Here is another Small Craft that (in my opinion) the BT universe was missing.
Let me known what you guys think.
AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
VALIDATED
Class/Model/Name: Goalkeeper Defense Craft Mk4
Tech: Inner Sphere / 2515
Vessel Type: Spheroid Small Craft
Rules: Level 1, Standard design
Rules Set: AeroTech2
Mass: 150 tons
Length: 21 meters
Power Plant: Standard
Safe Thrust: 4
Maximum Thrust: 6
Armor Type: Standard
Armament:
15 Small Laser
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Class/Model/Name: Goalkeeper Defense Craft Mk4
Mass: 150 tons
Equipment: Mass
Power Plant, Drive & Control: 39,00
Thrust: Safe Thrust: 4
Maximum Thrust: 6
Structural Integrity: 6 2,00
Total Heat Sinks: 15 Single 8,00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 20,50
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 1,50
Fire Control Computers: ,00
Armor Type: Standard (288 total armor pts) 16,50
Standard Scale Armor Pts
Location: L / R
Fore: 72
Left/Right Sides: 72/72
Aft: 72
Cargo:
Bay 1: Cargo (1) with 1 door 10,00
Crew and Passengers:
1 Officers (1 minimum) 10,00
2 Crew (2 minimum) 14,00
3 Gunners (3 minimum) 21,00
Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass
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5 Small Laser Nose 3 -- -- -- 5 2,50
5 Small Laser RW 3 -- -- -- 5 2,50
5 Small Laser LW 3 -- -- -- 5 2,50
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TOTALS: Heat: 15 150,00
Tons Left: ,00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 6.719.320 C-Bills
Battle Value: 723
Cost per BV: 9.293,67
Weapon Value: 1.068 (Ratio = 1,48)
Damage Factors: SRV = 41; MRV = 0; LRV = 0; ERV = 0
Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 1.161
(231 Structure, 690 Life Support, 240 Weapons)
Support Points (SP) = 6.865 (591% of MPV)
BattleForce2: MP: 4, Armor/Structure: 7 / 0
Damage PB/M/L: 2/-/-, Overheat: 0
Class: DS; Point Value: 7
Overview
Many students in contemporary naval academy's often wonder why old WarShips had very little to no point defenses. The short answer to this is fleet doctrine. In the old days ships travelled in groups and these were screened by combat DropShips and Fighters. Between the main group and the screening force there would be a point defense squadron, which usually consisted out of either Small Craft or Light ASFs. The main job of this squadron was to defend the main group from Capital Missiles.
Before the extinction of WarShips during the Succession Wars, the most common defense craft was the Goalkeeper, which also had the longest and widest service record. Compared to a light ASF these Goalkeepers had a number of advantages and disadvantages. They weren't as fast as interceptors but they were fast enough to keep up with the groups that they had to defend. The y also had more endurance in both fuel, armor and life-support. However Goalkeeper duty was quite unpopular with crews as it was nearly defenseless, being only armed with point defense lasers. As such it was often seen as, and used for punishment duty. However there are rare cases in where crews were so fanatical that they would 'catch' capital missiles by ramming into them.
Thankfully for many Goalkeeper crews, it turned out that the usage of nuclear armed missiles was way lower than predicted during the time of when the Goalkeeper was originally designed. However during engagements in where nuclear warheads were used, Goalkeepers Defense Craft were a priority target for Fighters and Naval Lasers.
Capabilities
The initial versions of the Goalkeeper Defense Craft were deployed as part of the WODEN defense network around Terra, these relied on primitive small chemical lasers. These lasers were hard to maintain, toxic and explosive. When standard lasers became available the design was quickly updated and brought into production. In many cases the old Goalkeepers were simply thrown overboard upon receiving the new models.
The design would receive some minor updates until it was completely standardized in the mark four. This version quickly spread to all known corners of space and became the default version of a defense craft, with WarShip squadrons of every faction having at least a dozen escorting them.
The SLDF eventually wanted to have their own variant and came up with a special refit. The SLDF refit upgrades the single strength heatsinks to double strength models and completely revised the point defense weapons. The nose lasers were changed to medium lasers for improved self-defense, while the side lasers were replaced with Anti-Missile Systems which were more capable in engaging a wider range of missile attacks.
No known SLDF Goalkeeper survived the campaign to liberate Terra, as ASF drones designated Goalkeeper Defense Craft as priority targets. Because of this, no examples were taken along with the Exodus. The Goalkeeper also wasn't brought back to production by the Clans as they reject the use of nuclear weaponry, thus making the design nearly unnecessary among the Clans.
Deployment
With the extinction of Warships in the Inner Sphere, the surviving Goalkeeper Defense Craft were relegated to civilian authorities to serve as orbital debris sweepers. The accurate lasers were very capable in this task of vaporizing small debris that could cause problems for civilian traffic and infrastructure. In cases of large pieces, the Goalkeeper could simple spend more time vaporizing it away or the crew would attach cables to slowly tow it away. For a long time this design didn't see any conflict, but this changed with the Jihad, in which a number of Goalkeepers were deputized to defend vital transports. Since the Jihad this design has returned to civilian service as more capable defense Small Craft have come to take its old role.