LCN:
After much debate and several refit proposals for existing craft, the leadership of the Commonwealth settled on a design proposal focusing on all-new construction for their active forces, to be followed by a steady schedule of refits of both active and naval reserve vessels. First Lord of the Admiralty John Angler Alarion, 17th Earl Angler and Duke Alarion, managed to mobilize the financiers behind the Lyran Shipbuilding interests to pressure for a 'forward looking' approach, stressing the value of regenerating and expanding capabilities in the Lyran Navy. This of course served the profits of those industries, but also (it was argued) represented the best way to keep the naval design and construction skills and personnel in readiness for expanded future service - history taught well that Naval Construction Treaties lasted only until the first shot is fired, and only the dead know the end of war.
Ironically, given their forward-looking focus, the design inspiration for their naval designs looked back to the early days of the Commonwealth, taking designs long out of service and adapting their concepts for the newer era. The first of those was to be the pride of the 'New Lyran Navy', the Buri Class Battleships. This was followed closely by construction of the Tyr class heavy cruiser, Ullr Light Cruisers and the later Heimdaller support frigates.
Fleet Composition:
6x BB Buri (1.5 MT, 3/5, 150 SI, 80xHNPPC, 80 x Lt. Gauss, ELRM/20, HPPC w/Cap, AMS)
12 x CA Tyr (980 KT, 3/5, 150 SI, 36xNAC/20, 32xNL/55, 80 x Lt. Gauss, ELRM/20, HPPC w/Cap, AMS)
12 x CL Ullr (510 KT, 4/6, 120 SI, 32xNL/55, 80 x Lt. Gauss, ELRM/20, HPPC w/Cap, AMS)
30 x FF Heimdallr (100 KT, 5/8, 90 SI, 80x HPPC w/Cap, AMS)
0 x BB Wotan (2.4 MT, 3/5, 100 SI, 80 HNPPC, 180 Fighters, multiple regiment transport - Mass production design study)
This composition fills out the maximum total allowed hulls (60), while using almost all of the allowed tonnage (29.98) and acheving most, but not all, of the maximum dropship carriage on warship hulls (the LCN Carries 192 Dropships on its Warship Hulls. A hypothetical 10/30/20 navy would carry 220, and more fighters, but it was felt that 'heavy' cruisers and battleships provided enough advantages to justify losing the additional carriage). More BBs and CAs were desired, but flag showing and peacetime taskings were felt to take precedence, and the high combat staying power of the modern CA and BB hulls was felt to make up for the lack of numbers, especially in combination with combat dropships.
Some dropship designs may be licensed from other powers (-cough- Lagrange)
The Fleet is organized into six squadrons, on paper broken down as follows:
1 Buri BB Mechs, 3 Regiments Vehicles,
2 Tyr CA
2 Ullr CL
5 Heimdallr FF
BB Buri
The Buri class was laid down to provide the core of the anticipated LCN Task Forces. Though officially a
treaty limit Battleship, rumors and leaks of design documents indicated that there was something unusual
about her K-F Core, with excessive cooling and power leads into and out of it. This lead to a tail-chase of
rumors exploring the idea that the Lyrans were experimenting with some kind of 'superjump' system or
other unknown capacity, and in an unusual fit of competence, the Lyran Intelligence services encouraged
them to jump down this rabbit hole, eventually 'revealing' that the Naval Architects of the LCN had tried for
something special, failed, and ended up with an overdesigned, inefficient FTL Drive for their flagship class.
The truth was, as usual, somewhat more prosaic. Too many cooks had their hands in the stew, and by the
time the first hull was nearing completion, it was realized that she was somewhat over designed mass (thus
requiring the KF Core refit). Rather than rebuild from ground zero, her flight decks were intentionally under-
equipped with fighter service bays, and large sections of her cargo bays were consigned to 'dead space' in
the hull, unused and unaccounted for. While this requires the LCN to be somewhat cagey about how close it
lets other powers to her hull and design specs, for fear of sanctions from the Star League, it does allow them
to quickly install the additional fighter capacity and open the doors on her cargo space, expanding the short
ranged defensive BB into a reasonable cruiser BBV as an 'instant breakout', if another navy is found to be
violating the treaty.
Even in her peacetime configuration, Buri is a solid, if somewhat uninspired, treaty battleship. With the
usual treaty-maximum parasite craft, she focuses on maximizing armored resilience and long range
firepower. With the same extreme range firepower (and better broadside fire) than the venerable McKenna
(so often a yardstick for Battleship design), coupled with over three times the armored protection, the Buri
are designed to operate in squadrons, using massed fires from their bracketed, C3-Enabled PPC Batteries to
deliver decisive fires from outside enemy engagement ranges.
((Out of character note - the Buri is a tip of my hat to both my beloved and unused design from the old warship
design race challenge, and also to the very real tendency of every naval power to 'game' naval treaties - arguments
about how ships are to be weighed, at what load, as well as deception, lies, overbuilding, and the like, along with
claimed violations, escalator clauses.. the gamesmanship that went on around the IRL Washington Treaties is really
interesting if your the sort of person that cares about such things))
Buri Class Battleship
Mass: 1,550,000 (1,500,000 Official)
Technology Base: Inner Sphere
Introduced: 3083
Battle Value: 283366
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-F-F
Cost: Ȼ 41,905,542,000
Fuel: 5,000 tons (12,500)
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Sail Integrity: 7
KF Drive Integrity: 31
Heat Sinks: 8480 (16,960)
Structural Integrity: 150
Armor
Nose: 570
Fore Sides: 900/900
Aft Sides: 900/900
Aft: 570
Cargo
Bay 1: LBS, 10 Doors
60 Fighters (Offically 30)
15 Small Craft
Bay 2: RBS, 10 Doors
60 Fighters (Offically 30)
15 Small Craft
Bay 3: Nose, 1 Door
96 Battle Armor Marines (2 Companies)
Bay 4: Aft, 3 Doors
Cargo: 43,937 Tons (Offically 5,000 Tons)
Ammunition:
800 Tons AMS
800 Tons LGR
800 Tons ELRM/20
Dropship Capacity: 6
Grav Decks: 2 (120 m)
Escape Pods: 200
Life Boats: 200
Crew: 96 officers, 385 enlisted/non-rated, 240 bay personnel, 96 BA marines, 120 Passengers
Notes:
Lithium-fusion battery system
Mobile Hyperpulse Generators (Mobile HPG)
Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (Large)
Naval C3
All Personnel in at least 2nd Class Quarters, all Officers in 1st Class Quarters
Quirks:
Difficult to Maintain
Hard to Pilot
Poor Targeting (Short)
Improved Targeting (Long)
Weapons:
Arc
Nose, AFT, LBS, RBS:
20 ER PPC (Capacitor Equipped)
20 ELRM/20 (800 Rnds)
20 LGR (3,200 Rnds)
20 AMS (2,400 Rnds)
FL, FR, AL, AR
20 HNPPC in 5 bays of 4
CA Tyr
As the first Buri keel was being laid, the design work for the follow on Cruiser class, Tyr, was being completed.
Realizing that Buri was destined to be overweight, Tyr sacrified her intended NGauss armament for a lighter array of
NAC and NL mounts. Though this cost her some of her combat range, it allowed her to maintain firepower while
ensuring the final design was, if only slightly, UNDER the maximum mass allowed by treaty, with some room for
growth. Intended to serve as support for the heavier Buri as well as capable of independent cruising operations, Tyr
shared the point-defense suite of her larger predecessor at a 1:1 ratio, as well as matching all of Buri's extensive
electronics suite. Unlike her larger sister, she is a more balanced combatant, mounting 6 triple NAC/20 turrets on
each flank, supported by a pair of quad NL/55s intended to strengthen her anti-fighter array as well as giving her a
bit more reach. The NACs allow Tyr to retain most of Buri's throw weight at only a moderate cost in range and
accuracy, whilst still out-reaching the NAC/30 mounts common on most vessels.
Tyr Class Heavy Cruiser
Mass: 980,000
Technology Base: Inner Sphere
Introduced: 3084
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-F-F
Cost: Ȼ 32,308,302,000
Fuel: 5,000 tons (12,500)
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Sail Integrity: 5
KF Drive Integrity: 20
Heat Sinks: 7440 (14880)
Structural Integrity: 150
Armor
Nose: 530
Fore Sides: 500/500
Aft Sides: 500/500
Aft: 500
Cargo
Bay 1: LBS, 6 Doors
20 Fighters
10 Small Craft
Bay 2: RBS, 6 Doors
20 Fighters
10 Small Craft
Bay 3: Nose, 1 Door
48 Battle Armor Marines (1 Company)
Bay 4: Aft, 3 Doors
Cargo: 25,662
Ammunition:
800 Tons AMS
800 Tons LGR
800 Tons ELRM/20
1,440 Tons NAC/20
Dropship Capacity: 4
Grav Decks: 3 (90 m)
Escape Pods: 80
Life Boats: 80
Crew: 74 officers, 297 enlisted/non-rated, 120 bay personnel, 48 BA marines, 20 Passengers
Notes:
Lithium-fusion battery system
Mobile Hyperpulse Generators (Mobile HPG)
Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (Large)
Naval C3
All Personnel in at least 2nd Class Quarters, all Officers in 1st Class Quarters
Quirks:
Poor Targeting (Short)
Easy to Maintain
Docking Arms
Weapons:
Arc
Nose, AFT, LBS, RBS:
20 ER PPC (Capacitor Equipped)
20 ELRM/20 (800 Rnds)
20 LGR (3,200 Rnds)
20 AMS (2,400 Rnds)
FL, FR, AL, AR
9 NAC/20 in 3 bays of 3 (900 Rnds)
8 NL/55 in 2 bays of 4
CL Ullr
The Ullr Class of Light Cruisers grew out of a design study for a large, fast cruiser, focusing on naval lasers and PPCs
to engage opposing vessels from outside the range of effective reply - as well as carrying sufficient thrust to enable
them to maintain that range. Whilst the Heavy Cruiser design space was eventually given over to the Tyr class and
its focus on heavy armor and battleline support, designers recognized the value of a fast, tough, long-ranging light
cruiser to serve as a picket and patrol vessel for the navy, as well as providing the core of any light force squadrons.
It carries the now-standard layered anti-aircraft arsenal typical of the Lyran naval Services. This was questioned by
some officers as extravagant and overly expensive, given the ever smaller vessels it is fitted with, but the cost in
both mass and resources was low, particularly because the standard AAA package has evolved over the years into a
single set of 'plug and play' modules that slot into standard fittings on the ships that carry them. Anti-ship
armament is light for a vessel of its size, but unlike her larger sisters, Ullr is not meant to involve herself in knock-
down fights with other capital ships. The continued presence of lavish C&C facilities, including sensors,
communications, battlecomputers, and the exorbitantly expensive Mobile HPG was also questions, but eventually
justified given the ships role as squadron leaders and scouts. As always on modern Lyran vessels, cargo is light and
lithium fusion batteries are standard, but it is the policy of the navy that it is cheaper in both c-bills and combat
power to carry supplies on dropships, and cheaper to have ships that can cover more space more quickly via their
LF-Batteries, especially given the lavish outlays of recharge stations being produced to multiply the mobility of
lithium-fusion ships.
Ullr Class Light Cruiser
Mass: 510,000
Technology Base: Inner Sphere
Introduced: 3085
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-F-F
Cost: Ȼ 28,510,102,000
Fuel: 5,000 tons (12,500)
Safe Thrust: 4
Maximum Thrust: 6
Sail Integrity: 4
KF Drive Integrity: 12
Heat Sinks: 4640 (9280)
Structural Integrity: 120
Armor
Nose: 200
Fore Sides: 220/220
Aft Sides: 220/220
Aft: 200
Cargo
Bay 1: LBS, 6 Doors
20 Fighters
10 Small Craft
Bay 2: RBS, 6 Doors
20 Fighters
10 Small Craft
Bay 3: Nose, 1 Door
48 Battle Armor Marines (1 Company)
Bay 4: Aft, 3 Doors
Cargo: 14,766
Ammunition:
800 Tons AMS
800 Tons LGR
800 Tons ELRM/20
Dropship Capacity: 4
Grav Decks: 2 (90 m)
Escape Pods: 40
Life Boats: 40
Crew: 48 officers, 193 enlisted/non-rated, 120 bay personnel, 48 BA marines, 20 Passengers
Notes:
Lithium-fusion battery system
Mobile Hyperpulse Generators (Mobile HPG)
Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (Large)
Naval C3
All Personnel in at least 2nd Class Quarters, all Officers in 1st Class Quarters
Quirks:
Poor Targeting (Short)
Easy to Maintain
Docking Arms
Weapons:
Arc
Nose, AFT, LBS, RBS:
20 ER PPC (Capacitor Equipped)
20 ELRM/20 (800 Rnds)
20 LGR (3,200 Rnds)
20 AMS (2,400 Rnds)
FL, FR, AL, AR
8 NL/55 in 2 bays of 4
FF Heimdaller
Though officially an FF, the Heimdaller would more properly be described as a Corvette, or perhaps a support ship.
Blazingly fast, lightly armored (for a Lyran vessel) and almost unarmed by the standards of capital ships, the
Hiemdaller is a fast scout and raider. With no capital weapons, and with the ELRMs and Light Gauss Rifles of the
'LCN Standard' AAA fit withdrawn to save mass, she presents only a limited threat to all but the lightest of hostile
warships. Even so, a broadside of 40 Capacitor-Fed ERPPCs is sufficient to chew up fighter squadrons and
overwhelm most 'pocket' warships, but those are not her purpose - her purpose is her combination of speed,
sensors, and strategic mobility. Though cargo carriage is light, her own small size and ability to potentially carry
twice her mass again in cargo-focused dropships allows her potentially unmatched endurance. In such a profile, the
Heimdallr would jump into hostile systems outside of the standard points, leaving her cargo tonnage behind, hidden
in the darkness, while she conducts high speed recon, security, or raiding missions within the system. Lacking the
LNCSS and Mobile HPG of the larger Lyran warships somewhat detracts from her mission in this regard, but looking
at the cost of those systems on vessels of such a small size, the budget analysts of the Commonwealth finally put
their feet down.
Heimdallr Class Frigate
Mass: 100,000
Technology Base: Inner Sphere
Introduced: 3085
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-F-F
Cost: Ȼ 11,680,000,000
Fuel: 2,000 tons (20,000)
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Sail Integrity: 3
KF Drive Integrity: 4
Heat Sinks: 1680 (3360)
Structural Integrity: 90
Armor
Nose: 50
Fore Sides: 50/50
Aft Sides: 50/50
Aft: 50
Cargo
Bay 1: LBS, 3 Doors
10 Fighters
5 Small Craft
Bay 2: RBS, 3 Doors
10 Fighters
5 Small Craft
Bay 3: Nose, 1 Door
16 Battle Armor Marines (1 Squad)
Bay 4: Aft, 2 Doors
Cargo: 2,007 Tons
Ammunition:
160 Tons AMS
Dropship Capacity: 2
Grav Decks: 2 (50 m)
Escape Pods: 20
Life Boats: 20
Crew: 17 officers, 68 enlisted/non-rated, 60 bay personnel, 16 BA marines
Notes:
Lithium-fusion battery system
Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (Small)
All Personnel in at least 2nd Class Quarters, all Officers in 1st Class Quarters
Quirks:
Poor Targeting (Short)
Easy to Maintain
Docking Arms
Weapons:
Arc
Nose, AFT, LBS, RBS:
20 ER PPC (Capacitor Equipped)
20 AMS (480 Rnds)
As production was being finalized, and cost analysis being conducted, the shipwrights of the LCN put together an unorthodox proposal for an 'unlimited', wartime battleship. By removing the exorbitantly expensive drop-collars, Naval C3 Suite, and the mobile HPG, it was found that a larger version of the Buri with similar antiship firepower, but otherwise superior in every respect, could be produced for a cost similar to the (admitted expensive!) light cruisers. Intended to go into serial production at the first crack in the naval treaty, they would supplant the existing navy with units that could do a Battleships job, and more, in the wall of battle, while saving the cost of dropcollars and dropships by meeting the dropship roles of carrying cargo, troops, fighter coverage, and the like inside the enlarged warship - reducing costs and unshackling the military offensive from slow, equisitely vulnerable jumpships and fragile dropships. Carrying a full regiment of battlements, along with a regiment of heavy tanks and two regiments of light vehicles, along with the three regiments of battle armor that ride into combat in those vehicles, combat delivery provided by the two full regiments of small craft, able to carry the entire complement to ground in three sorties from orbit, and can carry a further 12 Kilotons of supplies down from orbit each trip, keeping field units supplied from the 150KT Cargo Bay of the Wotan. If necessary, the two regiments of small craft bays can be filled by areofighter, raising the vessels complement to 300, but the full division of 180 aerospace fighters was deemed sufficient for almost all circumstances.
Accommodations are comfortable to the point that some would call them lavish, with even the lowest ranking soldier or mechanic bunking in second class crew quarters. Though somewhat expensive in terms of space, this was considered a worthwhile sacrifice in the name of endurance and crew performance.
While the Wotan's capital battery is no better than that of her smaller cousin, the anti-fighter batteries were heavily supplemented, with a total of 80 Long Tom Cannon and Silver Bullet Gauss Rifles added to the existing 'Lyran Standard' AAA Array. Not overlooked was the fact that these expanded PDS arrays also contributed significant anti-ship fire against any vessel trying to run under the Wotan's guns.
Proposals exist for producing networked command versions, with expanded passenger berthing and the NC3 and HPG capabilities reinstalled, though it is felt at this time that the near 50% increase in per-hull costs defeats the point of the Wotan proposal.
BB Wotan
Wotan Class Battleship
Mass: 2,400,000
Technology Base: Inner Sphere
Introduced: 3090
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-F-F
Cost: Ȼ 20,852,412,000
Fuel: 10,000 tons (25,000)
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Sail Integrity: 9
KF Drive Integrity: 46
Heat Sinks: 11,680 (23,360)
Structural Integrity: 100
Armor
Nose: 700
Fore Sides: 865/865
Aft Sides: 865/865
Aft: 700
Cargo
Bay 1: FR, 8 Doors
90 Fighters
5000 Tons Cargo
Bay 2: FL, 8 Doors
90 Fighters
5,000 Tons Cargo
Bay 3: LBS, 6 Doors
60 Small Craft
108 Light Vehicles
108 Heavy Vehicles
24 Battle Armor Marines
648 Battle Armor Troops
5,000 Tons Cargo
Bay 4: RBS, 6 Doors
60 Small Craft
108 Light Vehicles
108 Battlemechs
24 Battle Armor Marines
648 Battle Armor Troops
5,000 Tons Cargo
Bay 5: Aft Left, 2 Doors
71,864 Tons Cargo
Bay 6: Aft Right, 2 Doors
71,864 Tons Cargo
Ammunition:
4000 Tons Screen Launcher
8000 Tons Piranaha
800 Tons AMS
800 Tons LGR
800 Tons ELRM/20
800 Tons SB Gauss Rifle
800 Tons Long Tom Cannon
Dropship Capacity: 0
Grav Decks: 3 (200 m)
Escape Pods: 1000
Life Boats: 1000
Crew: 161 officers, 643 enlisted/non-rated, 2388 bay personnel, 48 BA marines, 2,592 Troops
Notes:
Lithium-Fusion Battery
Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (Large)
All Personnel in at least 2nd Class Quarters, all Officers in 1st Class Quarters
Weapons:
Arc
Nose, AFT, LBS, RBS:
20 Pirana Sub-Capital Missile (200 Rnds)
20 ER PPC (Capacitor Equipped)
20 ELRM/20 (800 Rnds)
20 Long Tom Cannon (1,000 Rnds)
20 LGR (3,200 Rnds)
20 SB Gauss Rifle (1,600 Rnds)
20 AMS (2,400 Rnds)
10 Screen Launchers (100 Rnds)
FL, FR, AL, AR
20 HNPPC in 5 bays of 4