Essex II (WarShip class)
Essex | |
Production information | |
Manufacturer | Mitchell Vehicles |
Introduced | 2711 |
Use | Destroyer |
Tech Base | Star League |
Cost | 1,893,822,000 C-bills |
Technical specifications | |
Mass | 620,000 |
Length | 615 m |
Sail Diameter | 1,120 m |
Fuel | 3,000 tons |
Burn Rate | |
Safe Thrust | 1.5 g |
Top Thrust | 2.5 g |
Sail Integrity | 4 |
KF Drive Integrity | 13 |
LF Battery | No |
Armament | 12 x NAC/20s 3 x Barracuda Missile Tubes 8 x NL35s 8 x Medium NPPCs |
Armor | 306 tons of MVT CL200 Improved Ferro-Aluminum |
DropShip Capacity | None |
Crew | 208 |
Grav Decks | 2 x 55 meter diameter |
Escape Pods/Life Boats | 6/6 |
Heat Sinks | 746 Double Heat Sinks |
Structural Integrity | 60 |
BV (1.0) | 62,357[1] |
BV (2.0) | ??? |
Contents
Description
The second class of WarShip to bear the name, the Essex-class destroyer was designed in response to Star League Navy's request for a quick destroyer that could also make sustained voyages far from support, replacing the older Naga Class which had in turn replaced the original HAF era Essex Class in 2645.
The modern SLS Essex slipped its moorings from the Mitchell Vehicles shipyards above Graham IV in late 2711. Because its designers had wished to emphasize the vessel's swiftness and reliability, they had given it three compact and dependable lnterSystem Class VII engines, built by the Saro Company of Keid, which produce great thrust. The ship's computer systems were built by the Nirasaki Computers Collective, allowing the Essexs crew to do everything from monitor remote surveillance satellites to orchestrating corvette squadrons.
However, the Essex was noted for its ammunition bays, which were too lightly armored to protect its missiles and autocannon shells adequately, and became quite evident with the destruction of Essex destroyers in action against Periphery forces in the 2730s and during the Amaris-Kerensky Civil War. Less than thirty survived the campaign to liberate Terra and the bulk left with the Exodus Fleet, but surviving examples continue to serve in the fleets of ComStar, the Free Worlds League, the Word of Blake as well as various Clan Toumans.
Armament
The Essex's main weapons are its twelve Whirlwind-20 Series NAC/20s, manufactured by Karon Naval Armaments of Terra and unmatched for reliability, mounted in four turrets. The Essex carries three missile tubes capable of firing Barracuda missiles, the smallest and smartest of the three standard missile types used by the Star League Navy. The remainder of the vessel's weaponry consists of a mixture of Magna-35 NL35s and Rand-10 Medium NPPCs.
Cargo
Lacking Docking collars, the Essex has a single 132,634 ton capacity cargo bay, with four Small Craft bays a single six fighter capacity AeroSpace Fighter bay located amidships with entry and exit doors port and starboard.
Variants
- Clan - Those vessels that survived the genesis of the Star League in Exile continue to serve in the Clan Toumans, beyond a reduction in armor and cargo space to allow the Essex to carry two complete Stars of OmniFighters and add a Lithium-Fusion Battery, the most most notable modification is refitting the ships with the advanced Athena-3 computer system. Far superior than those of the Star League, the Athena-3 can control almost all shipboard functions so a skeleton crew of 25 can run it, though normally it only monitors the ship's system.
Named Vessels
- Clan Smoke Jaguar
- CSJ Dark Claw - In 3058 the Dark Claw was a part of the Smoke Jaguar garrison in the Wayside V system.[2] The Dark Claw was captured by the Draconis Combine during Operation BULLDOG and mothballed over Dieron.[3] The Dark Claw would subsequently be stolen by the Word of Blake.[4]
- CSJ The Iowa
- Word of Blake
- WoBS Dawning Horizon - The Dawning Horizon was destroyed in the Dieron system in 3077.[5]
- WoBS Divine Forgiveness - The Divine Forgiveness was one of twelve Blakist WarShips to be destroyed during the campaign to liberate Terra in 3078.[5]
- WoBS Enlightened Spark - The Enlightened Spark was destroyed in the Ruins of Gabriel in 3075.[5]
- Dark Claw - Captured from where it had been mothballed above Dieron, the Dark Claw was the only Clan variant Essex to be operated by the Blakists during the Jihad, and was destroyed in the Necromo system in 3072.[4] The Dark Claw had previously been a Clan Smoke Jaguar vessel until it had been salvaged by the Draconis Combine.[8]
See Also
Essex Ship Gallery
- Essex-c.gif
Clan Refit Essex-class
Notes
- ↑ AeroTech 2 Record Sheets, p. 291
- ↑ Impetus of War, p. 59
- ↑ Field Manual: Update, p.105
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 128, "Captured Ships"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Jihad: Final Reckoning, p. 128, "Original Word Of Blake Fleet"
- ↑ Field Manual: Updates, p. 90
- ↑ Dawn of the Jihad & Blake Ascending, p. 33, "Northwind Blockade"
- ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 30, "DCA Readiness Report"
Bibliography
- AeroTech 2 Record Sheets
- Blake Ascending
- Dawn of the Jihad
- Field Manual: ComStar, p. 44
- Field Manual: Free Worlds League, pp. 116, 118
- Field Manual: Updates
- Field Manual: Warden Clans
- Field Report: Clans
- Field Report: DCMS
- Impetus of War
- Invading Clans (sourcebook)
- Jihad: Final Reckoning
- Jihad Hot Spots: 3070
- Jihad Hot Spots: Terra
- Masters and Minions: The StarCorps Dossiers
- Technical Readout: 2750, pp. 128-129
- Technical Readout: 3057, pp. 140-141
- Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, pp. 138-139