> The vast majority of UN ships should be cutters.
Coast Guard cutters (at least in the US) are currently named after (in
descending order of cutter size):
1). Secretaries of the Treasury or Transportation (depending on who had
oversight for the CG or its predecessor the Revenue Cutter Service at the
time) aka "Hamilton Class."
2). Famous previous CG/RCS cutters, aka "Bear" class
3). Admirable qualities, aka "Vigilance" (?) class (A Coastie I know quips
about the USCGC Punctuality...) 4). Islands 5). Coastal points 6). Fish
The Island/Point classes already match with the previous discussions of
naming UNSC vessels after geographic features of Earth, as is fitting for a
pan-national organization.
As has already been proposed as well, a "Secretary" class of something or
other named after previous UN Secretary Generals would be a good one, and who
wouldn't want to be stationed on a "Punctuality" class resupply ship?
Getting back to the "cutter" issue: at the high end, CG cutters are roughly
Frigates, as are most nation's Offshore Patrol Vessels or similar things
used for sovreignty patrols or fishery enforcement. Cutters/OPVs are
not
as combat-efficient as pure warships, since they're geared more for
constant peacetime mission use (looking for smugglers, boarding fishing boats,
aiding distressed mariners, etc) rather than constant training for infrequent
wartime use. The UNSC "cutters" would also be carrying plenty
of gear aimed toward exploration/first contact/disaster relief/whatever.
So it's clear that the UNSC ships would have less firepower than a "real navy"
ship of the same mass. However, it would have fancy sensors, extra
boarding shuttles/landing craft, extra supplies/overflow berthing for
evacuating refugees, allowances for embarking scientists and their equipment
and the like.
And, like CG cutters, I'm sure the color scheme for our helpful UNSC ships
will be peaceful pure white with friendly high-visibility orange
stripes...
(On another note, I'm one of those apostates who plays FT with counters.
I
think it's a great game system and really enjoy playing it, but painting
minis just seems like too much effort. However, the way-cool UNSC ships
may make me change my ways. Terrific designs, Jon!)
Keep 'Em Flying,
Kent,
Thanks for the exact references. Being a Brown Shoe I am not the one to name
off Cutter Classes in the USCG (Doing so would definitly make me lose face
with my Avation brethren).
OOTR: Another point of Cutter type vessels is that they are not designed to
stand and fight. So prolly no armor (again at least until the war is
underway).
Bob
> >The vast majority of UN ships should be cutters.
--->Lots a good stuff cut here ---
> Keep 'Em Flying,
> On Sun, 24 Oct 1999, Magic wrote:
> OOTR: Another point of Cutter type vessels is that they are not
Typically a cutter is underfitted with minimal systems. In time of war,
then they are outfitted with more weapons/sensors/ECM/Commo gear. One
would probably only find them with more than enough armament to deal with
ships in a Law Enforcement enviornment. However as there is a state of war
during the time of 2183, I'd say the Cutters would be fitted out to
the DE or FF level depending on hull size/intended purpose...
> RM Gill wrote:
> Typically a cutter is underfitted with minimal systems. In time of war,
Cutters typically have minimal need for force in law enforcement-type
missions. It should appear overwhelming to the potential violator, but that's
easily handled by the 3" gun of larger cutters, or even the 25mm
cannon of slightly smaller ones (say a single class-1).
Of course, at the climax of the Cold War, high-end USCG cutters were
intended as viable naval escorts, and had a pretty heavy weapons suite:
5"
gun, 2 "4-packs" of Harpoon SSMs, a 20mm CIWS, a pair of triple ASW
torpedo
tube mounts, hull-mounted sonar, fair sensors and some countermeasures
capabilty (chaff rockets). That might add up to a class-1, a PDS and
maybe
a MT missile (or abstract the Harpoons as another class-1, or even a
class-2!).
Most of that capability has been removed in recent years as excessive (and
expensive!), but a current "high-end" cutter still mounts a 3" gun and a
CIWS.
Keep 'Em Flying,
> Of course, at the climax of the Cold War, high-end USCG cutters were
In other words, the armament of a frigate (eg a Knox class) from the same era.
> That might add up to a class-1, a PDS and maybe
I would design a coastguard cutter as an escort sized vessel with a small
amount of space given over to a troop contingent with shuttle (ie a bunch of
colonial marines). It probably wouldn't have missiles (of any flavour) since
independant, long-range operations would be the order of the day.
My £0.02
> Ryan M Gill wrote:
> > OOTR: Another point of Cutter type vessels is that they are not
...hence the OU Freemantle class patrol vessel that's in the ship list.
Basically, a Super-Destroyer sized ship armed with a single class 1
beam, but with bolt-on upgrades to make it a true fleet Super-Destroyer.