Was I wrong

[DrBeast]

Even if you deliver the goods without anyone noticing you, the game requires you to radio in a Status Report when you're done, which will alert any nearby units of your presence, so from a strictly game-mechanistic point of view it doesn't matter if you're detected prior to the drop-off. So drowning those merchants was a good thing to do

Originally Posted by MorganThePirate

I think that it will be wonderful to have concrete orders: For example, go to patrol station, stay within 100 nm, attack enemy merchant ships and be in contact every day at 100; or top secret drop rangers team, maintain radio silence, avoid enemy contact and report when mission is accomplished.

I take it you've never heard of Run Silent, Run Deep - The Campaign...?