seeking: a specialist design.

[Cannonshop]

RFP for an innovative tactical asset for carrier forces:

Type: must be an Aerospace fighter or small craft under 200 tons.

Role: Electronic Warfare support, ECM, ECCM, and host to conduct anti-air-defense in support of other fighter forces.  Secondary roles in observation, liason, and intelligence gathering for the squadron.

This is to be a specialist design using common components to fighters or small craft in current service (3066) in the Inner Sphere.  The unit type is to be issued to fighter squadrons on a one or two per Squadron basis.

The Government Chequebook is open on this one, guys-it's supposed to be advanced and a specialist design, so go nuts.

[Daryk]

It should definitely be a Small Craft... they start with the equivalent of 3 tons of Communications Equipment as part of their controls...

[Giovanni Blasini]

It should definitely be a Small Craft... they start with the equivalent of 3 tons of Communications Equipment as part of their controls...

Even then, though, fighter/small craft ECM gets ignored by large craft.  Doesn't mean it's not worth doing, just that it's not going to be effective versus big stuff.

[Daryk]

I thought Small Craft ECM was treated the same as DropShip ECM? ???

[Giovanni Blasini]

I thought Small Craft ECM was treated the same as DropShip ECM? ???

I had too, and it had been a while since I played, since my local club sticks mostly to Alpha Strike, so I looked up the rule again in Strat Ops (3rd printing - "Advanced Aerospace Rules", ie. the one with the Samurai ASF on the cover).  On page 99, near the bottom of the first column, it reads:

Fighter/Small Craft ECM (regardless of whether or not the Small Craft mounts an ECM suite) only applies to other fighters and Small Craft, and is ignored by Large Craft

Now, that may have since seen errata that changes it, but it sounds like fighter/small craft ECM won't jam large craft.

With that said, though, page 99 and 100 go on to talk about ECCM, including by fighters and small craft.  Beagle probes and ECM switched to ECCM mode can benefit any friendly unit within their area of affect, but small craft/fighter ECCM can only target a single large craft: if there's an overlapping field by, say, a DropShip and a WarShip, you can only target one of them.

So, @Cannonshop's request is still a valid one, and such a design can definitely have utility.  It just has to be carefully wielded, and construction may be a bit more interesting.  I mean, there's also AESW missiles to consider, and how they may interact with bomb bay quirks.

[Daryk]

Ah, thanks for the ref Gio! :)

I'm still thinking Small Craft with an additional 4 tons of Communications Equipment (for the +2 Initiative, if nothing else).  Then pile on an ECM Suite, plenty of engine, and lots of armor.  There should be enough left over for a few pairs of Point Defense weapons, and maybe a single PPC or Large Laser...

[Giovanni Blasini]

Depending on the era, naval C3 might be a good choice too.

I’ve been waffling in my head between a heavy ASF and something like an Aquarius small craft.  Still haven’t decided yet.

[Daryk]

Will Naval C3 fit on something that small?  I thought it was multi-hundreds of tons?

[AlphaMirage]

While not technically rules legal (as it uses bay quarters. It could theoretically be legal if you reduce fuel, cargo, and armor but that extra 35 tons really cuts into the payload. This is the Hardball. A solid ECM, AMS small craft with some Anti-Air potential while being reasonably tough.

Hardball Guardian SC
Type: Military Spheroid
Mass: 200 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Introduced: 3145
Mass: 200
Battle Value: 2,482
Cost: 164,222,240 C-bills

Code: [Select]

Fuel: 20 tons (1,600)
Safe Thrust: 6
Maximum Thrust: 9
Heat Sinks: 0
Structural Integrity: 26

Armor
    Nose: 127
    Sides: 110/110
    Aft: 93

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Cargo (10.0 tons)       1 Door   
    Bay 2:  Infantry (Mech. Squad) (8)1 Door   

Ammunition:
    240 rounds of Anti-Missile System [IS] ammunition (5 tons)

Escape Pods: 0
Life Boats: 0
Crew:  5 enlisted/non-rated, 2 gunners, 7 bay personnel

Notes: Mounts 21 tons of standard aerospace armor.

Weapons:                                       Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)                                 Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV     ERV   Class       
Nose (16 Heat)
2 Large Laser                              16   2(16)   2(16)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
RS/LS Fwd (8 Heat)
2 Anti-Missile System                       2    1(6)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AMS         
    Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (576 shots)
2 Medium Laser                              6   1(10)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
RS/LS Aft (8 Heat)
2 Anti-Missile System                       2    1(6)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AMS         
    Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (576 shots)
2 Medium Laser                              6   1(10)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
Aft (10 Heat)
2 Anti-Missile System                       2    1(6)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AMS         
    Anti-Missile System Ammo [IS] (576 shots)
2 Medium Pulse Laser                        8   1(12)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  Pulse Laser

[Giovanni Blasini]

Will Naval C3 fit on something that small?  I thought it was multi-hundreds of tons?

I thought there was a way to link to smaller units, but I’m only kind of right there.  It’s permitted on DropShips and on Large Craft of 200 tons or more.  That 200-ton dividing line is where things get weird: just look at the K-1 DropShuttle.

[Red Pins]

RFP for an innovative tactical asset for carrier forces:

Type: must be an Aerospace fighter or small craft under 200 tons.

Role: Electronic Warfare support, ECM, ECCM, and host to conduct anti-air-defense in support of other fighter forces.  Secondary roles in observation, liason, and intelligence gathering for the squadron.

This is to be a specialist design using common components to fighters or small craft in current service (3066) in the Inner Sphere.  The unit type is to be issued to fighter squadrons on a one or two per Squadron basis.

The Government Chequebook is open on this one, guys-it's supposed to be advanced and a specialist design, so go nuts.

Canon tech?

[PuppyLikesLaserPointers]

Well Naval C3 costs 2% of the tonnage of the unit plus any additional weight for the fire controls, so a 200 tons dropship needs 2 tons per a Naval C3 at minimum. Also a small craft is not eligible to got a Naval C3.

Note that a large craft is considered to have 7 tons of communications equipment per the purpose of determine if it's a Mobile HQ(gives either 1 or 2 on the initiative if you have at least one on your force). So if a dropship was ever allowed to do, you don't need to invest much for the electronics. Actually dropships have far better advantage for this since being a dropship already fulfills almost all the requirement for the topic(+2 to initiative, superior ECM, etc) aside it's not a small craft thus is not a legal unit for this.

Code: [Select]

Controller Model 01 (Plan 001)
Type: Military Aerodyne
Mass: 200 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Standard)
Introduced: 3066
Mass: 200
Battle Value: 2,374
Tech Rating/Availability: E/X-X-E-D
Cost: 24,806,500 C-bills

Fuel: 6 tons (480)
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Heat Sinks: 21 (42)
Structural Integrity: 9

Armor
    Nose: 194
    Sides: 192/192
    Aft: 192

Cargo
    None

Ammunition:
None

Escape Pods: 1
Life Boats: 0
Crew:  2 officers, 5 enlisted/non-rated

Notes: Mounts 37 tons of heavy ferro-aluminum armor.

Weapons
and Ammo                            Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
6 Laser AMS                           Nose      9.0      7      3    0    0    0 
2 Laser AMS                           Aft       3.0      7      3    0    0    0 
Active Probe                          Hull      1.5      -      -    -    -    - 
Communications Equipment (4 tons)     Hull      4.0      -      -    -    -    - 
ECM Suite                             Hull      1.5      -      -    -    -    - 


I am not so fond of this much but I can't think better. It's basically there for gives initiative support as well as shielding the squadron from the possible capital missile threats. I assumed that each AMS are grouped by 2 and forming three AMS battery on the front and one on the rear side. It can't do much other than that - megameklab strangely does not supports for making the weapon bay for the small craft yet.

Beside, although I do know it already, but the requirement for the steerage at least really hurts. Especially when you have to have the additional crew for some equipments(communications equipment in this case).

[Daryk]

That's close to what I'm working on (in Excel, though).

I went with a little more speed (6/9), a bit less armor (14.5 tons Heavy Ferro-Aluminum for 94/71/51), 12.5 tons of fuel, the same 8 Laser AMS (though I'm thinking 2 nose, 2 aft, 1 in each of 4 wing arcs), 28 DHS (one of which is free in weight but not cost), 4 tons of Communications Gear, an ECM Suite (which extends the inherent Small Craft ECM capability to surrounding hexes), and two Active Probes (so one can be set to Short Range and the other Medium for maximum ECCM goodness... Active Probes are HUGE ECCM assets; SO:AAR pages 99-100 refer).  Instead of the Escape Pod, I put in a set of Paramedic Equipment and a 1-ton Squad Bay (6 racks) for Search and Rescue.  A half ton of consumables will sustain the crew for two weeks, or a full load of rescued personnel for a day and a half.

[Vehrec]

Code: [Select]

Snowbird SNB-R

Mass: 30 tons
Frame: Unknown
Power Plant: 300 XXL
Cruising Speed: 129.6 kph
Maximum Speed: 194.4 kph
Armor: Ferro-Aluminum
Armament:
Manufacturer: Unknown
     Primary Factory: Unknown
Communication System: Unknown
Targeting & Tracking System: Unknown
Introduction Year: 3145
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-X-E
Cost: 16,512,160 C-bills

Type: Snowbird
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Experimental)
Tonnage: 30
Battle Value: 250

Equipment                                          Mass
Engine                        300 XXL               6.5
Safe Thrust: 12
Max Thrust: 18
Structural Integrity:         0                       
Heat Sinks:                   10 [20]                 0
Fuel:                         440                   5.5
Cockpit                                               3
Armor Factor (Ferro)          26                    1.5

                           Armor   
                           Value   
     Nose                    7     
     Wings                  7/7   
     Aft                     5     


Weapons
and Ammo                            Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
Satellite Imager                      FSLG      7.5      -      -    -    -    - 
Angel ECM Suite                       FSLG      2.0      -      -    -    -    - 
Communications Equipment (3 tons)     FSLG      3.0      -      -    -    -    - 
Chaff Pod                             AFT       1.0      -      -    -    -    - 


How about this?  It obviously relies on 'not being hit' to survive, due to it's pitiful 1.5 tons of armor, by the hyperspectral scanner, 3 tons of communications equipment and Angel ECM suite ought to do the job...replace the angel with Guardian and .5 tons of armor if that's too rare.

[Daryk]

A Hi-Res Imager is only 2.5 tons... that might help...