Avatar (WarShip class)

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Avatar
Production information
Manufacturer Terran Hegemony
Introduced 2531
Use Heavy Cruiser
Tech Base Star League
Cost ???
Technical specifications
Mass 830,000
Length 855
Sail Diameter
Fuel
Burn Rate
Safe Thrust
Top Thrust 5
Sail Integrity
KF Drive Integrity
LF Battery Yes
Armament 6 x NL55s
30 x NL35s
22 x Heavy NPPCs
10 x NAC/20s
4 x NAC/30s
18 x Killer Whales
15 x LRM-20 with Artemis IV FCS
Armor 1,259 tons Standard
DropShip Capacity 6
Crew 380
Grav Decks 2, 185 and 145 meter diameters
Escape Pods/Life Boats 40/60
Heat Sinks 2,399
Structural Integrity
BV (1.0) 83,179
BV (2.0) ???




Description

Introduced by the Terran Hegemony in 2531, the Avatar-class Heavy Cruiser was intended to replace the aging Aegis-class. While the larger Avatar outweighed its predecessor by some 85,000 tons because of heavier armor and weaponry, advances in WarShip and drive system design allowed the newer vessel to maintain 1.5 Gs of acceleration for lengthy periods with attitude thrusters giving it surprising agility. The Avatar was popular with crews for its balanced mixture of naval PPCs and autocannons supplemented by Killer Whale launchers and naval lasers, tempered by never resolved issues with the vessel's electrical systems shorting out without warning. In the early 28th century, the aging Avatar was itself replaced by the Luxor-class cruiser. Many Avatars were placed in reserve fleets or reassigned as training vessels.

When the forces of Stephan Amaris seized Terra, they captured three Avatar-class vessels undergoing refits at the Ian Cameron Shipyards. Of these, 2 were destroyed, while the third was captured over Nusakan.

In all six Avatars survived until the end of the Amaris-Kerensky Civil War, five SLDF vessels and a sixth captured from the Rim World Republic. Despite being almost obsolete by the standards of the era, General Kerensky knew their superb cargo and DropShip capacity would be of considerable value to the Exodus fleet. Mothballed once the fleet reached the Pentagon Worlds, the vessels continue to serve in the Clan Toumans in their upgraded Liberator form.

Armament

Like many ships of its era, the Avatar features significant anti-ship firepower almost to the exclusion of any anti-fighter defense. The all-energy weapon nose bays mounts six NL55 and four Heavy NPPCs, with the remaining forward firing weapons consisting of two NAC/20s, two Heavy NPPCs, three Killer Whale capital missile tubes, three NL35s and three Artemis IV FCS enhanced LRM-20s on each fore angle. The broadside bays carry a mixed armament of two NAC/30s, four Heavy PPCs, three more Killer Whale tubes and six NL35s on each side, with the aft angles mirroring the fore angles and six NL35s, two NAC/20s and three LRM-20's mounted directly aft.

Cargo

Even ignoring its ability to carry six DropShips and launch bays for twenty-four AeroSpace Fighters, the Avatar features superb cargo capacity for its size with a single 60,886 ton storage bay.

Variants

  • Liberator - Choosing to reactivate the mothballed Avatars in preperation for Operation Revival, the renamed Liberator-class features Ferro-Carbide armor, boosting protection by 50 percent, without reducing the craft's valuable DropShip or cargo capacity. While the capital weaponry remained relatively unchanged, the anti-fighter systems were upgraded to modern Clan standards, with the fighter bays reconstructed to hold three Stars worth of OmniFighters. The Liberator also gained berths for two Stars of Battle Armorred Elementals, as well as rarely used cabins for an additional Clusters worth of standard infantry.


References