrier thrown onto another planet might conclude that Harriers could be used to patrol the oceans and coasts, whereas the initial cost is enough to have a couple dozen people set for life and the operations costs would also be massive hence our still floating coast guard.

[Mikey]

With the availability of different methods of easy and quick global travel, what would be the advantages of having an "oceans-only" organization?

[Monroe]

Reed talked about the navy and how it was still a useful entity at the time of ENT. I can see Paris wanting to fly a small fighter off a carrier. And if this Federation Naval Patrol was space worthy they would have been mentioned in DS9.

[sunnyside]

With the availability of different methods of easy and quick global travel, what would be the advantages of having an "oceans-only" organization?

i would guess being cheap and able to just sit there in the middle of the ocean with a big sensor array at negligable cost. They might also operate booms on cables or subs because it seems from that episode that federation sensors can't penetrate significant depths of water(not unreasonable really).

[Mikey]

I guess my question is this - with no water-only commercial or private shipping (and therefore no water-only piracy, etc.,) what would such an organization do?

[Sonic Glitch]

I guess my question is this - with no water-only commercial or private shipping (and therefore no water-only piracy, etc.,) what would such an organization do?

We don't know that do we? For all we know there could still be some maritme shipping on planets, and the seas are also good for recreation, someones gotta watch out for the civilians.

[Mikey]

I would think that any planet which relied on wet shipping would probably be a little to young for Fed mebership, but what do I know?

[Sonic Glitch]

I would think that any planet which relied on wet shipping would probably be a little to young for Fed mebership, but what do I know?

Who knows? Remember, there still using wheels in the 24th century, and may be more efficient to transport thing on the ground by sea rather than the energy required to transport several billion tons of bulky material or to load them onto starfleet craft and pick them up and fly them over. But what do I know? I'm making this up and guessing as I go along.

[sunnyside]

Again I'll stress that we know they have interstellar craft.

We don't know that they're cheap.

Plus there are probably thing doing on deep underwater. SUch as mining.

And we know they at least have "real" caviar in Trek. So somebody actually has to go out and fish (or farm it I suppose). But by extension some worlds probably have poaching if not earth itself. Other tasty sea stuff is probably better than when replicated (or at least held in higher regard).

[Sonic Glitch]

Well, we know from the Post-BoBW episode (Family was it?) that on Earth at the very least there was a project raise a continent. If I recall, Picard was offered the chance to consult/lead it? So they're obviously still doing stuff on/with the water.

[Teaos]

He could be talking about a actual Navy. Like water boats. Although I have no idea why there would be one...