OBT Forum

PROWLER CLASS

Overview:
The Pentagon based M3 drone was the starting point for the Terran Republic's revived SDS program. The first post Star League drone built was a M3 variant technology tester built by Mitchells at the Pentagon line at the Titan yards. Needless to say Mitchells expected to become the premier drone yard for the Republic and a great deal of money and work had gone into the Prowler design already, so when the Republic selected the competing Krester Sentinel design there was plenty of bruised egos and grudges inside Mitchells. When the Sentinel showed up a slight flaw in it's long ranged AAS armament Mitchells pounced and presented their design to the Admiralty as an alternative. Things didn't work out quite as expected though when the admiralty decided that the Prowler would be an ideal escort for the Sentinel rather than a replacement. Although both drones are in production the grudge between the companies remains as each consider the other to have stolen part of their business.

Capabilities:
The Prowler's capabilities are characterized by it's high thrust rating and solid long range missile armament making it a dangerous interceptor and effective escort. The principal flaws of the design is the lack of heavy ship killer missiles and the thick armor of a modern gunboat.
Mitchells replaced most advanced technology with simpler technology, perhaps most painful was the loss of the advanced missile targeting systems and the double heat exchangers, the effect of which is felt most keenly on a ship as cramped as the Prowler with it's powerful drive and heavy drone systems.

Variants:
There are no versions of the Prowler drones except the none operational prototypes kept at the Titan shipyards for testing and experimental purposes. Mitchell's have been lobbying hard for a heavily up-gunned version of the Prowler by using the mass spent on the self-destruct system more constructively. However even though the Prowler isn't armed with nuclear missiles the TR government have so far refused to consider a drone ship without the self-destruct safety feature.

Deployment:
The Prowler class drones are deployed mainly in a support role to the larger Sentinel class drones whenever those drones might encounter heavy ASF opposition. The Prowlers are also frequently deployed independently as fast interceptors to run down their manned counterparts.


PROWLER CLASS ESCORT DRONE

Type:                Military Spheroid
Tech:                Star League
Introduced:          2806
Mass:                4,000 tons
Dimensions
   Length:            89.00 meters
   Width:             75.00 meters
   Height:            75.00 meters

Fuel:                600.00 tons
Tons/Burn-day:         1.84 tons
Safe Thrust:           7
Max Thrust:           11
Heatsinks:           214 (Single)
Structural Integrity: 21

Armor:              standard
   Nose:            368 (37) 
   R/L Sides:       323 (32) 
   Aft:             278 (28)

Weapons:
Arc (Heat) Type         Short    Medium   Long    Xtreme
Nose(54 Heat)
   6 LRM20 (30 rnds ea) 7(72)    7(72)    7(72)    -
   6 AC10 (30 rnds ea)  6(60)    6(60)     -       -
FL/FR(68 Heat)
   3 LRM20 (30 rnds ea) 4(36)    4(36)    4(36)    -
   2 Large Laser        2(16)    2(16)     -       -
AL/AR(56 Heat)
   2 Large Laser        4(36)    2(16)     -       -
      4 Medium Laser
Aft(36 Heat)
   4 LRM20 (30 rnds ea) 5(48)    5(48)    5(48)    -
   4 Medium Laser       2(16)    2(16)     -       -
       

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

Escape Pods:           0
Life Boats:            0
Crew:                  none

Note:
   Mounts 75,5 tons of standard armor.