User:BobbyRush/Scout Certification

Introduction

Scouting certification is no longer a requirement for ILN members who wish to scout for fleets during wartime and fly a Tech 2 Covert Ops frigate for that purpose. This certification program is intended to teach effective scouting techniques to ILN members. It will take you from flying a Tech 1 scanning/probing frigate to being able to effectively fly the Tech 2 Covert Ops frigate. Hopefully, it will teach you the skills necessary to survive in the ship without getting blown up.

Please note: This certification program is designed to help you learn to fly a Covert Ops frigate as a fleet scout. It is NOT intended to teach you to fly any other ship types used in covert operations (Force Recon, Stealth Bomber, Black Ops, Blockade Runner). Programs for these ships are being developed.

The program is split into three stages. The first stage is to educate about the skills needed to fly and fit the ship and also as to how to fit a covert ops ship. It is accomplished through the classes below which are provided by the Education Department. The second stage is to gather and learn the knowledge, tactics, and techniques, and educate about the communication methods used while flying. This is accomplished by participation in fleets, initially as a +1 or picket and subsequently as a CovOps Scout for the fleet. The third stage is to provide practical hands on experience for everything that has been learned so far. This will be accomplished by individual or group practice, as well as practical events and exercises under the direction of the ILN.

The practical components of this certification program are to be done in a properly fitted T2 Covert Ops frigate (Anathema, Buzzard, Helios, Cheetah). During wartime, depending on the threat, you may opt to participate in a T1 probing frigate fitted with a Prototype Cloaking Device (this will be one of: Magnate, Heron, Imicus, Probe). However, you will still need to be able to fly and fit a Covert Ops frigate by the time of your practical examination and certification.

Step 1: Training and Fitting

Here we go through the basics required to fly a Covert Ops frigate, determine an appropriate and suitable skill plan to train to achieve this goal, and how to fit out your ship.

Skill Requirements

Posses at a minimum the following skills:

• Meet the skill requirements to fly and fit a Covert Ops frigate
• Cloaking IV
• Covert Ops IV
• Astrometrics IV
• Astrometric Acquisition III
• Astrometric Pinpointing III
• Astrometric Rangefinding III
• Evasive Maneuvering III
• Warp Drive Operation IV

Fitting a Covert Ops Frigate

When fitting your covert-ops ship it is important to keep in mind the priorities of a scout and add modules accordingly.

• The role of your ship is to not be seen, don't fit anything else which require you to be uncloaked.
• When fitting a Covert Ops frigate, there is no need to use every available slot and fill them all.
• We expect to find three important components to the ship (CovOps cloak, Expanded Probe Launcher, MWD), the rest should be dependant on fittings required to make the ship flyable and usable.
• We aim to fit ships for E-Uni fleets

Sample Fittings:

Step 2: Education

To get a good basis for flying a Covert Ops frigate we will be building upon material taught in the classes and/or audio files related to the below topics: Bookmarks, Directional Scan, EFT, Scan Probes, Fleets, Maps, Wormholes. It is highly recommended to listen to these classes at least once if not more then once.

For the purpose of this certification program it is required to attend or listen to a library recording of the following classes:

• Scouting 101
• Directional Scan (D-Scan)
• Life in Null-Sec

You are not required to notify anybody of your participation in any of the above classes. However, you won't be able to be certified without sufficient knowledge of what is covered by them as your knowledge and understanding of this material will be tested during your practical examination.

In addition to these formal classes and skills, the following are recommended to develop the skills to pass the certification practical test:

• Practice D-Scan, Probing and Bookmarking skills on your own i.e. Identify a ship on D-Scan and try and find it as fast you can (NOTE: Under no circumstances should you warp uncloaked to a scanned target without their knowledge. Mission runners and explorers paying attention to D-Scan may end up bouncing out and fail their mission or lose a signature site.)
• Work with an experienced or certified scout to refine your practical skills
• Participate in fleet operations as a scout/picket
• Participate in 2+ fleets that conduct operations in null-sec or wormholes

Until you have some experience with Covert Ops Frigates, practical training during wartime should be done using a T1 frigate and a prototype cloaking device.

Step 3: Practicals

All practical components of this stage are to be completed in a properly fitted, Tech 2 Covert-Ops frigate (Anathema, Buzzard, Cheetah, Helios). Forum PM or EVE Mail one of the Task Force Security Liaisons to schedule a session.  It should take about 1.5hrs to complete.  During wartime, this can be done using an out-of-corporation (OOC) alt character or in a T1 probing frigate fitted with a Prototype Cloaking Device.

To pass the basic practicals examination you will have to:

• Jump through a gate and leave a station without being targeted (yellow boxed)
• Make and label bookmarks (Safe, Tactical, Instant Undock, Off-grid "Pounce")
• Find a target ship (frigate) position using D-Scan in proximity to a celestial in less than 5 minutes
• Find a target ship (frigate) safe spot using D-Scan (direction and distance from a celestial) in less than 5 minutes

• Procedure when uncloaked, deploying and reloading probes
• Find a target ship (frigate) using D-Scan and Probes (not proximal to a celestial) in less than 5 minutes - probes on D-Scan less than 90 seconds
• Simulate tactical warp in conditions to bring fleet to a target ship
• Make use of map tools: Eve-Map, Ombeve map and Dotlan
• Show basic understanding of wormhole detection, identification, bookmarking and scanning
• Show understanding of bubbles: detection, escape from and use of tactical warp-ins to avoid
• Use proper communication in fleet command chat
• Set-up overview for POS detection

Any questions?

Please get in touch with a member of Strategic Reconnaissance Group if you have any additional questions.