Leopard CV (DropShip class)

Leopard CV
Production information
Manufacturer	Boeing Interstellar Bowie Industries Federated-Boeing Interstellar Irian Technologies
Production Year	2581
Use	Aerospace fighter carrier
Type	Aerodyne
Tech Base	Inner Sphere
Technical specifications
Mass	1,900 tons
Structural Integrity	7
Length	70.2 meters
Width	53 meters
Height	19.8 meters
Safe Thrust	2 g
Max Thrust	3 g
Fuel (tons)	137 tons
Fuel (days)	74.5 days
Armament	2x PPC 3x LRM-20 5x large laser 7x medium laser
Armor	29.5 tons standard
Crew	9 2 Officers 4 Enlisted 3 Gunners (Crew Types) 2 Pilots 4 Engineers 3 Secondary Engineers Bay Personnel: 12
Escape Pods/Life Boats	2/0
Heat Sinks	80 (single)
BV (1.0)	2,579
BV (2.0)	2,854

Description

Cousin to the original Leopard class DropShip, the Leopard CV is the most common fighter carrier in the Inner Sphere. Designed 50 years after the standard Leopard, advances in curved armor allowed the designers to create a more aerodynamic craft, though they left the internal systems nearly unchanged. The signature tail of the aerospace carrier does reduce the infrared signal when aimed away from an observer but opens the design to the loss of control surfaces when needed, such as in an atmosphere. The vessel's lack of a separate transit drive also requires a reconfiguring of crew furnishings, similar to the Nagumo and Avenger.

The crew and passengers of a Leopard CV can enjoy small though single occupancy rooms, a rarity aboard a combat DropShip. Few other classes likewise enjoy such roomy lounge and exercise facilities. However, due to its lack of significant cargo space, the vessel is not intended for long-term habitation; instead, the transported crew would require continuous support from the mother JumpShip, until the time for system transit. Carrying a standard squadron of aerospace fighters, the vessel is the means by which an assault (or raiding) force can transport the aerospace support to the scene of battle from the jump point, providing dedicated refueling, rearming, and maintenance requirements. Like its relative, there are plenty of parts, both still in production or available as salvage and surplus, to keep the Leopard CV strongly active.

Armament

The Leopard has an impressive weapons loadout for such a small DropShip, most useful for attacks from aerospace interceptors. It can be easily overwhelmed, however, if swarmed. It has three long range missile racks for heavy hitting, two PPCs, five large lasers, and seven medium lasers, which give it more than enough combat capability when its munitions run out. The Leopard CV can often be found at the forefront of any attack, alongside attack DropShips such as the Avenger, where their weapons and fighter screens can clear the way for dedicated transports.

Cargo

• Six aerospace fighters (3 bays, each with 2 launch doors)

This arrangement allows the quick launching and recovery of the aerospace fighters carried therein, with the small 87-ton cargo bay utilized through one of the fighter doors.

Variants

Leopard (3054) 

In 3054, Irian Naval Systems began producing an upgraded Leopard CV at Clipperton, a fact that garnered the attention of both Capellan and Word of Blake military members for export. The PPCs and Large Lasers have both been replaced by Magna Sunspot and Hellion-A III extended-range models, while the medium lasers have been upgraded with Magna 400P pulse technology. Federated-Boeing and Bowie Industries were expected to produce an upgraded variant sometime in the later half of the 3050s. BV (1.0) = 3,217 BV (2.0) = 3,376

Named Vessels

(See Category:Individual Leopard CV-class DropShips)

Notes

• In German products, the unit's proper name was translated to Leopard JT, where the abbreviation JT stands for Jägertender. The German nautical term tender is used for supply ships, while Jäger is a common short form for Jagdflugzeug (fighter aircraft).

Gallery

• 

  Original Leopard CV from TRO:3025

• 

  Leopard CV from TRO:3025 Revised

• 

  Illustration of Leopard CV from DropShips and JumpShips

• 

  Leopard CV (3054) from TRO:3057

• 

  Illustration of a Leopard CV launching a Transgressor aerospace fighter from The Periphery (sourcebook)

Bibliography

• AeroTech 2 Revised Edition
• BattleSpace
• Combat Operations
• Handbook: House Davion
• House Davion (The Federated Suns)
• Technical Readout: 3025 Revised
• Technical Readout: 3057
• Technical Readout: 3057 Revised