Comitatus
From BattleTechWiki
| |
| Comitatus Class JumpShip | |
|---|---|
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | unknown (Clans) |
| Use | Fighter carrier |
| Tech Base | Clan |
| Cost | ? |
| Introduced | 2995 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 250,000 tons |
| Length | 680 meters |
| Top Thrust | 0.1 Gs |
| LF Battery | None |
| Armament | 6 ER Large Lasers, 6 ER Medium Lasers, 2 ER PPCs, 6 Large Pulse Lasers, 6 Medium Pulse Lasers, 12 Anti-Missile Systems, 2 Gauss Rifles, 2 Ultra AC/20, 12 LRM-20 with Artemis IV FCS, 6 Streak SRM-6. |
| Armor | ??? |
| DropShip Capacity | 1 |
| Crew | 45 crew |
| Grav Decks | 1 (95m diameter) |
| Escape Pods/Life Boats | 4 Life Boats |
| Heat Sinks | 122 (244) |
| BV (1.0) | ??? |
| BV (2.0) | |
Contents |
[edit] Description
Conceived by Clan Snow Raven as a transport with 4 Hardpoints, the original Comitatus design suffered from a flawed hydraulics system. In 3035 the design was completely changed into its current form, from a heavily armed transporter to a fighter carrier that could defend Jump Points in the fashion of a light WarShip. This concept of mobile firebase proved successful and within 10 years, the majority of all existing Comitatus class vessels were converted to the new specifications.
[edit] Armament
The Comitatus blurs the distinction between civilian JumpShips and WarShips. Although it technically falls into the former category, it outguns Corvettes or smaller Destroyers and its ferro-aluminium armour is exceptionally heavy for a JumpShip. As a designated fighter carrier it is equipped with 20 fighter bays holding two Stars of OmniFighters, and five assault shuttles in a separate shuttle bay.
[edit] Cargo
The upgraded Comitatus design can carry 769 tons of cargo. It can accomodate 25 fighters (or 20 fighters and 5 small craft), and a Star of battle-armoured Elementals.
[edit] Variants
The original concept was a heavily armed and armoured trader with 4 Hardpoints. Problems with the hydraulics system led to the two aft Hardpoints being removed on most of these, and replaced with cargo space. A few of these early Comitatus prototypes with either 4 Hardpoints or 2 Hardpoints and increased cargo capacity may still exist.
There is no known variant of the Comitatus class since it was redesigned into a Fighter Carrier.
[edit] References
- Technical Readout 3057 - pp 116-117
