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    Jaeger Class Gunboat Hunter
« Reply #15 on: March 29, 2009, 02:55:09 PM » Quote Modify Remove  

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The Jäger class combat dropships came about as a result of the Lyran annexation of the Rim Worlds Republic. Many Rim Worlders did not approve of this Inner Sphere incursion and during the operations in the rim the Lyran Commonwealth Navy had to deal with several surviving Rim gunboats. There were two particulary disasterous incidents where Rim gunboats showed the potential of fast missile armed dropships. The first incident involved an Onslaught destroying four jumpships after their destroyer escort got drawn away from the jumppoint and tried chasing down the swifter dropship. The second, far more devastating incident, was when the Maco class corvette LCS Loxley managed to run down a suspected Megalodon gunboat and was destroyed by a volley of nuclear missiles.

The Lyran Admiralty shared the general Inner Sphere notion that the gunboats were the weapon of the desperate and poor but the hushed up Loxley incident also proved that they could be quite dangerous even to full sized warships. The LCN set in motion a program to develop a ship to hunt down and destroy hostile gunboats. This project was named the Kannonboot Jäger (Gunboat Hunter) and was eventually shortened to become just the Jäger class. As might be expected the buildup of the more traditional branches of the military took precedence over developing a new untested and rather questionable ship type. Particulary as the Centauri Accords removed the Terran Republic's gunboat forces, the only significant such force in existance, from the list of potential enemies of the Commonwealth.

Never the less the program continued and the first three Jägers left the yard at Skye in 2786 for their shakedown run and trials. Shortly afterwards the Draconis Combine and Free Worlds League launched a series of massive assaults against the Shipil Skye yards shutting down the production lines for the Jäger permanently. That could have been the end of the Jäger class but fortunately the LCN had planned for three production lines, each producing 6-7 ships/year, and only two of those were located at Skye. The third line was to be built at Port Sydney naval yards at Alarion. Unfortunately this line was far from complete and some equipment intended for it was scavanged to keep the main yard operational.

It was not until the move of the Bowie-Commonwealth yard was completed that the effort could be spared to bring the Jäger line up to operational status. The line was complemented by using salvaged gear from the destroyed Skye lines. Some machinery from the Shipil yards was so contaminated that the crews operating it had to wear radiation protection and work only half shifts. Once in operation the line was only able to produce half it's projected output and then in 2798 it suffered a critical systems failure. The line was shut down for reconstruction for over a year before production could resume with the next Jäger scheduled for delivery in early 2801.

Of the originaly proposed 250 units by 2800 less than 10% have actually been completed, mainly because of the ill timed destruction of the Skye yards. The surviving production line at Alarion have had many problems and it is only the high priority assigned this line by the LCN that has kept it in operation. Of the 22 ships built 16 have been lost in the war and, somewhat ironically, few of them have ever fulfilled their primary task of hunting gunships. Rather the Jäger have become an ersatz warship for the LCN - almost as highly valued as the warships it was originaly supposed to protect, leaving the LCN without a gunboat hunter despite all the effort poured into the project. Currently the LCN is considering converting a transport into a missile boat along the lines of the Combine and Free Worlds League Buccaneers to refill the navy ranks.

The Jäger prototypes had been released to active duty as soon as they had completed their shakedown runs. They had proved themselves to be fine fighting ships although attempts to use them as gunboats rather than gunboat hunters had turned out rather badly, the Jäger simply didn't have enough missile firepower to justify exposing the ship to naval grade firepower. Two ships participated in the famous Tamar Tiger raid on Luthien and helped covering the retreat of the Tigers with their massive rear missile bays. Both ships made it safely back but was lost fairly quickly afterwards in clashes along the Lyran-Combine border. The third ship spent it's career defending the Hesperus system from raiders and invaders until it to was destroyed. Despite the loss of all three prototypes early in the war even the conservative battleship admirals were reluctantly impressed by the Jäger's preformance. The LCN saw great potential in the design, particulary as the DCA and FWLN were reluctant to fight honestly (line up on parallel lines and then be blasted to scrap by superior Lyran firepower).

The production run Jägers are a bit more humble vessels than the original three prototypes. The shortage of some critical components, sensors, firecontrol computers and weapon systems caused some changes to be made to the class. Standard armor rather than the advanced ferro-aluminium was used as well as shorter ranged energy weapons and single heatsinks. Despite this the Jäger maintained the core elements of the original design. The massive drive able to accelerate the 12.000 ton ship at 6G and fuel enough to run down most enemies. Capital missiles able to carry nuclear warheads and three massive ten gun bays of class 20 autocannons giving the ship firepower to match many smaller warships and the ability to swiftly rip appart most gunboats. The low cargo capacity makes the Jäger a rather short endurance ship that usually need to return to base to resupply after each mission. This low endurance have made the Jäger rather unsuited for deployment as a raider despite all the ships other traits that would be excelently suited for raiding missions. Since few of the really fast assaultships and gunboats carry fighters the Jäger's ability to throw an extra fighter squadron into the fight gives the ship an extended engagement envelope and helps to compensate for the lack of range of the main AC-20 batteries. The requirement to be able to keep up with the Jäger limits the fighter selection somewhat.

The six ships in operation today are spread around Lyran space. Two ships are stationed at Hesperus II as a part of the system defence flotilla there. One is working up at Alarion after extensive repairs after surviving a hit by a nuclear missile during the Irian operation in 2797. The remaining three are operating as raider hunters and jumpship killers along the Combine border. There are no Jäger variants in operation today however there are plans for a raider version which replaces the fighter squadron with a cargo holds and enough spare parts and fuel for a lengthy deployment. There are also plans for a dedicated escort version to support the remaining battleships against fighter strikes. Neither of these variants will be put into production in the near future.


Code:
JAEGER CLASS GUNBOAT HUNTER

Type:                Military Sphereoid
Tech:                Star League
Introduced:          2786
Mass:                12,000 tons
Dimensions
   Length:           100.00 meters
   Width:            100.00 meters
   Height:           152.00 meters

Fuel:                 600.00 tons
Tons/Burn-day:          1.84 tons
Safe Thrust:            8
Max Thrust:            12
Heatsinks:            354 (Single)
Structural Integrity:  50

Armor:              standard
   Nose:           1300 (130)  
   R/L Sides:       630 (63)  
   Aft:             520 (52)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type       Short   Medium    Long    Xtreme
Nose(110 Heat)
   2 AR-10
      (8KW,6WS,6B)    8(80)    8(80)    8(80)    8(80)
   10 AC-20
      (200 rnds)     20(200)    -        -       -
FL/FR(86 Heat)
   2 Large Laser      2(16)    2(16)     -       -
   10 AC-20
      (200 rnds)     20(200)    -        -       -
AL/AR(52 Heat)
   4 LRM20 (96 rnds)  5(48)    5(48)    5(48)    -
   2 Large Laser      4(36)    2(16)     -       -
      4 Medium Laser
Aft(52 Heat)
   4 LRM20 (96 rnds)  5(48)    5(48)    5(58)    -
   2 Large Laser      4(36)    2(16)     -       -
      4 Medium Laser

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Cargo ( 140.0 tons )       1 Door
   Bay 2: Fighters ( 6 )             3 Doors

Escape Pods:           4
Life Boats:            4
Crew: 6 Officers, 22 enlisted/non-rated, 15 gunners, 12 Bay personnel

Ammunition:
   8 Killer Whale Missiles (400 tons)
   6 White Shark Missiles (240 tons)
   6 Barracuda Missiles (180 tons)
   600 rounds of AC10 ammunition (120 tons)
   288 rounds of LRM20 ammunition (48 tons)
Note:
   Mounts 180 tons of standard armor.
Cost:
   ~916 million C-bills
  
 
« Last Edit: June 12, 2009, 08:51:08 PM by CJvR »  Report to moderator    213.112.120.193  
 
 
 
Takiro
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #16 on: March 29, 2009, 03:06:03 PM » Quote  

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Excellent job on the Jager. The fluff seems spot on and very enjoyable. She is awful big and probably quite expensive. I like the downgrade talk. A few questions about the design.  I assume it is an aerodyne class? Why the AR-10s? Thought perhaps you just might go Killer Whale. Also I thought you might have more LRMs as effective long range fire support. Although the AC20s give you good close in standard pop.
 
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #17 on: March 29, 2009, 04:00:08 PM » Quote Modify Remove  

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Quote from: Takiro
Excellent job on the Jager. The fluff seems spot on and very enjoyable.
Thanks, I wanted to do a keel-up design rather than an emergecy war refit and the Lyrans just might have had enough first hand experience with gunboats in the Rim to order a design before the war blasted everything to hell.

Quote from: Takiro
She is awful big and probably quite expensive.
Well she IS Lyran - bigger is better!!! As for the expense, post-war very expensive, but for the pre-war era in which she was designed? No not that expensive, particulary not if she keeps hostile missile boats away from our LFB equipped DN with 6 docking collars...

Quote from: Takiro
I assume it is an aerodyne class?
No, Military Sphereoid. 12.000 tons is about the break even point for armor protection and a sphere is easier to build with a stronger hull and given her job the Jäger needs a tough nose.

Quote from: Takiro
Why the AR-10s?
Mainly for a bit of flexibility to compensate for the specialized massed AC-20 batteries without resorting to Killer Whaling everything in sight. Once the AR-10 goes however it's KW tubes, except on the escort variant which might use Barracudas as long as the advanced targeting systems are available.

Quote from: Takiro
Also I thought you might have more LRMs as effective long range fire support. Although the AC20s give you good close in standard pop.
It is not really built for long range duels but rather to run down the enemy and blast him thouroughly as fast as possible. Loitering at medium Cap-range against a missile boat shoting KW nukes is NOT a good idea! Also adding more LRM20 forward would have either reduced the overall firepower or required the installation of extra FC systems - probably a problem in the SW era.
Still replacing 5 AC20 in each arc with 5 LRM20 will produce a bit better balance at a 20% firepower reduction. Good mod for the escort version if it is ever built.

The original idea for the Jäger is another DS I designed for the modern era, it comes with 36 forward mounted UAC-20 and was intended for anti-pirace duty. (Pirates jump in, you dogleg around them and blast their JS in a single pass.) Naturally having something able to blast a 36 point ASF to bits with one shot is also very nice even if it cost over a billion.  
 
« Last Edit: March 29, 2009, 04:58:21 PM by CJvR »  Report to moderator    213.112.120.193  
 
 
 
Takiro
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #18 on: March 29, 2009, 06:07:58 PM » Quote  

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Ah a spheroid. Playing Empire: Total War the final unit you get with the Prussian is the Jager. Which of course means hunter. Rifling allows for long range which you have with the AR-10 and I suppose it could be viewed as a Light Warship. Nice job!
 
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      Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #19 on: March 29, 2009, 06:43:44 PM » Quote  

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I guess your Jäger are light infantry.
 
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In Turn they tested each Clan namesake in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle. Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down. All failed to match the predator's speed and grace. Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5
 
 
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #20 on: March 29, 2009, 08:39:13 PM » Quote  

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Quote from: Ice Hellion on March 29, 2009, 06:43:44 PM
I guess your Jäger are light infantry.


Right you are, I believe the word skirmishers was also used to describe them.
 
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"It is better to be thought a fool, than open your mouth and remove all doubt."
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      Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #21 on: March 30, 2009, 05:21:31 PM » Quote  

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Too easy.
 
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In Turn they tested each Clan namesake in trial against the Ice Hellion's mettle. Each chased the Ice Hellion, hunting it down. All failed to match the predator's speed and grace. Khan Cage smiled and said, "And that is how we shall be."

The Remembrance (Clan Ice Hellion) Passage 5, Verse 3, Lines 1 - 5
 
 
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #22 on: March 31, 2009, 04:40:16 PM » Quote  

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By the winter of 2805, the Draconis Combine found itself heavily engaged against the Terran Republic and Federated Suns, and vulnerable to raiding attacks from the Lyran Commonwealth and Rim Protectorate.  The casulaties taken among the Draconis Combine Admirality had been far heavier than pre-war planning had considered possible.  Now, even as the enraged Davion forces began to push Kurita troops out of their space, the Combine required a new vessel for system defense.

Unable to increase capital ship construction, and with many yards damaged or destroyed by the war raging around them, only Kure Naval Yards of Luthien answered the Coordinator's call.  In January of 2806, executives from Kure presented the DCA with the design plan for a system defense vessel that they termed an 'interdiction-gunboat'.  Massing slightly more than a Union class DropShip, these 'I-boats' were never given offiical names, but instead identified by their number (I-1, I-214, I-557, etc).

Heavily armed and armored, yet capable of attaining 5.5-g's of acceleration when needed, the I-boats had two additional qualities that ensured their acceptance:  they were relatively cheap, and the lack of any advanced materials in their construction meant that Kure could produce them rapidly in large numbers.

Presented to the Coordinator, he gave the project his blessings; within a standard year, on January 3rd of 2807, the first dozen I-boats were delivered to DCA authority.  Production continued at the rate of 144 per year until the the destruction of the I-boat facilities during a Steiner raid in 2823.

Deployed in 'wolf-packs' of one dozen, the I-boats made an immediate difference on the Terran and Fed-Suns fronts.  Individually, they were tough enough to take on any opponent smaller than a capital warship, but as a pack they possessed the bite and the speed to assault a cruiser, or even a battle-cruiser.  Though mostly used for system-defense (Luthien alone had six I-boat groups deployed during the height of the war), about one-sixth of all I-boats produced were actually assigned offensive operations by the DCA.

Assigned to provice close-escort to capital warships, the I-boats proved well able to pick off enemy fighter strikes and protect their charges, but it was the I-boats on independent raiding duty that raised the imagination of the Draconis people.  Assigned to a pair of Invader class JumpShips, six I-boats would hit an enemy system using their speed and sheer toughness to pulverize their opponents merchant shipping and orbital facilities.  Only the lightest of fighters possessed suffiicent speed to run down the I-boats, but those craft lacked the punch to pose a serious threat.

Time after time, the AFFS was forced to divert increasingly rare capital warships to drive the I-boats from a Davion world.  In one instance, the DCA sent four Star Lords and four Invaders, bearing between them thirty-six I-boats to the Federated Suns world of Kestral.  The JumpShips left as soon as their drives were recharged, but the I-boats remained behind.  For six months, the I-boats beseiged Kestral, blockading the system from all outside aid.  DCA Scout class JumpShips would make supply runs into the system, but the crews of the I-boats knew they were an expendable asset.

While the population of Kestral realized that they could not be invaded, the blockade was wreaking havoc on their economy.  Finally, on the 184th day of the planetary seige, AFFSN relief forces arrived.  The thirty-three surviving I-boats met the Davion naval forces in a vicious three-hour long battle.  While the Davions won, and the blockade lifted, they paid for that victory with the loss of two Davion class Destroyers, two Robinson class Transports, and a New Syrtis class Fighter Cruiser.  In addition, the Golden Lion class Bellerophon was heavily damaged and required six months of repairs before she was able to rejoin the Davion Fleet.


Code:
                    AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Interdiction Gunboat (I-Boat)
Tech:              Inner Sphere / 2807
Vessel Type:       Spheroid DropShip
Rules:             Level 1, Standard design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              4,000 tons
Length:            82 meters
Power Plant:       Standard
Safe Thrust:       7
Maximum Thrust:    11
Armor Type:        Standard
Armament:          
   36 LRM 20
   30 Medium Laser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name:  Interdiction Gunboat (I-Boat)
Mass:              4,000 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass  
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                        1,820.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 7
      Maximum Thrust: 11
Structural Integrity: 20                                               160.00
Total Heat Sinks:    306 Single                                        195.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                     306.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:                 30.00
Fire Control Computers:                                                   .00
Food & Water:  (180 days supply)                                        27.00
Armor Type:  Standard  (1,232 total armor pts)                          72.00
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                310
   Left/Right Sides:                 310/310
   Aft:                                 302

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  Cargo (1) with 1 door                                       200.00
   Bay 2:  Cargo (1) with 1 door                                        63.00

Escape Pods:  6 (7 tons each)                                           42.00

Crew and Passengers:
      3 Officers (3 minimum)                                            30.00
      4 Crew (2 minimum)                                                28.00
     11 Gunners (11 minimum)                                            77.00
     12 Steerage Passengers                                             60.00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 LRM 20(300 rounds)       Nose     7(72)  7(72)  7(72)     --   36    110.00
5 Medium Laser             Nose     3(25)     --     --     --   15      5.00
6 LRM 20(300 rounds)       FL/R     7(72)  7(72)  7(72)     --   72    220.00
5 Medium Laser             FL/R     3(25)     --     --     --   30     10.00
6 LRM 20(300 rounds)       AL/R     7(72)  7(72)  7(72)     --   72    220.00
5 Medium Laser             AL/R     3(25)     --     --     --   30     10.00
6 LRM 20(300 rounds)       Aft      7(72)  7(72)  7(72)     --   36    110.00
5 Medium Laser             Aft      3(25)     --     --     --   15      5.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (5.00%)                                              200.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                              Heat: 306       4,000.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        713,753,600 C-Bills
Battle Value:      20,246
Cost per BV:       35,254.06
Weapon Value:      13,286 (Ratio = .66)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 534;  MRV = 312;  LRV = 120;  ERV = 0
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 44,277
                   (16,375 Structure, 19,700 Life Support, 8,202 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 20,595  (47% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      MP: 7,  Armor/Structure: 21 / 20
                   Damage PB/M/L: 19/14/14,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: DM;  Point Value: 202
                   Specials: sph, if
 

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 Interdiction Gunboat (I-Boat).hma (5.41 KB - downloaded 3 times.)
 
« Last Edit: March 31, 2009, 04:46:37 PM by master arminas »  Report to moderator    Logged  
 
 
 
CJvR
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #23 on: March 31, 2009, 07:43:54 PM » Quote Modify Remove  

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Following the battle of Cholame the Federated Suns Naval Service started to rethink it's stance on gunboats. When Federated Boeing started the Hexagon project not all admirals agreed with the concept behind that ship. There were many who felt that the correct answer would be an improved Federated Suns version of the simple Combine gunboats now rather than a more advanced design sometime in the future. They found a willing allied in the New Syrtis Shipyards company. With CCN gunboats beginning to make their precense felt along the Confederation frontlines the NSS offered the Capellan March regional commanders to design a new gunboat faster than the Hexagon project for deployment on the Capellan frontlines and at a much lower cost.

In 2794, two years before the Hexagon - but still behind scheduel due to the damage caused by the Capellan raid on New Syrtis, the first Gazelle gunboats were delivered to the FSNS. The Gazelle gunboat version is a more serious conversion than the FWL's Buccaneer class and the early Combine gunboat efforts. The Gazelle's hull have been strenghtened to improve it's protection and two massive Killer Whale missile tubes have been mounted in the former vehicle bay shielded by extra layers of nose armor to reduce the risk of damage as the ship closes with the enemy. Capable of three G acceleration the Gazelle is a bit swifter than many of the converted gunboats currently in service and more importantly swifter than most freighters and transports, although it by no means lives up to it's name.

Strangely the Gazelle gunboat didn't attract much attention from the FSNS when it was completed. The New Syrtis Shipyards continued to produce it along side the standard Gazelle at a leisurely pace. Most ships went to serve in the Capellan March, some even were assigned to milita units as transports, despite the desperate actions during the siege of New Avalon. The Gazelles saw much action in the Capellan border war and many served as escorts on the dangerous Chesterton supply runs to worlds still held by the AFFS. Despite being short on shipkiller nukes the Gazelles served well on the defensive as escorts both for fleet ships and convoys.

After Kentares someone high up finally seemed to notice the capabilities of the Gazelle and most of them were withdrawn from the Capellan border and thrown into the furnace on the Combine frontier. The Gazelles suffered badly in the intense battles but preformed well. Well enough that a massive increase in production was ordered both at the New Syrtis Shipyards and at Federated Boeing's Galax facility. The Gazelle is rapidly becoming one of the most common gunboats in the Inner Sphere, particulary since the recapture of Layover, with it's Gazelle line in working order, gives the Federated Suns three production line to crank these ships out.

The Gazelles today serve in several squadron strength formations mainly on the Combine frontier but several are still hiding under their "transport" identity with Capellan March Militas that don't want to lose the extra protection of their gunboats. Typical deployment for the Gazelles is as screening vessels to the battlefleet, convoy escort or blockade duty. If they serve away from the main fleets the Gazelles are normally accompanied by carrier dropships to protect them from enemy aerospace fighters. The Gazelle's ability to run down most freighter dropships makes them very dangerous to convoys.


Code:
GAZELLE CLASS MISSILEBOAT

Type:                 Military Aerodyne
Tech:                 Star League
Introduced:           2794
Mass:                 2,900 tons
Dimensions
   Length:             80.00 meters
   Width:              73.20 meters
   Height:             28.10 meters

Fuel:                 200.00 tons (8000)
Tons/Burn-day:          1.84 tons
Safe Thrust:            4
Max Thrust:             6
Heatsinks:            102
Structural Integrity:  12

Armor:              standard
   Nose:            360 (36)  
   R/L Sides:       200 (20)  
   Aft:             152 (15)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type     Short  Medium    Long  Xtreme
Nose(54 Heat)
   2 Killer Whale    8(80)   8(80)   8(80)  8(80)
      (with 20 missiles)
   1 Large Laser     2(18)   1(      -      -
      2 Medium Laser
LW/RW(27 Heat)
   1 PPC             1(10)   1(10)     -      -
   2 SRM6 (30 rnds)  2(16)     -       -      -
   3 Medium Laser    2(15)     -       -      -
Aft(14 Heat)
   1 Large Laser     2(18)   1(      -      -
      2 Medium Laser

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Cargo ( 100.0 tons )       1 Door

Escape Pods:           0
Life Boats:            4
Crew: 3 Officers, 12 enlisted/non-rated, 5 gunners

Ammunition:
   20 Killer Whale Missiles
   60 rounds of SRM-6 ammunition

Note:
   Equipped with 54 tons of standard armor.
Cost:
   205 million C-bills.
  
 
« Last Edit: June 13, 2009, 09:32:35 PM by CJvR »  Report to moderator    213.112.120.193  
 
 
 
Takiro
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #24 on: March 31, 2009, 08:17:42 PM » Quote  

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Two more very nice designs guys.

Master Arminas your fluff is excellent but one nitpick with the dropship itself. To be considered a "gunboat" a dropship must have at least a single capital weapon (that being a missile launcher right now cause nothing else is possible). Other than that you've made a very nasty LRM assault ship, although I will say costs skyrocket when you use LRMs.

CJvR I like how you built on the Hexagon and used an existing design although again I might have changed the name especially since this upgrade is more pronounced or extensive. Love the fluff about these ships masquerading as Gazelles. Surprise!
 
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CJvR
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #25 on: April 01, 2009, 02:14:55 PM » Quote Modify Remove  

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Quote from: Takiro
Love the fluff about these ships masquerading as Gazelles. Surprise!
Well not hiding from the Capellans so much as from the FSNS, which would re-assign them to a gunboat squadron in an instant if they found them.
IIRC from the WOB Q-ships you cant alter the armor protection without making the alteration detectable.  
 
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    Capellan Gunboats
« Reply #26 on: April 02, 2009, 09:11:42 AM » Quote Modify Remove  

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The Capellan Confederation Navy TRIAD program.

The Capellan Confederation have, despite some successes, been hit very hard by the war. Saved from destruction by the Combine invasion of the Federated Suns the Capellans have made significant gains in the Chesterton region. This however does not make up for the disasterous defeats the Confederation have endured on the Free Worlds frontier. Short on everything except enemies the Capellan Confederation have become the most enthusiastic gunboat user in the Inner Sphere, except for the Terran Republic, and that it is not the premier gunboat user is mainly due to a shortage of suitable dropships designs available for conversion into gunboats in production inside the Confederation.

The CCN was, like the rest of the Inner Sphere navies, not particulary intrested in the gunboat concept before the war. If anything a not insignificant level of what the Steiners would call "shadenfreude" could be noticed over the fact that the high and mighty Terrans were forced to such drastic and desperate messures as mass deployment of gunboats. Never the less the CCN was aware of it's weakness compared to it's Marik and Davion rivals and kept an eye on the Terran ships just in case the CCN would have to go down the same path.

The CCN was quick to revise it's initialy negative estimate when they learned the potential of the gunboat the hard way on Kenyon Marik's bloody "Path to Sarna" campaign. When the CNS Shul Pau sighted a small League convoy consisting of a few Buccaneers and a Leopard carrier it seemed like a tasty morsel for the destroyer. But when the captain closed to capture the defenceless freighters he suddenly found himself facing half a dozen inbound shipkiller missiles. Miraculously the ship survived the first salvo and managed to get a warning out before the follow up salvo finished the job.

The Capellan Confederation Navy soon recived other reports of Marik gunboats from all sectors of the front lines as the FWLN applied the costly lessons it had learnt regarding gunboat warfare during the Terran Republic campaign to the Capellan Confederation front. Capellan intel reports from the campaign in the Terran Republic were dusted off and examined in greater detail. These previously mostly ignored reports indicated that gunboats could be a useful and also quite powerful addition to the suffering Capellan navy. The painful experiences in the field and the disasterous losses of warship production capacity caused the Capellans to initiate a serious gunboat program in 2790 following the battle of Calloway VI. Being short on potential candidates for conversion the CCN refused to offer up any of the larger military transports for conversion to gunboats since the Confederation was desperatly short on those assets to begin with. However Tengo Aerospace at Sarna was building a small transport of limited military value...


The First ship in the Triad is the Divine Fury. The Divine Fury is based on Tengo Aerospace's Fury class, a small aerodyne troop transport. The conversion of this ship was fairly simple. The cargo hold was filled with a missile magazine with ten Killer Whale missiles to feed the launch tube mounted on the ships back. What makes the Divine Fury a bit odd compared to most other gunboats is that this impressive weapon system is not it's primary weapon. The Fury was recognized as being to weak to participate in any serious fleet actions so it was assigned the task of hunting enemy transports and freighters relying on it's heavy missile system to keep hostile warships and gunboats away. For actually killing it's prey the Divine Fury carries 160 Long Range Missile tubes in four banks of 20 on each wing.

Being swifter than most freighters and transports the Divine Fury is a threat to most convoys, and thanks to it's Killer Whale missiles, even fairly well escorted convoys have cause for concern. The ships are deployed in fairly large numbers mainly with CCN raiding formations. The Divine Furys are normally accompanied by carriers when operating in contested systems to interdict enemy shipping.


Code:
DIVINE FURY CLASS GUNBOAT

Type:                 Military Aerodyne
Tech:                 Star League
Introduced:           2793
Mass:                 1,900 tons
Dimensions
   Length:             79.00 meters
   Width:              73.20 meters
   Height:             29.20 meters

Fuel:                 140.00 tons (5600)
Tons/Burn-day:          1.84 tons
Safe Thrust:            4
Max Thrust:             6
Heatsinks:             76
Structural Integrity:   7

Armor:              standard
   Nose:            142 (14)  
   R/L Sides:       120 (12)  
   Aft:             110 (11)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type     Short  Medium    Long  Xtreme
Nose(36 Heat)
   1 Killer Whale    4(40)   4(40)   4(40)  4(40)
      (with 20 missiles)
   1 PPC             1(    1(      -      -
   2 Medium Laser    1(10)     -       -      -
LW/RW(33 Heat)
   4 LRM-20
      (72 rounds)    5(48)   5(48)   5(48)    -
   3 Medium Laser    2(15)     -       -      -
Aft(6 Heat)
   1 AutoCannon/10  
      (20 rounds)    1(10)   1(10)     -      -
   1 Medium Laser    1(5)      -       -      -

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Cargo ( 161.0 tons )       1 Door

Escape Pods:           0
Life Boats:            8
Crew: 2 Officers, 6 enlisted/non-rated, 5 gunners

Ammunition:
   10 Killer Whale Missiles
   20 rounds of AC/10 ammunition (2 tons)
   144 rounds of LRM-20 ammunition (24 tons)

Note:
   Equipped with 29 tons of standard armor.
Cost:
   252 million C-Bills

The second ship in the TRIAD program is the Celestial Intruder. Having little yard capacity to divert to building new gunboat classes from the keel up and unwilling to give up one of it's larger military transport production lines the Capellan Confederation Navy turned to one of it's existing assaultship designs already in production, the Intruder class. Converting the Intruder to a gunboat turned out to be more difficult than originaly anticipated since the compact little assaultship didn't have the easily accessible cavernous cargoholds of most other conversions. Instead deep shafts had to be opened through most of the ships decks to connect the bow mounted missile tubes to the magazines on the lower decks. This extra work set the program back by several years.

The Intruder's hull turned out to be to small to house the originally planned armament of two Killer Whale missile systems. To solve this the Capellans went over the intel reports on Terran gunboats with a microscope looking for an alternate weapons configuration. Particulary the Bellerophon class with it's Barracuda missiles caught their attention. The danger in closing with any ship that might be armed with nukes is obvious but the Barracuda offers an oppertunity to snipe at long range where the risk of being hit by return fire is sharply reduced. Since the Celesital Intruder was primarily intended for gunboat hunting that made the lighter Barracuda system an ideal weapons for dealing with the relatively thin skinned Marik Buccaneers. Once the Tengo Aerospace engineers had it's main weaponry incorporated in the design no other modifications were made to the basic Intruder layout and the Celestial Intruder went straight into production, replacing the common Intruder on a one to one basis, almost three years behind schedule.

With it's long range fighting style the Celestial Intruder have a distinct Capellan feel to it. The choice of weapon for the Celestial Intruder proved to be effective in hunting Buccaneers and other first generation gunboat conversions. The fighter flight is still able to give the ship some nuclear capability but lately the Barracuda's advanced targeting and guidance systems have become harder to accuire often forcing the Celestial Intruders to operate with partially filled magazines. Unfortunately the Celestial Intruder's intended fighting style is very ammunition intensive and with reduced magazines the ship often does not have the firepower to disable the enemy at range but is forced to close up and expose itself to the enemy guns. Celestial Intruders are operating mainly as escorts for the remaining Capellan fleets as well as providing security for important starsystems like Sarna where Tengo Aerospace have become the center of Capellan gunboat technology.


Code:
CELESTIAL INTRUDER CLASS GUNBOAT HUNTER

Type:                 Military Sphereoid
Tech:                 Star League
Introduced:           2796
Mass:                 3,000 tons
Dimensions
   Length:             69.00 meters
   Width:              69.00 meters
   Height:             61.50 meters

Fuel:                 300.00 tons (9000)
Tons/Burn-day:          1.84 tons
Safe Thrust:            4
Max Thrust:             6
Heatsinks:            114
Structural Integrity:  22

Armor:              standard
   Nose:            360 (36)  
   R/L Sides:       340 (34)  
   Aft:             230 (23)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type      Short   Medium  Long   Xtreme
Nose(43 Heat)
   2 Barracuda       4(40)   4(40)   4(40)  4(40)
   1 PPC             1(10)   1(10)     -      -
   1 LRM-20
      (12 rounds)    1(12)   1(12)   1(12)    -
   1 Autocannon/5
      (30 rounds)    1(5)    1(5)      -      -
   2 Medium Laser    1(10)     -       -      -
LF/RF(30 Heat)
   1 PPC             1(10)   1(10)     -      -
   1 LRM-20
      (12 rounds)    1(12)   1(12)   1(12)    -
   1 Large Laser     2(18)   1(      -      -
      2 Medium Laser
AL/AR(46 Heat)
   2 PPC             2(20)   2(20)     -      -
   1 LRM-20
      (12 rounds)    1(12)   1(12)   1(12)    -
   2 SRM-6
      (45 rounds)    2(16)     -       -      -
   4 Medium Laser    2(20)     -       -      -
Aft(28 Heat)
   1 LRM-20
      (12 rounds)    1(12)   1(12)   1(12)    -
   2 Large Laser     3(26)   2(16)     -      -
      2 Medium Laser

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Fighters ( 2 )             1 Door
   Bay 2: Cargo ( 100.0 tons )       1 Door

Escape Pods:           6
Life Boats:            0
Crew: 5 Officers, 18 enlisted/non-rated, 9 gunners, 4 bay personnel

Ammunition:
   20 Barracuda Missiles
   60 rounds of AC/5 ammunition (3 tons)
   90 rounds of SRM-6 ammunition (6 tons)
   72 rounds of LRM-20 ammunition (12 tons)

Note:
   Equipped with 74 tons of standard armor.
Cost:
   290 million C-Bills

The last segment of the Capellan Confederation's TRIAD program is the Mule class Q-ship. Unlike the Celestial Intruder and Divine Fury conversions the Mule-Q is identical in apperance to the civilian Mule freighter, which it is based on. The purpose behind the Mule-Q class is both to serve as a convoy escort and as a deliberate trap for hostile raiders. The few attempts to use it's heavy missile battery in larger fleet actions have generally failed since the Mules are essentially eggshells armed with nuclear sledgehammers. As such they tend to draw to much enemy attention and firepower - which they cannot survive. As an escort and Q-ship they have had much greater success leading to many similar conversions being made or planned by other nations.

The main power of the Mule-Q rests with it's six nuclear capable Killer Whale missile systems. Even heavy warships have good reason to fear the devestating potential of such a salvo, even at longer ranges. In addition to the massive firepower of the Killer Whales the Mule-Q also mounts four Barracuda missile systems mainly intended for long range AAS defence of the convoy but also for sniping against other gunboats. The final element of the Mule's arsenal is the fighter squadron it carries. The ability to throw an extra fighter squadron into the fight is important since most gunboats lack fighter support and fighters also allow a certain standoff capability that is most useful against gunboats suspected of carrying nukes. It also allow the Mule-Q to combat carrier raids much more effectively and help support the ship's own totally inadequate standard weapons array. Unfortunately Q-ship duties, requiring the ship to act like a common civilian freighter, mix poorly with ASF operations and combining the two have often forced fighter pilots to sit idle for so long that it have had a negative impact on their piloting skills.

The increasing shortage of advanced capital weaponry have reduced new production of the Mule-Q although Tengo Aerospace still produce them and in several different variants when the components needed are available. Mostly however the other gunboat classes take precedence over the Mules since they are considered a better investment of the Confederations limited assets.


Code:
MULE-Q CLASS Q-SHIP

Type:                 Civilian Sphereoid
Tech:                 Star League
Introduced:           2796
Mass:                11,200 tons
Dimensions
   Length:            158.00 meters
   Width:             158.00 meters
   Height:            100.40 meters

Fuel:                 319.00 tons (9570)
Tons/Burn-day:          4.22 tons
Safe Thrust:            3
Max Thrust:             5
Heatsinks:            160
Structural Integrity:  10

Armor:              standard
   Nose:            176 (18)  
   R/L Sides:       155 (16)  
   Aft:             130 (13)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type      Short   Medium  Long    Xtreme
Nose(6 Heat)
   1 Autocannon/5
      (40 rounds)    1(5)    1(5)     -       -
   1 Medium Laser    1(5)     -       -       -
   2 Small Laser     1(6)     -       -       -
LF/RF(70 Heat mk1 & mk3, 90 Heat mk2)
   3 Killer Whale   12(120) 12(120) 12(120) 12(120)     mk1 & mk3
   4 Killer Whale   16(160) 16(160) 16(160) 16(160)     nk2
   1 SRM-6
      (15 rounds)    1(     -       -       -
   2 Medium Laser    1(10)    -       -       -
AL/AR(34 Heat mk1, 14 Heat mk2, 44 Heat mk3)
   2 Barracuda       4(40)   4(40)   4(40)   4(40)      mk1
   2 White Shark     6(60)   6(60)   6(60)   6(60)      mk3
   1 Large Laser     2(18)   1(     -       -
      2 Medium Laser
Aft(14 Heat)
   1 Large Laser     2(18)   1(     -       -
      2 Medium Laser

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Fighters ( 6 )              2 Doors
   Bay 2: Cargo ( 1640.0 tons )       1 Door            mk1
   Bay 2: Cargo ( 1900.0 tons )       1 Door            mk2
   Bay 2: Cargo ( 1120.0 tons )       1 Door            mk3

Escape Pods:           2
Life Boats:            2
Crew: 4 Officers, 7 enlisted/non-rated, 13 gunners, 12 bay personnel

Ammunition:
   60 Killer Whale Missiles mk1 & mk3
   80 Killer Whale Missiles mk2
   40 White Shark Missiles mk3
   40 Barracuda Missiles mk1
   40 rounds of AC/5 ammunition (2 tons)
   30 rounds of SRM-6 ammunition (2 tons)

Note:
   Equipped with 36 tons of standard armor.
   Identical to civilian Mule until it reveals itself.
Cost:
   Mule-mk 1  263 million C-bills.
   Mule-mk 2  264 million C-bills.
   Mule-mk 3  274 million C-bills.
  
 
« Last Edit: September 23, 2009, 06:43:45 PM by CJvR »  Report to moderator    134.128.92.64  
 
 
 
Takiro
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #27 on: April 02, 2009, 12:25:47 PM » Quote  

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I read these this morning CJvR and wanted to say good job. I was thinking of having the Mule Q as a general gunboat used by many because of its use by the SLDF. One of the jihad books, I can't remember which right now.
 
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #35 on: April 05, 2009, 02:28:27 AM » Quote 

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Quote from: Takiro on April 04, 2009, 01:32:53 PM
I see you included your own privateer group LordGrayson. I haven't forgotten. You went with the AR-10s as well but this certainly gives your ship away as Terran as they are the only ones able to produce such equipment.


 I just couldn't help myself with adding in the privateers to the story line. The Terran's are the supplier of the rare AR10's tho the ship isn't a Terran design or at lest its not known to be produced at any TR shipyard  (is someone in the TR trying to evade the treaties that its government made with nearby states?dang weapon smugglers? ) this hasn't stopped some Terran units from receiving one or two of theses ships. The TR isn't likely to order any of them with the Bellerophon and Dauntless/Onslaught class ships being produced. Did ask a friend to play test the design verse some TRO ships haven't heard back other then his comment that the ship has alot of armor.
 
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #36 on: April 07, 2009, 06:38:16 AM » Quote 

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AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Titan II Thunder
Tech:              Inner Sphere / 3067
Vessel Type:       Aerodyne DropShip
Rules:             Level 2, Standard design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              12,000 tons
Length:            198 meters
Power Plant:       Standard
Safe Thrust:       11
Maximum Thrust:    17
Armor Type:        Standard
Armament:         
    2 White Shark
   16 Autocannon/10
    8 Autocannon/20
    4 Gauss Rifle
    6 PPC
   24 Medium Laser
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==Overview:==
 "Whats faster then a sparrowhawk and meaner then a flight of stuka's?"

 This saying is making the rounds of many a davion unit with the recent
introduction of the Titan II or better known as the Thunder from the Galax
shipyard. The thunder is the the only ship of a prototype class built off the
titan airframe thats been launched and sent directly to the federated suns
hottest region to receive combat data on.
 The ship which once held a wing of aerospace fighters now holds the
inner sphere's record for the highest G' thrust dropship ever built. With a
massive engine thats as much a prototype as the ship it is mated with. This
engine gives the ship a unheard of speed for a ship of its size.
 The ship carries for weapons a pair of anti-ship missiles paired with a large
number of autocannons in its forward bays to give it a heavy weapon pay load
as it closes on enemy targets. Its rear area is guarded with a mix of ppc's
and medium lasers.
  All this comes at the expense of just under one billion federated dollars.
The davion military refuses to build any additional crafts untill it gets data
from the combat patrols of the thunder along the DC border to see if its
actually worth building more of the ships.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name:  Titan II Thunder
Mass:              12,000 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass 
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                        8,580.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 11
      Maximum Thrust: 17
Structural Integrity: 18                                             1,080.00
Total Heat Sinks:    429 Double                                           .00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                     368.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:                 90.00
Fire Control Computers:                                                   .00
Food & Water:  (48 days supply)                                          5.00
Armor Type:  Standard  (1,044 total armor pts)                          81.00
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                348
   Left/Right Wings:                 261/261
   Aft:                                 174

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  Cargo (1)                                                   104.00

Life Boats:  4 (7 tons each)                                            28.00

Crew and Passengers:
      3 Officers (3 minimum)                                            30.00
      6 Crew (3 minimum)                                                42.00
     12 Gunners (12 minimum)                                            84.00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 White Shark(20 msls)     Nose         6      6      6      6   30  1,040.00
8 Autocannon/10(80 rounds) Nose     8(80)  8(80)     --     --   24    104.00
4 Autocannon/10(40 rounds) L/RW   15(150)  7(70)  3(30)     --   24    104.00
  4 Autocannon/20(40 rounds)                                     56    128.00
  2 Gauss Rifle(24 rounds)                                        4     66.00
2 PPC                      L/RW(A)  2(20)  2(20)     --     --   40     28.00
8 Medium Laser             L/RW(A)  4(40)     --     --     --   48     16.00
2 PPC                      Aft      2(20)  2(20)     --     --   20     14.00
8 Medium Laser             Aft      4(40)     --     --     --   24      8.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                              Heat: 270      12,000.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        914,919,840 C-Bills
Battle Value:      19,582
Cost per BV:       46,722.49
Weapon Value:      12,375 (Ratio = .63)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 568;  MRV = 257;  LRV = 60;  ERV = 17
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 164,336
                   (108,982 Structure, 43,950 Life Support, 11,404 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 22,959  (14% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      MP: 11,  Armor/Structure: 18 / 17
                   Damage PB/M/L: 44/28/12,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: DL;  Point Value: 196

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Titan II Thunder.hma (2.71 KB - downloaded 1 times.)
 
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blacktigeractual
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #37 on: April 29, 2009, 08:11:56 AM » Quote 

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==Overview:==
  The Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat is a classic example of a state's navy over
reacting to an enemy's deployment of an effective design.  With the
Interdiction Gunboat deployed by the DCA wreaking havoc on interplanetary
shipping; the life blood of any modern nation, the Federated Suns Admiralty
was desperate for a effective countermeasure that did not involve using the
besiged Davion Navy's capital ships. 
   Indeed as the seige of Kestrel proved while a Ship Of The Line was useful
as a command vessel it was too costly to risk anything more when the Draconis
Combine was will to expend the lives of hundreds of I-Boats to achive victory.
 Thus was born the Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat, While not perfect the
industrial might of the Suns was such at the beginning of the war to provive
these vessls enmasse.

==Capabilities:==
  Altough smaller and cheaper than the I-Boats they would face the Block I
Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat possesed superior armor and acceleration.  Twenty
Magna Longbow 15 pcks with ample ammunition provide the main armarment spaced
evenly around the Burke's torpedo shaped hull.  Backing these weapons up is a
flack belt of twelve Federated Class Ten dual purpose guns that can be used to
combat both other DropShip class targets and marauding areospace fighters.
Tetrary armarment is provided by twenty four Magna 5cm lasers for both point
defense and added short range firepower.
  The most unusual feature of the class (Although not unsurprising given thier
designed prey.) is the array of twenty four Terran licenced Mac Arthur Anti
Missile with forty bursts per gun these systems were designed to allow the
Burkes to close to the "Knife fighting" distances favored by thier crews.
Another less well known advantage the class has is the one truely advanced bit
of technology.  The Burkes carry one hundred twenty dual cappacity freezers
that allow full constant barrages from the Burkes weaponry.

==Battle History:==
  While there are many battles in which the Burkes took part, the most noted
is the Payback Raid in 2812.  With the front moving along nicely, but WarShip
losses mounting, Coordinator Minoru Kurita ordered the naval squadron at the
brand spanking new shipyards at Proserpina to the front.  He was trusting to
the system defense forces on hand to handle the yards protection.
  Ten Star Lord class JumpShips and seven capital ships jumped into a pirate
point just outside Proserpina's moon.  Sixty Arleigh Burkes sped off to engage
the system defense craft which included two dozen Interdiction Boats.  In the
sixty hour battle that ensued the Davion forces wiped out the Kurita defenders
and proceded to lay waste to the shipyards and the six battleships being
constructed there.  As soon as this was done the fleet then began to
systematically bombard every military target on Proserpina.  Two days later
when the WarShips of the Combine's 9th Fleet arrived at the nadir jump point
the Fed Suns units calmly returned to thier now recharged JumpShips and left
the system.  Before they left the Davion commander Commodore Ralph
Sandovaal-Green broadcast a single message to the Kurita fleet.
  "Payback's a bitch ain't it."

==Variants:==
  Three major variants of the Arleigh Burke exist.  The Block IA gunboats use
massed LRM-15 racks (36 total) to replace the Federated Autocannon.  Although
highly effective these ships were mainly used as hunter killer units as
opposed to system defense.  As a whole one third of the class is composed of
"Archerleighs".
  The Terran Republic produces the Block II and IIA which mount superior armor
composites, LBX technology and Artemis fire control systems but otherwise are
identical to thier Fed Suns counterparts.

==Notable Vessels & Crews:==
Lieutenant Senior Grade Daniel Blechmann and "Lost Hope":    Losing his
parents who ran a mining facility in Kestrel's asteroid belt left Lt.
Blechmann a bitter man with a hatred of all things Kurita.  Although
participating in several anti-I-Boat operations his thirst for vengeance would
not be sated untill the Payback Raid.  Although taking heavy damage after
killing an I-Boat and two orbital NL-45 satellites the Lost Hope was in
postion to scan the Hiei class battleship Kagoshima as she began a fast start
power up.
  Although no where near completion the big Combine ship could have done
severe damage to the Davion fleet.  Quickly taking the Hope  around to a
heavily scaffolded area around the vessel's engineering section the ordered a
full sustained barrage at the unfinished Kagoshima's drives.  Firing until her
Federated Autocannon were burned out the Lost Hope bored a thirty meter wide
crater in the Kagoshima's aft section wrecking the Kurita ship's powerplant
and leaving her dead in space.
  To this date the Lost Hope is the only Davion DropShip with a solo
battleship kill to its credit.

==Deployment==
  Beginning in early 2809 the Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat was produced at a
rate of 15 vessels per month.  The Draconis Combine Admiralty was stunned at
the rate of production suspecting a non existant Terran involvement.  Although
they did provide plans for the advanced AMS in exchange for the plans for the
Burkes all vessels produced by the Republic were the more advanced Block II
and none were intended for the Fed Suns.  The DCA simply underestimated Fed
Suns production capabilities. 
  Deployed mainly to the Draconis March these vessels were often deployed with
the Davion variant of the Marauder class Destroyer whose ample storage bunkers
and cargo cappacity could be used as a "Tender" of sorts (Albeit one with
teeth.).  Despite early problems with the power systems which were worked out
in early 2810 these vessels were well receved by thier crews.  The ease of
maintenance and the heavy armor bouyed by the obvious firepower lent a new
sense of confidance to the beleagured Fed Suns sailors.



Code:
                    AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat Block I
Tech:              Inner Sphere / 2809
Vessel Type:       Spheroid DropShip
Rules:             Level 2, Standard design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              3,000 tons
Hull:              Federated Boeing
Length:            74 meters
Power Plant:       General Motors Standard
Safe Thrust:       8
Maximum Thrust:    12
Armor Type:        Aldis Plate Standard
Armament:         
   24 McArthur AMS
   12 Federated Autocannon/10
   20 Magna Longbow-15 LRM 15
   24 Magna Medium Laser
Manufacturer:   Federated Boeing
  Location:     Kathil / FC (GM)
Communications System:  Achernar Electronics HID-21
Targeting & Tracking System:  IBM MDS47A
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Class/Model/Name:  Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat Block I
Mass:              3,000 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass 
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                        1,560.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 8
      Maximum Thrust: 12
Structural Integrity: 26                                               156.00
Total Heat Sinks:    120 Double                                         18.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                     339.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:                 23.00
Fire Control Computers:                                                 27.00
Food & Water:  (182 days supply)                                        20.00
Armor Type:  Standard  (1,600 total armor pts)                          93.50
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                456
   Left/Right Sides:                 400/400
   Aft:                                 344

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  Cargo (1)                                                    77.00

Escape Pods:  4 (7 tons each)                                           28.00

Crew and Passengers:
      3 Officers (3 minimum)                                            30.00
      4 Crew (2 minimum)                                                28.00
     15 Gunners (14 minimum)                                           105.00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 AMS(120 rounds)          Nose        --     --     --     --    4     12.00
4 Autocannon/10(120 rounds)Nose     4(40)  4(40)     --     --   12     60.00
4 LRM 15(120 rounds)       Nose     4(36)  4(36)  4(36)     --   20     43.00
4 Medium Laser             Nose     2(20)     --     --     --   12      4.00
4 AMS(120 rounds)          FL/R        --     --     --     --    8     24.00
4 Autocannon/10(120 rounds)FL/R     4(40)  4(40)     --     --   24    120.00
4 LRM 15(120 rounds)       FL/R     4(36)  4(36)  4(36)     --   40     86.00
4 Medium Laser             FL/R     2(20)     --     --     --   24      8.00
4 AMS(120 rounds)          AL/R        --     --     --     --    8     24.00
4 LRM 15(120 rounds)       AL/R     4(36)  4(36)  4(36)     --   40     86.00
4 Medium Laser             AL/R     2(20)     --     --     --   24      8.00
4 AMS(120 rounds)          Aft         --     --     --     --    4     12.00
4 Medium Laser             Aft      2(20)     --     --     --   12      4.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (0.10%)                                                3.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                              Heat: 232       2,998.50
Tons Left:                                                               1.50

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        524,012,384 C-Bills
Battle Value:      14,548
Cost per BV:       36,019.55
Weapon Value:      13,285 (Ratio = .91)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 451;  MRV = 217;  LRV = 50;  ERV = 0
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 38,397
                   (15,925 Structure, 16,700 Life Support, 5,772 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 23,747  (62% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      MP: 8,  Armor/Structure: 27 / 26
                   Damage PB/M/L: 15/11/7,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: DM;  Point Value: 145
                   Specials: sph, if

                    AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat Block IA
Tech:              Inner Sphere / 2809
Vessel Type:       Spheroid DropShip
Rules:             Level 2, Standard design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              3,000 tons
Hull:              Federated Boeing
Length:            74 meters
Power Plant:       General Motors Standard
Safe Thrust:       8
Maximum Thrust:    12
Armor Type:        Aldis Plate Standard
Armament:         
   24 McArthur AMS
   24 Magna Medium Laser
   36 Magna Longbow-15 LRM 15
Manufacturer:   Federated Boeing
  Location:     Kathil / FC (GM)
Communications System:  Achernar Electronics HID-21
Targeting & Tracking System:  IBM MDS47A
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name:  Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat Block IA
Mass:              3,000 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass 
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                        1,560.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 8
      Maximum Thrust: 12
Structural Integrity: 26                                               156.00
Total Heat Sinks:    140 Double                                         38.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                     339.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:                 23.00
Fire Control Computers:                                                 23.00
Food & Water:  (182 days supply)                                        20.00
Armor Type:  Standard  (1,600 total armor pts)                          93.50
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                456
   Left/Right Sides:                 400/400
   Aft:                                 344

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  Cargo (1)                                                    70.50

Escape Pods:  4 (7 tons each)                                           28.00

Crew and Passengers:
      3 Officers (3 minimum)                                            30.00
      4 Crew (2 minimum)                                                28.00
     15 Gunners (14 minimum)                                           105.00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 AMS(120 rounds)          Nose        --     --     --     --    4     12.00
4 Medium Laser             Nose     2(20)     --     --     --   12      4.00
4 LRM 15(120 rounds)       Nose     4(36)  4(36)  4(36)     --   20     43.00
4 LRM 15(120 rounds)       Nose     4(36)  4(36)  4(36)     --   20     43.00
4 LRM 15(120 rounds)       Nose     4(36)  4(36)  4(36)     --   20     43.00
4 AMS(120 rounds)          FL/R        --     --     --     --    8     24.00
4 LRM 15(120 rounds)       FL/R     4(36)  4(36)  4(36)     --   40     86.00
4 Medium Laser             FL/R     2(20)     --     --     --   24      8.00
4 LRM 15(120 rounds)       FL/R     4(36)  4(36)  4(36)     --   40     86.00
4 AMS(120 rounds)          AL/R        --     --     --     --    8     24.00
4 LRM 15(120 rounds)       AL/R     4(36)  4(36)  4(36)     --   40     86.00
4 Medium Laser             AL/R     2(20)     --     --     --   24      8.00
4 AMS(120 rounds)          Aft         --     --     --     --    4     12.00
4 Medium Laser             Aft      2(20)     --     --     --   12      4.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (0.10%)                                                3.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                              Heat: 276       3,000.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        582,924,384 C-Bills
Battle Value:      16,100
Cost per BV:       36,206.48
Weapon Value:      14,283 (Ratio = .89)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 473;  MRV = 234;  LRV = 90;  ERV = 0
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 38,861
                   (15,925 Structure, 16,700 Life Support, 6,236 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 23,747  (61% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      MP: 8,  Armor/Structure: 27 / 26
                   Damage PB/M/L: 15/11/11,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: DM;  Point Value: 161
                   Specials: sph, if
 

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 Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat Block I.hma (7.33 KB - downloaded 1 times.)
 Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat Block IA.hma (7.38 KB - downloaded 1 times.)
 Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat Block II.hma (7.31 KB - downloaded 1 times.)
 Arleigh Burke Class Gunboat Block IIA.hma (7.26 KB - downloaded 1 times.)
 
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Captain Bruce Gilmour
13th Assault Company "The Black Cats"
90th Heavy Assault Regiment



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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #38 on: May 17, 2009, 08:33:49 AM » Quote Modify Remove 

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MORNINGSTAR CLASS GUNBOAT DESTROYER

Gunboat warfare have evolved greatly since the opening phases of the succession war. In the beginning the TRN made use of the costly lessons learnt by the SLDF during the long bitter war against Amaris. Small, easy to make and relatively cheap dropships with nuclear missiles in their tubes could kill even the greatest battleship. Ironically the newly formed Terran Republic found itself in a strategic situation similar to Amaris with insufficient naval assets and about to be attacked by superior fleets. Unsurprisingly the TRN response to the situation was identical to that of the Rim navy - gunboats. The Amarian Megalodon, the terrors of the deep dark, became the TRN Firebirds, beacons of hope in the dark days of the succession war. In the few short years before the war the TRN built up a gunboat force that would teach the fleets of the great houses the same painful lesson that the SLDF had learnt about gunboat warfare.

The SLDF had fought the Rim gunboats mainly with carrier dropships and assault ships after being taught the harsh lesson that exchanging a warship in the screen for an attacking gunboat was a sure way to lose the war. Despite being careful to avoid exposing it's warships to gunboat missile attacks the SLDF continued to lose ships to Rim gunboats throughout the liberation campaign, it was quite simply impossible to be so strong everywhere that it would be impossible for a gunboat to do an attack run. The pressure of the ongoing war and the lack of support from the League member states forced the SLDF to improvise defences against the Rim gunboats with their existing assets rather than developing specialist designs to deal with the gunboat menace. While the great battles against the SDS drone fleets got most of the attention during the war against Amaris the ever present Rim gunboats was a constant peril during the campaign.

The Free Worlds League and Draconis Combine invasion of the Terran Republic encountered the same problems that the SLDF had run into during the Amarian war. Gunboats destroying warships and transports at an exchange rate that would rapidly break the invading fleets unless some way of countering the gunboats were found. The DCA, with typical Kuritan ruthlessness, turned to ramming - although that yielded poor results after some initial success. The Free Worlds League came up with a better solution, they would do onto the TRN Gunboats what they were doing to the FWLN. The FWLN developed and deployed the Buccaneer class gunboat in record time to counter the TRN gunboat fleet. On paper the Buccaneer was a terrible ship to send up against the TRN gunboat force. With an old civilian drive, poor armour and inadequate secondary weaponry it was inferior in every aspect to the purpose built Terran gunboats it was to fight. The only saving grace of the Buccaneer was that the FWL could build 4-6 Buccaneers for the price of the average TRN gunboat. The Buccaneer was cheap, utterly expendable and in a nuclear exchange just as unlikely to survive as any other gunboat. The Buccaneer squadrons have taken a toll on the Terran gunboat forces ever since they reached the frontlines and are obstructing the Terran effort to reclaim it's lost worlds. The Buccaneer might be a poor offensive tool but on the defensive, covered by  Aerospace fighters it is a costly obstacle to overcome in order to get to the more valuable targets it protects.

The question of how to deal with nuclear armed gunboats is a difficult one. After the war the SLDF started several projects to develop gunboat destroyers but as the problems with restoring the Star League grew and the reconstruction effort put priority on other things than ships intended to fight a now extinct foe nothing came of these efforts. As the SLDF abandoned the Inner Sphere and the poorly protected Terran Republic the gunboat made a comeback. When the Terran Republic started it's rearmament program it simply went with the existing designs that were available, the Rim gunboats and a few existing designs that could be altered to gunboats relatively swiftly. Although there were several more advanced designs on the drawing board time was running out for the Republic.


Following the Combine raid on Kresters O'Niel yards over Terra Krester lost their ability make compact KF-drive cores and thus to build warships. Not being able to raise the funds to restore the destroyed drive forges Kresters reluctantly was forced to limit their activities to dropships and the civilian jumpship market. As the TRN gunboat losses increased for lesser returns the TRN was looking for ideas to deal with the new situation. Kresters have never given up the ambition to return to military shipbuilding and as a step on that path the company dusted off the ESE (Enhanced Survival Escort) project it had started for the SLDF.
In a war where the nuclear shipkiller missile is the first choice of weapon combat tend to be swift and devastating to both sides. Never more so than in gunboat combat. The great battleships and cruisers might survive a few hits even by shipkiller missiles as long as they detonate outside the armour protection. Gunboats rarely have that level of protection though and their missile duels often result in swift mutual destruction. The ESE ship was intended to break with that logic, and by being able to survive several proximity detonations the ship could take on incoming attack ships with reasonable chances of survival. Krester re-started the ESE project after the disasterous Bordon raid by the TRN Sixth heavy assault squadron where the squadron lost three of it's five Firebirds in exchange for a meager two Buccaneers and a Mule Q-ship. Krester have much hope for this new design and even the name, Morningstar, reflects that.

The ESE project called for a gunboat carrying enough protection to survive a nuclear exchange and that could intercept inbound gunboats before they had a chance to launch missiles at warships and transports. Kresters decided early on to alter the design parameters slightly to make it possible for the ship to conduct independent operations as well. With a top acceleration of four G the Morningstar is faster than it's ESE ancestor but also several thousand tons larger. The Morningstar is a very solidly built ship where the hull structure takes up about 20% of the ship's total mass and allow it to carry 360 tons of improved Ferro-aluminium armour protection, permitting the ship to survive a proximity nuclear detonation anywhere and probably two on the specially reinforced nose - in theory. To boost the ships survival chances even higher the ship also carries 12 anti-missile systems in twin mounts covering every approach angle.

The Morningstar carries an impressive and costly array of weaponry. Four AR-10 and four Barracuda missile tubes form the core of it's weaponry, the missile mix for the AR-10 systems are four Killer Whale shipkillers and six Barracuda missiles each. The large number of barracuda missiles are intended both as a defence against aerospace fighters and as a mean to allow the Morningstar to effectively engage hostile gunboats at range despite poor firing solutions.
Backing up the missile tubes are an array of secondary weapons consisting of Gauss rifles and an impressive array of advanced laser systems rarely seen on newer designs. Unfortunately even the manufacturing giant Kresters were unable to secure the double heatsinks and long ranged PPCs that were originally planned for the design reducing it's firepower and cargo capacity slightly. That however did not save the Morningstar from the doubtful honour of becoming the most expensive dropship in history.
In line with it's envisioned role as an escort and screening vessel the Morningstar carries a permanent marine detachment and a pair of assault shuttles. There are plans to replace this capacity with a partial fighter squadron for ships intended for more independent operations. But the rather cramped and compact hull design makes such an adjustment a major undertaking requiring a complete redesign of several decks.

So far only the prototype is operational but the first line model is set for delivery in 2803. After extensive testing and combat simulations with the TRN taskforces the TRN approved of the design. The lack of fighter support was the only serious objection raised against the ship but despite this Kresters was given the go ahead to begin production of the first new Terran gunboat class since the war began.
After the lengthy trials the Morningstar was deployed as an escort to the Free Worlds front. The TRN are cautiously optimistic about this third generation gunboat although there are many who favours a smaller ship along the lines of the DCA Okha class gunboat. Despite being thrown into some of the most intense operations currently underway the Morningstar have yet to fire her guns in anger even though she has participated in several convoys to contested worlds, the FWLN ships almost seems to be doing their best to avoid engaging her, something which have resulted in several barfights with the crews of other ships and suspicions that League intelligence might have acquired data on the capabilities of the Morningstar.


Code:
MORNINGSTAR CLASS GUNBOAT DESTROYER

Type:                 Military Sphereoid
Tech:                 Star League
Introduced:           2803
Mass:                 18,000 tons
Dimensions
   Length:            110.00 meters
   Width:             110.00 meters
   Height:            164.00 meters

Fuel:(24000)          800.00 tons
Tons/Burn-day:          1.84 tons
Safe Thrust:            5
Max Thrust:             8
Heatsinks:            560 (Single)
Structural Integrity: 100

Armor:              ferro-aluminium
   Nose:             2200 (220) 
   R/L Sides:        1350 (135) 
   Aft:              1144 (114)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type       Short   Medium    Long    Xtreme
Nose(110 Heat)
   4 AR-10 (16KW,24B)  *        *        *       *
   2 ER Large Laser   2(16)    2(16)    2(16)    -
   4 Gauss rifles
     (40 rnds ea)     6(60)    6(60)    6(60)    -
   2 AMS              1*(6*)    -        -       -
FL/FR(132 Heat)
   2 Barracuda (20B)  4        4        4       4
   4 Gauss rifles
     (40 rnds ea)     6(60)    6(60)    6(60)    -
   4 LPL              4(36)    4(36)     -       -
   2 AMS              1*(6*)    -        -       -
AL/AR(156 Heat)
   4 LPL              4(36)    4(36)     -       -
   2 ER Large Laser   4(36)    2(16)    2(16)    -
      4 Medium Laser
   2 AMS              1*(6*)    -        -       -
Aft(42 Heat)
   4 Gauss rifles
     (40 rnds ea)     6(60)    6(60)    6(60)    -
   2 ER Large Laser   4(36)    2(16)    2(16)    -
      4 Medium Laser
   2 AMS              1*(6*)    -        -       -

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Cargo ( 1088.00 tons )     1 Door
   Bay 2: Small Crafts ( 2 )         2 Doors

Escape Pods:           10
Life Boats:            10
Crew: 12 Officers, 30 enlisted/non-rated, 20 gunners, 20 marines, 10 Bay personnel

Ammunition:
   16 Killer Whale Missiles (800 tons)
   64 Barracuda Missiles (1920 tons)
   720 rounds of AMS ammunition (60 tons)
   640 rounds of Gauss ammunition (80 tons)
Note:
   Mounts 360 tons of improved Ferro-Aluminium armor.
Cost:
   1154 million C-Bills.
 
 
« Last Edit: May 17, 2009, 03:25:58 PM by CJvR »  Report to moderator    213.112.120.188 
 
 
 
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #39 on: May 17, 2009, 01:03:12 PM » Quote 

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Some very good stuff CJvR! Although I was thinking that Terran and Spheroid vessels with the appropriate capital missile launchers would be utilizing nukes throughout the war. 
 
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #40 on: May 17, 2009, 01:13:23 PM » Quote Modify Remove 

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Thanks.

They probably will use nukes for the duration, but having the Barracudas as an option to take the shots that would otherwise be impossible is probably a good idea. It is always best to hit the enemy when he can't shoot back. Also 8 barracudas is a fairly credible AAS battery, cant ever have to much AAS... 
 
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #41 on: May 17, 2009, 01:45:58 PM » Quote 

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I'm still working on incorporating Small Craft.   
 
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #42 on: May 17, 2009, 05:30:52 PM » Quote Modify Remove 

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Well the Morningstar was the maximum design so here is the minimum design...


PIRANHA CLASS GUNBOAT

While the Terran yards and Federated Defence's facilities at Capolla were producing gunboats at full capacity the Dassault-Shimmon Company saw how their Nicolas yards at New Earth were slowing down ever more due to a lack both of resources to continue producing the Dewey class destroyers but also from a lack of suitable designs to fulfil the current market demand.
Determined to resolve this unacceptable situation Dassault-Shimmon decided to design and produce a simple yet powerful and cheap gunboat both for the TRN but also for the mercenary market where the demand for some sort of affordable gunship was high.

To avoid the problems with shortages of advanced technology that increasingly started to plaque the Republic, and in addition to avoid trouble with sale permits from the authorities, the ship would be built using only basic materials and older shorter ranged weaponry.
The Piranha is a fairly standard military aerodyne dropship of 5000 tons. The ship is solidly built in order to carry 135 tons of standard armour, of which more than half is concentrated to the nose in order to give the ship a chance to survive a nuclear strike during it's attack run. The Piranha's modest acceleration of three G still gives it enough thrust to catch most transports and warships although it makes it unsuited for deployment as a solitary raider.
The weapons layout is also fairly conventional with three nose mounted Killer Whale missile tubes or in the alternate configuration for the mercenary market four White Shark tubes. Backing up the missiles are 18 lasers in three hexagonal turrets and on the TRN version, mark one, a twin forward anti-missile gun mount.
The Piranha is a very simple ship with a simple job, fly over to the enemy and blast him with missiles until he is destroyed. Any plan more complex than that generally runs into trouble with the limitations of the design.

Dassault-Shimmon decided to alter the mercenary, mark two, version to avoid potential trouble with the Republic authorities over selling ships capable of launching nuclear missiles to mercenaries. Thus the mark two was altered to use the White Shark missile instead of the nuclear capable Killer Whale. The White Shark's greater armour piercing potential compensating somewhat for it's reduced punch. Also the White Shark is better suited to mercenary operations where battlefield salvage is much more important than it is for the regular armies, a disabled ship is better salvage than an irradiated debrie field.

Being almost the only game in town allowed Dassault-Shimmon to make several deals and the company sold several of the mark two version to various aerospace specialized mercenaries, and some larger mercenary units in the market for gunboat escorts, before they even delivered a prototype of the mark one to the TRN for evaluation. The preformance of the Piranha so far have been acceptable, although not outstanding, and there are even factions within the TRN who greatly favors massproduction of the simple Piranha over the more complex designs currently in production.


Code:
PIRANHA CLASS GUNBOAT

Type:                 Military Aerodyne
Tech:                 Star League
Introduced:           2801 mk2 , 2804 mk 1
Mass:                 5,000 tons
Dimensions
   Length:            110.00 meters
   Width:              83.00 meters
   Height:             26.00 meters

Fuel:                 200.00 tons (6000)
Tons/Burn-day:          1.84 tons
Safe Thrust:            4
Max Thrust:             6
Heatsinks:            146
Structural Integrity:  30

Armor:              standard
   Nose:           1200 (120) 
   R/L Wings:       400 (40) 
   Aft:             280 (28)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type      Short   Medium  Long    Xtreme
Nose(62 Heat mk1 60 Heat mk2)
   3 Killer Whale    12      12      12      12      mk1
   4 White Shark     12      12      12      12      mk2
   2 AMS (120 rnds)  1*(6*)   -       -       -      mk1
LW/RW(56 Heat)
   2 Large Laser     4(36)   2(16)    -       -
      4 Medium Laser
Aft(28 Heat)
   2 Large Laser     4(36)   2(16)    -       -
      4 Medium Laser

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Cargo ( 257.0 tons )       1 Door mk1
   Bay 1: Cargo ( 138.0 tons )       1 Door mk2

Escape Pods:           6
Life Boats:            0
Crew: 5 Officers, 12 enlisted/non-rated, 8 gunners

Ammunition:
   30 Killer Whale Missiles               mk1
   40 White Shark Missiles                mk2
   120 rounds of AMS ammunition (10 tons) mk1
Note:
   Equipped with 135 tons of standard armor.
Cost:
   337 million C-bills. mk1
   330 million C-bills. mk2 
 
« Last Edit: May 17, 2009, 09:27:11 PM by CJvR »  Report to moderator    213.112.120.188 
 
 
 
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #43 on: May 17, 2009, 07:21:41 PM » Quote 

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Interesting secondary proposal for the merc community. Not bad I can see some Terran employed mercs  buying some up, like the Regulators for example. It would likely spread beyond that especially if the Guild could purchase them as a middle man. I assume the name is how best they should operate.
 
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #44 on: May 17, 2009, 08:45:49 PM » Quote Modify Remove 

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Quote from: Takiro
I assume the name is how best they should operate.
It depends on the tactical situation really. If you have low odds to hit then as many missile tubes as possible is preferable but if the hit odds are to good you could expose to many ships to danger and just overkill the target. The name more refers to it's nasty bite... I saw a Youtube of a Piranha biting a branch in three pieces - nasty little fish!
 
 

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     Gunboat Contest: The Results and the Next Step
« Reply #56 on: January 10, 2010, 05:55:11 PM » Quote 

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Okay guys with the revision of TRO2800 picking up speed I thought it was time to start wrapping this contest up. I’d like to thank the 4 designers who cranked out 19 separate entries. Evaluation for this informal contest was a little different as I’m looking to tweak a few ideas presented and get an overall theme. Changes will include design names and moving forward the intro date as everything must predate 2800. Another aim is to proliferate certain gunboat designs throughout the InnerSphere. You’ll probably see where I’m going as this review progress so lets go.

Morningstar (CJvR), Titan II Thunder, Fortune (LordGrayson) – These three entries failed to make my grade mainly because they were a little too ambitious. I felt they were too big, too fast, and/or too expensive. In short they just didn’t fit the theme in my opinion. This isn’t to say they weren’t interesting these designs just didn’t make it for any further consideration.

Achilles-M (CJvR), Apollo (LordGrayson) – These two didn’t make the grade either but bring up an interesting subject as they are based either partly or wholly on the Achilles. Now we already have the Bellerophon in TRO2800 that is a knock off of the Achilles so here is what I propose. Lets add a Variant paragraph to the Bellerophon that includes references to both these entries. I see a lower tech version that is copied from the Republic and used by several powers. Reverse engineering shouldn’t be too difficult and allows Kurita, mercs, as well as others to use this design as well.
Question; are there an other Terran Gunboats appearing in TRO2800 that would receive the same treatment? Either copied or stolen in some way Terran designs that have begun to proliferate the entire Sphere.

Mule-Q (CJvR) – While this entry convinced me we needed to include this ship I didn’t like a few things. Loved the fluff about the Capellan TRIAD Program but would rather have another design finish it out, see LordGrayson’s Jian. First off I’d like to focus on the Star League’s creation of this class mention in Jihad Hot Spots 3070 and TRO2800 dropship intro. Got no problem with Liao utilizing this design the most and being the focus of the write up but the other Houses and perhaps mercs should have access to it as well. I’d like to use the SL design as the basis and obviously variants would abound.

Jian (LordGrayson) – Love the name and the idea of Liao finishing of its TRIAD Program with a unique design built from the ground up; not based on anything else. I’d be willing to give LordGrayson and CJvR a lot of leeway in redesigning the original which of course would have to be introduced by 2800. Also would like to keep costs of the final redesign under 702M c-bills which the original came in at. Let me know what you think here guys.

Seeker (LordGrayson) – This one needs some work but has potential. I’d like to change the name of this gunboat similar to the way Bellerophon is to Achilles. Destroyer would be fantastic but might cause too much confusion, suggestions are welcome. The intro date has to be moved up to at least 2800 and I have some insight into fluff. This should be a Terran refit of the Seeker (obviously) that addresses the reason why this was a special case dropship. My take the SLDF used the Seeker which was on the Hegemony Blacklist right up to the fall of the League. Page 32 of TRO2800 under Restricted Technologies addresses issues with canon origin dates give in TRO3057 that saw the Seeker enter production in 2815 which contradicted other accounts that had the Seekers operating in advance of that date. Meaning that prior to 2815 the only nation that produced the Seeker was the Terran Hegemony/Republic. Hence they can make the Gunboat version but we can also use the fluff to explain that several Successor States are actively trying to reproduce the Seeker and perhaps the Gunboat. This foreshadows the eventual manufacture of the Seeker by the Lyran Commonwealth (at Tharkad), the Capellan Confederation (at Sarna), and the Federated Suns (at Layover).

Arliegh Burke (blacktigeractual) – Like to shorten or change the name for simplicity sake; just Burke for example, that would be great. The introduction date has to be moved forward of 2800 in order to make the book. Also Gunboats by their very definition must have capital weaponry so the Burke’s armament has to be fixed. The final product has to have at least one Capital Missile Tube not an AR-10 which would be too advanced. I liked the fluff especially the fit with the Interdiction class but would like to adjust it to fit with CJvR’s Davion design so we get a unified vision.

Interdiction (Master Arminas) – Love the I-boat concept but the design itself needs some work. First off it the intro date has to be moved up ahead of 2800 so it makes the book. I’d like to see some fluff tweaking to fit with an overall vision of gunboat development that CJvR did best with his designs. Most critical the I-boat like the Burke has to be modified to carry at least one Capital Missile, again not an AR-10 which would be too advanced, in order to be officially classified as a Gunboat.

Hexagon (CJvR) – The first excellent design which really set the bar for the rest of this unfolding contest. Love the vision of the Davion Gunboat program just have a few minor concerns to address. Didn’t like the name from the get go but it has grown on me as a nickname after going through the fluff, has a good feel. However I’d like to propose a new name for the class, the Pendragon. It is very Davion and since I messed up writing the Pentagon name during this review it came to me. I would like the main design to be the Gunboat with the Escort a variant to be noted. Also need to square the design with the BTA’s Burke and get them fully integrated into the FSNS. Finally I’d like to have some talk of Terran interest in the design which they maybe copying noting the proliferation or spread of this Pentagon redesign.

Gazelle-M (CJvR), Bucaneer-M (CJvR) – The only thing I’d like to see here is a name change reflecting my usual designations. Perhaps the Bandit for the Bucaneer not sure what to call the Gazelle redesign. Perhaps a little more talk about both of these designs spreading or proliferating to other powers and/or possible use by mercs adding to what you already had. Perhaps some further integration with other designs in this contests may also be appropriate but these are both excellently done.

Jager (CJvR) – One of my favorite entries is the Commonwealth’s Jager. Only thing I don’t like is the AR-10s which I think are far to advanced. I don’t mind the first three ships built at Shipil featuring these advanced weapon launchers but the rest should have another type. Either Killer Whales or White Sharks and we can write this as the variant. Otherwise this is a fine design with excellent fluff.

Piranha (CJvR) – Need to move forward the design date to at least 2800 and one small issue with the fluff. Surviving a nuclear strike is a little much and I’m not even sure under the rules that a vessel hit by such a blast can survive even if it has enough armor. This even applies to a warship unless they change the rules which might be possible. Instead of surviving nukes we can say how durable this design really is, which is true. It can survive multiple direct hits by the largest Naval Autocannons or Capital Grade Weaponry.

Ryerson (CJvR) – The only unique Marik gunboat presented is one of the better entries for this contest. We have to move the introduction date ahead to at least 2800 and I’m uncomfortable with surviving a nuclear. Would like to change the fluff in that regard to something extremely tough without mentioning the effects of direct nuclear damage. Maybe a word about the Mule-Q influencing this design which is somewhat based on the Mule but overall this is an excellent design.

Divine Fury (CJvR), Celestial Fury (CJvR) – Both of these designs were excellently done and I loved the TRIAD Program. Of course with the changes I’ve proposed that might alter some of the fluff as the final ship in the TRIAD Program might change. Also possible proliferation of these two designs to other realms who have access to the standard dropship models could be a good addition. Well done.

Okha (CJvR) – The Okha is another good one probably the best overall design produced by the first phase of this contest. Like to tweak the fluff to reflect more of a philosophical divide. I don’t mind some or many Kurita naval strategists viewing Gunboats as a “dishonorable” weapon but I would like to include a significant portion who have a grudging respect of these “fearless” spacers. To this end I’d like to point the clash between pro-Minoru and pro-Jinjiro officers throughout the Pillar of Steel. Perhaps one side leans one way and vice versa. Also I want to integrate the Interdiction (I-boat) and the Draconis Bellerophon into the Okha fluff.

If I have to declare a single winner it would by CJvR who came up with several superb entries. I would ask the designers assistance and continued suggestions of how we can best accomplish/ integrate all these designs with the appropriate tweaks. Please no new designs. Comments of course on our 14 perspective winners are welcomed. Thanks guys and I look forward to working with you on finishing these designs up!

Here is a list of the Gunboats designs that have graduated next stage.
Mule-Q (CJvR)
Jian (LordGrayson)
Seeker (LordGrayson)
Arliegh Burke (blacktigeractual)
Interdiction (Master Arminas)
Hexagon (CJvR)
Gazelle-M (CJvR)
Bucaneer-M (CJvR)
Jager (CJvR)
Piranha (CJvR)
Ryerson (CJvR)
Divine Fury (CJvR)
Celestial Fury (CJvR)
Okha (CJvR)
 
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #57 on: January 11, 2010, 12:17:44 AM » Quote 

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Question; are there an other Terran Gunboats appearing in TRO2800 that would receive the same treatment? Either copied or stolen in some way Terran designs that have begun to proliferate the entire Sphere.

 taken from the 2800 TRO
The first nation to mass produce a dedicated Gunboat was the Rim Worlds Republic. In the middle of the twenty seventh century House Amaris began looking for a way to strengthen its Navy. Under Star League scrutiny and with limited industrial power this Periphery nation commissioned the Onslaught class. Later the Republic would build an even larger Gunboat, the Megalodon class. These ships would play a major role during the Amaris Coup and would prove to be very effective. Ironically the remnants of the Terran Hegemony would turn to these “tools of Amaris” as a way to bolster its own shattered Navy following the Coup and Kerensky’s Exodus. The New Republic would commission seven such designs (Bellerophon, Dauntless, Warlord, Goliath, Mastodon, Firebird, Juggernaut) as part of the Quicksilver Program.

 I see the onslaught and maybe the megalodon class either simply being copied or some version of them being produced rather fast once the other states navy see or in some cases feel the impact of the TR's version of them.
  So I'd say the Bellerophon,dauntless and firebird? might be appearing rather fast some might not even be clone/copies of the TR's ships but actually Reverse engineered ships of their orginal classes the achilles ,onslaught, and megalodon just in the case of the last two with different names.[ don't really think any states going to use the RWR name for there class of ships]
 As for Merc's and pirates I see onslaughts and megalodon's in their future some had to survive to run away but they are rare and few in number.
 

 On a side note the apollo was my take on a cross between the achilles and the onslaught not sure which one it would go under for a side note.

 O names for seeker I like Kaimi but Xidorn seems nice to
Kaimi ... "The seeker.",Sheridan ... "Seeker." ... [3],Talib ... "Knowledge-seeker." [1],Xidorn ... "Truth-seeker."Zita ... "Seeker." ... [2]

 
 
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    Re: House Gunboats: EDITED
« Reply #58 on: January 11, 2010, 02:04:23 PM » Quote Modify Remove 

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Morningstar (CJvR)
The Morningstar was more of a design experiment anyway, what can be done rather than what should be introduced.

Achilles-M (CJvR)
The Ach-M is a rather serious redesign, if you want to include stats it might be better to have it a completly separate entry.

Question; are there an other Terran Gunboats appearing in TRO2800 that would receive the same treatment? Either copied or stolen in some way Terran designs that have begun to proliferate the entire Sphere.

The only serious candidate for proliferation IMPO would be the Warlord, all the other designs are fairly unique and retooling for a stolen design is only marginaly cheaper than designing what you want from the keel up ( we are not yet in the scavenger economy of SWIII ). Since most nations have the Overlord in production somewhere those designs might drift into the wrong hands and get used particulary as the Warlord is such a nasty ship.

Mule-Q (CJvR)
Since the CC yards were working closely with the SLDF during the Amaris war it would hardly be surprising that they had an inside track on a SLDF design. We only need to refluff the origin of the design.

Jian (LordGrayson)
Not a bad ship for the Triad program to finish with, the CC would need all the AAS it could get against the FWL so a purpose built AAS platform is a good choise. Still I think a ship designed during the war should have KW capacity - it is the prefered weapon of everyone.

Hexagon (CJvR)
Pendragon sounds very davionish, good name. While the GB version should probably be the primary version I think it makes more sense for the E version to arrive first in the fluff - it is just a downgrade of the existing design and building it will keep the lines up and running while the GB version is in the pipeline. Im not sure why the TR in particular would be intrested in the Hexagon, they have both faster and more powerful GB designs available.

Gazelle-M (CJvR), Bucaneer-M (CJvR)
Well how about Chinkara ( a Gazelle variant http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinkara )
The Buccaneer was always intended to spread - as was the Gazelle, to a lesser extent though since it was a bit more altered than a simple refit. I can certainly see ships of these classes going to trusted Mercs. The major obstacle to proliferation though is that in SWI there really aren't any spare capacity available for sales outside the national military. A few ship might surrender or get captured but beyond that? The Buccaneer is a simple refit and would likely spread the fastest, the Gazelle will probably not spread much beyond FS-Mercs as long as the SW rages.

Jager (CJvR)
Well replacing the AR-10 with KW tubes is a fairly simple operation, it should net the Jäger a few tons of needed cargo space.

Piranha (CJvR)
Fairly simple to rewrite the fluff on those points, any GB design with forward aimed missile tubes have an excelent excuse for massive armor plating on the nose and the program can be moved forward a bit.

Ryerson (CJvR)
I don't really think Mule influence would fit the design best, other than the choise of using Mule parts for simplicity and availability.

Divine Fury (CJvR), Celestial Intruder (CJvR)
There are surely a few yards able to copy the CC designs given access to them, but neither ship is exceptionally good and thus copying material.

Okha (CJvR)
I liked the Okha too. I was very reluctant to hand it over to the Snakes since it was just about the optimum GB IMPO. I think a rift in the DCA command regarding TR GBs could be worked in quite easliy. Younger officers who actually have to do most of the fighting against the TR GBs vs the traditionalist who are offended by the very existance of GBs. All new military equipment seems to have to go through the same process. After the carnage of the FS campaign a few of those junior men will have moved up fitting nicely with the Okha as a late generation GB.
Draconis Bellerophon? 
 
« Last Edit: January 16, 2010, 05:09:54 PM by CJvR »  Report to moderator    213.112.121.117 
 
 
 
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #59 on: January 12, 2010, 02:25:48 AM » Quote 

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Quote from: CJvR on January 11, 2010, 02:04:23 PM
Morningstar (CJvR)
The Morningstar was more of a design experiment anyway, what can be done rather than what should be introduced.

Achilles-M (CJvR)
The Ach-M is a rather serious redesign, if you want to include stats it might be better to have it a completly separate entry.

Well CJvR these are two entries that didn't make it so at best a later redesign could appear someday. I'd like to focus on the 14 entries that did make.


Quote from: CJvR on January 11, 2010, 02:04:23 PM
The only serious candidate for proliferation IMPO would be the Warlord, all the other designs are fairly unique and retooling for a stolen design is only marginaly cheaper than designing what you want from the keel up ( we are not yet in the scavenger economy of SWIII ). Since most nations have the Overlord in production somewhere those designs might drift into the wrong hands and get used particulary as the Warlord is such a nasty ship.
Quote from: LordGrayson on January 11, 2010, 12:17:44 AM
I see the onslaught and maybe the megalodon class either simply being copied or some version of them being produced rather fast once the other states navy see or in some cases feel the impact of the TR's version of them.
  So I'd say the Bellerophon,dauntless and firebird? might be appearing rather fast some might not even be clone/copies of the TR's ships but actually Reverse engineered ships of their orginal classes the achilles ,onslaught, and megalodon just in the case of the last two with different names.[ don't really think any states going to use the RWR name for there class of ships]
 As for Merc's and pirates I see onslaughts and megalodon's in their future some had to survive to run away but they are rare and few in number.

I had envisioned the Bellerophon, as the Achilles Gunboat, spread because of its demand. CJvR Achilles-M and LordGrayson's Apollo are takeoffs of the Achilles in some way so I thought why not just a dumb down Bellerophon. The Draconis Combine produces the Achilles, has seen the Terran ship in action, and might have recovered pieces or a whole ship to reverse engineer the design. Mercs, perhaps supplied by Terrans, could also receive these lower tech Bellerophon's. White Shark Missiles and no advanced armor.

I agree with CJvR that the Warlord is a good choice for proliferation as many powers produce the Overlord. Again any advanced components would be swapped for lower tech more available gear.

The Onslaught/Dauntless might be more feasible to copy then the Megalodon/Firebird. Their smaller size and greater numbers might give potential thieves more access to templates along with being more realistic for the naval industry (which has been hit hard by the war) of the Great Houses.

The Goliath based on the Titan is another possible for a low tech copy. I'll have to review the industrial files from TRO2800 but some Houses might have produced the Titan and could therefore put the Goliath on their to do list.

The Mastodon and the Juggernaut are likely too big. I'd have to check the industrial info in TRO2800 but I'm not sure either of these ships forerunners (Elephant and Colossus) were produced by the Houses.


Pressed for time tonight guys so I will have to leave it there. More later!
 
 
CJvR
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    How about this for the Ryerson? EDITED II
« Reply #60 on: January 12, 2010, 03:28:20 PM » Quote Modify Remove 

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RYERSON CLASS GUNBOAT

The FWLN was the first of the great houses to adapt to gunboat warfare and while their staple gunboat, the Freebooter class, is generally considered an inferior craft it is available in large numbers to compensate for the individual shortcomings of the craft. This have in the past been enough to make up for it's flaws and the Freebooter have seen wide spread use outside the FWLN as well. The DCA in particular make extensive use of the class and all fleets except the Federated Suns Naval Service have a few ships either captured FWLN/DCA units or domestic conversions.

Unfortunately for the Freebooter times are changing and several of the design flaws are becoming more obvious as the supporting naval and aerospace elements the Freebooter depends on to perform it's mission are becoming rarer. The FWL fleet was always a very carrier heavy force but it's naval fighter wings have been disastrously thinned by the war and that lets enemy fighters through to the thin skinned and insufficiently armed Freebooters more and more frequently. Also the Freebooter squadrons are now often the main heavy firepower of a FWLN taskforce resulting in them being the focus of the enemy's attention, a compliment the Freebooter could do without.

The FWLN started development of a new improved gunboat in 2794. A major obstacle for the project was that the devastated FWL industry and yards were hardly able to build a new gunboat in anything close to the numbers the fleet demanded and the resources to build new facilities and factories for a program on the scale the FWLN required simply didn't exist. However the FWL's long history for inventiveness in the Aerospace field would shine once more as the engineers at Irian Technologies Clipperton Yard presented the FWLN with a plan that could meet their required production volume of an improved gunboat class. Recognizing that the main obstacle to putting a new ship class into production was the powerplant the Irian engineers decided to use one of the most plentiful powerplants that was still in large scale production and design the new gunboat around it.

The design team picked the engine of the Mule class freighter, a ship still in production in three facilities in the FWL, as the baseline for their new gunboat; the Ryerson. Relatively common everywhere in the Inner Sphere the powerplant would be simple to maintain anywhere. Since one of the main demands from the FWLN was a better mass / thrust ratio than the Freebooter the Ryerson gunboat is lighter than the Mule by 2800 tons giving it a 3g maximum thrust ratio compared to the Freebooter's and Mule's 2,5g.
The Ryerson's main armament consists of four nose mounted Killer Whale missile tubes and they are backed up by an array of 30 lasers of various sizes for AAS protection. Originally the design was intended to include a pair of Barracuda missile tubes as well but the increasing shortness of the advanced sensor package needed for those missiles caused this to be cancelled in favour of adding facilities for a fighter squadron instead.

The Lyran raid on Irian in 2797 was particularly unsatisfactory for the FWLN as Lyran fighters and Jäger class gunboat hunters caused the almost complete destruction of the 36'th Gunboat flotilla and it's carrier and fighter escort while suffering only light damage in return. Particularly the Jäger's ability to survive a nuclear strike and remain operational combined with intelligence information indicating that simillar rugged gunboat designs were under consideration or construction in other nations convinced the FWLN Admiralty that an upgrade of the protection of it's new gunboat was required. With the lesson from Irian it is hardly surprising that the greatest improvement in the Ryerson over the Freebooter it's armour protection. The Ryerson can survive several hits from the heaviest naval grade weaponry, that would wreck a Freebooter, as well as intensive attention from screening fighter wings making it a hard ship to stop short of it's goal.

The FWLN approved the final Ryerson design in late 2797 and ordered a batch of six prototypes, two each from the three yards participating in the project. The trials of the prototypes revealed several major problems. Despite the use of proven technology and tested components getting all the different parts to coexist harmoniously proved difficult.
Particularly the Mule's engine, normally considered a very reliable and trustworthy design, caused problems. Having not been intended to run under higher g forces than 2,5 the engine frequently flooded the fusion chamber with excess fuel at high-g killing the fusion reaction. To make matters worse when prototype #4 was doing a high-g burn with Irian's engine experts onboard to isolate the problem a fuel pipe burst causing a massive fire that killed everyone in the engine compartment and warped the ship's hull so badly that it had to be towed back for scrapping.
Another problem with the Ryerson have been the massive nose armour and the missile tube hatches opening through it. A live fire exercise on the burnt out #4 prototype showed that the structural elements supporting the massive slab of nose armour were to weak and that if it was hit with heavy weaponry the supporting structure could warp and jam the missile hatches. Making matters even worse a fatal accident on prototype #2, where a missile got stuck in the launch tube, revealed that heat expansion in the nose armour plating could jam the missile tube hatches. Correcting this problem required an extensive refit of the top third of the ship.

Despite all these problems the Ryerson project have been moving forward at a steady pace and the four surviving prototypes have been handed over to the FWLN and are serving on the Terran border in the First heavy gunboat squadron where they have made a very favourable impression on the crews and commanders and have raised the morale of the entire FWLN gunboat service. The Ryerson class have entered full production at all three yards and the first production models are scheduled to reach the frontline units in strength in 2800, massproduction of this very dangerous, but still relatively cheap and simple craft, is expected to be a great boost for the FWLN fighting gunboat strength and a serious threat the the long Terran dominance in gunboat warfare.



Code:
RYERSON CLASS GUNBOAT

Type:                 Civilian Sphereoid
Tech:                 Star League
Introduced:           2799
Mass:                 8,400 tons
Dimensions
   Length:             94.00 meters
   Width:              94.00 meters
   Height:            112.00 meters

Fuel:                 500.00 tons (15000)
Tons/Burn-day:          3.37 tons
Safe Thrust:            4
Max Thrust:             6
Heatsinks:            220
Structural Integrity:  40

Armor:              standard
   Nose:           1200 (120) 
   R/L Sides:       450 (45) 
   Aft:             364 (36)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type      Short   Medium  Long    Xtreme
Nose(94 Heat)
   4 Killer Whale    16      16      16      16     
   1 Large Laser     2(18)   1(     -       -
      2 Medium Laser
FL/FR(56 Heat)
   2 Large Laser     4(36)   2(16)    -       -
      4 Medium Laser
AL/AR(56 Heat)
   2 Large Laser     4(36)   2(16)    -       -
      4 Medium Laser
Aft(14 Heat)
   1 Large Laser     2(18)   1(     -       -
      2 Medium Laser

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Cargo ( 596.0 tons )       1 Door
   Bay 2: Fighters ( 6 )             3 Doors

Escape Pods:           8
Life Boats:            0
Crew: 10 Officers, 20 enlisted/non-rated, 10 gunners, 10 marines, 12 Bay personnel

Ammunition:
   40 Killer Whale Missiles               
Note:
   Equipped with 144 tons of standard armor.
Cost:
   360 million C-bills.
 

CJvR
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Posts: 383


    TRIAD with JIAN class... EDITED
« Reply #71 on: January 12, 2010, 10:46:49 PM » Quote Modify Remove 

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The Capellan Confederation Navy TRIAD program.

The Capellan Confederation have, despite some successes, been hit very hard by the war. Saved from destruction by the Combine invasion of the Federated Suns the Capellans have made significant gains in the Chesterton region. This however does not make up for the disasterous defeats the Confederation have endured on the Free Worlds frontier. Short on everything except enemies the Capellan Confederation have become the most enthusiastic gunboat user in the Inner Sphere, except for the Terran Republic, and that it is not the premier gunboat user is mainly due to a shortage of suitable dropships designs available for conversion into gunboats in production inside the Confederation.

The CCN was, like the rest of the Inner Sphere navies, not particulary intrested in the gunboat concept before the war. If anything a not insignificant level of what the Steiners would call "shadenfreude" could be noticed over the fact that the high and mighty Terrans were forced to such drastic and desperate messures as mass deployment of gunboats. Never the less the CCN was aware of it's weakness compared to it's Marik and Davion rivals and kept an eye on the Terran ships just in case the CCN would have to go down the same path.

The CCN was quick to revise it's initialy negative estimate when they learned the potential of the gunboat the hard way on Kenyon Marik's bloody "Path to Sarna" campaign. When the CNS Shul Pau sighted a small League convoy consisting of a few "Buccaneers" and a Leopard carrier it seemed like a tasty morsel for the destroyer. But when the captain closed in to capture the defenceless freighters he suddenly found himself facing half a dozen inbound shipkiller missiles. Miraculously the ship survived the first salvo and managed to get a warning out before the follow up salvo from the Freebooters finished the job.

The Capellan Confederation Navy soon recived other reports of Marik gunboats from all sectors of the front lines as the FWLN applied the costly lessons it had learnt regarding gunboat warfare during it's Terran Republic campaign to the Capellan Confederation front. Capellan intel reports from the campaign in the Terran Republic were dusted off and examined in greater detail. These previously mostly ignored reports indicated that gunboats could be a useful and also quite powerful addition to the suffering Capellan navy. The painful experiences in the field and the disasterous losses of warship production capacity caused the Capellans to initiate a serious gunboat program in 2790 following the battle of Calloway VI. Despite being short on potential candidates for conversion the CCN refused to offer up any of the larger military transports for conversion to gunboats since the Confederation was desperatly short on those assets to begin with. However Tengo Aerospace at Sarna was building a small transport of limited military value...


DIVINE FURY CLASS GUNBOAT

The First ship in the Triad is the Divine Fury. The Divine Fury is based on Tengo Aerospace's Fury class, a small aerodyne troop transport. The conversion of this ship was fairly simple. The cargo hold was filled with a missile magazine with ten Killer Whale missiles to feed the launch tube mounted on the ships back. What makes the Divine Fury a bit odd compared to most other gunboats is that this impressive weapon system is not it's primary weapon. The Fury was recognized as being to weak to participate in any serious fleet actions so it was assigned the task of hunting enemy transports and freighters relying on it's heavy missile system to keep hostile warships and gunboats away. For actually killing it's prey the Divine Fury carries 160 Long Range Missile tubes in four banks of 20 on each wing.

Being swifter than most freighters and transports the Divine Fury is a threat to most convoys, and thanks to it's Killer Whale missiles, even fairly well escorted convoys have cause for concern. The ships are deployed in fairly large numbers mainly with CCN raiding formations. The Divine Furys are normally accompanied by carriers when operating in contested systems to interdict enemy shipping.


Code:
DIVINE FURY CLASS GUNBOAT

Type:                 Military Aerodyne
Tech:                 Star League
Introduced:           2792
Mass:                 1,900 tons
Dimensions
   Length:             79.00 meters
   Width:              73.20 meters
   Height:             29.20 meters

Fuel:                 140.00 tons (5600)
Tons/Burn-day:          1.84 tons
Safe Thrust:            4
Max Thrust:             6
Heatsinks:             76
Structural Integrity:   7

Armor:              standard
   Nose:            142 (14) 
   R/L Sides:       120 (12) 
   Aft:             110 (11)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type     Short  Medium    Long  Xtreme
Nose(36 Heat)
   1 Killer Whale    4(40)   4(40)   4(40)  4(40)
      (with 20 missiles)
   1 PPC             1(    1(      -      -
   2 Medium Laser    1(10)     -       -      -
LW/RW(33 Heat)
   4 LRM-20
      (72 rounds)    5(48)   5(48)   5(48)    -
   3 Medium Laser    2(15)     -       -      -
Aft(6 Heat)
   1 AutoCannon/10   
      (20 rounds)    1(10)   1(10)     -      -
   1 Medium Laser    1(5)      -       -      -

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Cargo ( 161.0 tons )       1 Door

Escape Pods:           0
Life Boats:            8
Crew: 2 Officers, 6 enlisted/non-rated, 5 gunners

Ammunition:
   10 Killer Whale Missiles
   20 rounds of AC/10 ammunition (2 tons)
   144 rounds of LRM-20 ammunition (24 tons)

Note:
   Equipped with 29 tons of standard armor.
Cost:
   252 million C-Bills

CELESTIAL INTRUDER CLASS GUNBOAT

The second ship in the TRIAD program is the Celestial Intruder. Having little yard capacity to divert to building new gunboat classes from the keel up and unwilling to give up one of it's larger military transport production lines the Capellan Confederation Navy turned to one of it's existing assaultship designs already in production, the Intruder class. Converting the Intruder to a gunboat turned out to be more difficult than originaly anticipated since the compact little assaultship didn't have the easily accessible cavernous cargoholds of most other conversions. Instead deep shafts had to be opened through most of the ships decks to connect the bow mounted missile tubes to the magazines on the lower decks. This extra work set the program back by several years.

The Intruder's hull turned out to be to small to house the originally planned armament of two Killer Whale missile systems. To solve this the Capellans went over the intel reports on Terran gunboats with a microscope looking for an alternate weapons configuration. Particulary the Bellerophon class with it's Barracuda missiles caught their attention. The danger in closing with any ship that might be armed with nukes is obvious but the Barracuda offers an oppertunity to snipe at long range where the risk of being hit by return fire is sharply reduced. Since the Celestial Intruder was primarily intended for gunboat hunting that made the lighter Barracuda system an ideal weapons for dealing with the relatively thin skinned Marik Freebooters. Once the Tengo Aerospace engineers had it's main weaponry incorporated in the design no other modifications were made to the basic Intruder layout and the Celestial Intruder went straight into production, replacing the common Intruder on a one to one basis, almost two years behind schedule.

With it's long range fighting style the Celestial Intruder have a distinct Capellan feel to it. The choice of weapon for the Celestial Intruder proved to be effective in hunting Freebooters and other first generation gunboat conversions. The fighter flight is still able to give the ship some nuclear capability but lately the Barracuda's advanced targeting and guidance systems have become harder to accuire often forcing the Celestial Intruders to operate with only partially filled magazines. Unfortunately the Celestial Intruder's intended fighting style is very ammunition intensive and with reduced magazines the ship often does not have the firepower to disable the enemy at range but is forced to close up and expose itself to the enemy's guns. Celestial Intruders are operating mainly as escorts for the remaining Capellan fleets as well as providing security for important starsystems like Sarna where Tengo Aerospace have become the center of Capellan gunboat technology.


Code:
CELESTIAL INTRUDER CLASS GUNBOAT

Type:                 Military Sphereoid
Tech:                 Star League
Introduced:           2794
Mass:                 3,000 tons
Dimensions
   Length:             69.00 meters
   Width:              69.00 meters
   Height:             61.50 meters

Fuel:                 300.00 tons (9000)
Tons/Burn-day:          1.84 tons
Safe Thrust:            4
Max Thrust:             6
Heatsinks:            114
Structural Integrity:  22

Armor:              standard
   Nose:            360 (36) 
   R/L Sides:       340 (34) 
   Aft:             230 (23)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type      Short   Medium  Long   Xtreme
Nose(43 Heat)
   2 Barracuda       4(40)   4(40)   4(40)  4(40)
   1 PPC             1(10)   1(10)     -      -
   1 LRM-20
      (12 rounds)    1(12)   1(12)   1(12)    -
   1 Autocannon/5
      (30 rounds)    1(5)    1(5)      -      -
   2 Medium Laser    1(10)     -       -      -
LF/RF(30 Heat)
   1 PPC             1(10)   1(10)     -      -
   1 LRM-20
      (12 rounds)    1(12)   1(12)   1(12)    -
   1 Large Laser     2(18)   1(      -      -
      2 Medium Laser
AL/AR(46 Heat)
   2 PPC             2(20)   2(20)     -      -
   1 LRM-20
      (12 rounds)    1(12)   1(12)   1(12)    -
   2 SRM-6
      (45 rounds)    2(16)     -       -      -
   4 Medium Laser    2(20)     -       -      -
Aft(28 Heat)
   1 LRM-20
      (12 rounds)    1(12)   1(12)   1(12)    -
   2 Large Laser     3(26)   2(16)     -      -
      2 Medium Laser

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Fighters ( 2 )             1 Door
   Bay 2: Cargo ( 100.0 tons )       1 Door

Escape Pods:           6
Life Boats:            0
Crew: 5 Officers, 18 enlisted/non-rated, 9 gunners, 4 bay personnel

Ammunition:
   20 Barracuda Missiles
   60 rounds of AC/5 ammunition (3 tons)
   90 rounds of SRM-6 ammunition (6 tons)
   72 rounds of LRM-20 ammunition (12 tons)

Note:
   Equipped with 74 tons of standard armor.
Cost:
   290 million C-Bills

JIAN CLASS GUNBOAT

The last segment of the Capellan Confederation's TRIAD program is the Jian. It is the Liao's first gunboat that's not a refit of a older dropship design like the Divine Fury, Celestial Intruder or the Mule-Q ships. As the third element of the Triad program the Jian was designed to fill the CCN's desperate need for AAS protection from the Aerospace heavy FWLN. This function had once been filled by the Defender class cruisers but the war took a heavy toll on those ships and the Capellans felt their absence on the battlefields most keenly.

The Jian was built around the idea to be simple to maintain in the field with limited ammunition dependent weapon systems to supply on board. The capital class missiles naturally need to be reloaded after any fight but other than that the class only fields one other weapon system that requires additional resupply. The rest of the weapons systems are entirely energy based as is its point defense system. This makes supply runs easier and shorter as the quarter master have fewer items to load onto the ship. Quick turnover rate and simple supply requirements allow the Jian to spend most of it's time on the frontlines where the CCN desperately needs it.

The Jian's weaponry were designed to be powerful but simple. The three capital missile systems are backed up by a solid array of long ranged conventional missiles and a substantial laser battery. The ship's hull is covered in thick layers of standard armor which is easily available and quite sufficient to keep the Jian safe from enemy fire. Indeed the Jian was one of the heaviest armored ships in the in the Inner Sphere at the time it entered production. The ship lacks the ability to carry its own escorting aerospace fighters but it is usually deployed alongside fighter carrying warships or with a separate aerospace carrier that provides it with the needed fighter screen.


Code:

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Class/Model/Name:  Liao Assault ship (anti-fighter) Jian
Tech:              Inner Sphere / 2750
Vessel Type:       Aerodyne DropShip
Rules:             Level 2, Standard design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              6,500 tons
Length:            146 meters
Power Plant:       Standard
Safe Thrust:       6
Maximum Thrust:    9
Armor Type:        Standard
Armament:         
    1 White Shark
    5 PPC
   15 Large Laser
   15 Medium Laser
   18 Small Laser
   16 LRM 20
    2 Barracuda


Class/Model/Name:  Liao Assault ship (anti-fighter) Jian
Mass:              6,500 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass 
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                        2,535.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 6
      Maximum Thrust: 9
Structural Integrity: 32                                             1,040.00
Total Heat Sinks:    348 Single                                        222.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                     442.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:                 49.00
Fire Control Computers:                                                   .00
Food & Water:  (143 days supply)                                        20.00
Armor Type:  Standard  (2,144 total armor pts)                         144.00
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                715
   Left/Right Wings:                 536/536
   Aft:                                 357

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  Cargo (1)                                                    86.00

Life Boats:  2 (7 tons each)                                            14.00
Escape Pods:  4 (7 tons each)                                           28.00

Crew and Passengers:
      6 Officers (4 minimum)                                            60.00
      7 Crew (0 minimum)                                                49.00
     15 Gunners (15 minimum)                                           105.00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 White Shark(10 msls)     Nose         3      3      3      3   15    520.00
1 PPC                      Nose     1(10)  1(10)     --     --   10      7.00
2 Large Laser              Nose     3(31)  2(16)     --     --   16     10.00
  3 Medium Laser                                                  9      3.00
3 Small Laser              Nose      1(9)     --     --     --    3      1.50
2 LRM 20(48 rounds)        Nose     2(24)  2(24)  2(24)     --   12     28.00
1 Barracuda(10 msls)       L/RW         2      2      2      2   20    780.00
2 Large Laser              L/RW     3(31)  2(16)     --     --   32     20.00
  3 Medium Laser                                                 18      6.00
3 Small Laser              L/RW      1(9)     --     --     --    6      3.00
1 PPC                      L/RW     1(10)  1(10)     --     --   20     14.00
2 LRM 20(48 rounds)        L/RW     2(24)  2(24)  2(24)     --   24     56.00
3 Large Laser              L/RW(A)  4(39)  2(24)     --     --   48     30.00
  3 Medium Laser                                                 18      6.00
3 Small Laser              L/RW(A)   1(9)     --     --     --    6      3.00
3 LRM 20(90 rounds)        L/RW(A)  4(36)  4(36)  4(36)     --   36     90.00
3 Small Laser              Aft       1(9)     --     --     --    3      1.50
3 Large Laser              Aft      2(24)  2(24)     --     --   24     15.00
2 PPC                      Aft      2(20)  2(20)     --     --   20     14.00
4 LRM 20(168 rounds)       Aft      5(48)  5(48)  5(48)     --   24     68.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (0.46%)                                               30.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                              Heat: 364       6,500.00
Tons Left:                                                                .00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        702,101,952 C-Bills
Battle Value:      16,971
Cost per BV:       41,370.69
Weapon Value:      16,699 (Ratio = .98)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 495;  MRV = 314;  LRV = 107;  ERV = 29
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 141,535
                   (104,635 Structure, 26,750 Life Support, 10,150 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 63,450  (45% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      MP: 6,  Armor/Structure: 36 / 35
                   Damage PB/M/L: 30/22/15,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: DL;  Point Value: 170
 
 
« Last Edit: January 13, 2010, 12:44:22 AM by CJvR »  Report to moderator    213.112.121.163 
 
 
 
CJvR
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #72 on: January 12, 2010, 10:48:57 PM » Quote Modify Remove 

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Thought I would include a suggestion for the Jian into the Triad program with a service date around 2796. I thought it worked best as an erzats Defender, particulary since the TRO2800 mentions how valuable those AAS units were to the CCN. 
 
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Takiro
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #73 on: January 12, 2010, 11:38:50 PM » Quote 

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Oh, very good. Nice rewrite CJvR, they will make fine additions to TRO2800. 
 
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CJvR
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    The Mule-Q ship, generic gunboat... EDITED
« Reply #74 on: January 13, 2010, 12:19:31 AM » Quote Modify Remove 

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MULE-Q CLASS Q-SHIP

The Mule-Q ship dates back to before the Amaris coup and was originaly designed to protect the Star League's extensive trading network from predation by pirates. The Mule-Qs would hide in the civilian traffic as a regular freighter and trick the pirates to come within reach of their massed missile arrays. When Amaris launched the coup and toppled the Star League the Mule-Q was the only gunboat in service with the SLDF. During the long and hard campaign to recapture the Terran Hegemony the Mule-Qs frequently clashed with their Rim Worlder nemesises the Onslaughts and Megalodons. Despite suffering horrendous casualties the Mule-Q was the most effective defence against Rim gunboats available to the SLDF for much of the campaign and a large program to convert cargo Mules to gunboats were undertaken at numerous yards controlled by the SLDF. The SLDF also contracted Capellan yards to build Q-ships as a part of the naval cooperation deal with the Confederation. After the civil war was over most surviving Mule-Qs were rebuilt to haul cargo as a part of the reconstruction effort in the Hegemony and most of the remaining armed Mule-Q under SLDF colours unfortunately joined the SLDF Exodus. Only a few of the more advanced Mule-Qs with their AR-10 missile systems remained in the Terran Republic and Capellan Confederation.

The purpose behind the Mule-Q class is both to serve as a convoy escort and as a deliberate trap for hostile raiders. Attempts to use it's heavy missile battery in larger fleet actions have generally ended fatally for the Mules since they are essentially eggshells armed with nuclear sledgehammers. As such they tend to draw to much enemy attention and firepower - which they cannot survive. As an escort and Q-ship they have had much greater success.

As the SLDF left the Inner Sphere and the great houses started gearing up for war some of the generally available cargo Mules were converted into various Mule-Q designs. The original design's AR-10 missile systems were universally replaced by simpler missile tubes and fewer missile reloads. However only the Capellans, who had kept the Mule-Q production running since the deal with the SLDF, and the Terran Republic, which produced gunboats on a large scale, had any significant numbers available at the eve of the war. None of the other great houses deployed any significant number of them and certainly not as gunboats but rather prefered to keep them as escorts and rear area security. It would take the hard fought battles of the Combine's and League's invasion to wake up the great houses to the potential of gunboat warfare.

The increasing shortage of advanced capital weaponry have reduced new production of the relatively thinly armored Mule-Q lately, although they are still produced in several different variants around the Inner Sphere when the missile systems needed are available. Mostly however other gunboat classes have taken precedence over the Mule-Q since they are generally considered a better investment of limited assets. Despite this the Mule-Q in it's various incarnations is still quite common. While the Mule-Q isn't built in great numbers anywhere it is built just about everywhere in the Inner Sphere, this combined with it's general deployment pattern of slightly safer rear-area security rather then front line duty have made it the second most common gunboat in the Inner Sphere after the Freebooter.


Mk1 - The most widely deployed variant of the Mule-Q ship. This ship is mostly deployed by the Capellans, Lyrans and Terrans. The mk1 with it's Barracuda missiles is better able to combat the large fighter formations of the FWLN's carrier groups. The LCN deploys large numbers of the Mule-Q mk1 in the traditional gunboat attack role since the LCN's Jäger class is considered to valuable for such high risk operations. The TRN and CCN generally use their ships in the intended role as Q-ships and escorts.

The main power of the Mule-Q mk1 rests with it's six nuclear capable Killer Whale missile systems. Even heavy warships have good reason to fear the devestating potential of such a salvo, even at longer ranges. In addition to the massive firepower of the Killer Whales the Mule-Q also mounts four Barracuda missile systems mainly intended for long range AAS defence of the convoy but also for sniping against other gunboats. The final element of the Mule's arsenal is the fighter squadron it carries. The ability to throw an extra fighter squadron into the fight is important since most gunboats lack integrated fighter support and fighters also allow a certain standoff capability that is most useful against gunboats suspected of carrying nukes. It also allow the Mule-Q to combat carrier raids much more effectively and help support the ship's own totally inadequate standard weapons array. Unfortunately Q-ship duties, requiring the ship to act like a common civilian freighter, mix poorly with ASF operations and combining the two have often forced fighter pilots to sit idle for so long in transit that it have had a negative impact on their piloting skills.

Mk2 - The second most widely deployed variant and the prefered variant of the Combine, Free Worlds and Federated Suns. With eight Killer Whale missile tubes this ship sacrifices the AAS capability of the mk1's Barracuda missiles for additional pure ship killing capacity. The mk2 is the most common Mule-Q variant to be deployed as an attack ship or to provide fire support to the main fleet units.

Mk3 - The third variant is much rarer than the first two variants but as the availability of the advanced electronics for the Barracuda missiles diminishes many mk1 Mule-Qs are converted to this version. Also the mk3 is sometimes used when disabeling the enemy is preferable to his outright destruction.

Mk4 - The original version of the Mule-Q ship, now almost extinct (see JHS 3070). The advanced AR-10 missile systems have doomed this version to slowly fade into oblivion. Not even the Terran Republic are mounting AR-10 missile systems in the fragile Q-ships anymore, and the few ships remaining of this variant in the TRN and CCN are in constant danger of losing their advanced missile systems either to replace destroyed systems on other more important ships or for use on new construction.


Code:
MULE-Q CLASS Q-SHIP

Type:                 Civilian Sphereoid
Tech:                 Star League
Introduced:           2740
Mass:                11,200 tons
Dimensions
   Length:            158.00 meters
   Width:             158.00 meters
   Height:            100.40 meters

Fuel:                 319.00 tons (9570)
Tons/Burn-day:          4.22 tons
Safe Thrust:            3
Max Thrust:             5
Heatsinks:            160
Structural Integrity:  10

Armor:              standard
   Nose:            176 (18) 
   R/L Sides:       155 (16) 
   Aft:             130 (13)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type      Short   Medium  Long    Xtreme
Nose(6 Heat)
   1 Autocannon/5
      (40 rounds)    1(5)    1(5)     -       -
   1 Medium Laser    1(5)     -       -       -
   2 Small Laser     1(6)     -       -       -
LF/RF(70 Heat mk1 & mk3, 90 Heat mk2)
   3 Killer Whale   12(120) 12(120) 12(120) 12(120)     mk1 & mk3
   4 Killer Whale   16(160) 16(160) 16(160) 16(160)     mk2
   1 SRM-6
      (15 rounds)    1(     -       -       -
   2 Medium Laser    1(10)    -       -       -
AL/AR(34 Heat mk1, 14 Heat mk2, 44 Heat mk3)
   2 Barracuda       4(40)   4(40)   4(40)   4(40)      mk1
   2 White Shark     6(60)   6(60)   6(60)   6(60)      mk3
   1 Large Laser     2(18)   1(     -       -
      2 Medium Laser
Aft(14 Heat)
   1 Large Laser     2(18)   1(     -       -
      2 Medium Laser

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Fighters ( 6 )              2 Doors
   Bay 2: Cargo ( 1640.0 tons )       1 Door            mk1
   Bay 2: Cargo ( 1900.0 tons )       1 Door            mk2
   Bay 2: Cargo ( 1120.0 tons )       1 Door            mk3

Escape Pods:           2
Life Boats:            2
Crew: 4 Officers, 7 enlisted/non-rated, 13 gunners, 12 bay personnel

Ammunition:
   60 Killer Whale Missiles mk1 & mk3
   80 Killer Whale Missiles mk2
   40 White Shark Missiles mk3
   40 Barracuda Missiles mk1
   40 rounds of AC/5 ammunition (2 tons)
   30 rounds of SRM-6 ammunition (2 tons)

Note:
   Equipped with 36 tons of standard armor.
   Identical to civilian Mule until it reveals itself.
Cost:
   Mule-mk 1  263 million C-bills.
   Mule-mk 2  264 million C-bills.
   Mule-mk 3  274 million C-bills.
   Mule-mk 4  297 million C-bills.
 
 
 

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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #90 on: January 17, 2010, 11:21:08 PM » Quote 

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 The Jian A doesn't mount KW's because at the time it wasn't thought to need them to carry out the job of taking out refitted dropships. ( those annoying Buc's and mules ) but as time went on and the 2nd generation of Pocket warships came along the Jian is considered under armed for its old mission of taking out pocket warships and was given the new job of taking out enemy aerospace well the Cap's planned on replacement called Miao Dao was to take out the enemy warships , but its war and the Cappys can't spare the stuff for the poor old Miao and it dies off.{totally my fault for forgetting to actually design the bloody thing} Now CapCon admirals are demanding NUKES on their warships theses days and a upgrade kit is quickly designed to engage enemy warships and so the Jian B is born.{ I wont say what the B stands for }.
 on side notes
 I think the Jian A might make a nice merc warship for cap merc's that are really liked by them say the northwind highlanders.
 The Jian B has some additional Fluff about the triad program under its deployment.<- just trying to figure out how to write it up as being in it.

 I just seen the seeker as the ship the republic might sale to merc's in there employment or might actually export [minus all the advanced tech] them to allies when the time is right(can u say Rim Pro). They are rather cheap don't employ the nuc option so U know the person can't really hurt you back the way you can hurt them if you sale them. 

AeroTech 2 Vessel Technical Readout
                                  VALIDATED

Class/Model/Name:  Jian (redesign) (anti-fighter) A
Tech:              Inner Sphere / 3067
Vessel Type:       Aerodyne DropShip
Rules:             Level 2, Standard design
Rules Set:         AeroTech2

Mass:              6,500 tons
Length:            146 meters
Power Plant:       Standard
Safe Thrust:       6
Maximum Thrust:    9
Armor Type:        Standard
Armament:         
    1 White Shark
   24 Small Laser
    4 PPC
   11 Large Laser
   14 Medium Laser
   10 LRM 15
    2 Barracuda
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
==Overview:==

 The Jian is the liao's first pocket warship thats not a refit of a older
dropship design (Leopard,Union,Buc's,Overlord, and anything else the capcon
navy could get thier hands onto).
 The Jian was built around the idea to be simple to maintain in the field with
limited weapons to resupply on board.  Well the capital class missiles need
resupplied after just one fight the class only fields one other system on the
ship that requires additional resupply. The rest of the weapons systems are
totally energy based as is its point defense system. This makes resupply runs
simple and short as the load master has only two items to load onto the ship
making it able to return to the field quicker then most other states assault
craft.
 Well the ships weapons where made to be powerfull but simple. The ship hull
is covered in a thick coating of armored steel to keep it safe from enemy
fire as it closes on enemy ships.
 [This is believed to be one of the heaviestarmored ships in the confederation if not the whole inner sphere at the time it entered production.]
 The ship lacks the ability to carry its own escorting aerospace but its
usually grouped with a aerospace carrier that provides it with the needed
escorts.
 Critic's point out the limited number of missiles for its capital launchers
and that when the ship was designed it was ment to counter the large number of
refitted dropships like the terran republic's buc's and mules as well as the
marik and davion ones but since then all the states have started to deploy in
limited to larger numbers of more advanced assault ships designs that makes
the abilitys of the Jian become questionable as to its orginal mission of
taking out the enemy assault ship and its mission profile has started to
switch to engaging enemy aerospace assets.
 The canceling of the Miao Dao class gunship program due to lack of resources
and equipemt has caused the Capellan Confederation Navy TRIAD program to make
modifications to the jian resulting in two varients of the same ship simple
labled the Jian A and B the only differents is the type of capital missile
they carry.

==Variants:==
 The Jian appears to come in two models .

 The Jian A was the first of the two models seen with its weapons geared
toward engaging enemy dropships mainly the enemys growing number of converted
civilian and military dropshps that got turned into poor mans pocketwarships.
The Jian A does very well against theses ships but struggles against the
second generation of pocket warships and well it has decent ability to engage
a enemy warship it wasn't able to one shot them or force them to retreat. It
is believed for this reason along with the canceling  of the Miao Dao class
assault ship due to lack of resources. That the Jian B entered production.

 The Jian B is a very simple refit of the Jian that replaces all the capital
missile launchers with heavier launchers. but retains all the ships supporting
weapons systems except for a slight degrade of its AMS system.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class/Model/Name:  Jian (redesign) (anti-fighter) A
Mass:              6,500 tons

Equipment:                                                            Mass 
Power Plant, Drive & Control:                                        2,535.00
Thrust:  Safe Thrust: 6
      Maximum Thrust: 9
Structural Integrity: 32                                             1,040.00
Total Heat Sinks:    240 Single                                        114.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps:                                                     199.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters:                 49.00
Fire Control Computers:                                                   .00
Food & Water:  (114 days supply)                                        25.00
Armor Type:  Standard  (2,144 total armor pts)                         144.00
                           Standard Scale Armor Pts
   Location:                            L / R
   Fore:                                715
   Left/Right Wings:                 536/536
   Aft:                                 357

Cargo:
   Bay 1:  Cargo (1)                                                    69.00

Life Boats:  2 (7 tons each)                                            14.00
Escape Pods:  2 (7 tons each)                                           14.00

Crew and Passengers:
      8 Officers (7 minimum)                                            80.00
     20 Crew (0 minimum)                                               140.00
     15 Gunners (14 minimum)                                           105.00
      1 New Crew/Passenger Type                                          5.00
Weapons and Equipment      Loc        SRV    MRV    LRV    ERV  Heat    Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 White Shark(15 msls)     Nose         3      3      3      3   15    720.00
3 Small Laser              Nose      1(9)     --     --     --    3      1.50
2 PPC                      Nose     2(20)  2(20)     --     --   20     14.00
2 Large Laser              Nose     3(26)  2(16)     --     --   16     10.00
  2 Medium Laser                                                  6      2.00
2 LRM 15(48 rounds)        Nose     2(18)  2(18)  2(18)     --   10     20.00
1 Barracuda(12 msls)       L/RW         2      2      2      2   20    900.00
3 Small Laser              L/RW      1(9)     --     --     --    6      3.00
2 Large Laser              L/RW     3(31)  2(16)     --     --   32     20.00
  3 Medium Laser                                                 18      6.00
2 LRM 15(48 rounds)        L/RW     2(18)  2(18)  2(18)     --   20     40.00
1 PPC                      L/RW     1(10)  1(10)     --     --   20     14.00
5 Small Laser              L/RW(A)  2(15)     --     --     --   10      5.00
2 Large Laser              L/RW(A)  3(26)  2(16)     --     --   32     20.00
  2 Medium Laser                                                 12      4.00
1 LRM 15(32 rounds)        L/RW(A)   1(9)   1(9)   1(9)     --   10     22.00
5 Small Laser              Aft      2(15)     --     --     --    5      2.50
1 Large Laser              Aft      2(18)   1(     --     --    8      5.00
  2 Medium Laser                                                  6      2.00
2 LRM 15(48 rounds)        Aft      2(18)  2(18)  2(18)     --   10     20.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (2.00%)                                              130.00
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS:                                              Heat: 279       6,494.00
Tons Left:                                                               6.00

Calculated Factors:
Total Cost:        543,160,080 C-Bills
Battle Value:      12,283
Cost per BV:       44,220.47
Weapon Value:      14,292 (Ratio = 1.16)
Damage Factors:    SRV = 342;  MRV = 194;  LRV = 72;  ERV = 26
Maintenance:       Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 139,844
                   (104,635 Structure, 27,550 Life Support, 7,659 Weapons)
                   Support Points (SP) = 50,980  (36% of MPV)
BattleForce2:      MP: 6,  Armor/Structure: 36 / 35
                   Damage PB/M/L: 28/22/13,  Overheat: 0
                   Class: DL;  Point Value: 123

 

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 Jian (redesign) (anti-fighter) A.hma (4.8 KB - downloaded 1 times.)
 Jian (redesign) (anti-warship) B.hma (5.83 KB - downloaded 1 times.)
 
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Takiro
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #91 on: January 18, 2010, 02:21:29 AM » Quote 

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Before I finish writing the capability and deployment section how does this look?

Interdiction class Dropship

Type: Military Spheroid
Use: Gunboat
Technology: InnerSphere
Introduced: 2795
Mass: 4,000 tons

Dimensions
   Length: 82 meters
   Width: 82 meters
   Height: 82 meters

Fuel: 300 tons (9,000 fuel points)
Tons/Burn-day: 1.84
Safe Thrust: 7
Maximum Thrust: 11
Heat Sinks: 268
Structural Integrity: 20

Armor
   Fore: 351
   Right/Left Wings: 310
   Aft: 261

Cargo
   Bay 1:   Cargo (200 tons) 1 door
   Bay 2: Cargo (78 tons) 1 door

Escape Pods: 3
Life Boats: 0
Crew: 15 minimum (2 Officers, 13 Enlisted)

Ammunition: 10 Killer Whale Missiles (500 tons), 900 rounds of LRM 20 ammunition (150 tons)

Notes: Equipped with 72 tons of Standard armor.

Weapons            Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat) Type      Short       Medium   Long      Extreme   Class
     Nose (71 Heat)
1 Killer Whale      4        4      4           4      Capital Mssile
6 LRM 20      7 (72)       7 (72)   7 (72)           -      LRM
5 Medium Laser   3 (25)        -      -           -      Laser
     LW/RW (122 Heat)
6 LRM 20      7 (72)       7 (72)   7 (72)           -      LRM
1 PPC         1 (10)        1 (10)   -          -      PPC
5 Medium Laser   3 (25)        -      -           -      Laser
     LW/RW Aft (50 Heat)
1 PPC         1 (10)        1 (10)   -          -      PPC
5 Medium Laser   3 (25)        -      -           -      Laser
     Aft (25 Heat)
1 PPC         1 (10)        1 (10)   -          -      PPC
5 Medium Laser   3 (25)        -      -           -      Laser

Overview:
   By the winter of 2793, the Draconis Combine found itself heavily engaged against the Terran Republic and Federated Suns, and vulnerable to raiding attacks from the Lyran Commonwealth and Rim Protectorate. The casualties taken among the Draconis Combine Admiralty had been far heavier than pre-war planning had considered possible. Unable to increase capital ship construction, and with many yards damaged or destroyed by the war raging around them, only Kure Naval Yards of Luthien answered the Coordinator's call.  In January of 2794, executives from Kure presented the DCA with the design plan for a system defense vessel that they termed an 'interdiction-gunboat'. Based in part on the Star League’s formidable Pentagon class Assault Ship, development of these 'I-boats' was spurred on by word of a similar Davion project. With the blessing of the Coordinator construction of the first prototypes was completed within a standard year. On January 3rd 2795, the first dozen I-boats were delivered to DCA authority. Production of the Interdiction has continued to this date at fairly prodigious rate strengthening the Dragon’s navy in spite of recent setbacks.
 
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #92 on: January 18, 2010, 09:36:25 AM » Quote Modify Remove 

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Quote from: Takiro on January 18, 2010, 02:21:29 AM
Before I finish writing the capability and deployment section how does this look
A bit more of a longer ranged gunship than the FSNS variant. Still a distinct difference in flavor between them which is good.
Skip the "winter", on what planet and hemisphere was it winter?
IIRC Layover was captured by the Combine and the Pentagon production line there could be a good source for the DCA to kickstart it's Interdiction program.

EDIT: A few words on the Lyran Jägers might be appropriate in the Interdictor fluff since the DCA are certain to have run into them prior to the I-design process. 
 
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #93 on: January 18, 2010, 01:48:22 PM » Quote Modify Remove 

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OKHA CLASS GUNBOAT

The Draconis Combine Admiralty have along and honorable tradition dating back to the founding of the Combine. The DCA's history is a long and glorious one and the service is rightfully proud of it's heritage. Despite this the DCA have often been willing to experiment and innovate and testing new ideas on it's ships. For some reason however, regarding gunboats, the DCA pride turned to arrogance and nowhere have the gunboat concept had a harder time to overcome institutional inertia and penetrate the higher command echelons than in the DCA. This is rather strange since the DCA had unique inside information on gunboats from the many Rim Worlds mercenaries the Combine hired before the war erupted. Despite this the Combine wrote off the TRN's gunboat programs as desperation without thinking to carefully on the matter.

The opening phase of the war certainly seemed to support the DCA's low opinion of gunboats as their absence or rapid evacuation from contested systems confirmed the notion that gunboats had no business crossing swords with true warships. It was not until the long bitter battles for Altair and Dieron that the DCA got to truly fight the TRN gunboats. The higher, more tradition bound, echelons among the DCA officer corps rapidly grew to hate the "dishonorable" gunboats with a fiery passion while among the junior officers, who actually fought the TRN gunboats, there was a great deal of respect for their deadly foes. The swift deadly Terran strike crafts made supplying the invasion and occupation troops on the ground dangerous and difficult. The slower escort gunboats made interdicting Terran convoys a deadly hazardous task - even for capital ship battlegroups. With the ultimate DCMS failure to capture either world the DCA more or less left the gunboat infested contested Terran systems and concentrated on holding on to it's conquests. Despite the painful lessons the DCA didn't launch a crash program like the FWLN did but rather settled for making a few mainly experimental conversions. The DCAs full operational attention was now aimed squarely at the upcoming Federated Suns invasion.

The first Combine gunboat efforts were very primitive even by the standard of many of the early conversions. Any ship with enough damage to require a few months in a yard was considered a candidate for conversion. This policy rapidly created a "Frankenstein's" fleet of odd and questionable gunboats as well as a logistics nightmare for the DCA. Many ships didn't have the firecontrol systems to use heavy missiles beyond standard weapon ranges and others couldn't fire their new missile batteries without badly overheating the ship. In most ships the new gunners were required to bunk in the bolted on modular missile control room. In some ships the missile tubes were simply welded onto the deck and the hold had to be depressurized before firing. The gunnery crews had to operate the systems while wearing spacesuits, and they had better pray their suits were somewhat fire resistant to the back blast when the missiles cleared the tubes. Needless to say the rather poor results from this force only served to confirm the DCA's low opinion on gunboats.

The massive invasion of the Federated Suns lead to numerous spectacular naval battles and ultimately to the huge battle at Cholame. The battle of Cholame was a major turning point for the gunboat concept in the DCA. The high attrition among the senior officers helped to clear the way for younger officers who were more positive to the gunboat concept and more importantly still the DCA gunboat force, despite it's many handicaps, preformed rather well at Cholame. The DCA successfully deployed several converted gunboats and Q-ships to support the main fleet during the battle. The attrition of the Combine fleets in these operations were many times worse than the wear on the army and following Cholame the DCA finally decided to have a closer look at gunboats as a means to make up the fleet numbers. 

The first serious effort by the DCA to build a competitive gunboat was an abysmal disaster. The ship was based on the domestically produced, and successful, Achilles class assault ship and in many respects similar to the Terran Bellerophon gunboat class. The ship was to carry nuclear capable Killer Whale missiles rather than accurate and smaller Barracuda missiles on the Terran ship. The Galileo design team tried desperately to squeeze in the performance demanded in the ship but during a demonstration flight of the prototype in front of Zabu Kurita himself the ship suffered a disastrous structural failure while under maximum acceleration and was torn apart by the power of it's own engines. Following this failure DCA assigned the Interdictor project running parallel at BBP a higher priority.

A thorough revision of the project carried out in the wake of the humiliating disaster showed that the hull strength had been badly compromised to fit the specified armament and that there were no way the ship would ever be able to meet the original performance specifications. Galileo Instruments was not ready to give up on their gunboat project entirely and decided to keep it but going in a slightly different direction. Having two more Achilles type drive units available and less time pressure the new project director of the design group threw out the old plans and started with a blank sheet. The project director inquired among naval officers what were the main problems in fighting hostile gunboats and what abilities they would like to have in their own gunboat force, in response to these answers a radically new ship design slowly took form. Ruthlessly cutting away everything except the core functions specified in their feedback the designers settled on a 6000 ton ship using the same powerplant as the Achilles. The greater mass made the ship slower but it could still be pushed to four and a half G.

The Okha class gunboat is an enormous step forward for the Combine gunboat force. The solidly built spheroid hull can mount enough armor to withstand a proximity nuclear detonation and three Killer Whale missile tubes give the Okha plenty of opportunity to return the favor. The backup weaponry of the Okha is rather light and mainly intended for basic anti-aerospace work as well as saving the capital missiles when engaging lightly armored targets like transports and freighters. Crew accommodations are unusually good for a Combine ship, a sharp contrast to the old gunboats in the Frankenstein fleet.

The two prototypes were completed in 2798 and were immediately put through a rigorous testing program by a somewhat skeptical Combine admiralty that remembered the previous disaster. The Okhas however passed every test thrown at them with flying colors and even managed to win a few of the "no-win" scenarios set up by officers more accustomed to the limited abilities of the older gunboats. The Okha was ordered into production but due to the devastation of the war it is uncertain when the old Overlord line at BBP Industries, intended to produce the Okha, will be able to manufacture this gunboat in significant numbers. Galileo Instruments are trying to get approval and funding for retooling their idle dropship lines to build the Okha gunboat themselves but so far without success. Until something changes the Okha is effectively hand-crafted by the prototype production team at Galileo Instruments facility at Schuyler at a rate of about one ship per year.



Code:
OKHA CLASS GUNBOAT

Type:                 Military Spheroid
Tech:                 Star League
Introduced:           2798
Mass:                 6,000 tons
Dimensions
   Length:             82.00 meters
   Width:              82.00 meters
   Height:            120.00 meters

Fuel:                 300.00 tons (9000)
Tons/Burn-day:          1.84 tons
Safe Thrust:            6
Max Thrust:             9
Heatsinks:            181
Structural Integrity:  45

Armor:              standard
   Nose:           1200 (120) 
   R/L Sides:       600 (60) 
   Aft:             372 (37)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type      Short   Medium  Long   Xtreme
Nose(96 Heat)
   3 Killer Whale    12      12      12     12
   4 LRM-20
      (96 rounds)    5(48)   5(48)   5(48)    -
   4 Medium Laser    2(20)    -        -      -
LF/RF(30 Heat)
   3 LRM-20
      (72 rounds)    4(36)   4(36)   4(36)    -
   4 Medium Laser    2(20)    -        -      -
AL/AR(28 Heat)
   2 Large Laser     4(36)   2(16)     -      -
      4 Medium Laser
Aft(28 Heat)
   2 Large Laser     4(36)   2(16)     -      -
      4 Medium Laser

Cargo:
   Bay 1: Cargo ( 200.0 tons )       1 Door

Escape Pods:           4
Life Boats:            0
Crew: 4 Officers, 10 enlisted/non-rated, 10 gunners

Ammunition:
   30 Killer Whale Missiles
   240 rounds of LRM-20 ammunition (40 tons)

Note:
   Equipped with 162 tons of standard armor.
Cost:
   455 million C-bills. 
 
« Last Edit: January 18, 2010, 04:47:01 PM by CJvR »  Report to moderator    213.112.126.152 
 
 
 
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     Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #94 on: January 21, 2010, 02:23:14 AM » Quote 

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Interdiction class Dropship

Type: Military Spheroid
Use: Gunboat
Technology: InnerSphere
Introduced: 2795
Mass: 4,000 tons

Dimensions
   Length: 82 meters
   Width: 82 meters
   Height: 82 meters

Fuel: 300 tons (9,000 fuel points)
Tons/Burn-day: 1.84
Safe Thrust: 7
Maximum Thrust: 11
Heat Sinks: 268
Structural Integrity: 20

Armor
   Fore: 351
   Right/Left Wings: 310
   Aft: 261

Cargo
   Bay 1:   Cargo (200 tons) 1 door
   Bay 2: Cargo (78 tons) 1 door

Escape Pods: 3   
Life Boats: 0
Crew: 15 minimum (2 Officers, 13 Enlisted)

Ammunition: 10 Killer Whale Missiles (500 tons), 900 rounds of LRM 20 ammunition (150 tons)

Notes: Equipped with 72 tons of Standard armor.

Weapons            Capital Attack Values (Standard)
Arc (Heat) Type      Short       Medium   Long      Extreme   Class
     Nose (71 Heat)
1 Killer Whale      4        4      4           4      Capital Mssile
6 LRM 20      7 (72)       7 (72)   7 (72)           -      LRM
5 Medium Laser   3 (25)        -      -           -      Laser
     LW/RW (122 Heat)
6 LRM 20      7 (72)       7 (72)   7 (72)           -      LRM
1 PPC         1 (10)        1 (10)   -          -      PPC
5 Medium Laser   3 (25)        -      -           -      Laser
     LW/RW Aft (50 Heat)
1 PPC         1 (10)        1 (10)   -          -      PPC
5 Medium Laser   3 (25)        -      -           -      Laser
     Aft (25 Heat)
1 PPC         1 (10)        1 (10)   -          -      PPC
5 Medium Laser   3 (25)        -      -           -      Laser

Overview:
   By the winter of 2793, the Draconis Combine found itself heavily engaged against the Terran Republic and Federated Suns, and vulnerable to raiding attacks from the Lyran Commonwealth and Rim Protectorate. The casualties taken among the Draconis Combine Admiralty had been far heavier than pre-war planning had considered possible. Unable to increase capital ship construction, and with many yards damaged or destroyed by the war raging around them, only Kure Naval Yards of Luthien answered the Coordinator's call.  In January of 2794, executives from Kure presented the DCA with the design plan for a system defense vessel that they termed an 'interdiction-gunboat'. Based in part on the Star League’s formidable Pentagon class Assault Ship, development of these 'I-boats' was spurred on by word of a similar Davion project. With the blessing of the Coordinator construction of the first prototypes was completed within a standard year. On January 3rd 2795, the first dozen I-boats were delivered to DCA authority. Production of the Interdiction has continued to this date at fairly prodigious rate strengthening the Dragon’s navy in spite of recent setbacks.

Capabilities:
   Massing slightly more than a Union class DropShip the so-called Interdiction is heavily armed and armored. Missiles are the primary armament of the I-boat highlighted by a single Killer Whale Missile Launcher. Adding to the massive firepower of this capital weapon are eighteen Long Range Missile-20 Systems. These missiles give this gunboat enough offensive capability to threaten a small warship as well as any number of assault dropships. A secondary battery of energy weapons, five Particle Projection Cannons and thirty Medium Lasers, is more defensive in nature intended for fighter suppression. The Interdiction can utilize this entire massive arsenal thanks to almost two hundred and seventy standard heat sinks.
   Not only can the I-boat deliver a lot of punishment but thanks to its highly resilient hull design it can take a lot of it as well. A compact spheroid, nearly circular, frame provides this dropship with ample toughness. Seventy two tons of armor plating wrapped around the one hundred and sixty tons of internal structure makes for an extremely durable gunboat. This protection focused in the nose of the gunboat can withstand hits from most capital grade weaponry. Unfortunately this hardy physique makes for a cramped interior with only five percent of the overall mass reserved for cargo.
However, compared to other Draconis designs the tight quarters for the fifteen man crew and three escape pods can be described as quite comfortable. Finally the Interdiction class is capable of attaining 5.5 Gs of acceleration at maximum thrust giving it excellent speed and agility.

Deployment:
The Interdiction had two additional qualities that insured their success: they were relatively cheap, and the lack of any advanced materials in their construction meant that Kure could produce them rapidly in large numbers. Deployed in 'wolf-packs' the I-boats made an immediate difference on the front lines of the Succession War. These ships were never given official names, but instead identified by their number (I-1, I-57, I-214, etc). Individually, they were tough enough to take on any opponent smaller than a capital warship, but as a pack they possess the bite and the speed to assault a Cruiser, or even a Battlecruiser.
   Assigned to provide close-escort to capital warships, the I-boats proved well able to pick off enemy fighter strikes and protect their charges, but it was the I-boats on independent raiding duty that have raised the imagination of the Draconis people. Assigned to a pair of Invader class JumpShips, six I-boats would hit an enemy system using their speed and sheer toughness to pulverize their opponents merchant shipping and orbital facilities. Only the lightest of fighters possessed sufficient speed to run down the I-boats, but those craft lacked the punch to pose a serious threat. Time after time, the AFFS was forced to divert increasing rare capital warships to drive the I-boats from a Davion world.
Though originally intended for system-defense, Luthien alone has six I-boat squadrons, about a third of all Interdictions produced have been assigned to offensive operations by the DCA. The I-boat has been joined in these devastating attacks by other Draconis Gunboats like the Freebooter and more recently the Ohka. These assaults have largely been responsible for slowing the advance of the Dragon’s enemies who successfully seized the initiative over the last few years.
 
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    Re: House Gunboats: An Informal Design Contest
« Reply #95 on: January 21, 2010, 11:26:33 AM » Quote Modify Remove 

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A few points in the Interdiction fluff.

Shouldn't there be a few gunners, ~10 or so, in the crew as well?

I still think "winter" is wrong to use in dealing with BT, to many planets with winter at various times for it to work.
Use "late 2793" or something like it instead.

The Kure Naval yards were destroyed in 2787 by the Stealths taskforce. Use the Matabushi Inc instead since the company survived or BBP Industries that continue to operate a DS yard at Luthien.

Would be a nice link to the war in general to mention that the Layover yards gave the Snakes direct access to the Pentagon design.

I think turning over a dozen ships on one day is a bit excessive since it would almost have to mean you have a dozen production lines running parallel. Better just to mention when the first prototypes were completed or when they entered service with the fleet.
 
 
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    A thought a bit overdue...
« Reply #96 on: January 21, 2010, 09:39:24 PM » Quote Modify Remove 

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The Cheeta would make an excelent GB conversion for the TRN... Could squeeze in 2 KW tubes and some simplified tech for late war simplification.