French Aconit class Frigate (redux)

French Aconit class Frigate

Late in 2279 the French commissioned the first Orage class Frigate, a slow nuclear powered vessel based around a 15 MW fission plant and toting a heavy gun armament (6 double turrets), but slow (driven by a 1 MW twin coil drive) and initially lacking any missile armament (missile packs were rapidly installed). It quickly became evident that the Orage was too slow, even after her lack of missile armament problem was solved but inspired the German Saschen class, another heavy gun ship but sufficiently fast to meet the minimal fleet speed of warp 1.5. The MSF already had an alternate hull design, and fit the reactor of the Orage into it, powering a 10MW single coil. The price was a reduced armour belt and gun armament, and the streamlining required for a non-orbital build (utilising ground based industries allowed for greater speed) meant that spin-gravity could not be installed.

The Aconit performed very well in combat, and was supplied to co-belligerent nations in the war against Manchuria, with both Bavaria and Russia receiving many vessels. It was a Bavarian Aconit that was first to see combat, when the Manchu frigates Tunghu and Ilu attacked a convoy escorted by Kassel. The battle was decided by the number of missile communicators. Kassel had two, the two Manchu ships had six between them. The exchange left Kassel dead and the two Manchu frigates badly damaged and sans ordnance, forcing them to abandon their raid up the French arm.

At Barnard's Star three Russian Aconits chased down and attacked two larger Manchu frigates (Chien-Lung and K'ang-Sai) and both sides were badly damaged in the exchange, again forcing the Manchu ships to withdraw to Earth. The Aconit class saw further action at several battles of the Central Asian War and emerged with a high reputation, which has only been furthered by subsequent wars. The Aconit is currently the largest single class of combat starships ever built.

Date of design: 2279

First example laid down: 2279

First example completed: 2280

Number built: almost 50 (not all survive)

Fleets in service: France, "Bavaria", Freihafen, Germany, Japan, Russia, Ukraine

Performance, as built

Warp efficiency: 2.29 (standard load) (2.38 unloaded)

Power Plant: 15 MW fission

Fuel: nil

Range: 7.7 light years

Endurance: atmosphere (life support) for 40 for 180 days, 270 tons stores (~ 90 days for full complement)

Mass: 2,518 tons (standard load, 2,248 tons unloaded)

Cargo Capacity: 1,400 cubic meters

Crew: 40 (14 Bridge, 8 TAC, 12 Engineering, 1 Security, 4 Stewards, 1 Medical); Passengers: none

Comfort: 0;

Emergency Power: 1 week

Total Life Support: 7,200 man-days atmosphere

Cost: MLv24.025 exclusive of stores and launched ordnance

Ship Status Sheet

Move: 5

Screens: 0

Radiated Signature: 4(5)

Radial Reflected: 5

Lateral Reflected: 6

Target Computer: +1;

Radial Profile: -1

Lateral Profile: 0

Armour: 2

Hull hits: 34/9/17

Power Plant Hits: 100/20

Active: 7

Passive: 5

Agility: 0

Other:

Weapons

4 x1+1 lasers in masked turrets w/ UTES(1238, 3456, 4567, 1278))

Ordnance Load

2 Ritage-1 launchers each with 4 missiles

Plumbing for 1 Ritage-1 type missile pack (8x Ritage-1 or 2x Ritage-2)

1 Magnetic sling with airlock for carried small craft (no maintenance or fuelling facilities)

Sensors and Electronics:

Spherical Passive-5

Directional Active-7

Navigation Radar

DSS

Gravitational

Crew Hits:

Bridge: Captain, Navigator, Helm, 2 Communications, 2 Computer

TAC: 4 Fire Control (Laser Turrets), 2 Remote Pilot, Passive Operator, Active Operator

Damage Control/ Troops: 18 (6 DC teams)

Performance, as typical in 2301

Upgrades to keep the Aconit effective have mainly been electronic, and the most costly upgrade was the 4 target computers to the current model (+2 instead of +1). 4 LL-2 were installed, which have destroyed the streamlining and a Ritage-2 pack is installed as standard. The drive was left single coil.

Warp efficiency: 2.26 (standard load) (2.34 unloaded)

Power Plant: 15 MW fission

Fuel: nil

Range: 7.7 light years

Endurance: atmosphere (life support) for 40 for 180 days, 270 tons stores (~ 90 days for full complement)

Mass: 2,617 tons (standard load, 2,207 unloaded)

Cargo Capacity: 1,400 cubic meters

Crew: 40 (14 Bridge, 8 TAC, 12 Engineering, 1 Security, 4 Stewards, 1 Medical); Passengers: none

Comfort: 0;

Emergency Power: 1 week

Total Life Support: 7,200 man-days atmosphere

Cost: MLv35.528 exclusive of stores and launched ordnance (new build, older Aconits had a refit of MLv15 each)

Ship Status Sheet

Move: 5

Screens: 0

Radiated Signature: 4(5)

Radial Reflected: 5

Lateral Reflected: 6

Target Computer: +2;

Radial Profile: -1

Lateral Profile: 0

Armour: 2

Hull hits: 34/9/17

Power Plant Hits: 100/20

Active: 7

Passive: 5

Agility: 0

Other:

Weapons

4 x1+1 lasers in masked turrets w/ UTES(1238, 3456, 4567, 1278)

4x LL-2 submunitions launchers (each 5 shots, 3x1 warhead)

Ordnance Load

2 Ritage-1 launchers each with 4 missiles, all D type (as R-1, but 5x2 nuclear warhead)

Ritage-2 pack carried as standard (4 missiles total)

1 Magnetic sling with airlock for carried small craft (no maintenance or fuelling facilities)

Sensors and Electronics:

Spherical Passive-10

Directional Active-13 (requires 5 MW, so either power diverted from turrets or engine)

Navigation Radar

DSS

Gravitational

Crew Hits:

Bridge: Captain, Navigator, Helm, 2 Communications, 2 Computer

TAC: 4 Fire Control (Laser Turrets), 2 Remote Pilot, Passive Operator, Active Operator

Damage Control/ Troops: 18 (6 DC teams)

Crew Structure at Quarters

Bridge

Command Station: CO (Capitaine de frégate)

Navigation Station: 1st Lieutenant (Premier lieutenant de frégate)

Helm: 4th Lieutenant (Auxiliary lieutenant de frégate)

Communications (2): 2 Passé Aspirants

Computer (2): 2nd and 3rd Lieutenants (both Premier lieutenant de frégate)

TAC

Active Operator: Passé Aspirant

Passive Operator: Passé Aspirant

Gunners: 4x Aspirants

Remote Pilots (2): 2x Enseigne de 2ème Classe

Medical

Ships Doctor (Auxiliary lieutenant de frégate)

Engineering

Drive Team (2): Chief engineer (Auxiliary lieutenant de frégate), drive master (Enseigne de 1ère Classe)

Reactor Team (2): Reactor officer (Enseigne de 1ère Classe), 1x aspirant

Power Grid Team (2): Power officer (Enseigne de 1ère Classe), 1x aspirant

DC/ Boarding Teams

Alpha: Assistant drive master (Enseigne de 2ème Classe), 2x aspirants

Beta: Assistant reactor officer (Enseigne de 2ème Classe), 2x aspirants

Gamma: Assistant power officer (Enseigne de 2ème Classe), 2x aspirants

Delta: Assistant navigation officer (Enseigne de 2ème Classe), 2x aspirants

Epsilon: Life support officer (Passé Aspirant), 2x aspirants

Zeta: Security officer (Passé Aspirant), 2x aspirants

Ranks onboard

Capitaine de frégate: 1

Premier lieutenant de frégate: 3

Auxiliary lieutenant de frégate: 3

Enseigne de 1ère Classe: 3

Enseigne de 2ème Classe: 6

--- Commissioned ---

Passé Aspirant: 6

Aspirant: 19

Notes on MSIF Rank

In the MSIF all shipboard personnel are on a Commissioning track. To reach the rank of aspirant the officer cadet has already done significant shore based service and served aboard non-stutterwarp ships etc. Commissioning (as 2nd Ensign) usually takes 5-10 years from joining, and a frigate captain normally has 25 years in service.

On larger ships the Lts and Captain are "de vaisseau", ranks which interdigitate with the frigate ranks (in theory officers should pass between the two). Smaller vessels are commanded by a Captaine de Corvette, normally with a "lieutenant de corvette" (same rank as an auxiliary Lt de Fg) as nav.