WarShip

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In the BattleTech universe, the term WarShip refers to starships that combine the capability of faster-than-light (FTL) travel with powerful inter-system thrust engines and heavy weapons and armor. Because of the former capability, they technically fall into the JumpShip category, but unlike these non-combatants, WarShips are geared for space combat. They outclass every common JumpShip and virtually any DropShip by an order of magnitude in size and power.

Description

Considered the pinnacle of starship engineering, the defining aspect of a WarShip is the use of a Compact Kearny-Fuchida Drive, an expensive component that has only half the mass of a similarly powerful regular Kearny-Fuchida Drive but greater structural integrity, parameters useful for combat but next to useless for regular JumpShips.

Construction

WarShips could be described as super-large DropShips with jump capability; they do not suffer from the lack of mobility normally associated with JumpShips, instead mounting powerful transit drives enabling them to move through space like DropShips - including combat maneuvering. However, unlike DropShips, WarShips are incapable of atmospheric operations.

Many, but not all, WarShips have Hardpoints that allow them to carry DropShips with them, further increasing their cargo capacity and combat capabilities.

Dissemination

The first WarShips were deployed by the Terran Alliance. At the height of the Star League, fleets of thousands of these behemoths roamed the stars, enforcing the League's will. The decline of Lostech during the Succession Wars left no WarShips operative outside of the hidden ComStar fleets, and up until the beginning of the Clan Invasion in 3049 they were essentially extinct in the Inner Sphere, having fallen prey to combat losses, attrition and maintenance shortfalls.

When Aleksandr Kerensky departed the Inner Sphere with his forces they took 1,349 JumpShips with them, escorted by 402 WarShips. Only 260 WarShips are known to have survived the Exodus Civil War; it is estimated that since then, the Clans between them have built anywhere from 50 to 300 more. While each Clan fields 18 WarShips on average in the Inner Sphere, the actual numbers differ wildly from Clan to Clan. During the invasion, Clan Jade Falcon deployed the single largest number of WarShips, fielding 28 in total of which most were Aegis-class. Clan Wolf deployed the smallest number (2 ships).

Back in the Inner Sphere, over 90% of the Successor State's WarShip fleets were lost in the maelstrom of the First Succession War. The last operative WarShips in the Inner Sphere were believed destroyed during the Second Succession War, save a number of non-salvageable derelicts and a small fleet secretly maintained and hidden by ComStar.

Following the Clan invasion and the rediscovery of lost technologies, WarShip construction restarted in the Inner Sphere. In October 3056, ComStar's First Circuit decided to allow the sale of transit drives for WarShips (which only the ComStar-controlled Rolls-Royce factories on Terra could produce at the time) to the Draconis Combine and the Federated Commonwealth, while aid from the fanatical ComStar splinter group the Word of Blake located drives from derelict ships that the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation could recondition and return to a functioning status. Further recovery of lost technology has since enabled most greater powers in the Inner Sphere to field operational WarShips, but only the most industrious of Successor States can construct more than one at a time because of their extreme costs.

Manufacturing

WarShips are the largest class of starship ever built. As such, they are built at orbital docks. They do not differ significantly from other spaceships (DropShips and JumpShips) in operation.

Generally, all later WarShips are equipped with a Lithium-Fusion Battery system. Those that did not include one in their initial design have since been upgraded to carry one.

WarShip Categories

See Also: Canon Warship Overview

Like DropShips, WarShips are divided into categories based on their role. Most of these terms have survived since the days of sailing ships, and were updated to reflect the realities of space combat.

• Corvettes - The smallest WarShip category, these craft rarely mass more than 500,000 tons. Lightly armed and armored but extremely swift and equipped for extended tours of duty, corvettes are ideal for commerce protection and raiding.
• Destroyers - More heavily armed than corvettes, these ships perform the same raiding and escort duties, but also serve as guardians of orbital installations. They typically mass between 500,000 and 700,000 tons.
• Frigates - Rarely smaller than 700,000 tons, these ships serve as escorts and picket ships. Usually they are equipped with excellent sensors and are deployed at the edge of a fleet to act as sentries. Frigates also operate as transports, allowing DropShips to dock at their various hardpoints.
• Cruisers - The most diverse ship category in any fleet, vessels in this class are typically further subdivided into light cruisers, heavy cruisers, and battlecruisers. As their speed is comparable to destroyers and frigates they serve as escorts, raiders, and picket ships, but mount more firepower and armor than the other two ship types. Most cruisers pack enough equipment and supplies to operate away from technical support bases, making them ideal raiders. As a whole, cruisers typically mass between 700,000 and 1,200,000 tons, but there are rumors that the Terran Hegemony built some ships in this class that massed 1,500,000 tons.
  • Heavy Cruisers - Typically these ships trade away some of the light cruiser's speed for additional firepower. Clan toumans typically use these as command vessels.
  • Battlecruisers - These ships are loaded with heavy weapons and armor, but their over-sized engines allow them to remain very nimble and quick in a confrontation. Usually these ships are the "heavy hitters" of a fleet, providing most of its firepower.
• Battleships - The single largest ship class in history, battleships are easily able to keep pace with frigates and outrun heavy cruisers. Their massive weapon payloads and armor protection ensure that they serve as a fleet flagships, while hitting the most dangerous and determined opposition to break through and create opportunities for their smaller companions to exploit. The pride of the SLDF Navy, the McKenna-class battleship, weighed two million tons, a record that was not broken until Clan Ghost Bear launched the 2.4 million ton Leviathan-class ship.
• Carriers - These are WarShip-sized Aerospace Fighter transports. Principally, there have been few ships dedicated to the carrier role; during the Star League era many navies used hybrid designs that combined the carrier role with another ship type. As a result, carrier tonnages have varied from Frigate to Battlecruiser size. These dual-role ships were not produced by most of the factions in 31st century during the brief resumption of WarShip production; the one exception was Clan Snow Raven, who produced the Conqueror-class Battlecruiser-Carriers in limited numbers.

Known WarShip Classes

(See also: Category:WarShips)

• Transports & Auxiliary Vessels

• Carrack - 300,000 ton Transport, re-introduced to service in 2950 by the Clans following a minor redesign/upgrade of an old Star League ship class of the same name. Composite armor, 2 Hardpoints, 4 small craft. No Lithium-Fusion Battery.

• Faslane - 550,000 ton Yardship, introduced in 2882 by ComStar. Ferro-aluminum armor, 2 Hardpoints, 2 small craft. Heavily armed mobile unpressurized shipyard/repair bay for vessels of up to 2,000,000 tons. No Lithium-Fusion Battery. Based on the older Newgrange class.

• Volga - 775,000 ton Transport, introduced in 2709 by the Star League. Ferro-aluminum armor, 4 hardpoints, 20 fighters. Based off the hull of a mothballed Quixote-class frigate.

• Newgrange - 2,300,000 ton Yardship; the Star League predecessor to the Faslane class. Largest known ship created by League.

• Surveillance Vessels

• Tracker - Surveillance Vessel and older companion of the Nightwing class.

• Nightwing - 100,000 ton Surveillance Vessel, introduced in 2447 by the Terran Hegemony. No hardpoints, 4 small craft. Designed to resemble a civilian JumpShip, mounts advanced surveillance gear. Phased out in favor of the more modern Bug-Eye when its integral electronics suite became outdated and could not be reworked.

• Bug-Eye - 6,100 ton Surveillance Vessel, introduced in 2620 by the Star League. No hardpoints, fighters or small craft. Lightly armed reconnaissance vessel small enough to blend in with DropShip traffic. All remaining ships joined the Exodus, but were mothballed by the Clans, who regard such tactics as dishonorable.

• Corvettes

• Vigilant - 140,000 ton Corvette; small patrol vessel, replaced by the Vincent class in 2432. Noted for being relatively well-armed but with limited detection capabilities and therefore often paired with Bonaventure-class Corvettes in groups of two each. No hardpoints, 6 fighters and 4 small craft.

• Zechetinu - 180,000 ton Corvette, introduced in 3057 by the Free Worlds League. 1 hardpoint, 6 fighters, fast convoy escort/raider.

• Bonaventure - 240,000 ton Corvette, introduced in 2317 by the Terran Hegemony. Small patrol vessel noted for excellent surveillance capabilities but weak armament. Often deployed in pairs together with two Vigilant-class Corvettes for protection. Replaced by the Vincent-class in 2432. No hardpoints, 6 fighters and 2 small craft.

• Vincent - 412,000 ton Corvette, introduced 2432 by the Terran Hegemony. Ferro-carbide armor, no hardpoints, 6 fighters (10 after Clan upgrade) and 4 small craft. Standard version was Mark XXXIX; upgraded Clan version is known as Vincent MK 42.

• Inazuma - 200,000 ton Corvette, introduced in 3058 by the Draconis Combine. 3 hardpoints, 6 fighters, designed for high-speed attack runs and combat insertions.

• Fox - 235,000 ton Corvette, introduced in 3057 by House Davion. Ferro-aluminum armor, 5 hardpoints, 12 fighters and 2 small craft. Originally designated the RX-78 class; renamed in honor of the late prince Hanse Davion, "the Fox".

• Fredasa - 175,000 ton Corvette/Raider, introduced in 2962 by the Clans. Lamellor ferro-carbide armor, 1 Hardpoint, 20 fighters and 2 small craft. Notable for its small emergence signature.

• Frigates

• Concordat - 440,000 ton Frigate, introduced by the Taurian Concordat in 2506. With 4 DropShip hard points and an array of naval weapons capable of threatening battleships, the last Concordats survived until the 1st Succession War.

• Wagon Wheel - 660,000 ton Frigate, introduced in 2570 by the Taurian Concordat. 2 hardpoints, 12 fighters and 4 small craft. Only "a handful" were built.

• Riga - ca. 750,000 ton Frigate. Produced in 2440 and was a balanced armed and armored Warship of its time. It served as a escort vessel during its time in service with the SLDF. The ship was replaced by the Sovetskii Soyuz-class in 2735 after centuries of service. A few years later a new Destroyer/Carrier type Warship was given same Class name. They had 2 hardpoints, carry 2 squadrons of Aerospace fighters.

• Quixote - ca. 775,000 ton Missile Frigate. Heavily armed and armored. The drive system was considered too small, and the Quixote was replaced by the Congress class in 2542. The Quixote chassis used as the basis of the Volga class.

• Kyushu - 625,000 ton Frigate, introduced 3057 by House Kurita. Ferro-aluminum armor, 4 hardpoints, 18 fighters (or 12 small craft). Bays for 108 'Mechs which can be dropped from orbit.

• Eagle - 630,000 ton Frigate, introduced by House Marik in 3060. 4 hardpoints, 6 fighters, intended as escort vessel for the FWLM's Thera-class super-carrier.

• Riga - 750,000 ton Frigate, introduced in 2440 by Star League. 2 hardpoints, 12 fighers and 4 small craft. The Riga-class was replaced by the Soyetskii Soyuz class of heavy cruisers. Extensively upgraded with Clan technology and re-designated as the York class.

• Congress - 760,000 ton Frigate, introduced in 2542 by the Terran Hegemony. Ferro-carbide armor, 2 hardpoints, 6 fighters and 4 small craft increasing to 10 fighters and 5 small craft after Clan upgrades.

• Dante - Frigate class produced by ComStar up until 2949. Only 3 of these ships were constructed and all were lost during the Jihad. 2 hard points and 12 fighters.

• Destroyers

• Baron - 480,000 ton Destroyer, introduced in 2520 by the Terran Hegemony. No Hardpoints, 6 fighters, 6 small craft. Described as slow and "unimpressive". Replaced by the Essex class in 2720.

• Impavido - 485,000 ton Destroyer, jointly introduced 3058 by Houses Marik and Liao, and Word of Blake. Ferro-aluminum armor, 2 hardpoints, 18 fighters.

• Carson - 510,000 ton Destroyer, introduced by the Star League in 2632. The ships poor peformance brought on its early replacement by second Essex class in 2711. No hardpoints, 6 fighters and 6 small craft.

• Tatsumaki - 520,000 ton Destroyer, introduced in 3059 by the Draconis Combine. 2 hardpoints, 18 fighters, 15 small craft, heavily armed JumpShip escort, heavily flawed and beset by technical problems. Because of these problems, only two ships were ever built.

• Naga - 540,000 ton Destroyer, introduced in 2645 by the Star League. Replaced the Terran Hegemony Essex class in 2711. No hardpoints, 12 fighters and 2 small craft. The last 3 known Nagas in mothballs orbitting Neptune.

• Suffren - 540,000 ton Destroyer, introduced in 3062 by ComStar. Ferro-aluminum armor, 4 hardpoints, 8 small craft.

• York - 595,000 ton Destroyer/Carrier, introduced in 2947 by the Clans based on refits of older Riga-class vessels. Lamellor ferro-carbide armor, 2 hardpoints, 50 fighters and 5 small craft.

• Lola III - 678,000 ton Destroyer, introduced in 2662 by the Star League. Ferro-carbide armor, no hardpoints, 6 fighters and 4 small craft (or 10 fighters).

• Davion - 520,000-580,000 ton Destroyer; the block I Davion was introduced in 2510, followed by the block II in 2552. Upgraded to the Whirlwind class.

• Essex - 612,000 ton Destroyer, introduced in 2711 by the Star League. Ferro-aluminum armor, no Hardpoints, 6 fighters + 4 small craft (10 fighters + 10 small craft after Clan upgrade). A previous Essex-class destroyer served in the Terran Hegemony in the 25th and 26th centuries.

• Cruisers

• Dart - 680,000 ton Light Cruiser, first launched 2305 by Terran Hegemony. The ship carries six DropShips and 6 small craft and was a used for early exploration. The design was later sold to Periphery powers and was considered "ancient" by 2722.

• Aegis - 745,000 ton Heavy Cruiser, introduced in 2372 by the Terran Hegemony, making it the oldest WarShip class still in service. Ferro-carbide armor, 4 Hardpoints, 6 fighters and 4 small craft, increasing to 20 fighters and 10 small craft with Clan upgrades. The original class was mothballed in 2531, but reactivated in 2582 after all ships underwent a substantial upgrade program. A surprisingly capable and durable design, considering its age.

• Avalon - 770,00 ton Cruiser produced by the Federated Suns. 6 hardpoints, 12 fighters, so-called Missile Cruiser for large number of AR-10 capital missile launchers it mounts.

• Kimagure - 780,000 ton Pursuit Cruiser with superior speed and maneuverability introduced in 2852 by the Star League. 2 hardpoints and 12 fighters. Upgraded to the Conqueror class.

• Kirishima - 790,000 ton Cruiser, introduced in 3061 by House Kurita. Ferro-carbide armor, 3 hardpoints, 12 fighters and 2 small craft.

• Black Lion - 802,000 ton Battlecruiser, introduced in 2691 by the Star League. 4 Hardpoints, 18 fighters (increasing to 20 after Clan upgrades) and 10 small craft. Clan upgraded version features Lamellor ferro-carbide armor.

• Agamemnon - 815,000 ton Heavy Cruiser, introduced by 3058 by the Free Worlds League. 4 hardpoints, 18 fighters, sits between Black Lion and Sovetskii Soyuz with regards speed and firepower.

• Sovetskii Soyuz - 823,000 ton Heavy Cruiser, introduced in 2742 by the Star League. Current version (after Clan refit) has been upgraded to ferro-aluminum armor, 20 fighters + 8 small craft.

• Avatar - 830,000 ton Heavy cruiser, introduced in 2531 by the Terran Hegemony. 6 Hardpoints, 24 fighters. Replaced the Aegis class and was in turn replaced by the Luxor class. Known for unresolved problem with shipboard electricity short-outs which led to the demise of the class.

• Liberator - 830,000 ton Cruiser; Liberator is the Clan designation for their upgraded version of the Avatar class. Ferro-carbide armor, 6 hardpoints, 30 fighters. Notable for small emergence signature.

• Cameron - 859,000 ton Battlecruiser, introduced in 2668 by the Star League. Ferro-carbide armor, 2 Hardpoints, 16 fighters, increasing to 20 fighters and 2 small craft after Clan upgrades. Failed to live up to expectations.

• Luxor - 890,000 ton Heavy Cruiser that was used to replace the aging SLDF Avatar class in the early 28th Century. All these ships were destroyed during the liberation of Terra in 2779.

• Feng Huang - 970,000 ton Cruiser, first launched in 3058 by the Capellan Confederation. 6 hardpoints, 26 fighters, intended to hold its own against the Thera and heavily armored at the expense of weaponry.

• Mjolnir - 1,350,000 ton Battlecruiser, introduced in 3062 by the Lyran Alliance. 4 hardpoints, 36 fighters. Originally intended to be a light cruiser, the Mjolnir programme transformed into the largest post-Succession WarShip.

• Potemkin - 1,508,000 ton Troop Cruiser, introduced in 2611 by the Star League. Ferro-carbide armor, 25 hardpoints, 10 small craft. Capable of moving an entire division of troops.

• Carriers

• Samarkand - 350,000 ton Aerospace Carrier introduced by the Draconis Combine in 2579. It carries 72 fighters & the ship was designed primarily as an Aerospace support ship. The ship could not handle large Warships and required escorts.

• Conqueror - 780,000 ton Battlecruiser/Carrier, introduced by Clan Snow Raven in 3052. 2 hardpoints, 100 fighters. This is a Clan refit of the earlier Kimagure-class, originally intended to be carrier-escort ships for the massive Leviathan dreadnought.

• New Syrtis - 920,000 Carrier introduced by the Federated Suns shortly before the Reunification War. The first WarShip specifically designed to dominate local space through large quantities of AeroSpace Fighters.

• Thera - 960,000 ton Super-Carrier, introduced in 3060 by the Free Worlds League. 4 hardpoints, 216 fighters, 8 small craft. Able to carry four full aerospace regiments, giving it the largest fighter capacity known of an Star League or Clan vessel.

• Battleships

• Du Shi Wang - 900,000 ton Battleship, introduced by Duchy of Liao in 2380. An early design pre-dating the formation of the Capellan Confederation. The majority of the ship's main weaponry was mounted on the bow. This class was primarily designed for fleet engagements & it remained in service until the early Succession Wars, where most of the class were destroyed.

• Dreadnought - 960,000 ton Battleship originally commissioned by the Terran Alliance; the first true combat WarShip and directly responsible for the creation of the Terran Hegemony. The Dreadnought-class served up until the end of the Reunification War.

• Atreus - 1,100,000 ton Battleship built by House Marik and contemporary of the Monsoon class to which it compared favourably regarding firepower and maintenance requirements. 2 hardpoints and 24 fighters.

• Nightlord - 1,200,000 ton Battleship, introduced in 2932 by Clan Snow Raven. Lamellor ferro-carbide armor, 4 hardpoints, 20 fighters. Carries 100 'Mechs and and Elemental points each; regarded as the ultimate in Clan-produced weaponry.

• Monsoon - 1,310,000 ton Battleship, introduced in 2368 by the Terran Hegemony. 6 hardpoints, 18 fights and 8 small craft. Replaced by the Texas class in 2618.

• Texas - 1,560,000 ton Battleship, introduced in 2618 by the Star League. Lamellor ferro-carbide armor, 6 hardpoints, 40 fighters and 16 small craft. Advanced ship commissioned to supplant the aging Monsoon class.

• Farragut - 1,680,000 ton Battleship class noted for its strong and stress-resistant hull, used later as the design basis for constructing the McKenna class from. 2 hardpoints, 36 fighters and 10 small craft.

• McKenna - 1,930,000 ton Battleship, introduced in 2652 by the Star League. Ferro-carbide armor, 6 hardpoints, 50 fighters, 16 small craft. Largest jump-capable craft built during the Star League era and arguably the best-known WarShip class with an excellent reputation.

• Leviathan - 2,400,000 ton Heavy Transport/Heavy Battleship, introduced in the mid-3050s by Clan Ghost Bear. 8 hardpoints, 50 fighters, originally intended to be the largest Clan WarShip built, and completed as transport ship to move entire Clan to Inner Sphere before being refitted to battlecruiser.

Bibliography

• AeroTech 2
• Field Manual: Free Worlds League
• Field Manual: Capellan Confederation
• Historical: Reunification War
• Jihad Hot Spots: 3070
• Jihad Hot Spots: 3076
• Technical Readout: 2750
• Technical Readout: 3057
• Technical Readout: 3057 Revised
• Technical Readout: 3067
• Technical Readout: 3075