Tracker

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Tracker
Production information
Manufacturer
Introduced	2407
Use	Surveillance
Tech Base	Star League
Cost	3,071,572,000 C-bills
Technical specifications
Mass	120,000 tons
Length	318 meters
Sail Diameter	1150 meters
Fuel	2,800 tons (14,000)
Burn Rate	19,75
Safe Thrust	2 g
Top Thrust	3 g
Sail Integrity	3
KF Drive Integrity	4
LF Battery	No
Armament	2 x Barracudas 1 x NL45 2 x PPCs
Armor	Standard Armor
DropShip Capacity	2
Crew	155
Grav Decks	1 x 75 meter diameter
Escape Pods/Life Boats	15/10
Heat Sinks	285
Structural Integrity	36
BV (1.0)	8,230
BV (2.0)	4,586

Description

The small Tracker-class surveillance vessel was WarShip, designed to ply trade routes and observe in-system communications. At the size of a Corvette, is not designed to stand up to a determined assault, mounting only the most minimal of deterrents and being considered a WarShip solely by virtue of being designed with a Compact Kearny-Fuchida Drive.

In order to accomplish its mission, the Tracker was designed to look innocuous, nearly indistinguishable from contemporary civilian JumpShips. Further, the Tracker was also designed to able to mount paneling to specialized hard points, allowing the ship to alter its appearance both by eye and by contemporary sensor suites. The altered ship signature, combined with an easily adjusted identification beacon, allowed a Tracker aliases with which it could hide among civilian vessels.

Despite the Tracker's usefulness, the design became obsolete by the early 2500s due to better sensor suites and also exposure to Tracker tactics. The final missions for the Tracker involved anti-pirate "Q-Ship" operations during the Reunification War, especially on the Taurian front.

Armament

The Tracker is very poorly armed. The Tracker's armament includes 2 Barracuda Missile Systems, a pair of PPCs, and a single NL45, allowing the vessel to deter both capital vessels and AeroSpace Fighters. However, against any determined attack, the Tracker is severely under-gunned. It is quick though, compared with many naval elements, so escape is probably the best course of action for a cornered Tracker.

Cargo

Despite its small size, the Tracker is able to carry a relatively large amount of cargo in accordance with its disguise as a cargo ship. It mounts 2 DropShip collars and a two cargo bays—one capable of transporting 4 small craft, the other 23,810.5 tons of cargo.

Named Vessels

Rim Worlds Republic

• RWS Krait - A former Terran Hegemony vessel broken out of mothballs and refitted as an ambush craft for the Rim Worlds Republic; disappeared into the Deep Periphery in 2769.

Terran Hegemony

• THS Marlow - The Marlow, a Tracker-class surveillance ship, was deployed to the Terra Firma system after the Capellan invasion of 2409. Appearing harmless, the Marlow waited in system until green garrison troops rotated into the system. The Marlow quickly jumped out of the system, informing a Hegemony task force the system was poorly defended. The information conveyed by the Marlow resulted in the quick liberation of the Terra Firma system.

References

• Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, pp. 186-187

Bibliography

• BattleCorps Ship Profiles#Ship Profile: Rws Krait
• Technical Readout: 3057 Revised