> At 12:22 30/10/98 -0800, you wrote:
SNIP
> John M. Atkinson
Why not drop the hull strength a bit, as you're relying on the cloak for
protection? Also, as she can't expect to survive a fighter attack in the open,
is the PDS really worth it? That would free enough space for a slightly larger
troop complement.
Then again, with a weak hull, the 5 free mass could go on another couple of
PDS (or armour) and an Ortillery system, so that the ship could e.g. decloak
at a prearranged time and receive targeting data from the SF team, perhaps in
support of a drop on a planetary defence site, as recently discussed.
Rob
Rob spake thusly upon matters weighty:
> Why not drop the hull strength a bit, as you're relying on the cloak
decloak
> at a prearranged time and receive targeting data from the SF team,
1. You'd always want a backup lander (what if the first one malfuncs or bites
it.... and you have a team on ground). 2. The Ortillery mod would be a nice
touch for a touch extraction. The ship should be for secret insertion and if
need be a fast, violent extraction followed by a cloak to escape. The Orbital
Lander is of course Stealth level 2 and Superior ECM (maybe EW capabilities?).
You need to be able to accomodate about (I'd guess) 40 guys in a SF detachment
if you wanted the whole operational detachment. Also, if you have 'drop cap
launchers' (a la Traveller) for individual drop caps, these should take some
space, but make for stealthy insertion.
Your hull doesn't need to be that strong. The C Batts can serve as
anti-fighter if need be. The PDS could stop missiles and such. But
the Cloak is your main defence.
/************************************************
I am currently working on getting the Special Forces for my NRE into shape,
and one of the things I needed to consider was how do they get to work, right?
So I sat down and threw this together on the hull of a Light Cruiser. Why
Light Cruiser? Because I wanted speed, and that was the largest ship I had
running around at thrust 6.
Sacred class Special Forces Support Ship Displacement: 5400 tonnes (Mass
factor 54) Hull Type: Average (Hull Integrity 16) Crew: 9 officer, 45 ratings
(Crew Factor 3) Armament: 2xClass 1 Batteries Sensors: Standard sensors,
1xFire Control Defenses: 1xPDS Other Systems: Cloaking Device, 2 pts Troop
Space, 1xSize 2 Orbital Lander. Drive Systems: Main Drive rating 6, FTL Drive
Procurement cost: 2040 Million Noumisma
I know that that's a small troop space, but it's only meant to insert a team
or three (depending on which type of team we want to drop). My only concern is
that for such a small, small troop complement, that's a curst expensive ship.
The class name is, of course, a reference back to the Sacred Squadron of WWII
fame.
> Rob Paul wrote:
> Why not drop the hull strength a bit, as you're relying on the cloak
Because that's not a refit of a reliable and plentiful hull, but a
special-built ship.
> open, is the PDS really worth it? That would free enough space for a
I figured it's more for psychological reasons than otherwise. No one likes
flying a sitting duck, and even the best planned SF raids go wrong sometimes.
The weapons fit is intended to blast picket ships (Corvette size, often
enough) that get too close for comfort prior to fleeing.
> Then again, with a weak hull, the 5 free mass could go on another
decloak
> at a prearranged time and receive targeting data from the SF team,
If I had a weak hull I couldn't decloak in the face of the enemy, either.
> in support of a drop on a planetary defence site, as recently
Oh, now for raids on a PDC I wouldn't use this ship. I'd use another design
I'm considering. This one is to insert teams to do recon and coordinate with
local resistance groups.
I think I'd want a modular design. I agree that it should be able to hold up
to
40 troops, which is about 3-4 teams US standards, or 2 trops SAS
standard, which is about the biggest force that you would ever see working
together in a special operation. (though I might want a smaller ship)
By modular I mean (think Space shuttle) it can carry a passenger module, or a
small lander bay, or a drop cap launcher, or a pure surveillance package, or a
small sunbmumitions module depending on the mission. So I think this would be
a ship with nothing but speed, cloak and a bay. The bay would hold a module
that would have to be covered by special rules.
Either the ship is streamlined to make its own landings or it can carry a
lander module (if necessary). A unit employing this vessel would be
proffessional enough to get it right the first time So if one is using crew
rules they should eb the highest grade (or higher) If it was detected and
damaged by enemy fire the insertion would be called off anyway. (Think TF 160
or 1st SOW here, professionalism or competence above any other flying unit
melded with the most state of the art that money and technology can buy.) A
sfar as weapoins go, I woudln't install one at expense of stealth
capability,sensors, or speed. Most all SOF insertion birds normally don't
carry even defesnive weapons, (though they have the capability depending on
the situation)
For cloak, either two systems Blackout, traditional FT cloak. No see in or
out. And or Looking Glass, can see out and manuever. The difference being that
the player doesn't have to write all his orders in advance. These are one off
ships and could be used in scenarios as victory conditions (Successful
insertion accomplished, etc etc.)
Just thinking out loud here.
Now John's ship is more of special operations recovery ship since it seem s to
be geared towards getting the ship I describe above in and out of system.
This looks very close to my own OU Specforces destroyer:
Keppel Class Superdestroyer (176 points) Mass: 44 Hull: Average FTL: Std Main
Drive: 5
Hits: 13; 4/3/3/3
Crew Factor: 3 + 2 marines
Cloaking Device Firecontrols: 2
2 x Class-1 batteries (6-arc)
1 x Ortillery system
Mass-2 Interface Lander
2 x Marine crew factors (Specforces)
http://users.mcmedia.com.au/~denian/ft/oufleet.htm
'Neath Southern Skies
> -----Original Message-----
decloak
> at a prearranged time and receive targeting data from the SF team,
Heres a couple of ideas for SOF insertion/extraction ships that I had
Mass: 38 Hull: 2 Thrust: 8 Hanger bay: 2 mass Troop space: 4 mass Cloak
Cost: 228 points
Mass: 50 Hull: 2 Thrust: 6 Hanger bay: 5 mass Troop Space: 4 mass Cloak
Ortillery system
Cost: 300 points
In both of the above cases I was thinking insertion by orbital drop. As for an
extraction system this is going to sound totally nuts. Somewhere sometime ago
I read of some bloke (a pom I think) who was making inflatable planes! They
don't go too fast obviously. So here is the idea. Your SOF team drops in with
an inflatable glider in a backpack. When they get to the extraction site they
inflate the glider, send a cable up on a balloon and climb in. The extraction
shuttle comes down and snags the cable and huals the glider in once the glider
is airbourne. If your SOF teams is wearing PA you are going to need some
serious reinforcing of the glider to make it all work. A bungee cord on the
glider instead of a solid cable will ease some the acceleration problems. Just
a thought.
Tony. twilko@ozemail.com.au
> At 12:22 30/10/98 -0800, you wrote:
> At 12:22 PM 10/30/98 -0800, John M. Atkinson wrote:
That's only 12 guys by the way... 2 Mass = 50 CC. 12 * 4 =
48...
Gort, Klaatu barada nikto!