Here's the short before I forget it another week:
Adam Kurita resigned from his role of warlord, quasi-inheriting his position to his youngest son, who, lacking experience as of yet is focusing on further modernising the fleet.
Nihongi doesn't seem particularly motivated to order an attack, anyways, if the past decade is anything to go by.
A third Battlecruiser, Maboroshi, is laid down, and due to be completed mid-decade.
Befitting their role and prestige, the battlecruiser fleet will also be the first in line to receive the new fighters once they roll off the assembly lines, followed by the capital defense squadron and the command fligths on the border fleets.
As the Battlecruisers are notorious gas hogs and not meant to operate in the line of battle, a variant based on the Ayakashi was developed to fulfil those needs, as well as provide a more standard vessel to show the flag.
The "
Pillar" series of battleships, to be named after the five pillars of Draconis society, will stiffen the line of battle, and be rotated through the fleets as soon as multiple are available.
The series is planned around 5 units, and in the future, new designs may replace individual ships depending on the march of technology, or battle damage.
The first ship, "Steel", is currently being fitted for a testrun.
Class/Model/Name: Pillar
Tech: Inner Sphere
Ship Cost: $9,953,522,000.00
Magazine Cost: $40,710,000.00
BV2: 97,485
Mass: 1,100,000
K-F Drive System: Compact
Power Plant: Maneuvering Drive
Safe Thrust: 4
Maximum Thrust: 6
Armor Type: Ferro-Carbide
Armament:
8 Capital Launcher AR-10
132 Laser Small
30 Naval Laser 55
2 Naval Gauss Rifle Heavy
6 Naval Gauss Rifle Medium
2 Naval Gauss Rifle Light
12 Naval AC 20
3 Laser Large
Equipment: Mass
Drive: 264,000.00
Thrust
Safe: 4
Maximum: 6
Controls: 2,750.00
K-F Hyperdrive: Compact (22 Integrity) 497,750.00
Jump Sail: (6 Integrity) 85.00
Structural Integrity: 100 110,000.00
Total Heat Sinks: 3570 Single 2,799.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 25000 points 10,200.00
Fire Control Computers: 984.50
Armor: 1620 pts Ferro-Carbide 1,950.00
Fore: 265
Fore-Left/Right: 275/275
Aft-Left/Right: 270/270
Aft: 265
Dropship Capacity: 0.00
Grav Decks:
Small: 0 0.00
Medium: 2 200.00
Large: 0.00
Escape Pods: 50 350.00
Life Boats: 106 742.00
Crew And Passengers:
59 Officers in 1st Class Quarters 590.00
206 Crew in 2nd Class Quarters 1,442.00
83 Gunners and Others in 2nd Class Quarters 581.00
284 Bay Personnel 0.00
10 1st Class Passengers 100.00
118 2nd Class Passengers 826.00
120 Steerage Passengers 600.00
# Weapons Loc Heat Damage Range Mass
2 Capital Launcher AR-10 Nose Extreme-C 500.00
30 Laser Small Nose 30 90 (9-C) 15.00
6 Naval Laser 55 Nose 510 330 (33-C) 6,600.00
1 Naval Gauss Rifle Heavy FR 18 300 (30-C) 7,000.00
1 Naval Gauss Rifle Medium FR 15 250 (25-C) 5,500.00
1 Naval Gauss Rifle Light FR 9 150 (15-C) 4,500.00
2 Naval Laser 55 FR 170 110 (11-C) 2,200.00
12 Laser Small FR 12 36 (3.6-C) 6.00
3 Naval AC 20 FR 180 600 (60-C) 7,500.00
1 Naval Gauss Rifle Heavy FL 18 300 (30-C) 7,000.00
1 Naval Gauss Rifle Medium FL 15 250 (25-C) 5,500.00
1 Naval Gauss Rifle Light FL 9 150 (15-C) 4,500.00
2 Naval Laser 55 FL 170 110 (11-C) 2,200.00
12 Laser Small FL 12 36 (3.6-C) 6.00
3 Naval AC 20 FL 180 600 (60-C) 7,500.00
3 Naval Laser 55 RBS 255 165 (16.5-C) 3,300.00
2 Capital Launcher AR-10 RBS 500.00
12 Laser Small RBS 12 36 (3.6-C) 6.00
3 Naval AC 20 RBS 180 600 (60-C) 7,500.00
3 Naval Laser 55 LBS 255 165 (16.5-C) 3,300.00
2 Capital Launcher AR-10 LBS 500.00
12 Laser Small LBS 12 36 (3.6-C) 6.00
3 Naval AC 20 LBS 180 600 (60-C) 7,500.00
2 Naval Gauss Rifle Medium AR 30 500 (50-C) 11,000.00
6 Naval Laser 55 AR 510 330 (33-C) 6,600.00
12 Laser Small AR 12 36 (3.6-C) 6.00
2 Naval Gauss Rifle Medium AL 30 500 (50-C) 11,000.00
6 Naval Laser 55 AL 510 330 (33-C) 6,600.00
12 Laser Small AL 12 36 (3.6-C) 6.00
30 Laser Small Aft 30 90 (9-C) 15.00
2 Naval Laser 55 Aft 170 110 (11-C) 2,200.00
3 Laser Large Aft 24 24 (2.4-C) 15.00
2 Capital Launcher AR-10 Aft 500.00
Ammo Rounds Mass
Naval Gauss Rifle Medium Ammo 800 320.00
Naval Gauss Rifle Heavy Ammo 200 100.00
Naval Gauss Rifle Light Ammo 600 120.00
Capital Launcher Barracuda Ammo 120 3,600.00
Capital Launcher Killer Whale Ammo 60 3,000.00
Space Mine Ammo 20 10.00
Equipment Mass
Space Mine Dispenser 10.00
# Cargo and Bays Mass
1 Bay Dropshuttle 11,000.00
25 Bay Fighter 3750
25 Bay Fighter 3750
18 Bay Small Craft 3600
51829 Cargo, Standard 51829
12 Bay Mech 1800
10.00 Bay Conventional Infantry (IS), Mechanized 80
Primarily a downgrading of the engine and stiffening of the structure, the new not-a-battlecruiser also features a slightly altered weapons suite befitting its different role.
Unlike what might be expected, the new battleships are not flagships, and contain neither separate flag facilities nor improved sensors.
Also, as some accountant insisted on carrying the full complement of supplies for a 5 men crew per small craft bay, despite the fact that no small craft are ever deployed from most of those bays - and small craft bring their own supplies - the bays have been rearranged to be clearly marked for fighter use, with the remainder of the oversized bays being declared "cargo".
Older ships will regularly vent excess supplies to satisfy the bureaucracy until the culprit can be found.
New technologiesResearch has been done in the fields of lighter fusion engines and capital missiles, resulting in advanced fighters and the AR-10 launcher. A spin-off development is expected to benefit the army.
Further, some money has been invested into copying the medium dropship designs of the Combine's neighbours.
The official outlets stress that these are markedly superior to their competitors. How exactly has not been asked by anyone.
Defence and IndustryTo prepare for future production, the yards at midway are upgraded to produce larger ship designs (2 -> 3). Midway was chosen mainly on the basis that there was no other location outside of New Samarkand.
To further protect that investment, all yards will now be protected by twice the amount of Monban Kumo stations, resulting in a total defence layout of of:
| System | Biggest Yard | Monban | Kumo | Tenshu | Castle |
| New Samarkand | 5 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
| Luthien | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Midway | 3 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Al Ting | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Alshain | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Benjamin | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Again, Alshain was overlooked when it came to yard expansions, leading to some rustled feathers.
The Navy has requested the construction of 15 additional castle tenno on border worlds of the combine, to raise defences where the Navy can not be the commoners shield.
As usual, maintenance goes to the army.
The new LineAs the newest iteration of the Fubuki lacks dropship collars, a light cruiser design, christened the Kiyokaze series, was to be put into production to provide that capability, in addition to better endurance and a modernised, streamlined, and longer ranged suite of weaponry.
However, as the fiscal planning period came to an end, it was discovered that no money has actually been allocated to production of the design, and so the prototypes where shelved, and the yards tooled for other tasks.
However, a subvariant of the new cruisers, the
Tsuru class Missile cruiser, actually had been allocated funding, albeit only for a single prototype.
This lead to the unusual case of the variant actually being the lead model.
Class/Model/Name: 鶴 - Tsuru
Tech: Inner Sphere
Ship Cost: $5,782,204,000.00
Magazine Cost: $19,276,000.00
BV2: 91,235
Mass: 480,000
K-F Drive System: Compact
Power Plant: Maneuvering Drive
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Armor Type: Ferro-Carbide
Armament:
28 Capital Launcher AR-10
12 Machine Gun (IS)
216 Capital Launcher White Shark
48 Laser Small
4 Naval Laser 45
Class/Model/Name: 鶴 - Tsuru
Mass: 480,000
Equipment: Mass
Drive: 86,400.00
Thrust
Safe: 3
Maximum: 5
Controls: 1,200.00
K-F Hyperdrive: Compact (11 Integrity) 217,200.00
Jump Sail: (4 Integrity) 54.00
Structural Integrity: 85 40,800.00
Total Heat Sinks: 3988 Single 3,528.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 18000 points 7,344.00
Fire Control Computers: 4,250.70
Armor: 693 pts Ferro-Carbide 798.00
Fore: 111
Fore-Left/Right: 120/120
Aft-Left/Right: 111/111
Aft: 120
Dropship Capacity: 0.00
Grav Decks:
Small: 2 100.00
Medium: 0.00
Large: 0.00
Escape Pods: 20 140.00
Life Boats: 68 476.00
Crew And Passengers:
67 Officers in 1st Class Quarters 670.00
74 Crew in 2nd Class Quarters 518.00
258 Gunners and Others in 2nd Class Quarters 1,806.00
240 Bay Personnel 0.00
1 1st Class Passengers 10.00
25 2nd Class Passengers 175.00
50 Steerage Passengers 250.00
# Weapons Loc Heat Damage Range Mass
14 Capital Launcher AR-10 Nose Extreme-C 3,500.00
6 Machine Gun (IS) Nose 12 (1.2-C) 3.00
14 Capital Launcher AR-10 Aft 3,500.00
6 Machine Gun (IS) Aft 12 (1.2-C) 3.00
54 Capital Launcher White Shark FR 810 1620 (162-C) 6,480.00
3 Laser Small FR 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
54 Capital Launcher White Shark FL 810 1620 (162-C) 6,480.00
3 Laser Small FL 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
18 Capital Launcher White Shark RBS 270 540 (54-C) 2,160.00
2 Naval Laser 45 RBS 140 90 (9-C) 1,800.00
18 Laser Small RBS 18 54 (5.4-C) 9.00
18 Capital Launcher White Shark LBS 270 540 (54-C) 2,160.00
2 Naval Laser 45 LBS 140 90 (9-C) 1,800.00
18 Laser Small LBS 18 54 (5.4-C) 9.00
36 Capital Launcher White Shark AL 540 1080 (108-C) 4,320.00
3 Laser Small AL 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
36 Capital Launcher White Shark AR 540 1080 (108-C) 4,320.00
3 Laser Small AR 3 9 (0.9-C) 1.50
Ammo Rounds Mass
Machine Gun (IS) Ammo 2400 12.00
Capital Launcher Barracuda Ammo 280 8,400.00
Capital Launcher Killer Whale Ammo 56 2,800.00
Capital Launcher White Shark Ammo 1136 45,440.00
# Cargo and Bays Mass
48 Bay Small Craft 9,600.00
11478.3 Cargo, Standard 11478.3
With limited ammo, a small cargo fraction, no dropship collar, and in no way tougher than the existing destroyers, the Tsuru is everything the Kiyokaze was not supposed to be.
In fact, it could be described as a variant of the Fubuki, such is its lack of new features.
On the bright side, it is cheap.
Capable of smothering an enemy fleet in broadsides of up to 136 White Shark missiles, it carries only 4 reloads for its primary launchers; The ship will be employed purely as a supporting element to provide critical weight of fire in the opening stages of an engagement, meant to swamp enemy anti-missile defence or to force the enemy to bring more purely because she
could be there.
The new AR-10 launchers were crammed in at the last minute, replacing older, but more weight-efficient barracuda launchers, in favour of a 6th salvo for the white shark launchers.
While these allow the bow and stern launchers to contribute, if inaccurately, to the initial salvos, and still provide small craft deterrence afterwards, some lament the loss of actual firepower.
Only 2 ships total are planned of this design.
| what | # | = |
| Year | | | 2400 |
| Year | | | 2400 |
| Starting: | | | 6281 |
| Budget: | | | 374000 |
Maintenance
| Small | Jump | 40 | 10 b |
| | Drop | 100 | 15 b |
| | M. Drop | | 0 |
| | Fighter | 2706 | 6.765 b |
| | Adv. Fighter | | 0 |
| | SC | 600 | 3 b |
| Stations | Onsen | 59 | 13570 |
| | Onsen S | 16 | 3336 |
| Tenshu 二 | 9 | 2448 |
| | Monban | 26 | 2392 |
| | Monban Kumo | 15 | |
| Warships | Kutai II | 8 | 19392 |
| Kutai (moth) | 5 | 1206 |
| Fubuki(m) | 1 | 319.55 |
| Fubuki II | 8 | 26084 |
| Fubuki IIa | 3 | 9007.5 |
| Ikioi C | 3 | 12693 |
| Ayakashi | 2 | 17614.8 |
| Shinryakusen(m) | 1 | 341.95 |
| Shinryakusen | 1 | 3419.5 |
| | | 146.59 b |
New Builds
| Ships: | | | |
| Missile Cruiser | Tsuru | 1 | 5782 |
| Battlecruiser | Ayakashi | 1 | 12582 |
| Battleship | Pillar | 1 | 9954 |
| | | |
| Station | Monban Kumo | 12 | 1404 m |
| | | | |
| M. Drop | 10 | 5000 |
| Adv. Fighter | 180 | 2.7 b |
| SC | 0 | 0 |
| Castle Brian | 15 | 15 b |
| Prototype | | | |
| Pillar | | 995 m |
| Tsuru | | 578 m |
| Shipyards: | 1 | 3 | |
| 2 | 2 | |
| 3 | 1 | 30 b |
| 4 | 0 | |
| 5 | 1 | |
Research
| AR10 | full price | | 47400 |
| XL Engines | full price | | 47400 |
| Medium Dropships | 20% off | | 37920 |
Misc| Extra expenses | | | 5000 (I don't remember what this was actually for) |
| Privateers | | | 500 m (the usual pirates to harass the RWR/PoR/LC border. They can keep the profits, again, as usual. |
| Remaining | | | 11476 |
