Arondight

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Arondight
Production information
Manufacturer	Federated Suns
Use	Pocket WarShip
Type	Military Spheroid
Tech Base	Inner Sphere
Technical specifications
Mass	12,000 tons
Structural Integrity
Length	92 meters
Width	meters
Height	meters
Drive System	???
Safe Thrust	5
Max Thrust	8
Fuel (tons)	250
Fuel (days)	1.84
Armament	1 x Kraken-T Launcher 2 x ER PPC 4 x Gauss Rifle 18 x ER Medium Lasers 16 x Anti-Missile Systems 4 x AR-10 8 x Piranha (missile) 8 x Rotary AC/5 1 x Screen Launcher
Armor	Ferro-Aluminum
Crew	69
Passengers	N/A
Heat Sinks	200 Double Heat Sinks
BV (1.0)	???
BV (2.0)	28,819

Description

The Arondight is the first Pocket WarShip designed by the AFFS, rather than being converted from another DropShip design like the Overlord A-3. Designed to escort friendly and attack enemy WarShips, the Arondight is fast, well armed, and heavily armored. The AFFS sought out the opinions of The Medusans, a mercenary unit specializing in naval support and DropShip combat during the Arondight's design process. The experience the Medusans had with their Pocket WarShip Excaliburs was vital in creating the Arondight.

Armament

The primary anti-WarShip punch carried by the Arondight is in the single Kraken-T and multiple AR-10 launchers. The Kraken-T allows a gunner to fly a massive warhead directly into a WarShip, while the AR-10's can fire any type of capital missile the magazines can hold. The balance of the ship's weaponry is dedicated to anti-AeroSpace Fighter duties. (This is particularly important with the Word of Blake's habit of delivering nuclear weapons on AeroSpace Fighters.) The multiple Rotary AC/5s, ER Medium Lasers, and Piranha missile launchers are enough to drive off any fighter foolish enough to attack an Arondight without support. In addition, the sixteen Anti-Missile systems placed in the various firing arcs of the ship are able to destroy many incoming missiles before they inflict any damage.

Cargo

As a Pocket WarShip, the Arondight isn't equipped with 'Mech cubicles and only carries a single lance of AeroSpace Fighters. The ship relies on its speed, agility, thick armor, and heavy weaponry to dissuade most AeroSpace Fighters, but additional fighter defenses can be drawn from other ships in the Arondight's task force. Most of the 440 tons of cargo space is devoted to additional ammunition, consumables, or parts.

The Arondight also carries 24 infantrymen equipped with battle armor. Although these marines could be used in attempts to board enemy vessels, they are usually deployed aboard the ship to prevent a hostile takeover.

Variants

The Arondight class was introduced in 3075, and hasn't yet had any variants. As the Arondight is designed to be produced in the many DropShip shipyards scattered throughout the Federated Suns, it seems likely that the vagaries of the Jihad will give rise to many custom variations as weapons and armor shipments are disrupted.