Riga (WarShip class)

This article is about the original "Riga I". For other uses, see Riga.

Riga
Production information
Manufacturer	Boeing Interstellar
Introduced	2440
Production Year	2440
Use	Frigate
Tech Base	Inner Sphere
Cost	3,780,867,999 C-Bills
Technical specifications
Mass	750,000 tons
Length	693 m
Sail Diameter	1375 m
Fuel	10,560 tons
Burn Rate	39.52
Safe Thrust	1.5 g
Top Thrust	2.5 g
Sail Integrity	4
KF Drive Integrity	16
LF Battery	No
Armament	6x NL55 6x NL45 3x Heavy NPPC 4x Medium NPPC 5x Light NPPC 6x NAC/30 8x NAC/25
Armor	443.5 tons Ferro-Carbide
DropShip Capacity	2
Crew	233 40 Officers 155 Enlisted 38 Gunners Bay Personnel: 44
Grav Decks	2 (1 x 140 meters diameter, 1 x 65 meters diameter)
Escape Pods/Life Boats	31/20
Heat Sinks	2,100 (single)
Structural Integrity	70
BV (1.0)	95,430

Description

Designed during the Age of War, the Riga-class frigate was meant to fill an overlooked mission profile: a large destroyer that could operate independently, but carried firepower comparable with contemporary cruisers. The class was a result of a ten-year study of the organization and deployment of Navy assets by the Center of Strategic Studies and Hegemony Naval Command.

Though the Terran Hegemony Navy was at first skeptical of the Riga, production eventually began in 2438, and the class was officially commissioned in 2440. Despite the skeptics' fears, the Riga performed its designed role admirably. The Riga-class vessels were able to carry out independent missions or serve as escort ships for fleets accompanying very large vessels, mainly guard duty for Monsoon and Aegis deployments.

Production of the Riga-class was eventually ended by the Congress-class in 2542, though the Riga stayed in service for quite some time, with decommissioning of the Riga-class only commencing upon the introduction of the Sovetskii Soyuz-class heavy cruiser in 2735. The last Riga-class vessel was mothballed in 2740. The Word of Blake surprised the Inner Sphere by deploying two recovered Rigas during the Jihad, although both ships had been destroyed by 3073.

Following the decommissioning of the original Riga class, a second block of Rigas - designated the Riga II - were produced for the Star League Defense Force between 2747 and Christmas of 2766. The Riga II had just four-fifths the mass of the earlier Riga, and was classed as a destroyer and escort carrier rather than a frigate. Survivors among the EXODUS Fleet were found among various Clan toumans as the York-class carrier.

Armament

The Riga-class is designed for long missions away from supply lines, fulfilling the mission objectives of contemporary destroyers. At the same time, the Riga-class mounts armor and weaponry comparable with contemporary cruisers.

The ship’s armament is primarily energy-based, with an assortment of naval lasers and naval PPCs. In a compromise with the SLDF Navy, the ship also mounts naval autocannons in order to diversify its payload, with large ammunition stores for extending duty.

Though formidable, the Riga is relatively defenseless alone against smaller aerospace assets, and is commonly deployed with two aerospace fighter squadrons.

Cargo

As the Riga is meant for independent duties above all other roles, the class has an excellent cargo capacity. The class has 2 DropShip collars, and three bays. Bay 1 is capable of ferrying 2 squadrons of aerospace fighters. Bay 2 is capable of containing 4 small craft. The last bay is able to carry a respectable 124,492.5 tons of cargo.

See Also

• List of named Riga class WarShips.

Related WarShips

• Riga II-class destroyer/carrier escort - the smaller Star League-era Riga survived the Star League Civil War and can be found in the 31st century in service with the Clans as the York class carrier.

Gallery

• 

  Original Riga from TRO:3057 Revised

Bibliography

• Field Report 2765: Periphery
• Jihad: Final Reckoning
• Technical Readout: 3057 Revised