DCS Event Horizon Star Lord class Jumpship
42nd Pocket Warship Squadron “Tiger Squadron” (Total BV: 194,332)
DCS Samarkand Excalibur PWS class DropShip (29,931)
DCS Siberian Taihou PWS class DropShip (25,417)
DCS Bengal Nekohono’o SCL PWS class DropShip (15,702)
DCS Sabretooth Achilles (3088) assault class DropShip (12,207)
DCS Sumatran Achilles (3088) assault class DropShip (12,207)
DCS Midnight Angel Vengeance (3056) class DropShip (3709)
25th Naval Aviation Regiment
Skull Squadron
- 1x Sabutai, 2x Batu, 3x Sai S-4C (11734)
1st Wing
1st Squadron “Vampires”
- 4x Riever F-700b, 2x Koroshiya KOS-1A (15,262)
2nd Squadron “Mustangs”
- 4x Suzaku SU-14, 2x Oni ON-2 (11,962)
3rd Squadron “Raiders”
- 4x Shilone SL-18, 2x Slayer SL-15K (8632)
2nd Wing
4th Squadron “Shi-Tien-Yen-Wang”
- 2x Koroshiya KOS-1A, 4x Slayer SL-15K (11,818)
5th Squadron “Vympel”
- 1x Hydaspes 3, 1x Huscarl HSCL-1x, 4x Tatsu MIK-Ox (11,746)
6th Squadron “Ninjas”
- 2x Sholagar SL-22, 2x Sabre SB-29, 2x Sabre SB-31 (4964)
33rd Marine Battalion
1st Company “Akasentai”
- 9 Void (DCA) squads (1755)
2nd Company “Kurosentai”
- 9 Void (DCA) squads (1755)
3rd Special Boarding Company “Rikusentai”
- 6 Kage (Space) squads (630)
- 3 Oni (Bearhunter) squads (801)
Space Aviation Company
1st Squadron “Suzumebachi-tai”
- 6x Oo-Suzumebachi Transports (7050)
2nd Squadron “Ryu-tai”
- 6x Dragonstar Assault Transports (7050)
The 42nd PWS squadron numbers 6 dropships, and so can be transported from system to system by a single Star Lord class Jumpship. A fleet its size however requires almost 13 tons of consumables per day and burns over 11 tons of fuel per day. (not including extra fuel expenditures for small craft and fighter operations). With over 1300 tons of cargo space available across the fleet, it can operate in a combat ready state* for 56 days w/o resupply (*=50% of cargo space devoted to consumables). While patrolling inhabited Combine systems, it normally receives a tug to replenish stores once a month. But in uninhabited or hostile space, additional tenders are required to be attached to the fleet to ensure endurance.
The Tigers’ flagship is the venerable Samarkand, named for the breed of tiger native to New Samarkand. The ship’s first few centuries of spaceflight were in service to the DCMS as a common troop transport, but following the Jihad it was upgraded to PWS status. Its powerful missile banks are useful both in space-to-surface ortillery as well as fleet actions. As Anti-missile systems have proliferated following the Jihad, the Excalibur class of PWSs have become nearly obsolete against modern warships. When engaged against such foes, the Samarkand remains behind the action and lends support to the combat in the form of bearings-only launches.
Just as massive but far better armored is the Bengal. Nekohono’o class PWS are the DCA’s answer to Clan warships… or rather the complete battalion of battle armored marines on board is. The marines’ integral transport craft allow all 108 suited warriors to storm aboard an unlucky target. The Bengal’s contributes directly to combat primarily with long range sub-capital laser banks.
The vanguard of the fleet is the mighty Siberian Taihou-class PWS. The hull-crushing firepower and solid armor makes this the natural spotter for the fleet’s Naval C3 network, lending great accuracy to the far-off Bengal.
The twin ships Sabretooth and Sumatran round out the Naval C3 network, serving as wingmen to the large PWSs or hunt smaller prey all on their own, depending on the circumstances. Like the Siberian, they can take detachments of marines and transports on board from the Bengal, allowing the Tigers to perform boarding actions in more than one place at the same time.
The Midnight Angel has a long service with the Admiralty and in recognition of her illustrious career she retains her prior name. Like the Samarkand, a Vengeance-class vessel has no business in close combat and hangs back wherever possible, allowing the squadrons of the 25th Naval Aviation Regiment to do the fighting on her behalf.
The fighter regiment is overstrength and barely exceeds the nominal capacity of the carrier Midnight Angel. One squadron is routinely attached to the flagship Samarkand, although there are spare fighter bays on the Achilles assault dropships as well.
The regiment’s main punch is delivered by two bomber squadrons, with the remainder dedicated to dogfighting or protecting other parts of the fleet (like the marines’ transports).
The Marine Battalion doesn’t just train for boarding actions; boarding actions are their raison d'etre. The Red and Black Teams together perform the bulk of the action, and on their own are a force that can wrest control of all but the most well protected ships. The third company specializes in tackling the most difficult defenses to crack, providing extra force multiplication to the Red and Black. The two squadrons of transports provide more than enough space to fly the entire battalion at once. The Oozes are the transports of choice, having better speed, firepower, survivability, AND a superior flight profile for planetary operations, the venerable Dragonstars have the critical advantage in long-distance spaceflight where the marines are put up in quarters rather than transport bays.
The Tigers cannot handle a major warship all on their own, but are designed to be fairly strategically mobile and mass with similar PWS squadrons in the event of a looming warship engagement. In battle drills simulating such combats against warships, dropship crews perform their duties expected of them up until the anticipated destruction of their vessels. Crewmen take a perverse pride in getting the transports away before their deaths or covering them long enough to reach their target, knowing their contributions to a battle after that point are only serving to further odds of a victory for House Kurita.
