Defender (WarShip class)
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| Defender | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Federated Suns |
| Introduced | 2360 |
| Use | General Combat Command Vessel |
| Tech Base | Inner Sphere |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 960,000 |
| Length | 870 |
| Sail Diameter | 1,300 Meters |
| Fuel | 3,000 tons (7,500) |
| Burn Rate | 39.52 |
| Safe Thrust | 3 |
| Top Thrust | 5 |
| Sail Integrity | 5 |
| KF Drive Integrity | 20 |
| LF Battery | None |
| Armament | 5 x NAC/35s 21 x NAC/25 82 x AC/5s 47 x Machine Guns |
| Armor | Standard Armor |
| DropShip Capacity | None |
| Crew | Listings
|
| Grav Decks | 2 (120-meters diameter each) |
| Escape Pods/Life Boats | 35/35 |
| Heat Sinks | 900 |
| Structural Integrity | 40 |
| BV (1.0) | N/A |
| BV (2.0) | 173,687[1] |
Contents
Description
The Defender Class Battlecruiser was the Federated Sun's first WarShip design to enter service in its armed forces.[2] Designed to counter the newly formed Terran Hegemony's Dreadnought-Class Battleships, the Defender was built to have superior speed and firepower. Production of the Class proved to be slow, with its massive engines costly to produce. The second ship of the class would not be built until a decade had passed. By this time, the Hegemony began producing its superior Monsoon Class-Battleships which would eclipse the Defenders in armor protection and firepower. These ships would be rendered outclassed by the 2380s, when by this time the Davion Shipyards only be able to produce a total six of the ships before Davion authorities ordered the cancellation of its production.
The ships would serve in active service periodically, being reactivated several times during their service lives. By 2765, only a few of the Class would survive to be reactivated and serve again in the Federated Sun's fleets. Two ships would be active near the end of the Star League Era, whom would part of the Crucis Fleet of the House Davion's navy. One of these two vessels, FSS Golden Lion, saw service as the flagship of the entire FedSuns Navy, under the command of Fleet Admiral Alexi Viscoff.
The Defenders would be immortalized by the Golden Lion's actions at the Battle of Cholame, where the battlecruiser's efforts in the massive battle would aid in brunt Draconis Combine's fleet and cripple the faction's efforts during the early years of the First Succession War.[3]
Weapons and Capacities
Designed for speed, the Defenders are noted for their high rate of acceleration for their day. These ships could out run and maneuver both the Terran Hegemony's Dreadnoughts and early Black Lion Battlecruisers. The ship's 765 tons of Standard Armor is focused in front bow and forward-sides, while its aft section only have slightly less armor protection protecting its massive engines.
The Defender's main armaments are their large array of Class 35 and 20 Naval Autocannons, which were focused in ship's forward sections and its broadsides. One of the Defender's noted weaknesses is the lack of capital weaponry in its aft-facing sides and aft section. Due to this vulnerability, a ship's crew would need to utilize the ship's speed and maneuverability in order to keep ship's capital weaponry bearing on a would be targeted vessel.
Its conventional weaponry includes a large array of Class-5 Autocannons mounted in weapons bays throughout the entire ship. The autocannons notably clustering in the ship's aft sections of the ships to possibly help ward off small craft and fighters from attacking the ship's more vulnerable aft. Additionally, the designers would also include a large number of Machine Guns. These weapons were mounted throughout the ship and served as the design's point defense.[4]
Cargo
Due to its age, the design predates the usage of DropShips. In their place, the ship has four large DropShuttle Bays and large number of Small Craft hangars able to house upwards to 20 small craft.
- Bay 1: Small Craft (20) - 10 Doors
- Bay 2: Cargo (105,890 tons) - 2 Doors
- Bay 3: DropShuttle Bay (20,000 tons capacity) - 1 Door
- Bay 4: DropShuttle Bay (20,000 tons capacity) - 1 Door
- Bay 5: DropShuttle Bay (20,000 tons capacity) - 1 Door
- Bay 6: DropShuttle Bay (20,000 tons capacity) - 1 Door
Named Vessels
- FSS Golden Lion - Arguably the most famous of the class, the ship served as the flagship of the entire Federated Suns Fleet in later Star League Era.
Notes
The Golden Lion originally appeared in House Davion (The Federated Suns) sourcebook published in 1988. The ship became the basis for the Defender Class, which would appear in name for the first time decades later in the Strategic Operations rule book as part of a list of first WarShips entering service for various factions.
It also should be noted, that the Defender aside from being oldest original Federated Suns WarShip to be produced, was also the largest.
References
- ↑ Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 26 & 30 Defender-Class Battlecruiser - BV2 listed.
- ↑ Strategic Operations, p. 15 - House Davion/Federation Suns - List of First includes First Warship - the Defender.
- ↑ Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 6, 25 Naval Defense Doctrine & Defender-Class Battlecruiser - Defender Class's background and its history up to 2787.
- ↑ Field Report 2765: AFFS, p. 26 & 30 Defender-Class Battlecruiser - BV2 listed.