OBT Forum

Lexington Class Carrier
In Service: 2584
Number in Service: 5
Mass: 880,000 tons
KF Integrity: 17
Sail Integrity: 5
Thrust: 4/6
Fuel: 20,000 tons
SI:75
Armor: 1320 tons Ferro-Carbide Armor (Nose: 184 Fore Sides: 184 Aft Sides: 184 Aft: 184)
Heatsinks:4000 (8000)
Docking Collars: 4
Fighters: 120
Small Craft: 20
Crew: 120 officers, 456 crew, 63 Gunners 1000 2nd class passengers
Lifeboats:180
Escape Pods: 120
Grav Deck: 2 (200 meters)
Cargo: 51,715 tons
Bays:
   Bay 1: 24 Fighters, 4 Small Craft (3 doors)
   Bay 2: 24 Fighters, 4 Small Craft (3 doors)
   Bay 3: 24 Fighters, 4 Small Craft (3 doors)
   Bay 4: 24 Fighters, 4 Small Craft (3 doors)
   Bay 5: 24 Fighters, 4 Small Craft (3 doors)
   Bay 6: Cargo (2 doors)
Weapons:
Nose:
6 Heavy NPPC
4 Large Lasers
4 LRM 15s
6 Medium Lasers

FL/FR:
6 NL55
4 Large Lasers
4 LRM 15s
6 Medium Lasers

LBS/RBS:
4 Heavy NPPC
4 Large Lasers
4 LRM 15s
6 Medium Lasers

AL/AR:
6 NL55
4 Large Lasers
4 LRM 15s
6 Medium Lasers

Aft:
6 Heavy NPPC
4 Large Lasers
4 LRM 15s
6 Medium Lasers

Ammo
200 tons LRM 15 ammo

Overview:
When the New Syrtis Carrier was first introduced by the AFFS it was meet with indifference by the Concordat Navy.  It was not until Case Amber, when the Taurians engaged 5 New Syrtis and actually managed to capture one, that their opinion began to change.  The more the Concordat fought against the New Syrtis, the more respect they developed for the ships performance and capabilities. These opinions  were further bolstered by their experiences operating the TCW Benedict, formerly the FSS Chesterton, which was captured at Panpour.   During a naval strategy and tactics review in January 2582 Marshal Santos suggested that the Concordat should look into developing their own carrier.  While it was initially suggested that the Concordat simply copy the New Syrtis design, this proved unfeasible as the shipyards of the Concordat could not handle ships massing more then 900,000 tons.  Instead the Concordat engineers designed a ship that could match the New Syrtis and would meet the specific needs and requirements of the Concordat Navy.  Production of the Lexington class began in 2582 and the first ship was launched in June of 2584.

Capabilities:
The primary mission of the Lexington is to carry an entire Air Corps of 5 Air Divisions into combat.  With 120 aerospace fighters and 20 small craft, the Lexington dedicates a significant amount space to hanger decks.  A huge fuel bunker ensures that there is sufficient fuel for extended operations, while the flight decks are generously supplied with repair equipment and shops, enabling techs to repair just about any damage that a plane might suffer.  Unlike most carrier dropships, the Lexington has a full complement of techs and support personal, ensuring a high readiness rate for the fighters.  The biggest complaint about the ship is that the Lexington has only about half the cargo capacity of the New Syrtis class.  This is offset in part by the inclusion of 2 additional docking collars which are used to carry cargo dropships full of supplies and replacement parts.   

In keeping with the other vessels in the Concordat Navy, the Lexington is a fairly maneuverable vessel.  This allows the Lexington to keep pace with the other ships in the Concordat Navy and keeps it from being a liability during fleet operations.   The ships are outfitted with extensive command and communications facilities, allowing them to serve as flagships for the Taurian fleets.

One of the major differences between the Lexington and the New Syrtis class is the ship's weapon systems.  While the New Syrtis' weapons are built around naval autocannons, the Taurian designers took a different approach.  The main guns of the Lexington are 20 Heavy Naval PPCs.  These are backed up by 24 Class 55 Naval Lasers. These weapons have a longer range then the naval autocannons and allow the Lexington to engage the enemy sooner and hopefully keep them further away from the ship.  An added bonus is that the weapons do not require ammunition, freeing up more space for supplies for the ship's fighters.  With so many high output energy weapons the Lexington requires a powerful heat dissipation system.  In an effort to save weight, the design team used double heatsinks which were reverse engineered from captured SLDF systems.

To provide protection against enemy aerospace fighters, the Lexington carries an impressive array of smaller lasers and long range missiles. These provide protection at a variety of ranges and have proven effective on other Taurian vessels.

The other notable difference between the Lexington and the New Syrtis class is the armor protection.  Using advanced Ferro-Carbide alloys that were reversed engineered from captured SLDF vessels, the Lexington has over twice the protection of the New Syrtis class.  The armor protection of the Lexington even exceeds that of the Taurian's Winchester class cruiser.

Deployment:
The first deployment of the Lexington class was during the Battle of Horsham in July of 2585.  The first 2 Lexingtons, the TCW Lexington and the TCW Intrepid, were deployed as part  of the 3rd Fleet.  During the battle the ships' fighters played a key role, destroying numerous SLDF troop transports and assault dropships. 

The Lexington class also played a key role in lifting the blockade of the MacLeod's Land system.  At the time of the attack, the TCW Prometheus was undergoing final preparations before it's first deployment.  The ship soon found itself under the command of Marshal Santos as the flagship of the Taurian Reserve Fleet.  Arriving in the MacLeod's Land system, the Lexington deployed her fighters which flew cover for a flotilla of small craft and assault dropships.  The fighters were able to inflict heavy losses on the SLDF fighter squadrons before returning to the Prometheus.  Back on the ship, the large number of support personnel were able to quickly turnaround the fighters and launch them on a second strike, while the SLDF fighter units were still conducting recovery and rearming operations.   Caught exposed and with only limited fighter protection, the SLDF fleet suffered heavy losses.