Riga (WarShip class)

Riga
Production information
Manufacturer	???
Introduced	2440
Use	Frigate
Tech Base	Star League
Cost	???
Technical specifications
Mass	750,000
Length	693
Sail Diameter
Fuel
Burn Rate
Safe Thrust
Top Thrust	5
Sail Integrity
KF Drive Integrity
LF Battery	No
Armament	6 x NL55s 6 x NL45s 3 x Heavy NPPCs 4 x Medium NPPCs 5 x Light NPPCs 6 x NAC/30s 8 x NAC/25s
Armor	Ferro-Carbide Armor
DropShip Capacity	2
Crew	277
Grav Decks	1 x 140 meter diameter 1 x 65 meter diameter
Escape Pods/Life Boats	31/20
Heat Sinks	2,100 Heat Sinks
Structural Integrity
BV (1.0)	95,530
BV (2.0)	???

Description

Designed during the Age of War, the Riga-class frigate was meant to fill an over-looked mission profile: a large destroyer which could operate independently, but bears firepower comparable with contemporary cruisers.

Though the Star League Defense Force was at first skeptical of the Riga, production eventually began in 2438, and the class was officially commissioned in 2440. Despite the skeptic’s fears, the Riga performed its designed role admirably. The Riga-class vessels were able carry out independent missions or serve as escort ships for fleets accompanying very large vessels.

Production of the Riga-class was eventually replaced by the Congress-class in 2542. Though the Riga stayed in service for quite some time, decommissioning of the Riga-class commenced upon the introduction of the Sovetskii Soyuz-class heavy cruiser in 2735. The last Riga-class vessel was mothballed in 2740.

Armament

The Riga-class is designed for long missions away from supply lines, fulfilling the mission objectives of contemporary destroyers. At the same time, the Riga-class mounts armor and weaponry comparable with contemporary cruisers.

The ship’s armament is primarily energy-based, with an assortment of naval lasers and naval PPCs. The ship also mounts naval autocannons in order to diversify its payload.

Though formidable, the Riga is relatively defenseless alone against smaller AeroSpace assets, and is commonly deployed with two AeroSpace Fighter squadrons.

Cargo

As the Riga is meant for independent duties above all other roles, the class has an excellent cargo capacity. The class has 2 DropShip collars, and three bays. Bay 1 is capable of ferrying 2 squadrons of AeroSpace Fighters. Bay 2 is capable of containing 4 small craft. The last bay is able to carry a respectable 124,492.5 tons of cargo.

Named Ships of the Class

• Red Angel - Former SLDF vessel, reactivated by the Word of Blake. The ship was used during Jihad over New Avalon. It provided fire-support for Blakist forces until it was lost to Davion forces in December, 3072.

Sources

• Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, pp. 216-217