Author Topic: Tartar and Zenith class Dropships  (Read 7707 times)

marauder648

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Tartar and Zenith class Dropships
« on: 22 February 2019, 12:44:05 »
Tartar Class DropShip

With Project Zhukov well underway, the Horses had to turn to their naval capabilities.  Never the strongest arm of the Touman, the Horses used a mixture of Broadsword, Union C and Overlord C's as their main transports.  But, with the emphasis shifting back to a true combined arms doctrine and the wider deployment of Nova's these DropShips proved less than ideal.  The Horses had often just resorted to configuring ships as needed, but this was slow and resource intensive and far from ideal as conversions would require extensive reworking of a ships interior whilst trying to minimise the effects on its centre of gravity which if thrown off, could prove catastrophic in an atmosphere. 

Although at the time it was considered a bold step, the design of a new DropShip was put fowards to help carry Hell's Horses formations into battle safely.  But to carry a suitable number of Mech's and tanks to fit the new Nova standards would require a larger DropShip, although not going into the realm of the Overlord-C in terms of weight. 

Inspiration came from two sources, one, the common Triumph class that had been used by the SLDF although it had long since fallen out of favour with the Clans owing to its primary role as a tank and infantry carrier.  The other source was far more surprising.  The Pueblo class DropShip had been one of the crown jewels of the SLDF and Terran Hegemony's intelligence departments but the class had suffered in the Armaris civil war, with the survivors taken by the SLDF into Exodus.  The Pentagon Civil War and the birth of the Clans had seen the classes numbers diminish even further as the ships were either destroyed or gutted and scrapped for parts and equipment, their numbers dwindling until barely a dozen remained. 
Four of these ships were still held in the Hell's Horses naval cache, long since stripped of many of their components, their hulls empty and open to space, but they served as useful design information for large aerodyne hull designs that would be used in the new DropShip.  It was felt that an aerodyne could defend itself better with its agility and would present a smaller target than the large Spheroid hulls of other DropShips. 


What slowly took shape and finally launched in 3000 was as one Inner Sphere pilot commented "The bastard offspring of a Triumph and a DroST" in terms of looks and capabilities although it also had the Pueblo's huge delta wings mounted high up on the hull for maximum lift and to give the most internal room for its cargo.  The craft's body was dominated by its cargo bay, capable of carrying a full combined arms Binary Nova of 10 Mechs, 20 tanks and 50 Elementals.  This large bay was split down the middle by a cargo bay which could take over 480 tons of munitions, spare parts and equipment for the embarked forces. 

The tanks and Mechs could disembark from either the large bow doors or through the side although tanks had to use the bow doors until the Mech's had disembarked.  The cockpit section jutted over the bow of the ship, giving the most room possible for the embarked troops to be able to get off as quickly as possible.
Every effort went into saving room and freeing up space and this meant that the Tartar class DropShip as they were called were horribly cramped affairs. 
The armament was simple but effective with lasers, particle cannons and missiles placed across the hull and wings to provide good all-round fire and there was even bunks for up to 5 Marines who helped secure the bridge section of the ship and were often older Elementals that many Clans would consider Solhama personnel.  As fast in an atmosphere or space as a Union-C the Tartar was heavily protected with layers of Ferro-Aluminuium providing protection that came close to that of the larger Overlord-C.

One thing about their design was that the layout of the troop and vehicle bay was integral to the hull, and it could not be easily altered although some Tartar's did carry full loads of cargo instead of Mech's and tanks several times.  This specalized nature saved the class from being the subject of many Trials.  Most other Clans barely considered using vehicles in any meaningful way beyond defensive roles and even those that didn't would not look at tanks in the same light as the Hell's Horses did.  And with their layout being largely fixed, the Tartar could not be converted into other roles like a pure Mech carrier easily or quickly.  Making the conversion both time consuming and resource intensive enough to, in most Clans eyes, not be worth the effort.  So, unlike the Zenith class Elemental Transport, the Tartar was seen very rarely outside of the Horses Touman.  It wasn't until 3058 that a variant of the Tartar was completed by another Clan, stripping out its troop capacity and reducing the cargo to allow it to carry and launch a Binary of fighters (20 craft), allowing it to operate as a medium carrier, fitting into the space between the Carrier and Titan/Miraborg classes.


Code: [Select]
Tartar  DropShip
Base Tech Level: Standard (Clan)
Level          Era
-------------------
Experimental    - 
Advanced        - 
Standard      3071+
Tech Rating: F/X-X-E-E

Weight: 8200 tons
BV: 10,738
Cost: 662,040,000 C-bills

Movement: 4/6
Heat Sinks: 200 [400]
Fuel Points: 9000 (300.0 tons)
Tons Per Burn Day: 1.84

Structural Integrity: 20
Armor: 1191 (Ferro-Aluminum)
            Armor 
-------------------
Nose          341 
Left Side     287 
Right Side    287 
Aft           276 

Weapons                             Loc  Heat 
-----------------------------------------------
PPC Bay                             NOS   30   
ER PPC                                         
ER PPC                                         

LRM Bay                             NOS   15   
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15 (Clan) Artemis-capable Ammo  120
       
Laser Bay                           NOS   34   
ER Large Laser                                 
ER Large Laser                                 
ER Medium Laser                               
ER Medium Laser                               
 
AMS Bay                             NOS    2   
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System Ammo [Clan]      72 
     
PPC Bay                              RS   45   
ER PPC                                         
ER PPC                                         
ER PPC                                         

LRM Bay                              RS   10   
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15 (Clan) Artemis-capable Ammo   80 
     
Laser Bay                            RS   44   
ER Large Laser                                 
ER Large Laser                                 
ER Medium Laser                               
ER Medium Laser                               
ER Medium Laser                               
ER Medium Laser                               
 
AMS Bay                              RS    2   
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System Ammo [Clan]      72 
     
PPC Bay                              LS   45   
ER PPC                                         
ER PPC                                         
ER PPC                                         

LRM Bay                              LS   10   
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15 (Clan) Artemis-capable Ammo   80   
   
Laser Bay                            LS   44   
ER Large Laser                                 
ER Large Laser                                 
ER Medium Laser                               
ER Medium Laser                               
ER Medium Laser                               
ER Medium Laser                             
   
AMS Bay                              LS    2   
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System Ammo [Clan]      72 
     
PPC Bay                             AFT   30   
ER PPC                                         
ER PPC                                         

LRM Bay                             AFT   10   
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15 (Clan) Artemis-capable Ammo   80 
     
Laser Bay                           AFT   34   
ER Large Laser                                 
ER Large Laser                                 
ER Medium Laser                               
ER Medium Laser                             
 
AMS Bay                             AFT    2   
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System Ammo [Clan]      72       


Equipment       Loc 
---------------------
Artemis IV FCS  NOS 
Artemis IV FCS  NOS 
Artemis IV FCS  NOS 
Artemis IV FCS   RS 
Artemis IV FCS   RS 
Artemis IV FCS   LS 
Artemis IV FCS   LS 
Artemis IV FCS  AFT 
Artemis IV FCS  AFT 

Carrying Capacity
-----------------
Heavy Vehicle Bay (2 doors) - 20 units
Mech (2 doors) - 10 units
Battle Armor Bay (2 doors) - 10 Points
Cargo Space (1 door) - 484 tons

Crew                   
-----------------------
Officers              5
Enlisted/Non-rated   11
Gunners               7
Bay Personnel       240
Marines               5


Quirks
------
Atmospheric Flyer<br/>
Improved Communications



Zenith Class DropShip

Although the Sassanid class DropShip was a capable craft, its hodgepodge of weapons, and less than idea infantry bay loading and unloading areas were marks against the class, at least in saKhan Yana Fletcher’s eyes.  He also felt that it was too slow and getting Elementals onto the ground quicker at a decisive point would be of more use than just acting as an armed transport for them.  During the Battle of Niles, the Horses were unable to move various units scattered across their holdings on the planet due to the threat of the Bear’s holding orbital dominance.  And, although there was very little fighting in space, the fighting over the area where the Trial took place was very bloody for both sides and it was felt that it was too risky to land a DropShip in the area to unload its forces directly into the battle whereas a faster craft could have gotten in and helped.
Whilst this went against the Trial style of combat the Clans loved and enshrined, the Battle on Niles was far more savage than the typical Clan Trial clashes and could be more comparable to a Trial of Absorption, albeit an undeclared one such was the fury of the Ghost Bear Warriors in their assault.

This close brush with being Absorbed also quietly shaped the Hell’s Horses doctrine and the development of their forces moving forwards and the new Zenith class DropShip was also part of this shaping of doctrine and military forces.

Although the design massed 3,000 tons like the Sassanid class, it was an aerodyne, its genesis starting with a stretched and more streamlined Broadsword hull with raised nose and bridge section and a notable ‘belly’ section for the Elementals and cargo.  Unlike the Sassanid, the Zenith could carry two Trinaries worth of Elementals, 150 in total and, unlike the other design it was built to carry larger and smaller Elementals including the Deimos, Alecto and Alastor suits.  Doors and hatches along the DropShips sides under its cockpit and even on its belly let suits disembark quickly allowed jump capable suits to be deployed from high altitude although to unload the Alecto the Zenith had to land.  The troop bays were split by a cargo bay that could hold over 470 tons of supplies, spare parts and ammunition, easily allowing the Zenith to support its Elementals and repair them if needed.  The DropShips armament was also considerable thanks to a mix of energy and ballistic weapons, allowing it to act, in a pinch as a ground attack craft whilst fourty tons of Ferro-Aluminium armour gave it a thick hide, allowing it to withstand a considerable amount of hostile attention.
Unlike the Broadsword, the Zenith had larger wings mounted up on the hull  and the distinctive reverse gull-wing shape gave the craft good stability and handing in an atmosphere.

Due to its higher speed and more capable armament the Zenith would largely displace the Sassanid as the Clans primary Battle Armour transport after the design schematics were won by Clan Diamond Shark in a Trial of Possession and it became quite widespread, but never fully replaced the older Sassanid which was less maintenance intensive and cheaper to produce.  Several variants were designed including a Mech carrier that could carry a single Star of Mechs as well as a stripped out version that was assigned to the Merchant caste as a cargo carrier that was rarely seen during the initial stages of Operation REVIVAL but would become a quite common sight as the Clans took resources from the worlds they had conquered back to the Homeworlds.  The cargo variant could carry over 1,300 tons of cargo quickly and efficiently but was only armed with a battery of medium lasers for any form of self defence against Dark Caste raiders or Spheroid forces. 

This more general purpose design is a quite stark contrast to the far more specialized Tartar class and although the two classes have some visual similarities the Horses design was built to be flexible and adaptable and could be seen as a fig leaf towards other Clans who wanted a design for themselves, something none of the Clans were willing to Trial for over the Tartar due to its more specialized nature and integral tank bays.




Code: [Select]
Zenith Dropship
Base Tech Level: Standard (Clan)
Level          Era
-------------------
Experimental    - 
Advanced        - 
Standard      3071+
Tech Rating: F/X-F-E-E

Weight: 3000 tons
BV: 9,756
Cost: 590,516,640 C-bills

Movement: 5/8
Heat Sinks: 180 [360]
Fuel Points: 9300 (310.0 tons)
Tons Per Burn Day: 1.84

Structural Integrity: 12
Armor: 1008 (Ferro-Aluminum)
            Armor 
-------------------
Nose          303 
Left Side     252 
Right Side    252 
Aft           201 

Weapons                             Loc  Heat 
-----------------------------------------------
PPC Bay                             NOS   45   
ER PPC                                         
ER PPC                                         
ER PPC                                         

Pulse Laser Bay                     NOS   16   
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                       
     
LBX AC Bay                          NOS    6   
LB 10-X AC                                     
LB 10-X AC                                     
LB 10-X AC                                     
LB 10-X Cluster Ammo                120
       
AMS Bay                             NOS    2   
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System Ammo [Clan]      72 
     
AC Bay                               RS   14   
Ultra AC/20                                   
Ultra AC/20                                   
Ultra AC/20 Ammo                     50 
     
LRM Bay                              RS   10   
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15 (Clan) Artemis-capable Ammo   48 
     
Laser Bay                            RS   24   
ER Large Laser                                 
ER Large Laser                                 
AMS Bay                              RS    2   

Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System Ammo [Clan]      72
       
Pulse Laser Bay                      RS   16   
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                           
 
AC Bay                               LS   14   
Ultra AC/20                                   
Ultra AC/20                                   
Ultra AC/20 Ammo                     50   
     
LRM Bay                              LS   10   
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15                                         
LRM 15 (Clan) Artemis-capable Ammo   48
       
Laser Bay                            LS   24   
ER Large Laser                                 
ER Large Laser                                 

AMS Bay                              LS    2   
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System Ammo [Clan]      72
       
Pulse Laser Bay                      LS   16   
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                         
   
PPC Bay                             AFT   60   
ER PPC                                         
ER PPC                                         
ER PPC                                         
ER PPC                                         

LBX AC Bay                          AFT   12   
LB 20-X AC                                     
LB 20-X AC                                     
LB 20-X Cluster Ammo                 40
       
Pulse Laser Bay                     AFT   24   
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                             
Medium Pulse Laser                             
AMS Bay                             AFT    2
 
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System                           
Anti-Missile System Ammo [Clan]      72       


Equipment       Loc 
---------------------
Artemis IV FCS   RS 
Artemis IV FCS   RS 
Artemis IV FCS   LS 
Artemis IV FCS   LS 

Carrying Capacity
-----------------
Battle Armor Bay (3 doors) - 10 Points
Battle Armor Bay (2 doors) - 10 Points
Battle Armor Bay (2 doors) - 10 Points
Cargo Space (1 door) - 478 tons

Crew                   
-----------------------
Officers              3
Enlisted/Non-rated    2
Gunners               7
Bay Personnel       180




As always thoughts and comments are most welcome.
Ghost Bears: Cute and cuddly. Until you remember its a BLOODY BEAR!

Project Zhukov Fan AU TRO's and PDFs - https://thezhukovau.wordpress.com/

Maingunnery

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Re: Tartar and Zenith class Dropships
« Reply #1 on: 22 February 2019, 14:14:11 »

Well with all those weapons they do give a "Get out of the way!" vibe.  :thumbsup:
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marauder648

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Re: Tartar and Zenith class Dropships
« Reply #2 on: 22 February 2019, 14:28:19 »
Aye well the troops onboard are a major investment, can't have them be destroyed before they can do what they are meant to now can we :D
Ghost Bears: Cute and cuddly. Until you remember its a BLOODY BEAR!

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