Design Challenge: Combined Arms Battalion Scale DropShip

[FastConcentrate8]

Alright guys, I need a DropShip capable of carrying an unconventionally sized and organized unit.

In our AU, a major faction requests a large combined arms DropShip designed to be used as part of their Army's Brigade Combat Teams. Specifically, they're requesting a DropShip for the Combined Arms Battalions of their BattleMech-BCTs. Under standard deployment, these Battalions are often deployed in a large mixture of 2 Unions, 2 Leopards, and 2 Condors with some units consolidating their Mechs or at least most of them into a single Overlord. While perfectly workable, this drop order can make fielding the full BCT difficult as it would require a large number of Jump/WarShips to deploy the whole unit. As such, procurement called for a design for a DropShip to put the entire Battalion onto a single craft to rapid deployment operations and deployment along side WarShips.

These Battalions are organized around 6 companies, 4 being combat companies. Of those 4, two are Square BattleMech Companies (A company of 4 Lances of standard size) and two standard Mechanized Infantry Companies. In addition, there are also the Command Company (not field rated) consisting of the command, communications, and intelligence staff and a support company of technicians, engineers, medical, and the field kitchen. This totals for about 32 BattleMechs, 6 Motorized Platoons, and 2 Mortar Sections, plus command and support staff.

This DropShip must be able to carry all of that, protect it during a hot drop, and serve as a field base and command post for the Battalion. The only other requirement is that it cannot occupy more than one KF Boom. This is so a Standard Invader JumpShip can carry the primary combat elements of the M-BCT and allow the entire Brigade to be carried on just 5 JumpShips or similar or lesser number of WarShips (not counting the needs of their Assault DropShip and ASF escort and support unit).

This DropShip was ordered during the Star League Era and entered service in the 2720s, it remained in service and production into the Succession Wars though was technologically downgraded, and then upgraded again in the 3050s and received a Pocket WarShip variant during the Jihad to try to lift the Blakist Siege of its country's capital.

[Daryk]

An Overlord minus a cubicle or two should easily be able to accommodate that.

[Lagrange]

An Overlord minus a cubicle or two should easily be able to accommodate that.

I've always found the Overlord somewhat obnoxious due to the aggressively tiny cargo which essentially requires a supporting cargo dropship on virtually all missions.   Given that, I'd be inclined to go somewhat larger, to 11K or 12K tons for a battalion transport.

But, there's something I'm unclear on in the OP.  The 2 mechanized infantry companies are basic mechanized infantry with tiny vehicles or the kind of mechanized infantry which a Condor supports with 20 vehicles weighing up to 50 tons?  And, is there really zero ASF?

[FastConcentrate8]

But, there's something I'm unclear on in the OP.  The 2 mechanized infantry companies are basic mechanized infantry with tiny vehicles or the kind of mechanized infantry which a Condor supports with 20 vehicles weighing up to 50 tons?  And, is there really zero ASF?

The Mech Infantry are the second type, Mechanized in a mix of IFVs and APCs. And for the ASFs, an M-BCT does have an ASF Regiment permanently attached to it due to the heavy emphasis on combined arms tactics and a doctrinal descent from the old AirLand Battle Doctrine of Ancient NATO. However, these craft are normally distributed around the BCT and/or in CV DropShips. However, some fighter capacity wouldn't be unwelcome for these ships.

[Ramblefire]

Code: [Select]

Glaive (downgraded)
Type: Military Spheriod
Mass: 13,500 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Introduced: 2720
Mass: 13,500
Battle Value: 5,565
Tech Rating/Availability: D/D-E-D-D
Cost: 472,080,000 C-bills

Fuel: 250 tons (7,500)
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Heat Sinks: 133
Structural Integrity: 18

Armor
    Nose: 289
    Sides: 244/244
    Aft: 198

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Mech (32)               1 Door   
    Bay 2:  Infantry (Motorized) (42)1 Door   
    Bay 3:  Light Vehicle (13)      1 Door   
    Bay 4:  Light Vehicle (24)      1 Door   
    Bay 5:  Cargo (2154.0 tons)     1 Door   

Ammunition:
    180 rounds of AC/10 ammunition (3 tons),
    160 rounds of AC/20 ammunition (4 tons),
    108 rounds of LRM 20 ammunition (2 tons)

Escape Pods: 16
Life Boats: 0
Crew:  6 officers, 8 enlisted/non-rated, 14 gunners, 417 bay personnel, 60 passengers

Notes: Mounts 64.5 tons of standard aerospace armor.

Weapons:                    Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)              Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV     ERV   Class       
Nose (42 Heat)
2 Large Laser           16   2(16)   2(16)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
2 AC/10                  6   2(20)   2(20)    0(0)    0(0)  AC         
    AC/10 Ammo (60 shots)
2 PPC                   20   2(20)   2(20)    0(0)    0(0)  PPC         
RS/LS Fwd (44 Heat)
4 Medium Laser          12   2(20)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
3 LRM 20                18   4(36)   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)  LRM         
    LRM 20 Ammo (54 shots)
2 AC/20                 14   4(40)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AC         
    AC/20 Ammo (40 shots)
RS/LS Aft (36 Heat)
2 Large Laser           16   2(16)   2(16)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
2 AC/20                 20   6(60)   2(20)    0(0)    0(0)  AC         
    2 AC/10
    AC/10 Ammo (60 shots)
    AC/20 Ammo (40 shots)
Aft (12 Heat)
4 Medium Laser          12   2(20)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       


Two companies of 16 mechs,
6 motorized infantry platoons with transportation. 24 IFVs, one per squad.
There's also thirteen more light vehicle bays to carry the headquarters and headquarters company. (1 lance engineering vehicles, 2 sections of 2 SPGs each, 2 vehicles for intelligence and recon, 1 ambulance or MASH, 1 field kitchen, 1 mobile command post vehicle)
And room for 60 passengers since I assume the HQ and HQ company are going to be sticking close to the dropship anyway, so might as well give them warm beds and hot showers.

And 2100 tons of supplies to feed, water, and arm both men and machines.
It's got mostly respectable armor, and enough armaments to see off anything other than a concentrated ASF attack, or at least enough to safely get to the ground.

[FastConcentrate8]

Code: [Select]

Glaive (downgraded)
Type: Military Spheriod
Mass: 13,500 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Introduced: 2720
Mass: 13,500
Battle Value: 5,565
Tech Rating/Availability: D/D-E-D-D
Cost: 472,080,000 C-bills

Fuel: 250 tons (7,500)
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Heat Sinks: 133
Structural Integrity: 18

Armor
    Nose: 289
    Sides: 244/244
    Aft: 198

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Mech (32)               1 Door   
    Bay 2:  Infantry (Motorized) (42)1 Door   
    Bay 3:  Light Vehicle (13)      1 Door   
    Bay 4:  Light Vehicle (24)      1 Door   
    Bay 5:  Cargo (2154.0 tons)     1 Door   

Ammunition:
    180 rounds of AC/10 ammunition (3 tons),
    160 rounds of AC/20 ammunition (4 tons),
    108 rounds of LRM 20 ammunition (2 tons)

Escape Pods: 16
Life Boats: 0
Crew:  6 officers, 8 enlisted/non-rated, 14 gunners, 417 bay personnel, 60 passengers

Notes: Mounts 64.5 tons of standard aerospace armor.

Weapons:                    Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)              Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV     ERV   Class       
Nose (42 Heat)
2 Large Laser           16   2(16)   2(16)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
2 AC/10                  6   2(20)   2(20)    0(0)    0(0)  AC         
    AC/10 Ammo (60 shots)
2 PPC                   20   2(20)   2(20)    0(0)    0(0)  PPC         
RS/LS Fwd (44 Heat)
4 Medium Laser          12   2(20)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
3 LRM 20                18   4(36)   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)  LRM         
    LRM 20 Ammo (54 shots)
2 AC/20                 14   4(40)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AC         
    AC/20 Ammo (40 shots)
RS/LS Aft (36 Heat)
2 Large Laser           16   2(16)   2(16)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
2 AC/20                 20   6(60)   2(20)    0(0)    0(0)  AC         
    2 AC/10
    AC/10 Ammo (60 shots)
    AC/20 Ammo (40 shots)
Aft (12 Heat)
4 Medium Laser          12   2(20)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       


Two companies of 16 mechs,
6 motorized infantry platoons with transportation. 24 IFVs, one per squad.
There's also thirteen more light vehicle bays to carry the headquarters and headquarters company. (1 lance engineering vehicles, 2 sections of 2 SPGs each, 2 vehicles for intelligence and recon, 1 ambulance or MASH, 1 field kitchen, 1 mobile command post vehicle)
And room for 60 passengers since I assume the HQ and HQ company are going to be sticking close to the dropship anyway, so might as well give them warm beds and hot showers.

And 2100 tons of supplies to feed, water, and arm both men and machines.
It's got mostly respectable armor, and enough armaments to see off anything other than a concentrated ASF attack, or at least enough to safely get to the ground.

I love it. It's about how I imagined this thing and as for the assumption about the Command Company, they do generally stay onboard the DropShip until a field base has been established or a more appropriate position like a base or fortress is available.

[DOC_Agren]

I would look at converting a Mule into this ship, possible give it also like the Fortress a long tom to provide long range firesupport.
I don't have a design software to do this.