NCS True Vision Congress Class Frigate FRAM II refitAs one of the largest users of the Congress Class and with one of the class serving as their Clan’s flagship, it was only to be expected that Clan Nova Cat would modernise and upgrade their Flagship to a FRAM II standard. The other Congresses in Nova Cat service didn’t see quite so extensive a refit but it still increased their firepower and is somewhat joking called a FRAM 1.5 refit.
Whilst the original Congress was built to explore and patrol the vast tracts of the Star League, escorting convoys or carrying out months long anti-pirate patrols, the Clans found little use in the classes formidable endurance or advanced sensor array. Despite this, the class soldiered on but with REVIVAL on the Horizon and other Clans upgrading their WarShips, the Nova Cats had to do the same lest they be at a disadvantage.
The NCS
True Vision was singled out for special attention after having been the Clan Nova Cats Flag Ship for over a century despite her not being the largest or most capable of the Clan’s vessels. But as one of the vessels favoured by Sandra Rosse the ships history made her the only logical choice for the superstitious and mystical Nova Cats to serve as flagship.
The refit carried out at Barcella Naval Yard Alpha was both extensive and expensive, the hull was stripped with her armour package removed and replaced with nearly 500 tons of Lamellor Ferro-Carbide armour. This allowed for the interior to be reorganized with the ships passage ways to allow the passage of Elementals as well as allowing for additional strongpoints to be fitted to protect against boarders. Additional quarters were also installed for not only 25 Marines but up to 50 senior officers including the Khan and his or her staff. The additional tonnage of armour also increased the frigates protection, giving her protection above that on the larger Sovetskii Soyuz class cruisers.
The cargo bays were rearranged with over 45,000 tons of cargo space sacrificed to increase the
True Vision’s firepower. This only slightly decreased her cruising capacity and the fuel tanks were increased to 4,000 tons of metallic hydrogen slush, allowing her to sustain a burn with her engines for a considerably longer time.
The already advanced and capable sensor suite was tied into a NCSS suite to allow the
True Vision to direct and coordinate friendly forces within a solar system. The aerospace group was doubled with room for a Binary of Omnifighters to be carried onboard (20) in addition to the two DropShip docking collars.
The weapons fit was also heavily augmented, the Congress class as built was more than capable of handling Pirate craft or House WarShips but was found to be lacking against better armed opponents and was outclassed by the M5 CASPAR Drones and in Clan space the large Frigate often found herself outgunned and relegated to a more supporting role, which was felt to be a waste of a 760,000 ton WarShip.
The refit carried out to the NCS
True Vision most certinally gave her teeth. The bow missile launcher was replaced with a trio of AR-10 launch units, each with 20 of each missile type as ammunition. The ships broadside weapons were also removed, replaced or upgraded, the dual autocannon mounts in the ships forward quarters became a quadruple mount. The forward and aft quarters also recived a pair of Barracuda missile launchers for long range anti-fighter or DropShip engagements. The light autocannons on the broadside arcs were replaced with a trio of heavier weapons, giving the ship a far greater punch and for long range engagements a quartet of medium naval particle cannons were also installed. The aft quarters also featured a quartet of PPCs and a quartet of light autocannons fired directly astern. An extensive battery of the Nova Cats preferred weapons, ER lasers and PPCs provided the main anti-fighter punch whilst an array of AMS mountings covered every angle.
With her Binary of fighters the
True Vision was far more resilient against fighter strikes, often the bane of a WarShip and her anti-fighter armament was heavy enough to discourge fighters from pushing too close.
The refit was seen as a huge success but its cost meant that it was unique, no other Clan would copy the refit and limited themselves to comparatively minor upgrades and updates, rather than the near complete rebuild required to match the
True Vision’s performance and firepower.
Class/Model/Name: Congress Class Frigate FRAM II refit
Tech: Clan
Ship Cost: $15,298,783,680.00
Magazine Cost: $14,440,000.00
BV2: 59,586
Mass: 760,000
K-F Drive System: Compact with L-F Battery
Power Plant: Maneuvering Drive
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Armor Type: Lamellor Ferro-Carbide
Armament:
3 Capital Launcher AR-10
8 Capital Launcher Barracuda
6 Naval AC 20
12 Naval AC 10
16 Naval PPC Medium
20 Laser Large ER (C)
24 PPC ER (C)
24 Laser Medium ER (C)
8 Laser Large Pulse (C)
24 AMS (C)
Class/Model/Name: Congress Class Frigate FRAM II refit
Mass: 760,000
Equipment: Mass
Drive: 136,800.00
Thrust
Safe: 3
Maximum: 5
Controls: 1,900.00
K-F Hyperdrive: Compact with L-F Battery (17 Integrity) 351,500.00
Jump Sail: (5 Integrity) 68.00
Structural Integrity: 75 57,000.00
Total Heat Sinks: 2418(4836) Double 1,850.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 10000 points 4,080.00
Fire Control Computers: 0.00
Armor: 545 pts Lamellor Ferro-Carbide 495.00
Fore: 90
Fore-Left/Right: 94/94
Aft-Left/Right: 94/94
Aft: 79
Dropship Capacity: 2 2,000.00
Grav Decks:
Small: 1 (100 meter) 50.00
Escape Pods: 38 266.00
Life Boats: 38 266.00
Crew And Passengers:
45 Officers in Steerage Quarters 225.00
152 Crew in Steerage Quarters 760.00
70 Gunners and Others in Steerage Quarters 350.00
65 Bay Personnel
50 1st Class Passengers 500.00
25 Steerage Passengers 125.00
# Weapons Loc Heat Damage Range Mass
3 Capital Launcher AR-10 Nose Extreme-C 750.00
4 Laser Large ER (C) Nose 48 40 (4-C) 16.00
4 PPC ER (C) Nose 60 60 (6-C) 24.00
3 AMS (C) Nose 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
4 Naval AC 10 FL 120 400 (40-C) 8,000.00
2 Capital Launcher Barracuda FL 20 40 (4-C) 180.00
4 PPC ER (C) FL 60 60 (6-C) 24.00
8 Laser Medium ER (C) FL 40 56 (5.6-C) 8.00
3 AMS (C) FL 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
4 Naval AC 10 FR 120 400 (40-C) 8,000.00
2 Capital Launcher Barracuda FR 20 40 (4-C) 180.00
4 PPC ER (C) FR 60 60 (6-C) 24.00
8 Laser Medium ER (C) FR 40 56 (5.6-C) 8.00
3 AMS (C) FR 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
3 Naval AC 20 LBS 180 600 (60-C) 7,500.00
4 Naval PPC Medium LBS 540 360 (36-C) 7,200.00
4 Laser Large ER (C) LBS 48 40 (4-C) 16.00
4 PPC ER (C) LBS 60 60 (6-C) 24.00
3 AMS (C) LBS 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
3 Naval AC 20 RBS 180 600 (60-C) 7,500.00
4 Naval PPC Medium RBS 540 360 (36-C) 7,200.00
4 Laser Large ER (C) RBS 48 40 (4-C) 16.00
4 PPC ER (C) RBS 60 60 (6-C) 24.00
3 AMS (C) RBS 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
4 Naval PPC Medium AL 540 360 (36-C) 7,200.00
2 Capital Launcher Barracuda AL 20 40 (4-C) 180.00
4 Laser Large ER (C) AL 48 40 (4-C) 16.00
4 Laser Large Pulse (C) AL 40 40 (4-C) 24.00
3 AMS (C) AL 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
4 Naval PPC Medium AR 540 360 (36-C) 7,200.00
2 Capital Launcher Barracuda AR 20 40 (4-C) 180.00
4 Laser Large ER (C) AR 48 40 (4-C) 16.00
4 Laser Large Pulse (C) AR 40 40 (4-C) 24.00
3 AMS (C) AR 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
4 Naval AC 10 Aft 120 400 (40-C) 8,000.00
4 PPC ER (C) Aft 60 60 (6-C) 24.00
8 Laser Medium ER (C) Aft 40 56 (5.6-C) 8.00
3 AMS (C) Aft 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
Ammo Type Quantity
Capital Launcher White Shark Ammo 60 rounds
Capital Launcher Barracuda Ammo 220 rounds
Capital Launcher Killer Whale Ammo 60 rounds
Naval AC 10 Ammo 600 rounds
Naval AC 20 Ammo 300 rounds
AMS (C) Ammo 1728 rounds
And as always, thoughts and comments are most welcome :)