Military Craft & Vessels
Parasite Craft¶
All space craft unable to operate independently, with long duration are classified as Parasite Craft and usually operate in conjunction with other military craft or military vessels.
Patrol Craft (PC)¶
Patrol Craft are the smallest space craft with a military purpose, though many are operated by civilian and law enforcement agencies to patrol local space. As such, they are of limited endurance and dependent of space installations or a planetary surface for operations.
All PCs have a limited armament, usually consisting of a two Stand-Off missiles with kinetic warheads, 8 to 12 counter missiles and a small Laser Core with up to two primary, four secondary and twelve point defense apertures. They usually have external hard points for either Containerized Stand-Off missile launcher, extended endurance tanks and supplies. To keep their mass down, they only have civilian grade armour.
From a military standpoint, they are, as many operators note, 'it is at least better then a sternly worded letter' and as such considered a last point of local defense.
Patrol Craft Light (PCL)¶
The lightest of military craft, PCLw mass between 200 and 500 tonnes and are not equipped with a Heim-Feynman Event Generator. As such their operating area is in local space around a planet or station.
Heavy Patrol Craft (PCL)¶
Massing up to 1000 Tonnes, PCHs are usually merely extended range versions of PCLs, and equipped with a short range Heim-Feynman Event Generator to allow them to operate in an entire star system.
Attack Craft (AC)¶
Also described as 'Corvettes', Attack Craft are the bigger, meaner siblings of PCs. They are capable or operating from both space installations and planetary surfaces, as well as carried by larger FTL capable vessels.
ACs are also sometimes called 'Space Torpedo Boats', as in many cases their main offensive armament consists of up to twelve Stand-Off missiles and an equal number of Counter Missiles. They have a stronger Laser Cores System then PCs, with a larger number of point defense apertures, up to 24, as well as four primary and six secondary ones. They are comparatively heavily armoured, which reduces their combat endurance, as the heavy armour reduces the amount of fuel that can be carried.
Like PCs, ACs can carry long endurance tanks and supplies in external hard points, additional Stand-Off missile launchers or a mix of both.
Light Attack Craft (ACL)¶
Massing up to 750 tonnes, these craft are not equipped with Heim-Feynman Event Generators and are dependent on their base of operation.
Heavy Attack Craft (ACH)¶
Massing up to 1250 tonnes, ACHs are equipped with a Heim-Feynman Event Generator and slightly higher endurance tanks and supply stores.
If carried by a larger vessel, they are undocked before reaching their operational area, where valuable time is saved during operations, as they are able to accompany their carrier during the 'Last Mile' approach.
Interceptor Craft (IC)¶
Also described as 'just 'Interceptor', Interceptor Craft rose as response to the threat of ACs and are usually of a similar weight class. Like ACs, they are short endurance craft that can operate from space installations or planetary surfaces. They usually operate in conjunction with Assault Craft and larger space forces to provide defensive armaments.
As such, the armaments of ICs has a distinct bent towards defensive weaponry, with up to 60 Counter Missiles and a laser core that supplies only one or two primary and four secondary apertures with the majority of the cores power dedicated to up to 72 point defence apertures.
Much like ACs, their endurance or defensive armaments can be extended with external hard points.
Light Interceptor Craft (ICL)¶
Massing up to 1000 tonnes, these craft are not equipped with Heim-Feynman Event Generators and are dependent on their base of operation.
Heavy Interceptor Craft (ICH)¶
Massing up to 1750 tonnes, ICHs are equipped with a Heim-Feynman Event Generator and slightly higher endurance tanks and supply stores.
If carried by a larger vessel, they are undocked before reaching their operational area, where valuable time is saved during operations, as they are able to accompany their carrier during the 'Last Mile' approach.
Boarding Craft (BC)¶
Originally developed from PCLs, these craft mass up to 500 tonnes and are heavily armoured and meant to go in hard and fast to board another craft or vessel during combat operations.
Boarding Craft are unarmed and equipped with a special docking system that allows them to force entry through the the opponents docking system, even if heavily armoured. They provide space for one or two platoons of Espatier[¹] special forces soldiers, trained in taking and holding an opponents vessel.
In the aftermath of combat operations BCs can act as Search&Rescue Craft and to evacuate or Craft and vessels.
Some BCs are capable of atmospheric operation and can be used to land a complement of soldiers in a planetary surface.
Landing Craft (LC)¶
Landing Craft are specialised craft of 2000 up to 5000 tonnes meant to land ground forces on a planetary surface in an hostile environment and provide artillery fire support. Due to the integration of support facilities for troops and vehicles, as well as command and control facilities, they are sometimes called FOB-in-a-box.
LCs may be equipped with a Heim-Feynman Event Generator, but only the heaviest of these craft are capable of FTL travel, with the remainder depending on specialised carrier vessels.
Generally, LCs are able to land and supply fully combined arms battalions or even regiments, with integrated combat and transport helicopters. They are usually armed with a laser core geared for point defense in an atmospheric environment, as well as VLS with AAM or AGM missiles, rail gun tube artillery and loitering munitions. Additionally they carry recon and communications drones, both in heavier-than-air and lighter-than-air variants.
Usually LCs operate in groups of four, allowing the landing of division level forces on a planetary surface.
Some lighter LCs are specialised for combat resupply missions, while others carry dedicated VTOL air wings for combat operations.
Military Vessels¶
Military Vessels differ from Military Craft by their long endurance and FTL capabilities, which make the heavier then even the heaviest combat craft. Also sometimes called 'Capital Vessels'.
Frigates (F)¶
Frigates are the lightest Military Vessels, massing from 10 ktonnes up to 35 ktonnes. Their main role is to act as fast scouts for larger space forces, using powerful active and passive sensors, as well as the best in stealth technology to remain unnoticed for as long as possible.
Frigates also place recon satellites in orbits around stars and planets, as well as operate recon drones. They also carry op to eight light craft, either in form of PCs, ACs and BCs, the latter usually for special operations.
Compared to larger vessels, Frigates armaments are tilted towards the defence, even if they can take part in major operations as part of larger forces, but will provide mostly support and local defence, if not used for scouting.
Some nations use Frigates as base for PCs, which allows them to place a strong emphasis on the nations interest in a volume of space. For some smaller nations, Frigates are their only capital vessels available.
Destroyer (D)¶
Destroyers are Capital Military Vessels massing from 15 ktonnes to 45 ktonnes, their role is mainly to provide Escort to larger Capital Vessels in military forces.
Usually, Destroyers can carry up to ten smaller craft, be they PCs, ACs, ICs or BCs.
Destroyer, Defense (DD)¶
As the name suggests, the main role of an DDs is defensive in nature and it's main armaments reflect that role.
They usually carry ICs as parasite craft.
Destroyer, Assault (DA)¶
DAs are meant to take part in active combat operations as part of the first wave of assaults against an opponent. As such, they have a primarily offensive armament and carry mostly ACs, with one or two ICs.
As such, they provide command and control facilities to coordinate the operation of their parasite craft, even with larger formations in conjunction with other assault vessels.
If a nation can operation an Destroyers, they usually have an DA as flag vessel.
Cruiser (C)¶
Cruisers are Capital Vessels massing from 35 ktonnes to 90 ktonnes and are meant to operate as independent medium combatants, usually in a patrol role, as well as heavier power projection.
Cruisers support heavy weaponry and are the lightest capital vessels that are equipped with spinal weapons. They are capable of carrying up to 20 smaller parasite craft of all classifications, providing them with the ability of operating in many roles required of independently opearating vessels.
Cruiser, Armoured (CA)¶
CAs are heavier armoured variants of cruisers, meant to operate as part of larger space forces, with escorts and possibly heavier combatants. CAs usually are in the core of smaller Task Groups with several Destroyers as escorts. They usually carry less parasite craft.
Cruiser, Carrier (CC)¶
CCs are Cruisers that sacrifice parts of their armaments to carry up to 40 parasite craft.
Cruiser, Landing Support (CLS)¶
CLS are Cruisers that replace the capability to carry conventional parasite craft to replace them with up to 4 LCs, and can land brigade strength forces. Some weapon systems are replaced to supply orbital support for the LCs as well as defence against opposing space combatants with space-to-ground weapons.
Battle Cruiser (BC)¶
Battle Cruisers are Capital vessels massing from 95 ktonnes to 250 ktonnes and are meant to be fast space combatants with heavy weaponry. They can be found operating independently and in Task Groups.
Like other capital vessels, they are capable of carrying parasite craft, though their number is limited to up to 20, like on Cruisers, to be able to carry heavier weapons and more powerful thrusters.
Battleship (BB)¶
Battleships are among the heaviest capital vessels, with masses of 250 ktonnes up to 450 ktonnes and carry heavy weapon systems and heavy armour. This makes them somewhat ponderous during combat operations, necessitating their operation as part of Task Groups with the support of other, smaller vessels.
Battleships usually carry only a limited number of parasite craft.
Carrier (CV)¶
Carriers are heavy capital vessels, massing between 250 ktonnes and 500 ktonnes, designed specifically to carry and support parasite craft. They have limited armaments, purely for close in defence, with their parasite craft meant as their main weapons. As such, they are usually in the core of Task Groups.
Carrier, Landing (CVL)¶
CVLs are Carriers designed specially to carry and support Landing Craft, with a number of other parasite craft to act as support. The heaviest CVLs are able to carry up to 10 LCs and are as such capable of landing an entire division at once.
Dreadnought (BD)¶
Dreadnoughts are the heaviest capital vessels in local space, massing over 500 ktonnes. They are fortresses of heavy weapons and armaments, but are also the slowest vessels around. They are at the core of entire space fleets are rarely seen outside of orbit, unless their home nation in in a war and facing similar forces.
[¹] Espatier: space borne equivalent to Marines