COLONIAL FLEET MEMORANDUM
BATTLESTAR CERBERUS
TO: Colonel Andrus Pewter
CC: Major Cidra Hahn, Major Madilyn Willows-Cavanaugh, Captain Cora Nikephoros, Captain Khloe Anne Vakos, Captain Kal Trask, Lieutenant Corrath O'Hare, Gunnery Sergeant Eleftherios Constin, Chief PO Andreas Damon, Captain Mark Makinen
SB: Hammerfall Final Results
DA: Date: 14 FEB 2042 AE
All:
Last night a combination team from Deck, Engineering, and the Air Wing completed simulated flight testing on the Hammerfall missiles that are in storage on the Ordnance Deck. Chief Damon had requested that I look into these missiles due to my experience and their potential for sabotage due to the involvement of suspected Cylon CMN Lauren Coll. I personally led the team that finished testing, following guidelines for quality that I enforced.
For lack of a better term, the missiles were nearly perfect as they sat down in Ordnance. Coll left a pair of video logs that were easy to follow and very precise about what was required. What she did, in my professional opinion, is incredibly impressive. She adapted a Raptor's autopilot avionics suite and meshed it right over the old CNP system while deleting the backdoor access identified by the Deck Teams of Cerberus. What was done was entirely possible by a human being, but extremely creative. Few people I know of in the professional world would have considered to do that and I believe LTJG Scaurus will agree with me. What is most surprising is the thoroughness of the guidance package. LTJG Scaurus and I were only able to find, despite several intensive searches, two major errors. One was in programming (that had a minimal impact on navigation) and the other speed calculations. The programming error has been rectified and the velocity calculations corrected. In thirty simulated takes of the guidance system the missile performed exactly to expected results. Even the target engagement and terminal guidance systems worked as advertised. Deck was also able to X-ray all twenty missiles. Every missile is, perhaps unusual, exactly a match for each other. They look brand new and save for some writing Coll made on the nosecone of one, each missile is identical for now - which is, again, unusual given the variations of experimental systems. Either these were late-stage test weapons systems or the Crewman replaced everything and we can find nothing wrong with the work. Given the timeframe, I do not believe it possible for any human alive or dead to have done the latter when starting from scratch and no schematics.
After speaking to LTJG Scaurus about it, I have confirmed that it would be possible to conduct a live-fire test of these missiles with a minimum of exposure to Colonial personnel. Considering what it involves, it will require the fleet to jump to a launch location (almost any will do, but the closer to the target, the better - due to flight times) and then jump away. I would strongly suggest that Command conduct this live-fire test against a live and known enemy target. With only twenty missiles, we cannot afford to waste even one on a simple flight test.
I am available for questions as-needed.
Regards,
Captain Mark Makinen
Chief Engineer, BS-132