SATCo

SATCo's Coat of Arms

The Saint Andre Trading Company is semi-public corporate entity that administers various trading and resource extraction enterprises throughout the Natopian Empire. It is controlled by a board of directors, with a majority of ownership held by the Office of the Chancellor. Remaining shares are distributed to the leaders of the demesne to ensure all wealth generated is shared equally.

It operates a fleet of specialty ships such as cargo vessels, oil tankers, cargo subs, and icebreakers, and can be considered the de facto merchant marine of the Natopian Navy. As the War of Lost Brothers continues the company is beginning to arm its merchant vessels and is organising an asset protection group. It's total fleet amounts to 1,986 SATCo owned and managed trading ships, totalling 47.7 million gross tons or 60.9 million deadweight tons.

Since the middle of the year 1655 AN, the company has been responsible for the organisation of Sxiro-Natopian merchant vessels into convoys for sea crossings under the protection of Coastal Command of the Imperial Navy.

Port Saint Andre Dockyards

The Port Saint Andre Dockyards have been the premier shipbuilding facilities of the Bovic Empire since the inception of SATCo, producing the majority of its merchant fleet, the backbone of the allied convoy system during the War of Lost Brothers.

It's shipbuilding capacity contributes to the Sxiro-Natopian Production Matrix, although its unfortunate positioning on the southern Apollonian continent means that alternative shipyards in Tapfer and the southern islands of Shireroth are being prepared under SATCo direction with the intention of shipbuilding commencing at these secondary sites commencing from 1657.

Merchant Fleet

Vessel Type	# in service	# Lost (1654-1655)	# Lost (1656)
Cargo and passenger vessel	661	14
Cargo submarine	55	0
Cargo vessel	836	9
Ice cargo and passenger	2	0
Icebreaker	3	0
Livestock transport	75	0
Oil tanker	329	2

Most losses incurred during the early phase of the war were due to unescorted ship movements continuing along peacetime routes. Of the reported losses to which causes can be attributed these broke down as:

Torpedo (submarine)	Missile	Naval mine	Piracy	Misadventure	Unknown
9	4	1	6	2	3

Convoy System

In a response to these early losses, and the attritional effect on coastal shipping by piracy, particularly in the Great Western Sea and around Talenore a convoy system was authorised by the allied Joint Military Council.

The corporation also has an extensive overseas network of agents involved in convoy planning and looking after its worldwide shipping business.

Gallery

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  Cargo and passenger vessel

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  Cargo submarine

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  Ice cargo and passenger

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  Icebreaker

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  Livestock transport

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  Cargo vessel

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  Oil tanker