OBT Forum

In 3045 with the Clans on the cusp of launching Operation REVIVAL, the newly elected Khan of Clan Snow Raven, Lynn McKenna, following the attack on her Clan by Clan Coyote commissioned the construction of a class of vessel that was all but ignored in Clan Space, the assault DropShip.  With her Clan unable to participate in the Trials for REVIVAL, building a new DropShip would help her Clans military and economic strength and bolster the Tourman.  Whilst most Clans still viewed DropShips as little more than glorified transports, despite the somewhat stuttering success of the NWP and FRAM/FRAM II programs the bias against DropShips continued and it is what made Khan McKenna's request so strange.

She pointed to the military history of the SLDF, of campaigns fought against the Periphery powers and the Usurper.  In those terrible battles, DropShips when properly supported were a threat that could not be ignored.  The SLDF also made extensive use of the Pentagon class to protect WarShips against hostile fighters.  And with the Clans due to return to the Inner Sphere soon, might they not face threats like Assault DropShips?  She argued that the best counter for them was a similar craft, one made better by Clan technology.  It could then be traded to other Clans, specifically those taking part in REVIVAL, and the Ravens economic position would only grow stronger, helping to finish off the FRAM II refits that were consuming resources at a frightening rate.

It was also quite risky, politically, for the new Khan, but she had wide support amongst the Bloodhouses and her SaKhan was fully behind the idea and so the Scientists were ordered to produce a small, yet capable DropShip that would act as a gunship and in essence, a super-heavy fighter. 

Based upon the Achilles, the Scientists opted for an aerodyne shape, including large wings to allow it to perform well in an atmosphere and not have the handling issues that plagued the Achilles class when operating in an atmosphere.  As per the Khans request the DropShip was small, weighing a mere 1,900 tons, the same size as the Broadsword class DropShip although its sleeker hull made it look lighter than its Mech carrying kin.  The trio of engines allowed the craft to pull a maximum of 5.5g sustained thrust allowing to outrun more than a few OmniFighters in service as well as outperform any DropShip in terms of raw speed.  Protection was not scrimped on with the craft being protected by over sixty tons of Ferro-Aluminium plate.

The armament was a wide mix of weapons with an emphasis on forwards long range firepower with a mix of gauss rifles, ER lasers, LRMs and LB autocannons with a battery of pulse lasers engaging at shorter ranges and Streak launchers at knife fighting ranges.  For self-defence the craft also featured an array of anti-missile mounts, so it didn't just have to rely on its armour protection whilst closing in to engage a target.

The crew are kept together in the crafts nose and its bridge rather resembles a fighter cockpit, just on a grander scale with the crafts Captain, Weapons System Operator and Navigator being sat together in reclining and rotating seating positions to assist with orientation changes.  The Navigator was responsible for the two pilots seated further forwards whilst the WSO coordinated with the four gunners and the automated targeting systems. 

Called the Roc after the great eagle from Persian Myth the new crafts development was kept quite secret until it was traded to Clan Jade Falcon in 3048 on the very cusp of REVIVAL's launch.  Clan Ghost Bear, long allies of the Ravens also traded for the design whilst the Jaguars and Wolves disdained the craft, seeing little point in a DropShip that couldn't land troops. 
The Raven's deployed their own Roc's in groups of five, with them also being spread out amongst the fleet as escorts for WarShips.  As part of their ongoing feud, the Scientists of Clan Steel Viper produced their own design that was clearly based on the Roc, but it was faster and less well armed and the Noruff and Roc classes would clash repeatedly with no clear winner between the two competing designs. 

In Operation REVIVAL Roc's were first used as escorts for friendly DropShips making an approach but were sometimes called upon to act like the Aerospace fighters they somewhat resembled and carried out ground attack and air superiority roles with them engaging Federated Suns, Kurita and Rasalhague Assault DropShips and fighters.  The Roc's fearsome capabilities and imposing appearance earned it the designation of Warbird, something which both the Ravens and Falcons approved of when it was discovered.  It should be noted that the first Roc encountered was in service to the Turkina Keshik and thus was painted in the typical bright green and yellow of the Keshik and this may well have helped coin the Spheroid name that was apparently in reference to an ancient Terran entertainment show.