LIBERTY-CLASS SPACE CRAFT CARRIER

The Liberty-Class space carrier is the largest carrier ever constructed by the Protectorate. Designed to work alongside the Powell-Class Battleships, the two vessel classes together are hoped to be a match for the massive Arkhon Motherships. The Liberty carriers are expensive, however, and the protectorate has nowhere near the number it would like by the time the Second Arkhon War erupts. Production has gone into overdrive, but in the interim, the old Archer-Class Carriers have been refurbished and put back into front-line combat duty. But the ultimate goal is to put out as many Liberty-Class carriers as possible, and for good reason.

On paper, and in the limited action the vessels have seen so far, the Liberty-Class is an extremely effective carrier, able to maintain and deploy a large number of combat space craft over a large theatre of operations. A fleet anchored by a Liberty-Class carrier, when used effectively, can dominate and secure several planets. A fleet with two of these giant vessels can control a star system.

The Liberty is assigned a considerable number of craft. Jointly, they are known as a Carrier Space Wing (CSW) and consist of five squadrons of SF-11 Crossbow Space Superiority Fighters (60 fighters total), two squadrons of SF-6C Ballista Heavy Strike Fighters (24 total), 12 shuttles, two Captain’s launches (generally one for the ship’s CO and one for use by flag officers onboard), four Chromium Shieldsman Command Combat Robots (space capable), two Holstein-Class pinnaces, and two Carrier Landing Modules. Altogether, the carrier has 106 spacecraft, 90 of which are combat vessels. While not as many as an Arkhon Mothership, the Protectorate is hoping that their three-to-one kill ratio from the last war is maintained during the current conflict.

Three of the squadrons of Crossbows are used as strike and space control fighters. Two squadrons of Crossbows are dedicated interceptors used to the defense of the carrier (these are usually armed with short-range missiles instead of the standard medium-range missiles). The two Ballista squadrons are the carrier’s bombers and primary attack craft. The Holsteins’ fill multiple roles; they will often fly with squadrons of Crossbows and work as ECM craft on attack missions, they are the ship’s search and rescue vessels, and also operate as long-range scouts. While each carrier is actually assigned four Holsteins, two are directly under the command of the carrier’s command structure, and two are independent escorts. The 12 shuttles are non-combat craft that are used as small personal transports and search and rescue craft, for when the use of a Holstein would be overkill. The four Shieldsmen are officer’s mecha, usually deployed with ground forces, but they are space capable and can be used as defensive combat units. The carriers also carry 36 Trebuchet Combat Robots, but these are incapable of space flight. However, in heavy combat, carriers will often deploy a platoon of these robots across the hull to work as mobile anti-space fighter guns. The Trebuchets have electromagnetic footpads that allow them to adhere to the hull.

Unique to the Liberty class are the Carrier Landing Modules, which detach from the ship’s superstructure and can deliver a large ground force of troops and mecha planetside. Each module also works as a temporary, pre-fabricated garrison base, and can be left behind to defend itself while the carrier conducts other operations (often with a squadron of Crossbows for air and space support).

The Liberty-Class carriers have advanced command and control functions, able to track hundreds of targets simultaneously across a massive 3-D combat theatre. The launch catapults are magnetic rail accelerators, allowing the carrier to add an additional 100,000 miles of range to its fighters. It has a traditional bow take-off/stern recovery arrangement that allows for simultaneous launch and retrieval flight operations, and a small factory that allows for the manufacture of ammunition, small amounts of anti-matter and some spare parts.

Like most carriers, the Liberty-class is not heavily armed, relative to its size. What weaponry it has, for the most part, is aimed at protecting the vessel from star fighters and smaller, high-speed capital ships, like frigates and destroyers. It relies on its prodigious number of fighter craft and fleet escorts to protect it from other threats. Liberty-class carriers NEVER operate without a heavy escort that includes at least a pair of cruisers or a quartet of destroyers. More often, they are part of a much larger battle group.

The largest guns on the Liberty carriers are four heavy gauss cannons. These scaled down mass drivers can cripple and eventually destroy destroyers and frigates, and severely damage cruisers given time. They are all turret mounted, allowing the carrier to bring significant firepower to bear on a target from any angle, defending it from attacks from all vectors. The carriers have a long-range missile battery in the bow for distance strike attacks and planetary bombardment. The carriers also have six heavy autocannons, and a gun deck lining the perimeter of the flight deck armed with 22 anti-star fighter gun turrets.

The Liberty-Class carriers are commanded by a commodore or captain, with commodores being most common, since the fleet only wants its most experienced command officers in charge of these critical fleet assets.

A standard carrier battle group will include the following vessels:

1 to 3 Liberty-Class carriers

1 Powell-Class Battleship (flagship)

2-4 Archer-Class Escort Carriers

4 to 6 Armstrong-Class Heavy Cruisers

6 to 18 Rama-Class Destroyers or Firestorm Frigates

12-20 Holstein-Class Pinnaces

4 to 8 Titan Heavy Lift Vehicles

Model: CV-2 Liberty-Class Spacecraft Carrier

Crew: 3,500 total, plus 250 flight officers and crew and can transport 4,000 marines.

Standard Vehicle Loadout:

60 SF-11 Crossbows

24 SF-6C Ballistas

12 STS-5 Hopper shuttles

2 Captain’s Launches

2 T-22 Holsteins

2 Carrier Landing Modules

4 Chromium Shieldsman Command Combat Robots

36 Trebuchet Combat Robots

M.D.C. by location

120mm Anti-star fighter auto cannons (6) – 600 each

Light anti-ship gauss cannons (4) – 1,150 each

Long-range missile battery – 500

Sensor tower – 450

Communications tower – 450

Carrier landing modules (2) – 15,000 each

*Forward flight deck – 8,000

**Command tower – 12,000

***Engineering Section (rear 1/3 of the ship) – 80,000

Outer Hull Section (40ft/12.2 m area) – 125

Inner Hull Section (40ft/12.2 m area) – 100

****Main body – (forward 2/3 of the ship) – 170,000

* Depleting the MDC of the flight deck disables the Carrier’s catapults, but the carrier is still able to launch fighters manually.

** Depleting the M.D.C. of the command tower disables the primary control system, sensors and communications as well as flight operations command. Auxiliary controls in the Tactical Information Center in the body of the vessel allows for virtually identical control; no penalties.

***Destroying the engineering section will disable the vessel’s FTL drive, thrusters, and will have a 20% chance of detonating the anti-matter drives, destroying the ship.

****Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will leave the carrier a floating wreck. Life support, communications, flight control and other critical systems will be non-functional. Flight operations can, however, continue. Reducing the M.D.C. of the vessel to -20,000 will result in a titanic explosion, doing 2D4x1,000 to everything within a half mile.

Speed

Maximum Speed: .2C (20% of the speed of light)

Maximum Acceleration: 5Gs per melee round

Statistical Data

Height: 353 ft

Length: 1375 ft

Width: 853 ft

Cargo: 1 million tons

Power Plant: Four anti-matter reactors

FTL system: Negative Mass Drive (Military-grade NMD-365)

Range: 182 light years (carries 6 months of consumables for the crew)

Cost: Absolutely not for sale.

Weapon Systems

1. Long-Range Missile Launcher: The Liberty-Class’s sole long-range strike weapon is a large long-range missile launcher located near the bow, just above the flight deck. The Liberty is able to thus contribute to long-range bombardments by the fleet with massive spreads of powerful long-range smart missiles. The carriers also use these missiles to soften up enemy fortifications before sending in ground forces via its CLMs. The Liberty carriers have a large variety of warheads available for maximum combat flexibility.

Purpose: Assault

Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type.

Range: Varies with missile type, usually about 5,000 miles.

Rate of fire: Individually, in pairs, or in volleys of 4, 8, 6, or 12.

Payload: An automatic feed system gives this launcher a staggering payload of 240 missiles before it needs to be reloaded. The carrier usually has a total payload of 960 missiles, enough for four reloads.

2. Heavy Gauss Cannons (4): These large guns work on a principle similar to that of a rail gun, firing large ferrous slugs down a tube filled with electromagnetic rings. These weapons, strategically placed so that any two can fire at a target at the same time from virtually any direction, are used as stand-off weapons against attack ships that penetrate the carrier’s fleet escorts.

Purpose: Defense

Mega-Damage: 1D4X1000 M.D. per dual blast for each. Only used on destroyers, frigates or larger. All four can be brought to bear on cruisers, battleships and other carriers. Ships smaller than that can only be targeted by two at any one time.

Range: 500 miles

Rate of fire: Each cannon can fire twice per melee round.

Payload: 1,000 rounds each, for 500 shots per cannon.

3. 10-inch Double-Barreled Heavy Autocannons (6): These are the carrier’s primary defensive weapon. They target enemy bombers, and fast attack craft which may rush in to attempt to disable the carrier. They can target individual fighter craft at only a -2, but are mainly used on small, fast enemy vessels like the Stalkers and Huntsmen. They have far more stopping power than an anti-star fighter turret, capable of destroying bombers and strike craft with one well-placed shot, which tend to be more heavily armored than interceptors and fighters. Additionally, these weapons can lay down heavy suppressing fire in close-combat engagements. These cannons are operated by a firing team of four.

Purpose: Defense

Mega-Damage: 1D6X100 M.D. per dual blast.

Range: 100 miles

Rate of fire: Four times per melee round.

Payload: Each cannon has a 2,000 round magazine, allowing 1,000 shots.

1. Anti-Star Fighter Rail Guns (22): Mounted on a gun deck that rings the ship’s flight deck, these dual light rail gun turrets protect the ship from enemy fighters by laying down voluminous amounts of fire. Any enemy fighter coming within 15 miles of the ship (the range needed to fire off short-range missiles) is likely to be engaged by one of these guns, more than likely more. They fill in the gaps along the flanks left by the autocannons and are primarily concerned with defending the flight deck, the hangar bay and the command tower from attack. Each turret is manned by a single gunner located in a central gunnery room deep within the ship. Thus, destroying one of the turrets may weaken the ship’s defenses, but does not directly cost the life of a gunner.

Purpose: Anti-star fighter

Mega-Damage: 2D4x10 M.D. per 40-round burst.

Range: 15 miles

Rate of fire: Equal to hand-to-hand attacks of the gunner (usually four)

Payload: The ship’s stores have, literally, hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition for these guns, located in automated loading bays under each gun and in the cargo hold. The loading bays and the gun carry 12,000 rounds of ammo in total for one battle for each gun. This gives each gun 300 bursts. Loaders are on call to pull more ammo from storage when a gun is getting low. A trained crew will have the gun reloaded before the currently loaded belt runs dry. These guns should be considered to essentially have unlimited ammunition unless the carrier goes through several harrowing, drawn-out battles without resupply.

Sensors: The Carrier has a powerful sensor suite that is specifically geared for threat identification and analysis. Its long-range sensors cover a 20-million mile sphere, and it’s short-range sensors have a range of 350,000 miles. The short-range system is able to track, with hyper accuracy, over 100,000 targets a cubic foot or larger in size. If there are more targets (such as an asteroid field) the computer is able to classify and rank which targets should be displayed by conducting a threat assessment. The system is also able to compile all the sensor and combat information from every ship in the fleet into a massive, tactical 3-dimensional real-time battle map in the carrier’s tactical information center, virtually eliminating the fog of war.