Scout (JumpShip class)

This article is about the JumpShip class. For other uses, see Scout.
Scout JS TRO3057r.png
Scout
Production information
Manufacturer Alliance Aerospace Group[1]
Dharma HyperSpace[2] / Midway Shipyards[3]
Ioto Galactic Enterprises[2]
Irian Naval Systems[2][4][5][6]
Use Exploration/Military
Tech Base Star League
Cost 300,000,000 C-Bills[7]
Introduced 2712[8]
Technical specifications
Mass 90,000 tons
Length 273 meters
Sail Diameter 890 meters
Fuel 46 tons
Burn Rate 9.77
Top Thrust 0.2 g
Sail Integrity 3
KF Drive Integrity 3
LF Battery No
Armament None
Armor 39.5 tons standard
DropShip Capacity 1
Crew 18[9][10]
  • 3 Officers
  • 15 Enlisted

(Base Crew Type Requirement)[11][12]

  • 1 Pilot
  • 1 Engineer
  • 4 Secondary Engineers
  • 1 Aerospace / Small Craft pilot[13]

Bay Personnel: 5

Grav Decks None
Escape Pods/Life Boats None
Heat Sinks 158 single
Structural Integrity 1
BV (1.0) 560[9][14]

Description[edit]

The Scout class is the smallest JumpShip class still in common use. Its small carrying capacity (only one DropShip) means that it is primarily used for military operations or exploration. Due to the high cost of Jumpship operation, it is generally not desirable as a commercial hauler. Another notable drawback is the lack of a Grav Deck; the Scout can only produce gravity through acceleration, including simply burning towards a spot a few days away, decelerating while flipping its orientation and doing the same on the return to its origin. This "gravity maneuvering" requires large amounts of fuel, but can counteract the effects of long periods of weightlessness.[9][13]

However, there are also numerous benefits to the Scout design. The first is its tiny emergence signature which is difficult to detect, making the ship ideal for reconnaissance and surprise raids.[9][15][16] The second is that it takes only 80% of the normal time required to quick-charge a Scout over an average-sized JumpShip. The third is that the docking collar is reinforced, allowing the Scout to thrust at 0.1 Gs acceleration even with a DropShip attached, provided that the DropShip is less than 25,000 tons in mass; without a DropShip, the Scout can accelerate at 0.2 Gs. The fourth is that the Jump Sail requires only 90% of the time to unfurl/furl compared to a larger sail and is less susceptible to rips and other forms of damage.

The Scout features up-to-date medical and recreation facilities and notably comfortable quarters for up to 17 crew and an additional aerospace pilot. The bridge is quite modern in comparison to larger vessels. Finally, it is equipped with backup generators that can power the life support system for three months if the main fusion power plant fails.[9]

Armament[edit]

The Scout does not feature any weapons. It is totally dependent on its DropShip for protection, and even then, is generally better served by the Inner Sphere custom of not attacking JumpShips.

Cargo[edit]

Depending on the source material, the stated cargo capacity of the Scout is wildly inconsistent, ranging from only 26 tons to well over 1000 tons (see Variants below). The most recent sourced information is as follows:[9]

  • Bay 1: Cargo (518 tons), 1 door
  • Bay 2: Small Craft (1), 1 door
  • Bay 3: Cargo (518.5 tons), 1 door

The Scout has a small craft bay that can accommodate one vessel, either a small craft or an aerospace fighter.[13]

Variants[edit]

Numerous variations of the Scout have been described in various sources, with a range of different masses and cargo capacity. Although they all represent the Scout as a relatively tiny 273-meter long JumpShip with a single docking hardpoint, there are significant differences among these descriptions owing to the inconsistent, contradictory, and often erroneous application of different rulesets at different times; such discrepancies may be viewed as legacy issues from earlier rulesets when JumpShip construction rules were not yet fully fleshed out, if at all.

  • 75,000 ton version with 121 heat sinks, unspecified cargo capacity (if any) (AeroTech)
  • 79,000 ton version with no other explicit stats (Mercenary's Handbook: 3055)
  • 79,000 ton version with 121 heat sinks, cargo capacity 450 tons (DropShips and JumpShips: ComStar Intelligence Summary)
  • 79,000 ton version with 158 heat sinks, cargo capacity 450 tons (BattleSpace rulebook)
  • 90,000 ton version with 158 heat sinks, cargo capacity 26 tons (Technical Readout: 3057)
  • 90,000 ton version with 158 heat sinks, cargo capacity 100 (written) or 1,037.5 tons (stats) (Technical Readout: 3057 Revised). Under the Total Warfare ruleset this is likely the fully rules-compliant version, since it can be assumed that the 100-ton number is due to most of the 1037.5-ton cargo bay being taken up by spare parts and various supplies. Note that even then, the Scout is still equipped with 67 tons' worth of extra heat sinks that it absolutely does not need.

Earlier rules from BattleSpace stated that DropShips required one hardpoint for every 60,000 tons (or fraction thereof) of mass for docking, which meant by extension that very large DropShips were not allowed to dock with the Scout as it has only a single hardpoint. This rule was omitted in AeroTech 2, and was finally explicitly made obsolete in the TechManual rules. The Scout therefore occupies the unusual position of being one of the few JumpShips that can potentially accommodate a DropShip larger than itself.

Clan[edit]

The Clans are known to have their own version of the Scout. It is unclear when they began production or if they are Star League era relics. They do not seem to differ much from the Inner Sphere version, if at all.[17][18][19][20]

See Also[edit]

Related Classes[edit]

  • Quetzalcoatl - One notable variant of the Scout class is the Quetzalcoatl-Scout refit that was first devised in 2876.[21] It replaces the docking collar with fighter cubicles, thereby enabling the ship to act as a fighter support carrier at the cost of its DropShip carrying capability. The first ship to undergo such a refit was the Capellan Confederation's eponymous Quetzalcoatl, after it had suffered crippling damage to its docking hardpoint in an enemy boarding attempt. The refit proved successful and several other ships have been refitted in this way. The Quetzalcoatl-subclass of the Scout is now considered a class unto its own.

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Field Manual: 3145, p. 187: "Magistracy of Canopus"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 DropShips and JumpShips: ComStar Intelligence Summary, p. 15: "JumpShip and DropShip Manufacturers"
  3. ↑ Handbook: House Kurita, p. 161: "Midway Shipping"
  4. ↑ Handbook: House Marik, pp. 131–132: "Irian Technologies (IrTech)"
  5. ↑ Objective Raids, p. 122: "Produced Irian Technologies Components"
  6. ↑ Objectives: Free Worlds League, p. 12: "Clipperton"
  7. ↑ Mercenary's Handbook, p. 33: "Cost Table: Scout"
  8. ↑ MUL online date for the Scout (JumpShip class)
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, p. 92: "Scout JumpShip Profile"
  10. ↑ BattleSpace sourcebook, p. 51
  11. ↑ BattleSpace rulebook, p. 63
  12. ↑ DropShips and JumpShips: Operations Manual, p. 41
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 DropShips and JumpShips: ComStar Intelligence Summary, p. 17
  14. ↑ AeroTech 2 Record Sheets, p. 264
  15. ↑ Technical Readout: 3057, p. 94: "Scout"
  16. ↑ Mercenary's Handbook: 3055, p. 23
  17. ↑ MUL online date for the Scout JumpShip (Clan)
  18. ↑ Invading Clans, p. 28: "Clan Ghost Bear: Naval Reserve"
  19. ↑ Invading Clans, p. 70: "Clan Smoke Jaguar: Naval Reserve"
  20. ↑ Invading Clans, p. 122: "Clan Nova Cat: Naval Reserve"
  21. ↑ Master Unit List: "Quetzalcoatl-Scout JumpShip (Standard)", ("Date Introduced")

Bibliography[edit]

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