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Spoilers Star Trek: Picard General Discussion Thread

The military uses task forces all the time.

Not saying they don't. But a task force may or may not involve ships/planes, and has a wide usage outside of militay applications. And even within a military context, it is often used in a non-operational/combat context. Or one without ships/planes.

I mean, how many ships do you think the Navy task force on sexual assault is comprised of?

https://www.military.com/daily-news...s-new-task-force-military-sexual-assault.html


Squadron, on the other hand, is alnost exclusively an operational/combat term involving ships/planes/etc. When is the last time the Navy formed a squadron to deal with racism or sexual assualt? Answer: never.

That is why squadron is a better word to use than task force. You have it exactly backwards.

Do you want me to draw you some Venn diagrams and post the definitions?

One is a broader term with many non-military or non-combat or non-hardware specific usages (task force).

The other is much more specific to military hardware (squadron).
 
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Not saying they don't. But a task force may or may not involve ships/planes, and has a wide usage outside of militay applications. And even within a military context, it is often used in a non-operational/combat context. Or one without ships/planes.

I mean, how many ships do you think the Navy task force on sexual harassment is comprised of?

Squadron, on the other hand, is alnost exclusively an operation/combat term involving ships/planes/etc.

That is why squadron is a better word to use than task force. You have it exactly backwards.

Do you want me to draw you some Venn diagrams and post the definitions?
No, because you missed the link that someone else posted of several naval task forces, some of which only involved one or two types of vehicles as well as combat roles.

I'm quite happy with the use of task force in this context. Your mileage may vary.
 
No, because you missed the link that someone else posted of several naval task forces, some of which only involved one or two types of vehicles as well as combat roles.

I'm quite happy with the use of task force in this context. Your mileage may vary.

I give up. Some causes are hopeless. Perhaps Elnor can assist you.
 
I don't need Elnor's assistance with English words :)

Yes you do.

You seem to have missed the whole point of the discussion, which is not that task force could be used here properly (it can).

The whole point is that Picard used the word squadron instead and some posters objected, saying task force was more proper, and squadron less so (or antiquated).

Which is just factually inaccurate, which is what I was responding to.

Again, how many ships in that sexual harassment task force? Not gonna answer?

The more specific term is nearly always the better idea.
 
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Yes you do.
Why do I need Elnor. I have you :)
Which is just factually inaccurate, which is what I was responding to.
Except, it isn't entirely inaccurate, given that naval task forces can involve just one type of ship or combat operation. Hell, I'd go with Strike Force, as defined by the Naval Task Force Page: Strike forces: Plans & conducts strike operations. Commanded by a Carrier Strike Group Commander.

Squadron is less common in modern naval parlance, and appears to be reserved for aviation units. The Navy Times uses squadron to distinguish aviation specific units from submarine and fleet units.

A quick read from Wikipedia as a short hand reference: In modern navies, squadrons have tended to become administrative units. Most navies began to abandon the squadron as a tactical formation during the Second World War. The need to provide capital ships with the anti-submarine protection of a destroyer screen and air cover from an aircraft carrier led to the increasing use of the carrier battle group, or ad hoc task forces, composed of whichever ships were available for a particular operation.
 
Just for kicks and giggles I did a little more digging. I went to the US Department of Defense Website and looked up the US Navy. They have this handy infographic which breaks down the navy in to fleets, and then it has this bit after the numbered fleets:
LFYzKcU.png


It was really helpful information. I really enjoyed it.
 
Just for kicks and giggles I did a little more digging. I went to the US Department of Defense Website and looked up the US Navy. They have this handy infographic which breaks down the navy in to fleets, and then it has this bit after the numbered fleets:
LFYzKcU.png


It was really helpful information. I really enjoyed it.

Yep. Carrier task groups have also been called carrier battle groups.
Clancy's use of squadron makes me think of a select group of small to medium size ships that regularly work together and will be looking for a fight, rather than a group of multi role ships who need to be ready for anything like you would get in a task force, fleet or battle group.

I could envisage a group of Defiant class ships as a squadron even though its stretching the term a bit, perhaps with a single large

Imagine an Odyssey or Sovereign class turning up with an escort of 8-10 Defiant class ships.

As we saw in the Dominion war Starfleets largest and most advanced ships fell to kamikaze attacks by Jem'Hadar Attack ships when operating alone, it would make sense that Starfleet would have learned something from that, the Defiant class for example is perfect in that role, if the main ship has the ability to carry fighters (like an Odyssey class could) it is even better.

Personally I would never leave a single capital ship without an escort or its own runabouts/fighters, it improves flexibility and force projection.

I would go so far to say that a single Galaxy class ship with two Defiant class escorts is a match for two Galaxy class ships in fire power using fewer resources and providing considerably more flexibility, the only way it would fall short is in scientific endeavours and cargo space but if those two issues are a critical requirement you would probably send different ships purpose built ships in the first place.
 
No work this for me this week. I guess I'll be able to binge Discovery Season 2. I have yet to do a full re-watch of it, since I was re-watching TNG before Picard.
 
I'm still hung up on our space hippie name Beautiful Flower.

The only two instances of flower imagery I recall are
those flower ship/ defense thingies of the synth planet
and the orchids in Soji's dream. (>> BF is her "father"?)
 
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NOT LOOKING FOR SPECIFICS, but do we know how self-contained Picard S1 is? With everything going on in the world just now, and production on just about everything grinding to a halt, it may be a while before we see S2.

I know they've talked about Picard being a three-season deal, but is it meant to be one continuous "epic" story across three series, or are they meant to be wrapping up the current story with episode 10?
 
NOT LOOKING FOR SPECIFICS, but do we know how self-contained Picard S1 is? With everything going on in the world just now, and production on just about everything grinding to a halt, it may be a while before we see S2.

I know they've talked about Picard being a three-season deal, but is it meant to be one continuous "epic" story across three series, or are they meant to be wrapping up the current story with episode 10?
Quite a few shows have been halted across all the networks and streams, Picard S1 is already done but I don't think the outbreak will affect S2 as its not set to start filming yet for a while, it could affect Discovery S3 though and the S31 show.

It really depends on how long it takes before the all clear is given.
 
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