Wilmond Class
| Wilmond Class | Cuiser, Carrier (CC) |
|---|---|
| Place of Origin | United States of North America |
| Begin of Service | 2193 CE - Block II: 2201 CE - Block III: 2205 CE - Block IV: 2237 CE |
| Used by | United States Space Force Davenport Self Defense Force |
| Wars | Operation TYRANT (Attack on Onouch’l Automata in Lambda Serpentis) |
| Designer | Ingalls Space LLC |
| Designed | 2190 CE |
| Manufacturer | Ingalls Space LLC |
| Unit Cost | 465 mio. US$ |
| Produced | Earth, Sol |
| No. built | - Block I - 4 - Block II - 2 - Block III - 7 - Block IV - 6 Block I - III have been upgraded to Block IV Currently in Service: - Block II - 1 - Block IV - 18 Under Construction: - Block IV - 2 Lost: 0 |
| Variants | - Block II (enhanced sensor systems, enhanced computer systems, enhanced AI systems, Heim-Feynman Event Generator Upgrades, reactor upgrades) - Block III (reactor upgrades, MK III Alterna composite spaced armour, MiniMag upgrades, Laser core upgrades, Attack Craft support upgrades) - Block IV (enhanced ECM systems, enhanced AI systems, Heim-Feynman Event Generator upgrades, laser core system upgrades, laser aperture upgrades, Fusion Thruster Upgrades) |
| Mass | Block I/II: 89,401 metric tonnes Block III/IV: 89,497 metric tonnes |
| Length | 475 m |
| Beam | 186 m |
| Height | 145 m |
| Crew | - 143 main crew - 34 Parasite support staff - 125 Parasite crew |
| Armour | Block I/II: MK II Alterna Composite Spaced Armour (4571 metric tonnes) Block III/IV: MK III Alterna Composite Spaced Armour (4582 metric tonnes) |
| Main Armament | - 6x 7 VLS Containerised Weapon Platform Stand-Off Missiles - Laser Core System (Block I/II: 10 GW; Block III/IV: 12 GW) - 8x Primary 5m apertures - 16x Secondary 3m apertures - 2x 250 GeV Macron Caster - 4x Dual 120mm Helical Coil Gun Batteries |
| Secondary Armament | - 4x 7x3 VLS Containerised Weapon Platform Counter Missile - Laser Core System - 32x 0.5m Aperture CIWS - 22x 35mm General Dynamics 'Phalanx V' CIWS Mounts |
| Energy Systems | Primary: - 1x General Atomics 'Palo Alto' 35GW H-He3 Fusion Reactor (Block I) - 1x General Atomics 'Palo Allt B' 36GW H-He3 Fusion Reactor (Block II) - 1x Westinghouse F4M 37.5GW H-He3 Fusion Reactor (Block III) Secondary: - 1x 10GW Superconducting Battery Bank (all) - 1x Wesinghouse S1B 500MW H-He3 Fusion Reactor (Block III/IV) |
| Engines | Reaction Thrusters: - 6x Rolls Royce TFR-300 Fusion thruster (3TW) (Block I/II/III) - 6x Rolls Royce TFR-300-C Fusion thruster (3TW) (Block IV) FTL systems: - Quebec Drive Works TR-4 Heim-Feynman Event Generator (Block I) - Quebec Drive Works TR-4B Heim-Feynman Event Generator (Block II/II) - Quebec Drive Works TR-5 Heim-Feynman Event Generator (Block IV) |
| Parasites | - 29 Assault Craft (20 Light, 9 Heavy) - 8 Interceptor Craft (5 Light, 3 Heavy) - 2 Patrol Craft (1 Light, 1 Heavy) |
| Endurance | Hull Endurance: - 100 years active life span with unlimited endurance, as long as maintenance periods are kept - Capable of wilderness refuelling via atmospheric scoop and molecular sieves from gas giants - Internal Fabricators with complete part data banks allow partial rebuild from internal feed stock, as long as feed stock levels are maintained through plasma refining of raw materials with molecular sieves (2464 tonnes feed stock on board) Crew Endurance: - 12 months consumables (274 tonnes) Sub-light Endurance: - 125234 km/s Δv (9000 metric tonnes propellant & fuel) |
| Operational Range | Sub-light: Indefinite over operational lifespan FTL, solo operation: - 4.20 ly/d (Block I) - 4.40 ly/d (Block II/III) - 4.62 ly/d (Block IV) FTL, linked operation: - 6.10 ly/d (Block I) - 6.40 ly/d (Block II/III) - 6.77 ly/d (Block IV) |
| Maximum Speed | Sub-light: 4.6 gravities (45 m/s²) Atmospheric: N.A. |
The original USS Wilmond is the first military vessel that tested the concept of the Carrier Cruiser, as invented by US Space Force Colonel Andrea Wilmond during the early 22nd century. The idea was to allow the US Space Force to carry a number of parasite craft into combat without needing to send a full Carrier and its task force. Part of the idea for the Carrier Cruiser comes from the WWII era escort carrier, or 'jeep carrier'.
Since the early 22nd century Space Force was stuck with limited resources and in cis-lunar space due to the after effects of the Beijing Impact, the Chinese Civil War and the limited Kessler Syndrome, it would take until 2175 until the design idea was pulled from storage and the first actual Carrier Cruiser designed.
Named after Colonel Wilmond, the USS Wilmond proved to be a solid design and a relatively cheap alternative to larger capital craft carriers and could more easily deployed to other parts of the solar system and out-system, with only a few destroyer and/or frigates as escorts.
With the success of the USS Wilmond, the US Space Force ordered several more Ingalls Space LLC and continued to improve on the design. The high molecularity of the design allowed an ease of upgrading existing hulls that all previously build hulls could easily be upgraded to newer block designs.
This lead to other nations designing their own Carrier Cruisers, making it a relative mainstay of all larger space forces.
Pentacost Incident¶
The Pentacost Incident was an incident in 2201 when USS Pentacost, the first Block II Wilmond, and highlighted the dangers of what was later called malevolent DRM.
During her shakedown cruiser from Earth Orbit to Vesta, one of the reactor control systems of USS Pentacost experienced a short, which was determined to be a fabrication error. As per standard practice, the engineering crew of Pentacost pulled the fabricator files of the part from the database to fabricate a replacement part. While the replacement part tested out correct, as soon as it was installed in the reactor, it lead to a cascade failure on the control systems, burning out 90 percent of the entire system and leaving the vessel drifting in space.
Stuck on its backup energy storage, Pentacost had to make use of its parasites to pull her to Vesta orbit.
Afterwards, it was discovered that the company that had produced the failed component, Control System Corporation LLC, had not given the US Space Force the required fabricator file, as contractually obligates, but a file that was deliberately wrong and would always lead to the cascade failure if used. Apparently it had been the idea of a middle management person, to 'ensure strong customer bonding' by means of ensuring that the customer would always get their replacement parts from the Control Systems Corporation, as well as to punish anyone who made a 'black copy' of the system.
As a result, the US Space Force sued the Control System Corporation for damages and break of contract, as well as asked the US Department of Justice to press criminal charges for 'attempted murder' and 'destruction of federal property'. If the incident had happened outside of the solar system, the crew of USS Pentacost might have died and lead to the loss of the vessel.
It was discovered that the General Atomics 'Palo Alto' reactors of both the Block I and Block II used control systems from Control System Corporation, both of which had this malevolent DRM.
As such, USS Pentacost and USS Remmington remained the only two Block II Wilmond class Cruiser Carriers. While USS Remmington was eventually upgraded to Block III and then Block IV, USS Pentacost never received those upgrades, as the Incident left her electric system with massive problems.
USS Pentacost was eventually given to the Davenport Free State on Eyeball, after it declared independence from the United States. Pentacost finally received an upgrade to near Block IV capabilities from Ceres Dockyards Corporation in 2255.