Solomani Confederation (Military)

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

Q. That gap for the Confederation Navy, likely starting appearing with the arrival of the quarter megatonne Prometheus class.

R. It could be inferred that the technological level fourteen Normandy class heavy cruiser fills the role of the super cruiser.

S. Since production of the Victory class would have been halted by then, and the Zeus class battlecruisers would be filling the role of the principal line of battle ship, until such time there would be sufficient numbers of Promethii.

T. Super cruisers only really need to deal with heavyish cruisers.

U. With sufficient speed to intercept them, and enough firepower to destroy them.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

V. The Normandy class heavy cruiser is a sort of a dilemma, for the design principles I'm basing the Confederation heavy units on.

W. I'm going with multiples of thirty one and half hundred tonne jump Victory modules as the basis for calculating how much volume a given group can transition through jump space, as well as how far.

X. At four parsecs, that's speed bumps of 31'450, 62'900, 94'350, and 125'800 tonnes.

Y. I didn't see the Normandy class replacing the Victory class.

Z. Especially, as it would increase the canonical tonnage of seventy kilotonnes by seventy eight percent.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

1. Personally, I'd have nothing against deflating the Normandy class by ten percent.

2. My view is that's it's rather a waste to design any major combatant larger than seventy five kilotonnes.

3. I did mention super cruisers.

4. Problem with super cruisers is that you'd need a larger armament, minimum factor/one meson gun, or a factor two or three particle accelerator.

5. And, I really don't want to open up a new production line for either model.

6. Factor/one particle accelerator is going to be rather dangerous to other major combatants.

7. And you could back that up with a couple of large bay weapon systems.

8. I sort of see the Normandy class more as a miniature Prometheus class.

9. There to undertake missions for which a fast dreadnought would be overkill.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

A. Going with the notion that the Confederation Navy had always wanted really large numbers of line of battle ships from the very beginning.

B. In preference to major and intermediate combatants.

C. Said major and intermediate combatants only existing to fulfill two principal roles in a major engagement.

D. Screen the line of battle from enemy major, intermediate, and minor combatants.

E. Make up the numbers for the line of battle.

F. And the usual fleet scouting role.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

G. I wasn't really keen on opening up another production line for the thirty one and a half hundred tonne module jump drive.

H. But, the Beijing class deep strike cruiser needed that five parsec range.

I. I'd have gone with packaging nine three hundred fifteen tonne jump drive modules together.

J. Unfortunately, that tops out at 22’320 tonnes for five parsecs.

K. Whereas a thirty one and a half hundred tonne module hits 25’160 tonnes.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

L. The Beijings would then mass either twenty five, or fifty kilotonnes.

M. Which is really way off from their canonical forty kilotonnes.

N. Given current combat rules, fifty kilotonnes actually makes more sense.

O. Also, hard to stuff a spinal mount into eight kilotonnes.

P. Considering, that also includes the manoeuvre drive, power plant, armour, screens, secondaries, stores, and so on.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

Q. The technological level fourteen Beijing class deep strike cruiser would be somewhat unique in the Confederation Navy order of battle, having a spinal mount and five parsec range.

R. I always thought that the follow up would be a technological level fifteen Shanghai class strike cruiser.

S. It's quite possible, commerce raiding doesn't need a spinal mount, just a way to disrupt commerce, and jeopardize rear area naval facilities.

T. That would certainly curtail the need to open up another production line, dedicated to really large technological level fifteen jump drives with six parsec ranges.

U. Also. large bays can outrange spinal mounts.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

V. Once the technological level fifteen breakthrough is achieved, priority would go for electronics, basically computers, fire control, communications, sensors, and so on.

W. Confederation Navy starwarships being designed to accommodate easily future upgrades.

X. Weapon and defensive systems would be next.

Y. Then, engineering.

Z. And since you'd need separate production lines for potentially enormous components, something to be applied sparingly.

 

[Condottiere]

Confederation Navy: Evolution of Line of Battle Ships

1. In theory, we'd have continuity in the Confederation Navy, if the Prometheus class actually were improved battlecruisers.

2. Instead of being Queen Elizabeths, they would be Hoods.

3. You could label the Admiral class as intermediate fast battleships, and later, the Hood was popularly viewed as a battlecruiser.

4. In fact, I'm pretty sure that the first, and only, time, I encountered the category fast dreadnought was in Fighting Ships of the Solomani Confederation.

5. On consideration, with thirteen and a half incher battleships being termed super dreadnoughts, the Queen Elizabeths could qualify for fast dreadnoughts, being built with speed one seventh faster.

6. A little research came up with an Imperium Navy variant.

7. Brand new and clean as a whistle, the Perisher Class of dreadnought so far only consists of three prototype models, with the keel of 4 production models being laid and due for completion in 1008.

8. Top of the range and state of the art, the Perisher is intended for a fast-response or heavy strike role.

9. Could be that the Imperium Navy was responding to the the Prometheus class.