Fleet Design Take II: The Battlestar Approach

[AlphaMirage]

All-Carrier Warship Doctrine (A Battlestar Approach)
For a thought experiment I wanted to explore a strange Warship doctrine where everything is based on carrier ops. During this experiment I am going to totally ignore the c-bill cost because it’s all made up anyway and there are going to be lots of dropship collars built into each Warship with less emphasis on its own capital grade weaponry. This capital grade weaponry will instead be dedicated to the destruction of hostile Pocket Warships and defending against Aerospace Fighters. Ultimately this doctrine treats Warships as very advanced Jumpships and uses their unique abilities to the fullest while allowing the Pocket Warships, Small Gunships, and Aerospace Fighters the opportunity to really shine. This means Naval-Comm Scanner Suites, Lithium-Fusion Jump Batteries, and a high thrust curve to escape hostile Warships. ARTS bays reduce the need for maintenance personnel while drones eliminate the need for human pilots within the fighter. Instead, they can be directed from the mothership which will be nearby but not within threat range from the attacking vessels if it can help it.

These Aerospace Fighters are going to be based in a standard module which is enough to embark a Fighter Wing of 24 (Six Flights of 4) which is going to be conserved as the most reliable unit for Anti-Warship operations. When loaded with Anti-Ship Missiles or firing heavyweight Strike weapons a Fighter Wing can reliably generate 60 points of capital damage.

Small Gunships are designed to operate in Squadrons while Dropships operate in Flights. Additionally, we maintain additional berths for onboard security and assault personnel of the Espatier Corps.

Due to the pace of carrier operations these duels are very much one of maneuver particularly if the battle groups operate in parallel stern-chases to one another where Delta-V is crucial to close with fast moving Warships while very long range missile and laser fire will be exchanged.

If both battle groups are facing toward one another there will only be a short window requiring a substantial increase in firepower but not being as costly in Delta-V. This increase will be provided in our doctrine by using Anti-Ship Missiles, Rockets, and/or bombs. The extensive use of heavyweight ballistics such as the Ultra AC/20 can dramatically affect Aerospace Fighters thus the substantial deployment of these short range but high damage weapons.

For our purposes the heaviest anti-fighter defenses are in the quarterdecks while the Sub-Capital Cannons that have proven to be very destructive to incoming fast attack craft (such as the Avenger, Achilles, Interdictors, and Pentagon) are in the nose or broadside arcs where they can be best utilized. With a maximum acceleration of 4gs our Carriers and the core Pocket Warships we utilize our ships are very difficult to intercept by standard space vessels if we don’t chose to be.

Aerospace/Espatier
Flight/Section – 4 | Squadron/Fire Team – 12 | Wing/Platoon – 24 | Regiment/Company – 72 | Division/Battalion – 144

Rank Table
Specialist
Specialist First Class
Petty Officer 1 through 3
Chief Petty Officer
Senior Chief Petty Officer
Master Chief Petty Officer
Warrant Officer Ranks 1 through 4 (Engineering Section Heads, Astrogation, Naval Gunnery, Damage Control, Aviation, Cybersystems, Electronic Warfare)
Junior Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Commander
Commander
Captain
Admiral 1-5

Duke-class Light Carrier
Mass: 320,000 tons
Fuel: 8,000 tons (20,000)
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Armor
    Nose: 94
    Fore Sides: 80/80
    Aft Sides: 71/71
    Aft: 48
Structural Integrity: 100
Cargo
    Bay 1:  ARTS Fighter (24)       6 Doors   
    Bay 2:  Cargo (4290.0 tons)     4 Doors   
Dropship Capacity: 4
Crew:  29 Officers, 86 Enlisted/Non-Rated, 58 Gunners, 48 Espatiers, 24 Drone/Systems operators.
Battle Value: 44,281
Cost: 17,548,150,000 C-bills

Background – When CBF Duke Conal Wolff first slipped its docks it was celebrated as a great accomplishment for our shipwrights. The Duke Wolff had dedicated his life to ensuring that the Colonial Battle Fleet and its Espatiers would have the best equipment available to them and it showed in the price tag. As more industry mobilized however costs would come down as R&D and Tooling was spread out among a larger hull count.

With a Wing of Drone Fighters, a Flight of Dropships, and hundreds of missiles the Duke Class is a formidable Aerospace Launch and Anti-Aerospace Platform that serves as a capital fleet combatant. Its embarked Pocket Warships and Starlift Logistics Craft are core to its operational excellence with 3 PWS stationed to operate alongside the craft during its operational period and SLC support provided by system bound droppers unless on offensive patrol.

Armed with an extensive Anti-Missile Suite augmented by PWS stationed small gunships the Duke-class Light Carrier can also contribute directly to a short range engagement against incoming fast attack craft using its sub-capital weapons while having a triple White Shark Launcher Aft for orbital bombardment purposes.

Code: [Select]

Sail Integrity: 4
KF Drive Integrity: 8
Heat Sinks: 950 (1900)

Ammunition:
    30 rounds of White Shark ammunition (1200 tons),
    90 rounds of Stingray ammunition (1,080 tons),
    40 rounds of Medium SCC ammunition (40 tons),
    180 rounds of Barracuda ammunition (5,400 tons)

Grav Decks: 1 (100 m)
Escape Pods: 0
Life Boats: 25

Notes: Equipped with
    lithium-fusion battery system
    24 Remote Drone Command Console
    1 Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (Small)
640 tons of improved ferro-aluminum armor.

Weapons:                                       Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)                                 Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV      ERV    Class       
Nose (365 Heat)
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3                     96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Capital Laser
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3                     96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                                21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Laser                              32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
4 Sub-Capital Cannon (Medium)              120  20(200) 20(200)  0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Cannon
    Medium SCC Ammo (40 shots)
FRS/FLS (179 Heat)
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3                     96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                                21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Laser                              32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
3 Capital Missile Launcher (Barracuda)     30   6(60)   6(60)   6(60)    6(60)   Capital Missile
    Barracuda Ammo (45 shots)
RBS/LBS (204 Heat)
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3                     96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                                21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
6 PPC                                      60   6(60)   6(60)    0(0)     0(0)   PPC         
3 Sub-Capital Missile Launcher (Stingray)  27   11(105) 11(105)  0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Missile
    Stingray Ammo (45 shots)
ARS/ALS (187 Heat)
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3                     96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                                21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Pulse Laser                        40   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)     0(0)   Pulse Laser
3 Capital Missile Launcher (Barracuda)     30   6(60)   6(60)   6(60)    6(60)   Capital Missile
    Barracuda Ammo (45 shots)
Aft (202 Heat)
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3                     96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                                21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Pulse Laser                        40   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)     0(0)   Pulse Laser
3 Capital Missile Launcher (White Shark)   45   9(90)   9(90)   9(90)    9(90)   Capital Missile
    White Shark Ammo (30 shots)
Senator-class Strike Carrier
Mass: 540,000 tons
Fuel: 12,000 tons (30,000)
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Armor
    Nose: 140
    Fore Sides: 116/116
    Aft Sides: 104/104
    Aft: 68
Structural Integrity: 100
Cargo
    Bay 1:  ARTS Fighter (72)       10 Doors 
    Bay 2:  Cargo (5353.0 tons)     1 Door   
Dropship Capacity: 8
Crew:  37 Officers, 128 Enlisted/Non-Rated, 58 Gunners, 72 Drone/Systems Operators, 72 Espatiers
Battle Value: 70,985
Cost: 28,737,996,000 C-bills

Background – The CBF Senator Arnold Palamar is a major upgrade to the Duke-class Light Carriers. Not only does it possess longer range Capital Lasers but it also has heavier Sub-Capital Cannons for more effective Anti-Fast Attack Craft defense. It does however lose the missile systems of the Duke-Class for both Anti-Aerospace and Orbit-to-Surface Attack purposes. Still its 72 strong Regiment of Aerospace Fighters and two Flights of Dropships provide superior AA interception and can be used for force projection into the atmosphere while retaining enough screening ships for its own security.

Code: [Select]

Sail Integrity: 4
KF Drive Integrity: 12
Heat Sinks: 1350 (2700)

Ammunition:
    40 rounds of Medium SCC ammunition (40 tons),
    160 rounds of Heavy SCC ammunition (320 tons)

Grav Decks: 2 (100 m, 100 m)
Escape Pods: 0
Life Boats: 53

Notes: Equipped with
    lithium-fusion battery system
    72 Remote Drone Command Console
    1 Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (Large)
980 tons of improved ferro-aluminum armor.

Weapons:                           Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)                     Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV      ERV    Class       
Nose (365 Heat)
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3         96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Capital Laser
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3         96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                    21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Laser                  32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
4 Sub-Capital Cannon (Medium)  120  20(200) 20(200)  0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Cannon
    Medium SCC Ammo (40 shots)
FRS/FLS (404 Heat)
3 Naval Laser 55               255  17(165) 17(165) 17(165) 17(165)  Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                    21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Laser                  32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3         96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
RBS/LBS (345 Heat)
3 Laser AMS                    21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
6 PPC                          60   6(60)   6(60)    0(0)     0(0)   PPC         
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3         96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
4 Sub-Capital Cannon (Heavy)   168  28(280) 28(280)  0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Cannon
    Heavy SCC Ammo (80 shots)
ARS/ALS (412 Heat)
3 Naval Laser 55               255  17(165) 17(165) 17(165) 17(165)  Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                    21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Pulse Laser            40   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)     0(0)   Pulse Laser
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3         96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
Aft (157 Heat)
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3         96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                    21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Pulse Laser            40   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)     0(0)   Pulse Laser

Pinnacle-class Fleet Carrier
Mass: 940,000 tons
Fuel: 24,000 tons (60,000)
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Armor
    Nose: 342
    Fore Sides: 281/281
    Aft Sides: 250/250
    Aft: 160
Structural Integrity: 100
Cargo
    Bay 1:  ARTS Fighter (144)      14 Doors 
    Bay 2:  Cargo (8690.0 tons)     4 Doors   
Dropship Capacity: 12
Crew:  55 Officers, 190 Enlisted/Non-Rated, 85 Gunners, 144 Drone/Systems Operators, 144 Espatiers      
Battle Value: 104,505
Cost: 40,548,830,000 C-bills

Background – The CBF Pinnacle was envisioned and pushed through by our Parliament who sought a prestige (CBF Prestigious is the name of the second hull) ship that could control an entire (useful parts of a) solar system or dominate the orbital space of a planet with its embarked dropship Squadron and aerospace fighter Division. Building upon the Senator-class the Pinnacle has an increased number of capital lasers and returns the Anti-Aerospace Missile Launchers that were reduced in that class. Additionally, more capital weapons are located Aft to provide additional orbit-to-surface firepower to support planetary invasions. Planetary invasions that the Pinnacle-class is quite capable of enabling with its ample cargo stores and dropship capability while providing up and down escorts with Aerospace fighters.

Code: [Select]

Sail Integrity: 5
KF Drive Integrity: 20
Heat Sinks: 2200 (4400)

Ammunition:
    40 rounds of Medium SCC ammunition (40 tons),
    160 rounds of Heavy SCC ammunition (320 tons),
    120 rounds of Barracuda ammunition (3,600 tons)

Grav Decks: 3 (100 m, 100 m, 100 m)
Escape Pods: 0
Life Boats: 85

Notes: Equipped with
    lithium-fusion battery system
    144 Remote Drone Command Console
    1 Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (Large)
1,880 tons of ferro-carbide armor.

Weapons:                                    Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)                              Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV      ERV    Class       
Nose (461 Heat)
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3                  96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Capital Laser
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3                  96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                             21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Laser                           32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
4 Sub-Capital Cannon (Medium)           120  20(200) 20(200)  0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Cannon
    Medium SCC Ammo (40 shots)
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3                  96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
FRS/FLS (541 Heat)
4 Naval Laser 55                        340  22(220) 22(220) 22(220) 22(220)  Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                             21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Laser                           32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
4 Sub-Capital Laser /3                  128  12(120) 12(120)  0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
2 Capital Missile Launcher (Barracuda)  20   4(40)   4(40)   4(40)    4(40)   Capital Missile
    Barracuda Ammo (30 shots)
RBS/LBS (407 Heat)
3 Laser AMS                             21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
9 PPC                                   90   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   PPC         
4 Sub-Capital Laser /3                  128  12(120) 12(120)  0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
4 Sub-Capital Cannon (Heavy)            168  28(280) 28(280)  0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Cannon
    Heavy SCC Ammo (80 shots)
ARS/ALS (549 Heat)
4 Naval Laser 55                        340  22(220) 22(220) 22(220) 22(220)  Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                             21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Pulse Laser                     40   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)     0(0)   Pulse Laser
4 Sub-Capital Laser /3                  128  12(120) 12(120)  0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
2 Capital Missile Launcher (Barracuda)  20   4(40)   4(40)   4(40)    4(40)   Capital Missile
    Barracuda Ammo (30 shots)
Aft (658 Heat)
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3                  96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                             21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Pulse Laser                     40   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)     0(0)   Pulse Laser
3 Naval PPC (Medium)                    405  27(270) 27(270) 27(270) 27(270)  Capital PPC
3 Sub-Capital Laser /3                  96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser

[AlphaMirage]

Quarrel QUR-I
Role - Drone Strike Fighter
Mass: 45 tons
Frame: CAS Quarrelsome
Power Plant: 225 XL
Armor: Heavy Ferro-Aluminum
Armament:
Internal Bomb Bay (12t)
9 External Ordnance Mounts
Manufacturer: Colonial Aerospace Solutions
     Primary Factory: CAS Station V
Communication System: CAS Stand-By
Targeting & Tracking System: CAS Strike-Eye
Cost: 4,645,261 C-bills

Background -The Quarrel can be a heavily armed fighter with 9 EO mounts often armed with rocket launchers or a centerline Anti-Aerospace Arrow and two Light AAA Missiles while pacing heavier fighters or small gunships. It can also carry a similar load but often two Anti-Shipping Missiles meant to be launched at hostile Large Craft such as pocket warships. Additionally the Quarrel is used in trans-atmospheric bombing operations as it can deploy standoff Arrow IV missiles in support of ground forces before returning to the relative safety of an orbiting carrier for rearming.

Code: [Select]

Type: Quarrel
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Tonnage: 45
Battle Value: 660

Equipment                                          Mass
Engine                        225 XL                  5
Safe Thrust: 7
Max Thrust: 11
Structural Integrity:         7                       
Heat Sinks:                   10                      0
Fuel:                         640                   8.0
Cockpit                                               3
Armor Factor (Heavy Ferro)    238                    12

                           Armor   
                           Value   
     Nose                    71   
     Wings                 60/60   
     Aft                     47   


Weapons
and Ammo                 Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
Drone Operating System     FSLG      5.0      -      -    -    -    - 

Features the following design quirks: Fast Reload, Internal Bomb Bay (12t)   
Quantum QUA-IV
Role – Drone Interceptor
Mass: 60 tons
Frame: CAS Quantum
Power Plant: 300 XL
Armor: Heavy Ferro-Aluminum
Armament:
     1 Large VSP Laser
12 External Ordnance Mounts
Manufacturer: Colonial Aerospace Solutions
     Primary Factory: CAS Station III
Communication System: CAS Stand-by
Targeting & Tracking System: CAS Strike-Eye
Cost: 8,764,860 C-bills

Background – The latest incarnation of the Quantum Drone Fighter is equipped with a large variable speed pulse laser that is more accurate and powerful particularly at short range. With a maximum acceleration of 5.5gs the Quantum drone can close with, harry, and outmaneuver most other Aerospace Fighters particularly those piloted by human pilots who physiologically cannot maintain acceleration and high-g maneuvering. With its 8 tons of Aerospace Fuel it can even do so for longer than many other common fighters and since it is a drone the unit can go ballistic and be recovered after the battle without worrying about the pilot.

Code: [Select]

Type: Quantum
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Tonnage: 60
Battle Value: 1,460

Equipment                                          Mass
Engine                        300 XL                9.5
Safe Thrust: 7
Max Thrust: 11
Structural Integrity:         7                       
Heat Sinks:                   10 [20]                 0
Fuel:                         640                   8.0
Cockpit                                               3
Armor Factor (Heavy Ferro)    476                    24

                           Armor   
                           Value   
     Nose                   143   
     Wings                119/119 
     Aft                     95   


Weapons
and Ammo                 Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
Large VSP Laser            NOS       9.0      10    10    7    0    0 
Drone Operating System     FSLG      6.5      -      -    -    -    - 
Carthage Heavy Gunship Carrier
Type: Military Spheroid
Mass: 12,500 tons
Fuel: 800 tons (24,000)
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Armor
    Nose: 631
    Sides: 531/531
    Aft: 431
Structural Integrity: 32
Cargo
    Bay 1:  Small Craft (4)         4 Doors   
    Bay 2:  Cargo (2128.5 tons)     2 Doors   
Crew:  6 Officers, 1 Enlisted/Non-Rated, 19 Gunners, 20 Bay Personnel, 20 Auxiliary Crew, 48 Espatiers
Battle Value: 17,613
Cost: 895,977,600 C-bills

Background – The Carthage Heavy Gunship Carrier (HGC) carries a Flight of 4 Gunships, and is armed with 8 Sub-Capital Lasers, and 2 Screen Launchers providing a potent anti-dropship punch with numerous standard weapons to fire against incoming Aerospace Fighters while carrying Gunships meant for dispersed carrier drone operations. Its high acceleration matches those of our Carrier Warships. It has a large quantity of fuel to share with embarked Gunships or during prolonged operations.

Code: [Select]

Heat Sinks: 435 (870)

Ammunition:
    210 rounds of Ultra AC/20 ammunition (42 tons),
    20 rounds of Screen Launcher ammunition (10 tons)

Escape Pods: 2
Life Boats: 5

Notes: Mounts 115 tons of heavy ferro-aluminum armor.

Weapons:                             Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)                       Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV     ERV   Class       
Nose (112 Heat)
2 Screen Launcher                20   30(300)  0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  Screen Launcher
    Screen Launcher Ammo (20 shots)
2 Laser AMS                      14    1(6)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AMS         
4 Large Laser                    32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
2 ER PPC                         30   2(20)   2(20)   2(20)    0(0)  PPC         
2 Ultra AC/20                    16   6(60)   6(60)    0(0)    0(0)  AC         
    Ultra AC/20 Ammo (50 shots)
RS/LS Fwd (156 Heat)
2 Sub-Capital Laser /3           64   6(60)   6(60)    0(0)    0(0)  Sub-Capital Laser
2 Laser AMS                      14    1(6)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AMS         
4 Large Laser                    32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
2 ER PPC                         30   2(20)   2(20)   2(20)    0(0)  PPC         
2 Ultra AC/20                    16   6(60)   6(60)    0(0)    0(0)  AC         
    Ultra AC/20 Ammo (80 shots)
RS/LS Aft (160 Heat)
2 Sub-Capital Laser /3           64   6(60)   6(60)    0(0)    0(0)  Sub-Capital Laser
2 Laser AMS                      14    1(6)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AMS         
4 Large Laser                    32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
2 ER PPC                         30   2(20)   2(20)   2(20)    0(0)  PPC         
2 Large Pulse Laser              20   2(18)   2(18)    0(0)    0(0)  Pulse Laser
Aft (126 Heat)
2 Laser AMS                      14    1(6)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AMS         
4 Large Laser                    32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)    0(0)  Laser       
4 ER PPC                         60   4(40)   4(40)   4(40)    0(0)  PPC         
2 Large Pulse Laser              20   2(18)   2(18)    0(0)    0(0)  Pulse Laser
Commodore Flight II/B Aerospace Squadron Carrier
Type: Military Spheroid
Mass: 12,500 tons
Fuel: 1,400 tons (42,000)
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Armor
    Nose: 718
    Sides: 604/604
    Aft: 491
Structural Integrity: 40
Cargo
    Bay 1:  ARTS Fighter (12)       6 Doors   
    Bay 2:  Cargo (2569.5 tons)     2 Doors   
Crew:  5 Officers, 13 Enlisted/Non-Rated, 8 Gunners, 24 Drone Operators
Battle Value: 12,456
Cost: 853,652,800 C-bills

Background – The Commodore has long served in the Colonial Battle Fleet but the increased investment into robotics has reduced the need for the maintenance personnel while allowing the Drone Operators to contribute to Ship’s Operations when not servicing the ARTS equipment or their drones. This reduction in life support while somewhat taken up by the heavier ARTS bays, sturdier frame, and more significant armoring. So much so that Commodore Flight II/Bs have become a preferred berth for our servicepeople and a more effective means of transatmospheric operations.

Code: [Select]

Heat Sinks: 324 (648)

Escape Pods: 4
Life Boats: 7

Notes: Mounts 144 tons of ferro-aluminum armor.

Weapons:                 Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)           Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV     ERV   Class       
Nose (108 Heat)
4 Large Pulse Laser  40   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)    0(0)  Pulse Laser
4 Laser AMS          28   1(12)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AMS         
4 PPC                40   4(40)   4(40)    0(0)    0(0)  PPC         
RS/LS Fwd (108 Heat)
4 Large Pulse Laser  40   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)    0(0)  Pulse Laser
4 Laser AMS          28   1(12)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AMS         
4 PPC                40   4(40)   4(40)    0(0)    0(0)  PPC         
RS/LS Aft (108 Heat)
4 Large Pulse Laser  40   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)    0(0)  Pulse Laser
4 Laser AMS          28   1(12)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AMS         
4 PPC                40   4(40)   4(40)    0(0)    0(0)  PPC         
Aft (108 Heat)
4 Large Pulse Laser  40   4(36)   4(36)    0(0)    0(0)  Pulse Laser
4 Laser AMS          28   1(12)    0(0)    0(0)    0(0)  AMS         
4 PPC                40   4(40)   4(40)    0(0)    0(0)  PPC         
Sojourner Gunship
Type: Military Spheroid
Mass: 200 tons
Fuel: 22 tons (1,760)
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Armor
    Nose: 218
    Sides: 184/184
    Aft: 148
Structural Integrity: 10
Cargo
    Bay 1:  Infantry (Jump) (6)     1 Door   
Battle Value: 2,731
Cost: 20,502,500 C-bills

Background- The Sojourner is our standard duty 'boat' for a variety of operations and is often used for security boarding or search and rescue.

Code: [Select]

Heat Sinks: 24 (48)

Ammunition:
    144 rounds of Anti-Missile System [IS] ammunition (6 tons)

Escape Pods: 0
Life Boats: 0
Crew:  1 officer, 2 enlisted/non-rated, 2 gunners, 21 bay personnel

Notes: Mounts 35 tons of heavy ferro-aluminum armor.

Weapons
and Ammo              Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
2 Medium Laser         Aft R      2.0      3      5    0    0    0 
Anti-Missile System    Aft R      0.5      1      3    0    0    0 
2 Medium Laser          Nose      2.0      3      5    0    0    0 
Anti-Missile System     Nose      0.5      1      3    0    0    0 
2 Medium Laser         Fwd R      2.0      3      5    0    0    0 
Anti-Missile System    Fwd R      0.5      1      3    0    0    0 
2 Medium Laser         Fwd L      2.0      3      5    0    0    0 
Anti-Missile System    Fwd L      0.5      1      3    0    0    0 
2 Medium Laser          Aft       2.0      3      5    0    0    0 
Anti-Missile System     Aft       0.5      1      3    0    0    0 
2 Medium Laser         Aft L      2.0      3      5    0    0    0 
Anti-Missile System    Aft L      0.5      1      3    0    0    0 
Solar Minelayer
Type: Military Spheroid
Mass: 200 tons
Fuel: 22 tons (1,760)
Safe Thrust: 6
Maximum Thrust: 9
Armor
    Nose: 240
    Sides: 202/202
    Aft: 163
Structural Integrity: 11
Battle Value: 2,940
Cost: 15,161,250 C-bills

Background – Solar Minelayers utilize the latest Apollo XII software guidance suite to remotely deploy mines and return to their motherships for rearmament. This duty was highly hazardous and relatively simple to automate so much research was put into their development. Apollo XII does however show promise for deployment in larger designs that could serve as other fleet Auxilaries.

Code: [Select]

Heat Sinks: 11 (22)

Escape Pods: 0
Life Boats: 0
Crew:  0

Notes: Mounts 38.5 tons of heavy ferro-aluminum armor.

Weapons
and Ammo                                          Location   Tonnage  Heat   SRV  MRV  LRV  ERV
Space Mine Dispenser                               Aft R      10.0     -      -    -    -    - 
Space Mine Dispenser                                Aft       10.0     -      -    -    -    - 
Space Mine Dispenser                               Aft L      10.0     -      -    -    -    - 
Shielded Aerospace Smart Robotic Control System     Hull      10.0     -      -    -    -    - 

[Lagrange]

I like the emphasis on speed and ASF---I expect that's a useful paradigm in practice.  The emphasis on drones is also potentially quite compelling, as you can keep your pilots intact even when losing fighters. 

I'll quibble with some details though. 
(a) 7/11 drones are in a performance valley.  If they try to use their full thrust, they'll break when using the full thrust.
(b) I'm not sure there's much point to design with drones _and_ capital missiles since you could just carry more drones instead.   Sure, they're more expensive than missiles, but not on the scale of the warship.
(c) Nose oriented armor seems plausibly mismatched.  The goal in my understanding is a fencing warship which can disengage.   Disengaging implies tail towards enemy.  Pointing your weak spot at enemies in normal operations seems like a bad idea.
(d) The use of 3x SCL/3 arrays seems iffy to me.  That's a potent amount of damage, but over not-much range.   I'd rather have some SCL/1s which can engage opponents from beyond-standard-scale-weapon range and some standard scale weapons.
(e) You can designate 1/3 of your bays as ARTS and typically have plenty of time for automaintenance.  You'll probably want to have at least a few tech teams for whatever the machines can't handle anyways.
(f) I also like screen launcher from a defensive perspective.  They do area effect damage in space!  And they can completely shut off weapons fire by blocking LOS.   That's all quite potent.
(g) You might want to have smallcraft which operate as range extenders for drone warfare, carrying a number of drone carrier control systems.

[Tyler Jorgensson]

Cargo seems WAYYYYYY to low for a carrier group. I would have expected a cargo DropShip to make up the difference.

[AlphaMirage]

Cargo seems WAYYYYYY to low for a carrier group. I would have expected a cargo DropShip to make up the difference.

Oh yeah it is but that's for the dropships to handle. Putting the LF with high speed and so many collars eats up a lot of tonnage. I was also going to basically use the other dropships from my previous doctrine thread

Also I was thinking of using the drone operators as mechanics since they need a role outside of combat. Fast low mass fighters are just a tough thing but if the drone operators have good piloting like I'd want to them to because pulse lasers and high thrust salve many sins

[Vehrec]

Cool stuff, though I note that your org-chart is a bit...truncated.  After all, your Divisions don't account for stuff like divisional-support smallcraft or dropship tankers, and you don't have the next stage up from that-Corps de Aviation, 576 ASFs.  I'm gonna create a ship called the United States of America class to carry that, since it'[s probably a bigger ASF force than most other nations in the setting have.  The downside, obviously, is that it takes 12 rounds to launch a full-deck strike, and 24 minutes of uninterrupted recovery time to get them all back on board.

Code: [Select]

United States of America Supercarrier
Mass: 1,860,000 tons
Technology Base: Inner Sphere (Advanced)
Introduced: 3145
Mass: 1,860,000
Battle Value: 83,611
Tech Rating/Availability: F/X-X-X-F
Cost: 40,206,558,000 C-bills

Fuel: 40,000 tons (100,000)
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
Sail Integrity: 8
KF Drive Integrity: 36
Heat Sinks: 300
Structural Integrity: 50

Armor
    Nose: 415
    Fore Sides: 340/340
    Aft Sides: 302/302
    Aft: 191

Cargo
    Bay 1:  Cargo (130000.0 tons)   1 Door   
    Bay 2:  ARTS Fighter (576)      25 Doors 
    Bay 3:  Cargo (693.5 tons)      1 Door   

Ammunition:
    120 rounds of Medium SCC ammunition (81 tons),
    80 rounds of Barracuda ammunition (120 tons)

Dropship Capacity: 10
Grav Decks: 4 (100 m, 100 m, 100 m, 100 m)
Escape Pods: 0
Life Boats: 80
Crew:  280 officers, 149 enlisted/non-rated, 105 gunners

Notes: Equipped with
    lithium-fusion battery system
    1 Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (Large)
1,860 tons of lamellor ferro-carbide armor.

Weapons:                                    Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat)                              Heat  SRV     MRV     LRV      ERV    Class       
Nose (557 Heat)
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
4 Sub-Capital Cannon (Medium)           120  20(200) 20(200)  0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Cannon
    Medium SCC Ammo (40 shots)
3 Laser AMS                             21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Laser                           32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
FRS/FLS (605 Heat)
4 Naval Laser 55                        340  22(220) 22(220) 22(220) 22(220)  Capital Laser
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
2 Capital Missile Launcher (Barracuda)  20   4(40)   4(40)   4(40)    4(40)   Capital Missile
    Barracuda Ammo (20 shots)
3 Laser AMS                             21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 Large Laser                           32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
RBS/LBS (469 Heat)
4 Sub-Capital Cannon (Medium)           120  20(200) 20(200)  0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Cannon
    Medium SCC Ammo (40 shots)
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                             21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
4 PPC                                   40   4(40)   4(40)    0(0)     0(0)   PPC         
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
ARS/ALS (573 Heat)
4 Naval Laser 55                        340  22(220) 22(220) 22(220) 22(220)  Capital Laser
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
2 Capital Missile Launcher (Barracuda)  20   4(40)   4(40)   4(40)    4(40)   Capital Missile
    Barracuda Ammo (20 shots)
3 Laser AMS                             21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
Aft (615 Heat)
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
3 Laser AMS                             21    1(9)    0(0)    0(0)     0(0)   AMS         
3 Sub-Capital Laser (SCL/3)             96   9(90)   9(90)    0(0)     0(0)   Sub-Capital Laser
4 Naval Laser 55                        340  22(220) 22(220) 22(220) 22(220)  Capital Laser
4 Large Laser                           32   3(32)   3(32)    0(0)     0(0)   Laser       
3 PPC                                   30   3(30)   3(30)    0(0)     0(0)   PPC         



[Daryk]

Heh... Current carriers would kill for a mere 24 minute recovery! :D

[AlphaMirage]

I like the emphasis on speed and ASF---I expect that's a useful paradigm in practice.  The emphasis on drones is also potentially quite compelling, as you can keep your pilots intact even when losing fighters. 

I'll quibble with some details though. 
(a) 7/11 drones are in a performance valley.  If they try to use their full thrust, they'll break when using the full thrust.
(b) I'm not sure there's much point to design with drones _and_ capital missiles since you could just carry more drones instead.   Sure, they're more expensive than missiles, but not on the scale of the warship.
(c) Nose oriented armor seems plausibly mismatched.  The goal in my understanding is a fencing warship which can disengage.   Disengaging implies tail towards enemy.  Pointing your weak spot at enemies in normal operations seems like a bad idea.
(d) The use of 3x SCL/3 arrays seems iffy to me.  That's a potent amount of damage, but over not-much range.   I'd rather have some SCL/1s which can engage opponents from beyond-standard-scale-weapon range and some standard scale weapons.
(e) You can designate 1/3 of your bays as ARTS and typically have plenty of time for automaintenance.  You'll probably want to have at least a few tech teams for whatever the machines can't handle anyways.
(f) I also like screen launcher from a defensive perspective.  They do area effect damage in space!  And they can completely shut off weapons fire by blocking LOS.   That's all quite potent.
(g) You might want to have smallcraft which operate as range extenders for drone warfare, carrying a number of drone carrier control systems.

a. Perhaps but even at 7 it can overtake most vessels given enough time and fuel while also allowing for EO drag to combat slower ones. 11 would mostly be used for when the drone really needed that extra boost or the ability to go evasive.
b. Yeah I thought about the Drone load as well vs missile tonnage but those drones are really expensive and its likely there are an extra 50% in storage to replenish losses.
c. Actually I'd prefer to never have to fence with any other Warship, these Carriers are not equipped for that, they are meant to engage PWS and ASF.
d. Intercept probability outside of standard weapons range even with Sub-Caps in AA-mode are fairly low particularly if hostiles go evasive. Thus having the potential to inflict critical damage against Aerospace quickly is key and SCL/3s can do that to most hostiles that could intercept a 5/8 Warship in anything but a High Speed Engagement.
e) I don't know if the ARTS actually gets all the maintenance done in those 8 hours, it could just be really slow and require all 24. Either way having 50% spares is well within the cargo capacity.
g) I was going to just use the Scarab and equivalent types of small craft from the previous incarnation of this project to protect the uplinks. I don't think we even need extenders beyond remassing their fuel. As far as I know there is no limit to how far the drones can roam, beyond say light lag, in space combat and ASF are close to medium range weapons particularly against actively accelerating opponents.

[Lagrange]

c. Actually I'd prefer to never have to fence with any other Warship, these Carriers are not equipped for that, they are meant to engage PWS and ASF.

This begs two question:
(a) What's the plan for your warship if the enemy has warships?
(b) What's the plan for your warship if the enemy has fighters?

d. Intercept probability outside of standard weapons range even with Sub-Caps in AA-mode are fairly low particularly if hostiles go evasive. Thus having the potential to inflict critical damage against Aerospace quickly is key and SCL/3s can do that to most hostiles that could intercept a 5/8 Warship in anything but a High Speed Engagement.

For SCL/3s, is massed standard weapons an alternative? 

e) I don't know if the ARTS actually gets all the maintenance done in those 8 hours, it could just be really slow and require all 24. Either way having 50% spares is well within the cargo capacity.

ARTS bays operate as a veteran tech team (including speed) in my understanding.  They handle all launch/recovery/maintenance/reload/refuel and some repairs: damaged armor, 25% or less of SI, 1 crit to avionics/sensors, 2 hits to thrusters/engines, and/or heat sink replacement.   Having all ARTS is ok---it means that ASF on the dropships with cheap normal bays could rotate their craft through the ARTS bays for maintenance and modest repair.  It's reasonable to have _some_ non-ARTS bays to support intensive repairs which ARTS bays can't handle.

[AlphaMirage]

a/b) This doctrine is a thought experiment, it was meant to be paired with a similar approach by my enemies (unlike the first one which could work in Canon). Basically a What If? heavier Capital Weapons aren't developed (and also frankly I don't have the tonnage with a 5/8 and LF battery). Obviously these Carriers would be smoked or have to heavily rely on Pocket Warships and Drone delivered Nukes to combat another doctrine (much like the KF-Carriers of the previous thread) with greater emphasis on such weapons.

For Sub-Caps Medium Capital is pretty common so they can be pretty effective if a PWS stays out of Standard Weapons range (a fairly smart tactic) and is tough enough to tank NL hits.

I'd have to look it up to get a better idea. I figure anything that survives a space fight with just serious damage (as opposed to total destruction IMO the more likely scenario) would just be moved to a logistics ship for more intensive repairs and replaced from that unit's stocks. Figure its only got 2-3 chances to engage any adversary when taking into account vector velocity that makes it tough to stay in combat.

[Giovanni Blasini]

It's worth noting that Remote Drone Command Consoles are only permitted on BattleMechs, IndustrialMechs, Aerospace Fighters and Conventional Fighters, per Interstellar Operations, at least the copy I have pre-split.  I did check the errata both pre-split and post-split to see if it'd changed.

For WarShips, then, what you really need to be looking at would either be an ATAC system or DTAC system.

Beyond that, my only thought is that the "Battlestar" was always a hybrid ship, and while she depended a great deal on her fighters, she was also a ship-killer in her own right.  Nothing wrong with going mostly subcapital for your weapons. Just don't skimp on them, and maybe throw a couple really big naval laser bays on.

[Hellraiser]

This is why I feel like the only 2 viable speeds for WS are 3/5 + 4/6.

At 5/8 the lack of Cargo & Cap Weapons just feels all wrong to me.

These ships, as a whole, all feel under gunned & not even major "Carriers" the way the York, New Syrtis, Thera, & Enterprise are.

Not that they lack fighters, they just aren't "massively" higher than a typical SLDF vessel of the same size & yet they lack the Firepower of most SLDF models.
And are totally short on Cargo & dependent on Dropships which are notoriously easy to Pop for a WS or even just dedicated PWS/AsltDS/FighterWing.

Not bad concepts, really, ASF are like Armor Tonnage for WS, they are negligible in cost via C-Bills or Tonnage, so invest in them I say.
But, the Speed of all 3 ships is forcing major sacrifices in Guns & Cargo that I wouldn't go for.

[AlphaMirage]

Agreed, it's kinda why I made only very few 5/8 vessels and mostly lighter ones to in the previous design thread. 4/6 is just such a good speed point for average warships with slower ones being powerful enough to eliminate anything faster.

[Lagrange]

These ships, as a whole, all feel under gunned & not even major "Carriers" the way the York, New Syrtis, Thera, & Enterprise are.

To be fair, you can put many more ASF bays on a 5/8 warship.  See for example here.

And, if your warship is getting attacked by an ASF swarm, speed matters more than guns, armor, or your own ASF.

[AlphaMirage]

Also you can always bring more fighters, there's 4, 8, or 12 collars on these ships. If you need more fighters bring some (preferably due to 5/8 move) Titans (18) or Vengeances (40). All those collars took up a decent chunk of the remaining mass, reducing weaponry, cargo capacity, and fighter count so bringing it back up with carriers can allow these Warships to approach the SLDF level as many of those don't have as many collars for an equivalent mass vessel.

Also the DTAC and ATAC didn't fit with what I was going with for these ships although I did look. The only other way I'd be able to get a similar unmanned aerospace fighter deployed was using robotic ones and I disliked that option. Although I did strongly consider a manned fighter with the Drone Command Console and a collaborative wingman UCAV but the value of such vehicles in space battles is suspect compared to a whole drone force.

[Giovanni Blasini]

Also the DTAC and ATAC didn't fit with what I was going with for these ships although I did look. The only other way I'd be able to get a similar unmanned aerospace fighter deployed was using robotic ones and I disliked that option. Although I did strongly consider a manned fighter with the Drone Command Console and a collaborative wingman UCAV but the value of such vehicles in space battles is suspect compared to a whole drone force.

I mean, that’s fine, I guess?  It’s just that ATAC/DTAC happen to be legal on large craft like DropShips and WarShips, while Deone Remote Command Consoles, which are described as modified BattleMech/ASF Command Consoles, are illegal for use on large craft.

[Hellraiser]

To be fair, you can put many more ASF bays on a 5/8 warship.  See for example here.

No thanks, not at that miniscule firepower.

[Hellraiser]

I need to go back & reread/research the D/A-TAC rules again.

I only read them 1x initially years ago, but I feel like they were very heavy on a WS & certainly not something you want to build multiple warships (fleets) around.

I feel like my impression after reading them was, yes WoB did it right w/ a Naga conversion protected by other standard warships, but something like the Cyclon Fleet would lead to weak ships over all.

[Lagrange]

No thanks, not at that miniscule firepower.

Yeah, you really have to buy that ASF are your firepower for a carrier concept to make sense.  It can work though.  Consider this fighter which might inflict 5 capital damage/round and absorb 40 capital damage before destruction.  So with 240 that's 1200 capital damage/round with 9600 capital armor capable of striking beyond any direct fire weapon range moving at 5/8.  Employed intelligently, one carrier like this could wipe out a small fleet of enemy warships built along battleships lines moving 4/6 or slower. 

I don't think you want more than 240 ASF on a 500k ton carrier as it takes 10 minutes to launch everything.  The Thera is a little bit slower (14 minutes), but the 10 minute rule seems about right given the fuel reserves available to the ASF in a swarm.  Given that, going slower than 5/8 has the modest advantage of providing space for guns you'll avoid using by doctrine and the significant disadvantage of being vulnerable to enemy ASF swarms.