Aurora

Aurora
Production information
Manufacturer	Cal-Boeing of Dorwinion Dynamico Limited Shipil Company
Production Year	3062
Use	Troop Transport
Type	Military Aerodyne
Tech Base	Inner Sphere
Technical specifications
Mass	1,600 tons
Structural Integrity	8
Length	116 meters
Width	72 meters
Height	32.5 meters
Safe Thrust	2 g
Max Thrust	3 g
Fuel (tons)	100 tons
Fuel (days)	54.4 days
Armament	4x Gauss rifle 4x ER PPC 2x Large Pulse Laser 2x ER Medium Laser
Armor	32.5 tons Ferro-Aluminum
Crew	6 1 Officer 3 Enlisted 2 Gunners Bay Personnel: 8
Escape Pods/Life Boats	3/0
Heat Sinks	50 double
BV (1.0)	3,877
BV (2.0)	3,262

Description

The Aurora is based on an abortive joint light freighter design project by Dynamico Ltd. of Delavan and Shipil Co. of Skye dating back to 3056 that had been shelved when the Lyran half broke away from the Federated Commonwealth.

Following Operation BULLDOG, both the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth and the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces felt that the venerable Leopard lacked the flexibility they needed in a light military transport and called for new DropShip designs. In response, Dynamico and Shipil revamped the canceled freighter for military duty.

The Aurora's most notable design feature is its modular cargo bays. Originally designed to improve cargo handling, they allow for unprecedented flexibility on the military vessel: Although they cannot be attached or released quickly owing to the necessities of structural integrity, they allow for the ship to be reconfigured for entirely different mission profiles in mere days, with only limited ground support.

While production at Shipil was delayed until late 3069, Dynamico managed to deliver the first prototypes just before the FedCom Civil War. The new design proved its worth in battles on Kentares and New Avalon and entered full production in 3069.

Armament

With two Gauss Rifles and two ER Medium Lasers in the nose and two ER PPCs in each wing the Aurora mounts adequate firepower for its size. Two more Gauss Rifles and two Large Pulse Lasers protect the aft.

Cargo

In addition to 164 tons of integral cargo space the Aurora mounts four modular bays, each of which can hold 150 tons of equipment. Standard modules are available for installation that each hold a BattleMech, aerospace fighter, three light vehicles, or 150 tons of either cargo or fuel. In addition, custom modules can be manufactured on demand such as one to accommodate an infantry company.

Overall, the cargo capacity compares favorably to the slightly larger Leopard class, although the Aurora lacks the former's integral fighter bays.

• Bay 1: BattleMech (1), 1 door
• Bay 2: BattleMech (1), 1 door
• Bay 3: BattleMech (1), 1 door
• Bay 4: BattleMech (1), 1 door
• Bay 5: Cargo (163.5 tons), 0 Door

Variants

• Aurora Battle Armor 

  This version of the Aurora uses its cargo bay inserts to carry twenty-four squads of battle armor supported by eight light vehicles into combat. The battle armor bays also have room for four tons of cargo, giving this configuration a total of 162 tons of cargo storage. BV (2.0) = 3,262

• Aurora Cargo 

  This configuration can carry up to 754 tons of cargo. BV (2.0) = 3,262

• Aurora CV 

  This version is equipped with bays for four aerospace fighters and 154 tons of cargo. BV (2.0) = 3,262

• Aurora Combined Arms 

  Similar to the Battle Armor configuration this version carries ten light vehicles, but instead of battle armor has positions for forty-eight tons of conventional infantry. Its cargo capacity is 202 tons. BV (2.0) = 3,262

• Aurora Vehicle 

  This version of the Aurora can carry three light vehicles in four of its five bays, providing transportation for a company of armor. It retains the 154-ton cargo capacity of bay five. BV (2.0) = 3,262

• Aurora Tanker 

  This version fills bays one through four with 136.5 tons of Liquid Storage, for a grand total of 546 tons of liquid storage. Bay Five can carry 154 tons of cargo. BV (2.0) = 3,262

• Aurora Gunship 

  Designed to provide fire support, this Aurora carries two aerospace fighter bays and the cargo capacity is reduced to 138 tons. The standard Aurora weaponry is removed and replaced by four heavy Gauss rifles, four ER PPCs, two ER medium lasers, four Gauss rifles, two anti-missile systems, two large pulse lasers, and six Artemis IV-enhanced LRM-20s. The gunship variant also mounts one hundred double heat sinks, to deal with the heat generated by these weapons. BV (2.0) = 7,319

Named Vessels

(See List of named Aurora-class DropShips)

Gallery

• 

  Original Aurora from MWDA

• 

  Aurora DropShip from Mercenaries Supplemental Update

• 

  Aurora from TRO:3075

Bibliography

• Field Manual: 3145
• Handbook: House Davion
• Mercenaries Supplemental Update
• Record Sheets: 3075 Unabridged - The Cutting Edge
• Technical Readout: 3075