Excalibur (DropShip class)

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Excalibur
Production information
Manufacturer	Aldis Industries BBP Industries Semier Data Tron Rashpur-Owens Incorporated
Use	Troop Carrier
Type	Military Spheroid
Tech Base	Inner Sphere
Technical specifications
Mass	16,000 tons
Structural Integrity	9
Length	113 meters
Width	113 meters
Height	124.9 meters
Drive System	GM 48000
Safe Thrust	3
Max Thrust	5
Fuel (tons)	300 tons
Fuel (days)	163 days
Armament	2x PPCs 1x AC/5 5x LRM-10s 3x Large Lasers 10x Medium Laser
Armor	50 tons Fore: 20 Sides: 18 Aft: 15
Crew	50
Heat Sinks	129
BV (1.0)	3,101
BV (2.0)	2,820

Description

Entering service in 2786 just prior to the First Succession War, the Excalibur is the largest military DropShip in the Successor State militaries and can transport a complete combined-arms regiment, comprising a full infantry Battalion, two tank battalions and a BattleMech company.

While cheaper than comparable Star League era craft such as the Colossus, the Excalibur is not above criticism, with a lackluster weapon array, cramped interior and slow and cumbersome unloading sequence. The class seemed doomed when the technological decline of the Succession Wars caused production to cease on the craft's massive GM 48000 fusion drive in 3022, but the Draconis Combine commissioned an engineering team to research an alternate to keep its sizable Excalibur fleet flying. The team's proposal of a modified version the Mules smaller GE 2080 drive system proved successful and most Excaliburs produced since the 3030's use this drive system.

Armament

For such a large craft, the Excalibur mounts a relatively tiny weapons array. Mounted in the nose is a Autocannon/5, a LRM-10 launcher and single Medium Laser; on the front sides are a PPC, two LRM-10 launchers and two medium lasers; after are a single Large Laser and a pair of mediums. The pathetic array is barely adequate to overcome a poorly organized wing of Aerospace Fighters, and helps ensure that each Excalibur receives significant protection if it enters into unsecured combat zones.

Cargo

Five huge bays make up the bulk of Excaliburs interior, with four fitted as vehicle bays and the fifth able to carry a company of 'Mechs. Each of the roomy vehicle bays was designed to carry 25 heavy vehicles, a maximum weight of 1,500 tons, but structural stresses have led those units who use primarily heavy and assault weight tanks to give up an entire armor company to prevent damaging the craft. The Excaliburs cramped 'Mech bay barely has enough space for twelve 'Mech cubicles, lacking any space for repair or drop pods common to dedicated 'Mech carriers like the Leopard, Union or Overlord. Above the vehicle and 'Mech bays are six troop decks, each having accommodations for 100 troops in barrack style housing.

Variants

• Upgrade - Attempting to combat the Excaliburs weak offensive abilities, Semier Data Tron of Tharkad introduced a version of the craft using advanced weaponry in 3056. The modifications however are relatively minor, adding Artemis IV FCS to the LRM launchers, replacing the Medium Lasers with pulsed equivalents, and switching the PPCs and Large Lasers with extended-ranged versions, but with no increase of modification of the original's coolant circuit. BV (1.0) = 3,393 BV (2.0) = 3,024
• Pocket Warship - The Pocket WarShip refit of the Excalibur has a convoluted genesis, with the project triggered by the DCMS who blackmailed the Steffelbus family's Interconnectedness Unlimited into "convincing" the Federated Suns premier shipbuilder Federated-Boeing Interstellar into doing the work. The refit guts the interior of the original to mount eight AR-10 Capital Missile Launchers and two Kraken-T launchers, fed by an impressive 6,000 tons of capital missiles. The lowest vehicle deck was converted into an Aerospace Fighter squadron bay, while the infantry deck was converted to a flag deck, allowing such craft to function as fleet flagships. The refit's main flaw is that it retains the original's internal structure and armor, inferior to the many other purpose built assault ships and only partly combated by an array of Anti-Missile Systems and Screen Launchers. BV (2.0) = 24,609

References

• DropShips and JumpShips, pp 36-37
• Technical Readout: 3057, pp 61-62
• Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, pp 60-61
• Technical Readout: 3075, pp 112-113