Scout (JumpShip class)

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Scout Class JumpShip
Production information
Manufacturer	*Irian Technologies, Ioto Galactic Enterprises, Dharma HyperSpace
Use	Exploration/Military
Tech Base	Star League
Cost	300,000,000 C-Bills
Introduced	2712
Technical specifications
Mass	90,000 tons
Length	273 meters
Sail Diameter	890 meters
Fuel	46 tons (460)
Burn Rate	9.77
Top Thrust	0.2 Gs
Sail Integrity	3
KF Drive Integrity	3
LF Battery	None
Armament	None
Armor	40 tons
DropShip Capacity	1
Crew	17 crew, 1 AeroSpace Pilot
Grav Decks	None
Escape Pods/Life Boats	None
Heat Sinks	0 + 121
Structural Integrity	1
BV (1.0)	560
BV (2.0)	???

Description

The Scout class is the smallest JumpShip classes still in common use. Its small carrying capacity (only one DropShip) means that it is primarily used for military operations or exploration - the maintenance costs are too prohibitive for it to be viable commercially. Another notable drawback is the lack of a Grav Deck; the Scout can only produce gravity through acceleration which requires largish amounts of fuel.

However, there are also numerous benefits to the Scout design. The first is its tiny emergence signature which is difficult to detect, making the ship ideal for reconnaissance and surprise raids. The second is that it takes only 80% of the normal time required to quick-charge a Scout over an average-sized JumpShip. The third is that the docking collar is reinforced, allowing the Scout to thrust at 0.1 Gs acceleration even with a DropShip attached, provided that the DropShip is less than 25,000 tons in mass; without a DropShip, the Scout can accelerate at 0.2 Gs. The fourth is that the Jump Sail requires only 90% of the time to unfurl/furl compared to a larger sail and is less susceptible to rips and other forms of damage.

The Scout features up-to-date medical and recreation facilities and notably comfortable quarters for 17 crew and an additional aerospace pilot. The bridge is quite modern by comparison to larger class vessels. Finally, it is equipped with back-up generators that can power the life support system for three months if the main fusion power plant fails.

Armament

These vessels do not, by default, possess any weapons. There is a small craft bay, however, that can support Small Craft of up to 150 tons, and it is likely that a Scout will have a single AeroSpace Fighter to ward off attackers.

Cargo

Depending on the exact variant and subtype, the Scout can carry up to 450 tons of cargo in the cargo section. Other sources suggest it typically carries 900 tons of spare parts and has 116.5 tons of regular cargo space.

Variants

Although they all share the general characteristics of a tiny 273-meter long JumpShip with a single Docking Collar, different sources suggest a different mass for the Scout class and other minor differences; these might well be subvariants.

• 75,000 ton version with 121 heat sinks, unspecified cargo capacity (if any) (AeroTech)
• 79,000 ton version with 121 heat sinks, cargo capacity 450 tons (DropShips and JumpShips)
• 79,000 ton version with 158 heat sinks, cargo capacity 450 tons (BattleSpace rulebook)
• 90,000 ton version with 158 heat sinks, cargo capacity 26 tons (Technical Readout: 3057)

Earlier rules from BattleSpace said that DropShips require one Hardpoint for every 60,000 tons (or fraction thereof) of mass for docking, which meant by extension that very large DropShips were not allowed to dock with the Scout as it has only a single Hardpoint. This ruling has been superseded implicitly by Aerotech 2, which did not include this rule anymore, and it was finally explicitly made obsolete in Tech Manual.

Quetzalcoatl

Quetzalcoatl-Scout-class: One notable variant of the Scout class is a refit that was first made in the Third Succession War era. The refit converts the cargo space and Docking Collar into 12 fighter cubicles, thereby enabling the ship to act as a fighter support carrier at the cost of its DropShip carrying capability. Operating the fighters in shifts has allowed such ships to maintain a fighter force of up to 20.

The first ship to undergo such a refit was the Capellan Confederation's Quetzalcoatl, after it suffered crippling damage to its Hardpoint in an enemy boarding attempt. Although the original Quetzalcoatl was destroyed in the Fourth Succession War, the refit proved successful and several other ships have been refitted in this way. They are colloquially known as the Quetzalcoatl-Scout-class.

Named Vessels

• Argyll
• Cuidich 'n Righ
• Dargai
• Deep Hunter
• Fassieffern
• Juniper
• Lochaber
• Overton
• Prince's Own
• Princess Louise
• Star of David
• Wail of the Bagpipes

Scout Ship Gallery

• 

  Quetzalcoatl-class JumpShip

• 

  Scout-class JumpShip

Bibliography

• AeroTech, p. 60
• AeroTech 2 Record Sheets
• BattleSpace rulebook, p. 51
• DropShips and JumpShips, pp. 16-17
• Mercenaries Supplemental
• Mercenary's Handbook 3055, p. 23
• Technical Readout 3057, pp. 94-95
• Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, pp. 92-93