OBT Forum

Essex II class Destroyer FRAM I modernisation.

Whilst the Lola II underwent a more extensive FRAM II level refit, the Ravens were less concerned about their few Essex II class destroyers.  After suffering 90% losses in the Amaris crisis, in truth, there wasn’t many of the class left and expending a great number of resources on a serious refit was seen as a waste of time and resources.  Indeed, the Ravens were already planning on mothballing their three Essex II ships once the first batch of Typhon class destroyers was complete.  But as this would take several years, the class was hauled in aboard the CSR Home One a Newgrange class YardShip for a modest refit that would extend the classes service life and performance.

The biggest two changes to the class was a doubling of its fighter capacity and a considerable reduction in its small craft bays.  The hull plating was also replaced with more modern Ferro-Carbide plating which in turn increased protection somewhat whilst saving weight.  These changes also allowed for a full 100 meter grav-deck to be installed at a minimal cost in the ships cargo capacity.  Additional berths for the flight crews were added and minor changes to the classes armament were also carried out.  The main emphasis was increasing the ammo supply onboard whilst the anti-fighter armament used more simple weapons but in large quantities to serve as a close escort and anti-fighter vessel. 

Anti-ship firepower was somewhat increased with the broadside laser mounts increased to quadruple mounts and the aft quarter lasers were turned into triple mounts and an additional Barracuda was added to fire over the stern.  Two of the sterns NAC-20’s were also relocated to fire ahead, giving the ship a more potent punch when closing with a target.
A multi-layered anti-fighter defence consisted of LRM’s, light autocannons and lasers at shorter ranges whilst as usual, an AMS battery was also installed, but not on broadside arcs due to interference from the ships PPC’s that could and indeed did short out the radar for the AMS mountings.  Instead a cluster of ER small lasers were mounted to provide a final layer of protection.

Whilst it didn’t take long to refit the three ships, the Ravens were not overly enamoured with the refit and their crews soon found that the fire control computer could be overwhelmed when using the secondary battery, often assigning the same target to multiple weapon mounts.  The cooling system was also deemed inadequate but it was still an improvement over the standard Essex II’s in service with other Clans. 

The decision to mothball the three Essex II’s wasn’t actually carried out, the three ships were assigned to the Lum Garrison fleet, freeing up the CSR Corvidae, Avalanche and Bloody Talon for redeployment.  The three destroyers would in turn be loaned to Clan Jade Falcon as part of the agreement between the two Clans during Operation REVIVAL and the CSR Eternity, Marshal Ney and Mulhacen would be the first Raven WarShips to make the jump to the Inner Sphere, as part of a mixed battlegroup of Falcon WarShips and JumpShips.




Class/Model/Name: Essex II Class Destroyer FRAM I refit
Tech: Clan
Ship Cost: $9,255,007,600.00
Magazine Cost: $9,199,000.00
BV2: 55,516

Mass: 620,000
K-F Drive System: Compact with L-F Battery
Power Plant: Maneuvering Drive
Safe Thrust: 3
Maximum Thrust: 5
Armor Type: Ferro-Carbide

Armament:
12 Naval AC 20
14 Naval Laser 35
8 Naval PPC Medium
4 Capital Launcher Barracuda
4 Laser Large Pulse (C)
30 LRM 10 (C)
108 AMS (C)
20 Laser Medium ER (C)
8 AC 2 Ultra (C)
12 AC 2 LB-X (C)
4 Naval Laser 45
12 Laser Small ER (C)


Class/Model/Name: Essex II Class Destroyer FRAM I refit
Mass: 620,000

Equipment: Mass
Drive: 111,600.00
Thrust
Safe: 3
Maximum: 5
Controls: 1,550.00
K-F Hyperdrive: Compact with L-F Battery (14 Integrity) 286,750.00
Jump Sail: (5 Integrity) 61.00
Structural Integrity: 60 37,200.00
Total Heat Sinks: 1917(3834) Double 1,400.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 10000 points 4,080.00
Fire Control Computers: 0.00

Armor: 239 pts Ferro-Carbide 265.00
Fore: 44
Fore-Left/Right: 39/39
Aft-Left/Right: 39/39
Aft: 39

Dropship Capacity: 0.00
Grav Decks:
Small: 1 50.00
Medium: 0.00
Large: 0.00
Escape Pods: 25 175.00
Life Boats: 25 175.00

Crew And Passengers:
38 Officers in Steerage Quarters 190.00
131 Crew in Steerage Quarters 655.00
53 Gunners and Others in Steerage Quarters 265.00
50 Bay Personnel 0.00
Steerage Passengers 50.00

# Weapons Loc Heat Damage Range Mass
2 Naval AC 20 Nose 120 400 (40-C) Long-C 5,000.00
2 Naval AC 20 Nose 120 400 (40-C) 5,000.00
4 Laser Large Pulse (C) Nose 40 40 (4-C) 24.00
6 LRM 10 (C) Nose 24 36 (3.6-C) 15.00
2 AMS (C) Nose 2 6 (0.6-C) 1.00

3 Naval AC 20 FL 180 600 (60-C) 7,500.00
1 Capital Launcher Barracuda FL 10 20 (2-C) 90.00
6 LRM 10 (C) FL 24 36 (3.6-C) 15.00
4 Laser Medium ER (C) FL 20 28 (2.8-C) 4.00
4 Laser Medium ER (C) FL 20 28 (2.8-C) 4.00
2 AMS (C) FL 2 6 (0.6-C) 1.00

3 Naval AC 20 FR 180 600 (60-C) 7,500.00
1 Capital Launcher Barracuda FR 10 20 (2-C) 90.00
6 LRM 10 (C) FR 24 36 (3.6-C) 15.00
4 Laser Medium ER (C) FR 20 28 (2.8-C) 4.00
4 Laser Medium ER (C) FR 20 28 (2.8-C) 4.00
2 AMS (C) FR 2 6 (0.6-C) 1.00

4 Naval Laser 35 LBS 208 140 (14-C) 2,800.00
2 Naval PPC Medium LBS 270 180 (18-C) 3,600.00
4 AC 2 Ultra (C) LBS 8 12 (1.2-C) 20.00
4 AC 2 LB-X (C) LBS 4 8 (0.8-C) 20.00
6 Laser Small ER (C) LBS 12 18 (1.8-C) 3.00

4 Naval Laser 45 RBS 280 180 (18-C) 3,600.00
2 Naval PPC Medium RBS 270 180 (18-C) 3,600.00
4 AC 2 Ultra (C) RBS 8 12 (1.2-C) 20.00
4 AC 2 LB-X (C) RBS 4 8 (0.8-C) 20.00
6 Laser Small ER (C) RBS 12 18 (1.8-C) 3.00

3 Naval Laser 35 AL 156 105 (10.5-C) 2,100.00
2 Naval PPC Medium AL 270 180 (18-C) 3,600.00
6 LRM 10 (C) AL 24 36 (3.6-C) 15.00
2 AMS (C) AL 2 6 (0.6-C) 1.00

3 Naval Laser 35 AR 156 105 (10.5-C) 2,100.00
2 Naval PPC Medium AR 270 180 (18-C) 3,600.00
6 LRM 10 (C) AR 24 36 (3.6-C) 15.00
2 AMS (C) AR 2 6 (0.6-C) 1.00

2 Naval AC 20 Aft 120 400 (40-C) 5,000.00
2 Capital Launcher Barracuda Aft 20 40 (4-C) 180.00
4 AC 2 LB-X (C) Aft 4 8 (0.8-C) 20.00
4 Laser Medium ER (C) Aft 20 28 (2.8-C) 4.00
2 AMS (C) Aft 2 6 (0.6-C) 1.00

Ammo Rounds
Naval AC 20 Ammo 240
Capital Launcher Barracuda Ammo 80
LRM 10 (C) Ammo 864
AMS (C) Ammo 567
AC 2 Ultra (C) Ammo 720
AC 2 LB-X (C) Ammo 720

Aerospace fighters - 20
Small craft - 2
Cargo Capacity - 114,693 tons
10 Marines/Elementals.