OBT Forum

This is for a new alternate setting I am toying with.  Not sure where I am going with it but I thought I would post this design.

Star Runner Class Scout Ship
In Service: 2576
Number in Service: 35
Mass: 100,000
KF Integrity: 4
Sail Integrity: 3
Thrust: 7/11
Fuel: 5000
SI: 10
Armor: 20 tons standard armor Nose: 5 Fore Sides: 3 Aft Sides: 3 Aft: 5
Heatsinks: 334
Docking Collars: 0
Fighters: 0
Small Craft: 2
Crew: 65
Lifeboats: 11
Escape Pods: 0
Grav Deck: 0
Cargo: 5,363 tons
Bays:
   Bay 1: Small Craft (2) 2 doors
   Bay 2: Cargo (5,363 tons)
Weapons:
None

Overview:
The Star Runner Class Scout ship is quite possibly one of the most unusual warships ever built.  The ship owes it's existence to the brilliant Marshal David Santos, commander of the Concordat Navy.  In 2574 Marshal Santos and Protector Mitchell Calderon had a chance meeting at the TDF HQ on Taurus.  The new Protector was facing a number of problems stemming from the Malagrotta Crisis and increasing pressure from Ian Cameron to join the Star League. The new Protecor somewhat hypothetically asked the Marshal if there was anyway they could defeat the SLDF.  As commander of the 5th Fleet, Marshal Santos was the senior naval officer along the front with the Federated Suns, and was probably the person best suited to answer that question.   Marshal Santos unequivocally answered that it was possible with the right support and conditions.  The informal meeting in a hallway soon turned into an all night strategy session.  By the next morning Marshal Santos had convinced the Protector to support the development of 2 new unique ships, the Star Runner Scout Ship and the Armageddon Missile Cruiser.

Capabilities:
The Star Runner Scout Ship is designed to provide an early warning capability for the Concordat Navy.  While the Concordat Navy was larger then AFFS Navy, it was dwarfed by the SLDF Navy.  Marshal Santos realized that the only way the Concordat could survive is if the military could take and hold the initiative from the SLDF.  Rather then spreading itself thin trying to defend every world of the Concordat, which would allow the SLDF to destroy fleet piecemeal, the Concordat Navy had to be held in reserve and able to quickly react to any incursion with overwhelming force.  The Star Runner plays a key role by serving as the eyes and ears of the Concordat Navy.

Stationed in the border systems of the Concordat, the Star Runners remain on station watching for the arrival of enemy forces.  Once the enemy is detected, the Star Runner stays just long enough to determine the size and heading of the enemy force before jumping to a Navy staging area, where they can provide the fleet commander with details of the enemy attack force. 

As the Star Runner is not intended to engage the enemy, the ship does not carry any weapons and features only minimal armor.  Instead most of the ships mass is dedicated to the massive engines that power the ship.  Capable of generating a staggering 5.5 G's of thrust, they enable the Star Runner to escape from any warship and most fighters and dropships that are in existence.  Supplied with a large fuel tank, the Star Runner is easily capable of fleeing from any enemies that it encounters.

As the Star Runner is expected to deploy for longer periods of time, all of the crew members are provided with their own cabin.  The ship also features a large gym and rec area, making duty on a Star Runner fairly pleasant, despite the monotony.  Surprisingly, despite the fact that the ship is deployed for long periods of time, there is no grav deck.  This was a conscious decisions of the designers, who felt the grav deck would complicate the design and slow production.
 
Deployment:
The Star Runners are deployed in systems along the Federated Suns border.  Only a single Star Runner is deployed in each system at the current time, but eventually as more ships are produced, the TDF hopes to deploy two ships in each system, providing not only a second set of eyes, but a back up in case one ship is damaged or destroyed. 

The Star Runners have not seen any actual combat, but have proven invaluable on more then one occasion. The most notable incident was in July of 2581.  In that month General Kinkaid attempted to bypass the front lines and invade the Taurian system of Lindsay.  What General Kinkaid did not know was the TCW Watchdog was in the Lindsay system.  As soon as the SLDF taskforces were identified, the Watchdog jumped to the Midale System, where the 1st Taurian Fleet and the 7th Special Attack Squadron were waiting.  Jumping in the Lindsay system, the Taurian forces managed to inflict moderate losses on the SLDF, who broke off their attack and fled the system.