Design Challenge: Replace the Du Shi Wang Battleships

[FastConcentrate8]

The continuing saga of a Naval Arms race in the closing days of the Star League returns.

With both the Federated Suns and the Free Worlds League investing in new, high tech capital ships with advanced capabilities, the Jade Palace on Sian was ablaze with debate between the Chancellor, Strategos, and the Naval Attaché. While the Capellan Confederation had been slowly commissioning a new capital ship to replace their aging Du Shi Wang battleships with the new "cruisers" of the Soyal Class, the Federated Sun's new Battle Cruisers and the Free Worlds League Great Eagle Battleships were making it abundantly clear to the Confederation that they were no longer the only people improving their fleet.

With it clear the race would soon escalate significantly further than was originally intended by First Prince John Davion, Chancellor Liao issued a RFP to all major Ship Yards of the Confederation for a new ship design to anchor the Capellan Navy.

The Request is simple, create a ship of between 1.2 and 1.7 million tones to replace the Du Shi Wang class and serve as a flagship for combined fleets across the Confederation. The Navy is preferring an arsenal weighted towards energy weapons with emphasis on end on firepower so that the Line can maintain its preferred Long Range end on formations in fleet actions.

Additional interest is being placed upon Drop Capacity and fighter complement as well. Current ideas in the Naval General Staff is that Battle Carriers with large complements of "Torpedo Boats" or "Pocket Warships" as some have called them supported by a large fighter complement could potentially allow them an edge over the extremely fast Battlecruisers of the Suns and the heavily armed Battleships of the League.

[AlphaMirage]

Exalted Chancellor of the Celestial Throne of Sian, I humbly present the following Qinfan (Immolation) Battle Carrier to the Strategios of our Mighty Capellan Confederation. I received the general design from a vision I had of our future, in which we will strike back against the FedRats and Flying Crows of Marik.

Qinfan Battle Carrier
Mass: 1,200,000 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere
Mass: 1,200,000
Safe Thrust: 4
Maximum Thrust: 6
Weapons
12x Medium Naval PPC
10x Heavy Naval PPC
24x NL/45
4x NL/35
32x Large Lasers
32x PPCs
8x Medium Pulse Lasers
Armor
    Nose: 200
    Fore Sides: 193/193
    Aft Sides: 187/187
    Aft: 114
Structural Integrity: 105
Dropship Capacity: 6
Projected Cost: 14,211,508,000 C-bills

Capable of Embarking two Companies of Elite Jump Infantry or Marines, two Flights of Small Craft for blockade actions and SAR, and a Fleet Regiment of Aerospace Fighters the Qinfan will project the Chancellor's might through the stars. Each broadside consists of 10 Naval PPCs and 12 Naval Lasers which are further reinforced by dozens of standard weapons to handle incoming fighters than might make it through our screen. Even surrounded the Qinfan is capable of continuously firing its complete arsenal.

Its 123 fighters may draw upon the 113kt of internal stores further supplemented by the contents of those dropships attached to its six docking collars. Each attached dropship may conduct independent operation throughout a system or remain nearby to provide additional launch or recovery platforms for the Fleet Regiment. Even if they are on independent assignment they may return to conduct maintenance for their aerospace craft provided by the more than 500 passengers that are embarked upon the vessel. The Commander of an assigned task force has room for their staff and additional communication equipment mounted on the hull by which they may deliver the Chancellor's righteous judgment.

While swift and meant to operate at a distance the enemy may still strike against the Qinfan only to find it heavy armored and built upon a formidable superstructure capable of sustaining immense damage. With so many additional personnel some can be spared for damage control or readying additional fighters or embarked pilots carried onboard for a second decisive strike against our foes, or to maintain constant pressure on them and wear out the enemy's fuel reserves. It is entirely possible that a fighter pilot may be picked up and returned to the carrier only to go right back into a fresh fighter and into the merge with our enemies.

Code: [Select]

Sail Integrity: 6
KF Drive Integrity: 24
Heat Sinks: 2440 (4880)
Fuel: 3,000 tons (7,500)

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Small Craft (24)        6 Doors   
    Bay 2:  Fighter (123)           10 Doors 
    Bay 3:  Cargo (113272.0 tons)   4 Doors   

Ammunition:
None

Grav Decks: 2 (150 m, 150 m)
Escape Pods: 110
Life Boats: 110
Crew:  54 officers, 261 enlisted/non-rated, 96 gunners, 366 bay personnel, 523 passengers, 126 marines

Notes: Equipped with
    2 Communications Equipment (15 ton)
2,520 tons of standard aerospace armor.

Weapons:                  Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)            Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV      ERV    Class       
Nose (802 Heat)
2 Naval PPC (Heavy)   450  30(300) 30(300) 30(300) 30(300)  Capital PPC
4 Naval Laser 45      280  18(180) 18(180) 18(180) 18(180)  Capital Laser
4 Large Laser         32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
4 PPC                 40   4(40)   4(40)    0(0)     0(0)   PPC         
FRS/FLS (757 Heat)
4 Naval Laser 45      280  18(180) 18(180) 18(180) 18(180)  Capital Laser
3 Naval PPC (Medium)  405  27(270) 27(270) 27(270) 27(270)  Capital PPC
4 Large Laser         32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
4 PPC                 40   4(40)   4(40)    0(0)     0(0)   PPC         
RBS/LBS (1,252 Heat)
4 Naval Laser 45      280  18(180) 18(180) 18(180) 18(180)  Capital Laser
4 Naval PPC (Heavy)   900  60(600) 60(600) 60(600) 60(600)  Capital PPC
4 Large Laser         32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
4 PPC                 40   4(40)   4(40)    0(0)     0(0)   PPC         
ARS/ALS (773 Heat)
4 Naval Laser 45      280  18(180) 18(180) 18(180) 18(180)  Capital Laser
3 Naval PPC (Medium)  405  27(270) 27(270) 27(270) 27(270)  Capital PPC
4 Large Laser         32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
4 PPC                 40   4(40)   4(40)    0(0)     0(0)   PPC         
4 Medium Pulse Laser  16   2(24)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   Pulse Laser
Aft (280 Heat)
4 Naval Laser 35      208  14(140) 14(140) 14(140)   0(0)   Capital Laser
4 Large Laser         32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
4 PPC                 40   4(40)   4(40)    0(0)     0(0)   PPC         

[Vehrec]

Isn't this just the Soyal-class, but with energy weapons instead of the mass driver?  here, let me whip one of those up.

Code: [Select]

Soyal Heavy Cruiser (NPPC-refit)
Mass: 1,500,000 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Introduced: 2731
Mass: 1,500,000
Battle Value: 149,912
Tech Rating/Availability: E/E-X-E-X
Cost: 15,092,980,000 C-bills

Fuel: 25,000 tons (62,500)
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Sail Integrity: 7
KF Drive Integrity: 30
Heat Sinks: 1779 (3558)
Structural Integrity: 120

Armor
    Nose: 140
    Fore Sides: 138/138
    Aft Sides: 138/138
    Aft: 132

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Small Craft (2)         1 Door   
    Bay 2:  Fighter (60)            12 Doors 
    Bay 3:  Cargo (184312.0 tons)   2 Doors   

Ammunition:
    240 rounds of Killer Whale ammunition (12,000 tons),
    80 rounds of Heavy N-Gauss ammunition (40 tons),
    120 rounds of NAC/20 ammunition (48 tons),
    180 rounds of NAC/30 ammunition (144 tons)

Dropship Capacity: 5
Grav Decks: 2 (145 m, 145 m)
Escape Pods: 21
Life Boats: 21
Crew:  70 officers, 338 enlisted/non-rated, 53 gunners, 130 bay personnel, 28 marines

Notes: Mounts 1,880 tons of standard aerospace armor.

Weapons:                                       Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)                                 Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV      ERV    Class       
Nose (3,636 Heat)
2 Naval Gauss (Heavy)                      36   60(600) 60(600) 60(600) 60(600)  Capital Gauss
    Heavy N-Gauss Ammo (40 shots)
4 Naval PPC (Heavy)                        900  60(600) 60(600) 60(600) 60(600)  Capital PPC
4 Naval PPC (Heavy)                        900  60(600) 60(600) 60(600) 60(600)  Capital PPC
4 Naval PPC (Heavy)                        900  60(600) 60(600) 60(600) 60(600)  Capital PPC
4 Naval PPC (Heavy)                        900  60(600) 60(600) 60(600) 60(600)  Capital PPC
FRS/FLS (440 Heat)
1 Naval Autocannon (NAC/30)                100  30(300) 30(300) 30(300)   0(0)   Capital AC 
    NAC/30 Ammo (30 shots)
1 Naval Autocannon (NAC/20)                60   20(200) 20(200) 20(200)   0(0)   Capital AC 
    NAC/20 Ammo (20 shots)
4 Naval Laser 45                           280  18(180) 18(180) 18(180) 18(180)  Capital Laser
RBS/LBS (200 Heat)
1 Naval Autocannon (NAC/30)                100  30(300) 30(300) 30(300)   0(0)   Capital AC 
    NAC/30 Ammo (30 shots)
1 Naval Autocannon (NAC/20)                60   20(200) 20(200) 20(200)   0(0)   Capital AC 
    NAC/20 Ammo (20 shots)
2 Capital Missile Launcher (Killer Whale)  40   8(80)   8(80)   8(80)    8(80)   Capital Missile
    Killer Whale Ammo (60 shots)
ARS/ALS (200 Heat)
1 Naval Autocannon (NAC/30)                100  30(300) 30(300) 30(300)   0(0)   Capital AC 
    NAC/30 Ammo (30 shots)
1 Naval Autocannon (NAC/20)                60   20(200) 20(200) 20(200)   0(0)   Capital AC 
    NAC/20 Ammo (20 shots)
2 Capital Missile Launcher (Killer Whale)  40   8(80)   8(80)   8(80)    8(80)   Capital Missile
    Killer Whale Ammo (60 shots)
Aft (316 Heat)
2 Naval Gauss (Heavy)                      36   60(600) 60(600) 60(600) 60(600)  Capital Gauss
    Heavy N-Gauss Ammo (40 shots)
4 Naval Laser 45                           280  18(180) 18(180) 18(180) 18(180)  Capital Laser