The Rebel Faction

TNO - Modified Articus Carrier

Name: Modified Articus-class Special Forces Carrier Frigate

Designation: ACF-DS

Mission Profile: Special Forces Deep Space Transport and Assault Frigate

Producer: TNO

Dimensions:
Length: 275 meters
Width: 75 meters
Height: 75 meters

Crew:
Gunners: 50
Sailors: 25
Engineers: 25
Pilots: 16
Others: 100
Total: 216

Consumables: 6 months

Cargo Capacity: 500 metric tonnes

Armament:
8 Heavy Turbolaser Cannons
8 General Purpose Warhead Launchers
10 Dual Laser Cannons
2 Tractor Beam Projectors

Hangar Capacity:
2xSquadron (24) of starfighters
2xshuttles

Troop/Passenger Capacity:
1 company (100) of troops or passengers

Communications Array:
Holonet Station
Long-Range Intra-System multi-pule channel communications set
Advanced High-powered jamming/anti-jamming set.
Stealth Comm System

Sensors Array:
Deep Space sonar array
Multi-directional high powered doppler radar arrays
Short Range Heat-detecting sensors
Short Range doplar radar arrays

Propulsion:
6 KDY medium ion drive engines
Custom military hyperdrive motivator
Sublight Speed: 50 MGLT
Hyperdrive Rating: x1.5

Protection:
Novaldex Shield Generator/Projector
Titanium woven reinforced Durasteel hull armour
Shield Rating: 750 SBD
Hull Rating: 250 RU

Special Systems:
Naval Anti-Instrusion System


Description: A modified version of the Articus Carrier, this ship is designed with a specific Special Forces role in mind. The ship is designed roughly similar in shape to an Escort carrier, only smaller. The ship is built around a hangar bay, with the entrance to the bay in the bow of the ship. Working backwards from there, in the middle is located the crew quarters, and hangar storage areas. In the after section are located the engines, while the topside has a bridge structre.

The first noticeable thing about the carrier is it's unique array of armament. Since this ship is designed as a carrier and assault frigate, it mounts a wide array of both defensive and offensive weapons. Six heavy turbolaser cannons are mounted on the forward section of the ship, two on the bow above and below the hangar entrance, and two on each side, mounted side-by-side in a slight hull extension packet. Two more are mounted aft.Generally, for the best amount of damage achievable, these cannons are fired in volley mode.

In addition to the turbolaser cannons, the ship also mounts eight general purpose warhead launchers. The ship carries both concussion missiles and proton torpedos for short range defense as well as heavy rockets for use against capital ships. Each tube has a magazine of up to ten or fourteen warheads, depending on the type carried.

Finally, for self defense, the Articus has 10 twin laser cannons mounted on fast-reflex mounts, designed for use against starfighters and enemy warheads. There are four mounted amidships, with any three able to fire in a single direction, two forward, and four mounted on the after part of the ship. In additon to the weapons, a complex fire control direction is incorporated into the ship, which taking advantage of the advanced sensors built into the ship, is able to coordinate the firing of the heavy turbolasers and the long range warhead launchers in order to cause as much maximum damage as possible.

The sensors and communications arrays built onto the Articus are complex and advanced compared to standard military sets. The communications array is packed with a one hundred channel set, complete with holonet stations and long-range inter-system communiques. This allows the communications officers to moniter all traffic in the system and discover the best paths to avoid detection. A new addition, only on special forces craft, is the stealth comm, which sends an extremely tight beam to other stealth comms. This allows cloaked and/or stealth fighters to remain hidden and still communicate. Only if another craft is in the path of the signal can it be picked up. In addition to this, a powerful jamming station is also present, with the ability to find and jam 95% of enemy transmissions within a planetery radius and also has the reverse capability to block enemy jamming signals, thus relieving the pressure on friendly communications channels. The sensor suite is mainly designed to detect cloaked threats near or approaching the vessel, with a sonar and doppler array provided, mounted on the bottom side of the carrier.

The hangar bay of the ship has been significantly modified from the original Articus. Instead of spaces for six Lambada shuttles, four have been removed and replaced with an extra squadron of fighters. Though generally only carrying one squadron of Special Forces troopers, this allows an entire squadron of backup fighters or space to carry dropships for insertion into hostile areas. Just behind the hangar bay is located the main crew quarters, which include sleeping and refresher cabins, a mess hall, and an entertainment room which includes holo game tables and a dual purpose movie hall/conference room. Additional cabins allows for up to one hundred passengers or troops to be embarked, and would allow commanders visiting the ship to stay overnight without any problems. Abaft of these sections are the main ship storage, which can accomodate supplies that can sustain the crew and ship for six month sorties, and a cargo hold that can contain up to five hundred metric tonnes of containerized goods.

Behind the crew and storage quarters is located the main drive reactor for the vessel. The reactor of the original Articus was replaced with a much more powerful one to allow propulsion, weapons, and sensors to be active simultaneously; however, long-range sensors still cannot be active while moving or firing. The bridge of the vessel is mounted topsides. There is a 360 degree view of space around the bridge, and in addition to the normal crew stations there is a large open area in the middle of room where several screen stations, holotables, and a large holo-projector table is located, in order to give commanders a full in-system account of the battle and other areas of interest. Torwards the rear of the bridge is located the communications array. The bridge also acts as a briefing room for the Special Forces unit.

The propulsion for the ship is present in the form of six ion engines, each one mounted on the top, bottom, port, or starboard side of the ship, the idea in this arrangement being to cut down on turn times and to allow the ship to perform a wide-array of manuevers and evasions. Two more are mounted directly aft to add forward propulsion. The engines allow the ship to travel at a moderate rate of speed, although the use of the sublight propulsion means the ship can't use her long range sensors equipment. In addition, the Articus's standard hyperdrive motivator has been significantly customized to allow for greater speed, considering the ship is generally intended to arrive before a battlefleet.

Finally, the ship is protected by durasteel armour that has fine titanium fibers melted in with it, providing a strong layer of hull armour that will resist most weapons fired against it. In addition, a Novaldex shield generator, internally located behind the drive core, with external projectors, provides a layer of shielding that is capable of triplicate shield layering to defend against particle cannons and heavy penetration warheads. These defensive measures are designed to protect the ship against starfighters and smaller capital ships, though in combat with heavier ships she would be at a major disadvantage.

The carrier is designed to transport a Special Forces squadron into a system and provide capital ship support during the mission. It's weapons suited to engaging capital ships, stations, or bombarding planetery shields or ground installations can both create a diversion and be an asset in a general battle. Finally, in case all is lost, the Articus is equipped with a self-destruct device, voice activated from the bridge, that would destroy the ship using the energy from the reactor core and turbolaser cannons, along with any remaining warheads in storage. In order to facilitate the escape of the valuable Special Forces team, the bridge is detachable from the vessel, and should this fail, the rear section of the bridge as well as various places throughout the ship contain a total of ten 20-man crew escape pods.