challenge: Optimized for a strategic role

[Cannonshop]

RFP: Design a dedicated reconaissance craft for pre-invasion recon and intelligence gathering, bomb and strike pre-and-post reconaissance, and rapid target location and identification during forward operations.

Ideally, this craft should fit into a standard fighter or small craft bay and be capable of orbital insertion at high speed, both on the approach and on the retreat, it should be capable of carrying advanced reconaissance and communications equipment with room for future systems to be integrated as they become available with minimal alteration to the primary airframe.

The Department believes a payload weight of no less than ten tons is the minimum requirement, with a desired payload weight of 15 to 20 tons carried internally, with high modularity of construction to enable the best sortie turnaround times as well as to reduce man-hours required to install and integrate additional systems as needed.

For offers tender, contact:

AFFS Naval Quartermaster,  Naval Station New Syrtis, Contract code: Privateer TSR3150.

Winning tender bids will be let to provide 500 of these craft to AFFS units.

[kindalas]

Developed quietly before the WoB Jihad the Theia was tasked as a deep space reconnaissance craft.

The 200 ton craft features 4.5 tons of Heavy Ferro Aluminum armor, 18 tons of fuel, a Beagle Active Probe and a Guardian ECM suite.

It has 9 steerage class quarters for the crew and for the specialists needed to operate the Theia's surveillance equipment.

Speaking of surveillance equipment the Theia has 100 tons of modular storage space that can be used to hold a wide variety of mission equipment that is speculated to range from exotic stealth systems to advanced multi-lens telescopes.

Technical experts scoffed at the wide range of support systems pointing out correctly that any change in mission profile would require a months long refit period to adjust the crafts systems.


There are only two actual equipment layouts being offered for the Theia the first is the installation of the Small Naval Comm-Scanner Suite that gives the craft phenomenal reconnaissance abilities and a tremendous advantage to fleets using these craft to coordinate their maneuvers while the second is a large 80 ton cargo bay and a combination of advanced Satellite Imager systems. The primary model is phenomenally expensive at a quarter billion C-Bills while the secondary model costs fourteen million C-Bill.

There was a minor diplomatic scuffle when the AFFS communications office had to officially state that the Theia was named after the Greek Titan who was the mother of Selene the goddess of the Moon. And that the name choice was in no way related to the scandal surrounding the Liberation of Terra and the use of slide rulers to eliminate fortified occupation instillations.

Code: [Select]

Theia
Type: Military Spheriod
Mass: 200 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Introduced: 3065
Mass: 200
Battle Value: 327
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-E-E
Cost: 257,400,860 C-bills

Fuel: 18 tons (1,440)
Safe Thrust: 2
Maximum Thrust: 3
Heat Sinks: 6
Structural Integrity: 3

Armor
    Nose: 29
    Sides: 26/26
    Aft: 20

Cargo
    None

Crew:  9 enlisted/non-rated

Notes: Mounts 4.5 tons of heavy ferro-aluminum armor.

Weapons
and Ammo                   Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
Naval Comm-Scanner Suite     Hull     100.0     -      -    -    -    - 
Active Probe                 Hull      1.5      -      -    -    -    - 
ECM Suite                    Hull      1.5      -      -    -    -    -