UFP & Cloaking devices (post-singular destiny with spoilers)

[Paris]

Oh really? That would make the Romulans really dumb then. They signed the Treaty of Algeron forbidding UFP from developing (and this involves testing) cloaking devices knowing full well that they would not be able to find out if the UFP did. That's absurd. They obviously have ways of finding out which would naturally inhibit development of such technologies.

They signed and then went away for over 50 years. That sounds does pretty dumb to me. When it comes to their "ways of finding out"...unless the UFP flat out tells them, or they observe the UFP developing/using a cloak, then spies are their only other resource. It's not as if they UFP research scientists have a Romulan in the room with them while they are developing various tech. The Romulans didn't know that Eric Pressman and the Pegasus crew were testing the phase cloak in 2357 untill Picard handed it over to them in 2370.

And now, the UFP doesn't have to worry about developing and testing of cloaking (and phase-shifting) devices leading to war.

This is true. They already did this in the 2350's. On the Pegasus. War didn't happen then because the Romulans had no idea the UFP was testing their phased cloak.

No one's suggesting that weapons and sensitive specs are "published to the general public". Would they have secretive development programs? Sure. But the entire alpha quadrant knows what weapons and what the capabilities are of the UFP, the Romulans, the Klingons etc. are in general (eg. quantum torpedoes, disruptors, phasers, transphasic) simply because they've been used before.

The general public remark was kind of odd I guess . I didn't mean "the man on the street" public. I meant that they don't release UFP tech schematics to other stellar powers without a reason like an alliance or a trade etc. [/QUOTE]

 

[rahullak]

Oh really? That would make the Romulans really dumb then. They signed the Treaty of Algeron forbidding UFP from developing (and this involves testing) cloaking devices knowing full well that they would not be able to find out if the UFP did. That's absurd. They obviously have ways of finding out which would naturally inhibit development of such technologies.

They signed and then went away for over 50 years. That does sound pretty dumb to me. When it comes to their "ways of finding out"...unless the UFP flat out tells them, or they observe the UFP developing/using a cloak, then spies are their only other resource. It's not as if they UFP research scientists have a Romulan in the room with them while they are developing various tech. The Romulans didn't know that Eric Pressman and the Pegasus crew were testing the phase cloak in 2357 untill Picard handed it over to them in 2370.

That's the point isn't it... Pressman developed it without their knowledge its true. But he had to take extraordinary measures of security hiding it even from other admirals and the rest of Starfleet. He couldn't have diverted as much resources into the project without drawing suspicion as he could have had he not been leashed by the Treaty of Algeron.

 

[Paris]

Oh really? That would make the Romulans really dumb then. They signed the Treaty of Algeron forbidding UFP from developing (and this involves testing) cloaking devices knowing full well that they would not be able to find out if the UFP did. That's absurd. They obviously have ways of finding out which would naturally inhibit development of such technologies.

They signed and then went away for over 50 years. That does sound pretty dumb to me. When it comes to their "ways of finding out"...unless the UFP flat out tells them, or they observe the UFP developing/using a cloak, then spies are their only other resource. It's not as if they UFP research scientists have a Romulan in the room with them while they are developing various tech. The Romulans didn't know that Eric Pressman and the Pegasus crew were testing the phase cloak in 2357 untill Picard handed it over to them in 2370.

That's the point isn't it... Pressman developed it without their knowledge its true. But he had to take extraordinary measures of security hiding it even from other admirals and the rest of Starfleet. He couldn't have diverted as much resources into the project without drawing suspicion as he could have had he not been leashed by the Treaty of Algeron.

Pressman described, at least abstractly, a group within the Fleet that had developed the cloak. It's not like it was just him and his crew. He was just testing it...

 

[rahullak]

^
Either way, flaunting its development and use when the Treaty is in effect would have been a clear act of war.

And the Romulans would find out as they did in Pegasus: it's not a stretch to imagine they were tipped off by one of their operatives about the ship's capabilities. Picard gave it up its true....but the point is they were already there searching for the ship....they knew. And we didn't see in the episode the political fallout of that revelation, what diplomacy went into assuaging the Romulans.

 

[Paris]

^I'm agree. Openly flaunting its existance would have been an act of war. Picard seemingly averted that, as you say, by giving it to the Romulans, much to the chagrin of SF Intelligence. I believe the political fallout was dealt with in the NF installment of the Helix storyline. I think Calhoun is asked by Nechayev (on behalf of SFI) to retrieve it...?? destroy it...?? I forget . Its been a few years.

 

[rahullak]

^

Oh? I think I read Double Helix too...but can't remember the story or if it was related to to this either....