I thought I might as well send this one to the board, as an example of the
use of George Herbert's draft watercraft design rules. For interested parties,
several of the vehicle ftp archive files have recently been updated, with
typos corrected and a few TL12-13 Vargr heavy corsair vessels added.
Rob Dean
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Courser class Surface Warship TL9
The Courser is a typical TL9 purpose built warship. By this tech level
the surface warship is obsolescent, but there is no easy substitute when
there is a requirement to provide continuous escort to other surface vessels.
The Courser is equipped with a wide variety of active and passive electronic
detection and countermeasure gear, including the lightweight composite hull
which has an inherently low radar reflectance. The communications gear
includes two high power tightbeam communicators, suitable for communication
with orbiting spacecraft or geosynchronous comm relay satellites. The ves-
sel's main armament consists of three multiple missile vertical launch sys-
tems--two fifty tube light missile systems fore and aft, and a thirty tube
heavy missile system amidships. Statistics for heavy SAMs are shown below,
but any 5000kg missile designed to approximately the same shape can be fit-
ted. Four 20mm six barrel autocannons and a 20MW pulse laser are carried for
point defense. Anti-laser aerosol dispensers (not shown below) are also
fitted, and it was considered prudent to have a point defense system that
would not be impaired by the ship's own passive defenses.
The ship's appearance would be rather startling to someone accustomed to
lower TL warships--there is no large superstructure, and the only visible
weapons are the cannon in their low, rounded turrets. Extensive computer
control has reduced the crew to a mere 50 men, enough to provide three full
shifts of operators. Damage control is adversely affected by this, but this
is considered to be acceptable.
CraftID: Courser class Surface Warship, TL9, MCr162.6
Hull: 540/1350, Disp=600, Config=1AF, Armor=30D, Loaded=3105t,
Unloaded=2113t, Length=138.1m
Power: 5/10, Fission=130MW, Dur=20years
Loco: 9/18, MHD Drive*2, MaxSpeed=57kph, Cruise=53kph, Range=Unlimited
Comm: Radio=System*2, LaserComm=FarOrbit, MaserComm=FarOrbit
Sensors: EMM, AllWeatherRadar=(FarOrbit*2), Ladar=Regional(500km),
LaserSensor, RadarJammer=Planetary, ActiveSonar=VDist(50km)*3,
PassiveSonar=Continental(5000km)*2, ActObjScan=Rout,
ActObjPin=Rout, ActAudScan=Diff, ActAudPin=Diff, PassAudScan=Form,
PassEnScan=Form
Off: Hardpoints=6, Weapons Stabilized to 100kph
Pen/ Max Auto Dngr
Ammo Rds Attn Dmg Range Tgts Spc Sig ROF
12cm HV Gun KEAP 1000 34 12 Dist(22) - - M 7
HEAT - 42 12 Dist(22) - - M 7
HE - 20 16 Dist(22) - 35 M 7
20MW Pulse Laser - 38/3 20 VDist(50) 3 - H 80
4*6b 2cm Auto KEAP 96000 9 4 VLong(2) 7 - H 1280
Heavy SAM - 30 29 32 VDist(100) - - H 30
Medium SAM - 100 28 30 Dist(35) - - H 100
Def: Point Defense Targeting for 2cm autocannon, pulse laser,
smoke and anti-laser aerosol dispensers
Control: Comp3fib*2, HeadsUpDisplay*6, CompLink*300
Accom: Crew=50 (3 bridge, 3 engineers, 24 gunners, 12 flight, 7 command,
1 medical), SmallStaterooms=50, Env=basic env
Other: Fuel=2.6kl, Cargo=100kl, AviationOrdnance=120kl,
AviationFuel=384kl, Subcraft=2*SeaGull helicopters, ObjSize=Avg,
EmLevel=Faint
Seagull Maritime Support Helicopter TL9
The Seagull is equipped as a general purpose maritime support helicop-
ter, and could be used from a shore base or a fairly small water vessel.
Submersible warcraft are still a threat on balkanized worlds at TL9, and
starships engaged in illegal activities frequently resort to hiding under-
water, so the Seagull is equipped with magnetic and sonar sensors for sub-
merged search. The bomb bay (which doubles as a cargo bay as required) would
ordinarily be used to carry one or two homing torpedoes. A four seat passen-
ger section is carried for liaison work. Four light hardpoints are provided
which can be used to carry light depth charges or air to surface ordnance for
use in low threat areas. The rotors fold for ease of shipboard storage.
CraftID: Seagull Maritime Support Helicopter, TL9, Cr174,300
Hull: 32/80, Disp=35.6 (11.9 folded), CleanWt=8t, FullLoad=10t,
Airframe=Simple Seaplane, Armor=none
Power: 2*1.25MW Reciprocating Engines
Loco: 4/10*2, Main and tail rotor, Lift=10t, thrust=2.5t,
Endurance=3.2hrs
MaxAccel Drag MaxSpeed Cruise Range Agility
Clean 0.26 - 300 225 720 0
Loaded 0.21 4 242 181 580 0
Comm: Radio=Regional(500km)
Sensors: LightAmplification, PassAudSensor, ActAudSensor, MagneticSensor,
AllWeatherRadar=VDist(50km), ActObjScan=Diff, ActObjPin=Diff,
PassAudScan=Form, ActAudScan=Form, ActAudPin=Form
Off: 4 outboard hardpoints, BombBay=2tons, Typical external ordnance
load=2*12cm rocket pods, 2*450kg depth bombs, Typical internal
ordnance load=2*1000kg torpedoes
Def: -
Control: Simple
Accom: Crew=2 (Pilot, Weapons/Sonar Operator), Passengers=4, Simple
cockpit*1, Complex Cockpit*1, Passenger section*1, Env=Basic env
Other: Fuel=2400liters, Cargo=2tons (in place of internal ordnance),
ObjSize=Small, EmLevel=Moderate