Mass: 6,000 tons
Type: Spheroid Dropship
Cost: 828,492,000 C-bills
BV: 14,790
MPV: 61,049
Engine.......................................1,680
Safe Thrust...............4
Max Thrust................6
Structure......................................288
Structural Integrity.....20
Fuel...........................................500
Tons per burn-day.........1.84
Tactical Fuel Points.....30 per ton
Fuel Pumps......................................10
Improved Bridge.................................60
Improved CIC....................................30
Improved Radar...................................6
Improved Communications..........................6
Heat Sinks...................240 (480).........133
Armor...........................................72
Armor Type..............Ferro-aluminum
Points per Ton...........17.92
Fore....................400
Sides...................340
Aft.....................290
Small Craft Bay................1...............200
Battlearmor Bay...............16................40
Marine Bay.....................1 platoon.........6
Crew Quarters.................24...............168
Officer Quarters...............8................80
Escape
Pods....................7................35
Small Lifeboats................3................21
Large Lifeboats................2................20
Capital Weapons..............................1,800
Non-Capital Weapons............................368
Total Point Defense..............................6
Total Fire Control.............................101
Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment............5
Spare
Parts....................3%..............180
Food.........................200 days...........76
Spare Fuel.....................0 tons............0
Other Cargo....................................109
Total Bay Doors................3
Crew
Ship's Crew.....16 enlisted, 4 officers
Air Crew........2 enlisted, 1 officer
Passengers......6 regular, 3 first class
Weapons
Nose:
1 Medium NPPC
2 ER PPCs
1 Gauss Rifle
Ammo (Gauss) 40
2 Large X-Pulse Lasers
4 Medium X-Pulse Lasers
101 tons of Fire Control
Front/Aft Sides: 1 ER PPC
2 LRM-20s with Artemis IV
Ammo (LRM) 60
1 Streak SRM-6
Ammo (Streak SRM) 30
2 Large X-Pulse Lasers
4 Medium X-Pulse Lasers
Aft:
1 Gauss Rifle
Ammo (Gauss) 40
2 Large X-Pulse Lasers
4 Medium X-Pulse Lasers
Point Defense:
Each
Arc: 2 Small Lasers
Overview:
Through the 3040s and 3050s, the Federated Commonwealth, in addition to limited research on Warships, was attempting to determine a way of installing Naval-grade weaponry on a Dropship. Largely unsuccessful at first, notes about the power requirements of Capital weapons were documented after the first new Warships of the Federated Commonwealth fleet were deployed in the mid 3050s. These observations gave the engineers a new data stream to work with, and they were eventually able to develop a method for installation. Four Fortress-class Dropships were selected for the initial refitting and testing.
Capabilities:
The modified Fortresses are impressive ships. Central to the change was
upgrading the engine and structure to accommodate a Medium Naval PPC, a massive
Capital weapon that, although inefficient, can destroy smaller Dropships in 1 or
2 shots, and can even damage Warships. Although the Long Tom cannon is no
longer installed, most of the original weaponry on the Fortress was upgraded,
with Streak SRMs, Artemis-equipped LRMs, Extended-range PPCs, Gauss Rifles, and
experimental NAIS X-Pulse Lasers installed. A dozen Small Lasers were
added for point defense.
In addition to the structure upgrade, the armor was upgraded as well, with 72 tons of Ferro-aluminum armor providng more than double the protection of the original Fortress. The engine upgrade also improved the Fortress's acceleration profile, now capable of 3Gs.
Although still an "Assault Ship", the modified Fortresses are no longer ground assault ships, as the ground vehicle and Mech bays have been taken out to give tonnage for the NPPC. To help its role as a space Assault ship, a Small Craft bay was installed and the Infantry berthings were modified to accommodate 4 squads of Battlarmor for boarding actions and to deflect boarding attempts. A platoon of marines also helps ship security against boarding attempts.
Deployment:
The 4 modified Fortresses, refitted in secret at the Kathil shipyards, were sent to the Kell Hounds in the Arc Royal Defense Cordon after refitting for operational testing. In their first engagement, as part of a support group for a series of raids against the Jade Falcon-held Sudeten, the 4 Fortresses met, disabled, and captured a Fredasa-class warship with only 1 suffering damage from return fire, vindicating the success of the idea. The Fortresses are now permanently attached to the ARDC, while the captured Fredasa is undergoing refitting by Clan Wolf-in-Exile in the Arc Royal system and will become the Kell Hounds's first operational Warship.
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Page last modified 31 December, 2003