Kyushu

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Kyushu
Production information
Manufacturer	???
Introduced	3057
Use	Frigate
Tech Base	Star League
Cost	14,703,264,000 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass	625,000
Length	640 m
Sail Diameter	1,100 m
Fuel	4,500 tons
Burn Rate	39.52
Safe Thrust	3
Top Thrust	5
Sail Integrity	4
KF Drive Integrity	13
LF Battery	Yes
Armament	16 x ER Large Lasers 16 x Medium Lasers 32 x Small Pulse Lasers 16 x Anti-Missile Systems 16 x LRM-20s with Artemis IV FCS 8 x NAC/20s 4 x NAC/35s 6 x NAC/40s 16 x NL35s 2 x Medium NPPCs 2 x Heavy NPPCs
Armor	Ferro-Aluminum
DropShip Capacity	4
Crew	275
Grav Decks	2, 100 and 130 meter diameters
Escape Pods/Life Boats	45
Heat Sinks	519 (1,038)
Structural Integrity	70
BV (1.0)	66,790
BV (2.0)	???

Description

The initial design of the Draconis Combine's first generation of post-Clan Invasion WarShips, the Kyushu-class frigate is intended primarily for transport/defense of invasion task forces and forms a large portion of the Combine's resurgent WarShip fleet.

With initial construction beginning in 3053 and finishing in late 3057, the class was among the first modern Successor States warships completed. While not intended for anti-ship operations, the frigate's weapons array, Lithium-Fusion Battery, Ferro-Aluminum armor, and Double Heat Sinks allow the Kyushu to defend itself and the units in its care admirably.

The Class is based on Federated Sun's Robinson Class Transport, which a pair these ships were captured in early Succession Wars.

Armament

Like many post-Helm Memory Core Inner Sphere designs, the Kyushu features primarily anti-fighter weaponry supported by a still sizable array of capital class weapons. The nose bays feature two NAC/40, two NAC/20s, two NL35s and a single Heavy NPPC supported by twin ER Large Lasers, two Medium Lasers, two Artemis enhanced LRM-20s, five point defense Small Pulse Lasers. The fore angles each feature a NL35, two NAC/35s, two ER Large and two standard Medium lasers, two LRM-20s and five point defense pulse small lasers, with each broadside bay featuring the same layout while adding a NAC/20 and Medium NPPC. The vessel's aft weaponry mirrors the fore ones, apart from upgrading the NAC/35s on the aft angles for NAC/40s.

Cargo

The vessel's 66,166 ton cargo capacity is divided between a small cargo area, combined berthing for eighteen AeroSpace Fighters and twelve Small Craft, and its huge BattleMech bay. The Kyushus most notable feature, the bay features 108 'Mech cubicles, a complete 'Mech Regiment, which can be transported to a planet's surface either by transferring to one of the four attached DropShips, two at a time via on of the Kyushus twelve specially modified cargo shuttles or if the WarShip is in low orbit, directly from the cargo bay via Drop Pods.

Named Vessels

• DCS Dream of Kessel - Destroyed Operation Bulldog (3059)
• DCS Draconis Rift - Survived Jihad
• DCS Luthien - Destroyed during failed attempt to break the Word of Blake blockage of Benjamin in late 3072.
• DCS Victory at Wolcott - Destroyed during liberation of Terra in 3079.
• DCS Dieron Star - Fate unknown
• DCS Galedon Explorer - Subverted by Kokuryu-kai, the Galedon Explorer was destroyed by Clan Snow Raven in July 3068.
• DCS Pride of New Samarkand - Destroyed Operation Bulldog (3059)
• DCS Haruna - Part of the Combine's contribution to Task Force Serpent 3059-3060, the Haruna suffered engine malfunctions and was scuttled on its return trip from Clan Space.

Related WarShips

• Robinson Transport - the Kyushu-class frigate was actually based in part on captured Robinson-class transports captured by the Combine in the early Succession Wars.

References

• Era Report: DCMS
• Technical Readout: 3057, pp. 126-127
• Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, pp. 124-125
• Field Manual: Draconis Combine, p. 15
• Field Manual: Update, p. 105