Since my work schedule for the next week doesn't leave me much writing time, I figure to get some hard stuff done up and posted NOW....
Paladin Steel Casablanca II Escort Carrier “Okay, folks...ever since Governor Decenti hired the Blue Guardians to protect his port-city from government seizure by his nominal boss, the presidente, we’re obliged to protect the shipping in and out. Since the presidente’s mosquito fleet ain’t up to challenging the CorpMarines we landed in Losegos, and the port defenses Contract Engineering’s putting in, they’ve decided on economic warfare instead, and are hitting shipping in and out...That, and hiring privateers and mercenaries, while they get up the cajones to risk an open civil war...Up to us to provide right of way for the merchies...Our destroyers will do in-close escort, and we’ll be providing air cover...That, and we’ll be looking over the horizon for threats... Fortunately, we’ve finally gotten those F32 Avengers we’ve been training in; they’ll be replacing the old GyreFalcons...Means we won’t be able to torpedo-bomb like we used to, but we can now hit’em from farther out with wave-skimmers....
Time to earn our pay, Guardians...”
The Casablanca II-class Escort Carriers from Paladin Steel Naval Division follow the same general layout and design as the original WWII Brogue/Casablanca CVEs, and are based on the hulls of Americus-class transports. However, the changes in warfare in the post-Rifts oceans have necessitated a few changes, including a larger variety of weapons, particularly for point defense. Since the embarked aircraft are the main offensive weapon, the ships’ complements of armaments are aimed at close-in defense and countermeasures. Among the additions are a large MRM launcher, Phalanx-style CIWS, and counter measure launchers; however, the armament configuration still heavily favors ammunition-dependent weaponry, which has caused some criticism of the design with regards to long deployments away from ready re-supply.
PS has also improved the design to include an angled flight deck, and launch catapults for heavily laden aircraft and non-VTOL designs. Improved electronics and damage control systems have also been added, improving the ships’ survivability against high-tech opponents.
The Casablancas were rushed into production as quick, fast, naval assets to support GNE shipping. However, their limitations quickly became evident, and they were quickly superceded by the larger and more capable Haven-class CVEs. The older vessels continue to see service with Home Fleet, Coast Guard, and PS company escort units, and PS continues to produce the class for interested buyers.
Type: PS-CVE-01 Casablanca II
Class: Escort Carrier
Crew: 890 (40 pilots)+150 passengers/additional personnel
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 4,500
Bridge 600
Radio/Sensor Tower 400
Flight Deck 1,000
Elevator Platforms(2) 700 each
Medium Range Missile Launcher(1) 200
5-inch Gun Turret(1) 100
40mm Gun Turrets(8) 75 each
20mm Guns(24) 50 each
Goal Keeper CIWS Turret(1) 80
‘Button Gun’ CIWS(4) 100 each
Height: 40 ft, draft of 23 ft
Width: 70 ft
Length: 496 ft
Weight: 15,400 tons fully loaded
Cargo: 2,000 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 25 year energy life
Speed: 21 knots
Market Cost: 68 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Warship Systems, plus:
*Radar---240 mile range and can simultaneously track up to 96 targets
*Sonar---32 mile range
*Search Lights(6)----4,000 ft range. IR and normal light.
*Lift Cranes----The Casablanca IIs incorporate four lift cranes, each with with a lifting capability of 45 tons.
*Electromagnetic Aircraft Catapult Systems(3)---Replacing the old steam catapults, these more modern systems give fully-laden aircraft a boost off the flightdeck. Two forward and one lateral system are mounted.
*Hull Degausser---This system can be used to periodically de-magnetize the hull, loosening the grip of magnetic-attachment limpet mines, and reducing the effectiveness of magnetically-triggered ocean mines in detecting the vessel and detonating.
*Closed-environment Life Support System---If necessary, the carriers can seal up, and recycle their air for up to a week.
*Desalination Gear---The carriers, in addition to having their own onboard fresh water supply, have a desalinator for producing fresh water from salt water.
*ECCM system: A semi-automatic system that uses electronic encryption and frequency jumping to (attempt to) negate jamming systems. The system has a 55% chance of negating radar or communications jamming (non-magical) on its own, or a +5% if the pilot has a Read Sensory Instruments or Radio: Scramblers skill and devotes a full melee to operating the system(no other attacks/actions are possible).
Having an Electronic warfare Skill gains a +15% bonus to operating this system.
Note that this only applies to received communications (the system filters them out from the jamming clutter) and sensory data received by that unit alone (other units cannot make use of it, unless they have an unaffected datalink/info-share with the ECCM equipped unit. Magic/psychic jamming is NOT affected by this system.
*ORACLE---Omni-diRectional Aura Classification and Locator Electronics---A TW development of the SNARLS PPE Scanner, this system consists of a series of advanced Technowizardry scanner systems(TW optic mounts, static crystal PPE meters, and whatnot) stationed around the ship, feeding into a central computer system with special TW-derived interface program algorithms. The system is designed to detect incoming magical/paranormal attacks and alert the crew to them(hopefully in time to allow them to take defensive measures). PS hopes to upgrade the system to allow for over-the-horizon and remote-viewing advanced early warning capabilities. The ORACLE Mrk II is currently being retrofitted to most ships-of-the-line of the VFSN/GNEN.
Effective Range: 4,000 ft radius of detection.
Weapons Systems:
1) Medium Range Missile Launcher(1)---These are large box-style multi-purpose launchers, one forward and one aft, that can accommodate a variety of missiles and fire-missions, from anti-air to surface bombardment and ASROC munitions.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-12
Payload: 12 missiles per launcher; additional missiles can be reloaded from storage(1 ton of cargo per 24 missiles)
2) 5-inch gun(1)---A single large caliber ballistic cannon, mainly used for engaging surface targets, but also capable of acting as an anti-aircraft weapon.
Range:17,575 yards* in a surface role, 37,200 feet in anti-aircraft mode
(RAP/Rocket-Assisted Projectile) 23,770 yards
(*Note: It would take over a minute for shot to hit the target at maximum range...est. 68 seconds)
Damage:
(Fragmentation) 6d6 MD to a 35 ft radius
(High Explosive-Armor-Piercing) 1d6x10 MD to 12 ft blast radius
(Plasma)2d4x10 MD to a 30 ft blast radius
(Flare) Burns for 1d4 minutes, illuminating a 2,000 ft area
(Chaff Round)Spreads radar-disrupting chaff similar to Triax-type chaff
Rate of Fire: 3 rds per melee
Payload:Ready Magazine holds 180 rds.
3)40mm Rail Gun Turrets(PS-862 FC Interchangeable, Recoilless, Anti-Aircraft Flak Cannon(TX-862FC))(16; 8x2)----Eight twin-gun turrets are arrayed around the ship for maximum coverage.
Weight:4.5 tons
Range:10,000 ft
Damage:4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two rd burst, 3d6x10 MD six-round burst
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload:800 rds, 400 rds per cannon
Bonuses:Independent laser and radar tracking system(range: 11,000 ft). +1 strike set on automatic against aerial attack, +2 strike fired by pilot
4) PS-OTO-CIWS Goalkeeper(1)
Though the PS couldn’t acquire the plans for the Coalition’s C90R CIWS, they did acquire a similar, if less powerful, system from their European contacts; a modernized upgrade of the OTO Melara Goalkeeper CIWS. The PS-OTO is intended for larger vessels, and is rarely effectively mounted on smaller vessels.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per 60 rd burst
Rate of Fire: 6 attacks per melee
Payload: 12,000 rds per gun(200 bursts each)
Radar Targeting Bonus: +3 to strike
5)*PS-L-CIWS Vulcan Chain Gun(aka “Button Guns”)(4)---This installation, introduced on the Minotaur Battle Robot, then adapted as an air defense weapon option for the VW Camper Gunship, has been adapted for shipboard use as PS’s standard light maritime weapons system. The system is a very compact and neat installation that takes up little space, and has been compared to the pre-Rifts Russian ADMG-630 30mm Gatling CIWS that saw extensive service aboard Russian warships. The PS-L-CIWS is often called the “Button Gun” because of its squat, flattened dome-like turret. Four of these weapons are mounted around the hull, and normally sit flush to the deck, concealed in their individual silos. When activated, however, they pop up and can engage aerial or surface targets with a deadly spray of projectile fire.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per 20 rd burst(can only fire bursts)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH, as an automated defense system linked to a radar/sensor system, the “Button Gun” has a +2 to strike, and four attacks per melee.
Payload:8,000 rd drum(200 bursts)
6)20-mm(PS Model-2N)(24)---These are individually-manned single- and twin-mount weapons positions.
Range:7,200 ft
Damage:(20mm) 1d4 MD per shell
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst
1d4x10+4 MD per 10 rd burst
Airburst does 1d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius(single shot)
(20mm PSX-1) 4d4 MD single rd
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
Airburst does 4d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 1000 rd drum
7)ASW Projectors(4)---Two forward and two aft. Rocket-propelled light depth charge launchers.
Range: 4,000 ft, 1,000 ft maximum depth
Damage: 7d6x5 MD to 50 ft radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,4, 5, 8, or 16
Payload: LASRW-16: 16 rounds
Decoy Countermeasure Launchers:(6)------Paladin Steel has adopted a series of standard countermeasure packages for use aboard their vessels. Notably they have adapted the US Navy Mk 38 Rapid Bloom Off-Board Countermeasures(RBOC-2) launcher system and the Replica radar signature decoy system. The RBOC-2 fires rocket-mortar shells of flares and chaff up to 1.25 miles away, to heights of 3,000 ft(the better to fool missiles coming in over the horizon), and fires clouds of chaff from deck mortars at closer ranges to confuse other guided weapons).
The Replica system resembles a folded-liferaft capsule when in its launcher, but can be fired off up to 300 ft, and rapidly unfolds to become two linked floating radar and sonar reflectors that give the appearance of a much larger object, and hopefully divert enemy fire and attention away from the targeted vessel.
A variant on this system includes attaching active sonar decoys or “Screamers” to attract or confuse acoustic sensors and homing torpedoes.
The Casablanca IIs have 4 RBOC mortar banks(2 forward, 2 rear), and 2 Replica System launchers on the forward deck(so it can launch decoys without endangering embarking/evacuating troops)
Range: The RBOC can toss decoy bundles 1.25 miles, and to an altitude of 3,000 ft
Damage: None. The RBOC is too inaccurate to be used as an effective weapon(oh, it could probably blow a person off the deck if they were standing too close, but that goes without saying) Effects are similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
(Flare/Chaff)Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: Flare/Chaff launchers typically have 10 shells each. A Replica launcher will have 2 decoys per launcher.
Auxiliary Craft:
28 aircraft(Typically a mix of naval fighter craft and ASW VTOLs)
Popular aircraft types in GNE service include the GyreFalcon, SkyRaider, SkyShark, F-32 Avenger, Taon Fighter Pod, Vanstar COD aircraft, StarFire AWACS, Sea Sprite II LAMPS helicopter, Super Sea King ASW helicopter, and Naval Mohawk attack helicopter. Various RPVs, semi-autonomous drones, and captive/free-flying aerostat sensor platforms can also be carried.
Typically has a contingent of 8-12 power armors aboard to assist in self-defense and loading/refueling operations.
Options/Variants:
There have been no major variants of the Casablanca II class(most changes involve different complements of aircraft/power armors), though some operators have attempted to remedy the lack of shipboard energy weapons by swapping out the 5-inch gun for a Heavy Naval Laser Cannon;
Range: 2 miles
Damage:1d6x10+7 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 120 shot battery. Effectively unlimited if attached to a nuclear powerplant.