Starting into carrier combat

[Charlie Beeler (OP)]

Decided to see what I could do with roughly 150K research points for a carrier force with screening elements. These are not intented to be campaign ships, but instead fodder for my finding how the new systems are rules function.

This race has a population of 980m.  The tonnages were dictated by the available shipyards/slipway capacities.

The Essex was designed first with the intent of it functioning without a screen.  That?s why the defense suites are so heavy.  In retrospect I should probably have pulled the missile launchers and laser turret to make room for a larger strike group.  It carries only 2 reload salvos for the fighters while maintaining 26 salvos for the intercept launchers.  The laser turret needs to be upgraded to a better wave-length so that it can function in area defense mode out to at least 120k/km.  The Gauss turret is intended for the final self-defense role.  

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Essex class Carrier    11000 tons     852 Crew     1099 BP      TCS 220  TH 400  EM 150
1818 km/s     Armour 2-44     Shields 5-300     Sensors 40/0/0/0     Damage Control 1-1     PPV 52
Hangar Deck Capacity 50     Magazine 184    Replacement Parts 5    

Nuclear Pulse Engine E10 (10)    Power 40    Efficiency 1.00    Signature 40    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 150,000 Litres    Range 24.5 billion km   (156 days at full power)
Alpha R300/10 Shields (5)   Total Fuel Cost  50 Litres per day

Quad 10cm C1 Infrared Laser Turret (1x4)    Range 20,000km     TS: 9600 km/s     Power 12-4     RM 1    ROF 15        3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Quad Gauss Cannon R2-100 Turret (1x8)    Range 20,000km     TS: 9600 km/s     Power 0-0     RM 2    ROF 5        1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fire Control S04 10-9600 (2)    Max Range: 20,000 km   TS: 9600 km/s     50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pressurised Water Reactor PB-1 AR-0 (1)     Total Power Output 4    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Intercept Missile launcher (4)    Missile Size 1    Rate of Fire 15
PD counter missile control (1)     Range 1.8m km    Resolution 1
Intercept Missile 1 (64)  Speed: 8000 km/s   End: 93.7 minutes    Range: 45m km   Warhead: 1    MR: 10    Size: 1
Fighter Missile (60)  Speed: 12000 km/s   End: 31.2 minutes    Range: 22.5m km   Warhead: 1    MR: 12    Size: 2

Active Search Sensor S6-R20/100 (1)     GPS 120     Range 1.2m km    Resolution 20
Thermal Sensor TH5-40/100 (1)     Sensitivity 40     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  40m km

Strike Group
10x Lexington Fighter   Speed: 5106 km/s    Size: 4.7

It will be interesting to see if the Lexington fighter can get into engagement range before being detected.  They?re intended to navigate to strike range using thermals, light the actives at 360k and fire.  Then drop actives after missiles hit and return to the carrier for re-arm.  Each strike group has a potential salvo of 30 missiles.  

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Lexington class Fighter    235 tons     19 Crew     36.2 BP      TCS 4.7  TH 24  EM 0
5106 km/s     Armour 1-3     Shields 0-0     Sensors 4/0/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 1.5
Magazine 6    

Ftr Nuclear Pulse Engine E1000 (1)    Power 24    Efficiency 100.00    Signature 24    Armour 0    Exp 25%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres    Range 0.8 billion km   (41 hours at full power)

Fighter Rail sz2 (3)    Missile Size 2    Rate of Fire 3000
Ftr Missile Fire Control FC6-R2/100 (1)     Range 360k km    Resolution 2
Fighter Missile (3)  Speed: 12000 km/s   End: 31.2 minutes    Range: 22.5m km   Warhead: 1    MR: 12    Size: 2

Active Search Sensor S6-R20/100 (1)     GPS 120     Range 1.2m km    Resolution 20
Thermal Sensor TH0.5-4/100 (1)     Sensitivity 4     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  4m km

This design is classed as a fighter for production and combat purposes

The Spruance is intended for the role of heavy screen.  Ideally they will operate in divisions of 4 ships with the intent of intercepting ships hunting for the carriers.

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Spruance class Light Cruiser    9000 tons     786 Crew     1001.4 BP      TCS 180  TH 440  EM 300
2444 km/s     Armour 4-38     Shields 10-300     Sensors 40/0/0/0     Damage Control 1-1     PPV 52
Magazine 200    Replacement Parts 5    

Nuclear Pulse Engine E10 (11)    Power 40    Efficiency 1.00    Signature 40    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 250,000 Litres    Range 50.0 billion km   (236 days at full power)
Alpha R300/10 Shields (10)   Total Fuel Cost  100 Litres per day

Quad Gauss Cannon R2-100 Turret (1x8)    Range 20,000km     TS: 9600 km/s     Power 0-0     RM 2    ROF 5        1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fire Control S04 10-9600 (1)    Max Range: 20,000 km   TS: 9600 km/s     50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Missile Launcher 04-060 (5)    Missile Size 4    Rate of Fire 60
Missile Fire Control FC24-R100/100 (1)     Range 72.0m km    Resolution 100
ASM (50)  Speed: 8000 km/s   End: 93.7 minutes    Range: 45m km   Warhead: 2    MR: 20    Size: 4

Active Search Sensor S48-R100/100 (1)     GPS 4800     Range 48.0m km    Resolution 100
Thermal Sensor TH5-40/100 (1)     Sensitivity 40     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  40m km

The Enterprise class still needs some work.  It was intended to be able to operate as a second layer of screen for the carriers and have sufficient speed to move forward and exploit opportunities created by the fighters.  At the same displacement as the Spruance it is only marginally faster, with the same passive protecting and 60% of the offensive punch.  This probably needs to trim the armor in half and adding a couple more engines.

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Enterprise class Strike Cruiser    9000 tons     750 Crew     981.4 BP      TCS 180  TH 520  EM 300
2888 km/s     Armour 4-38     Shields 10-300     Sensors 40/0/0/0     Damage Control 1-1     PPV 44
Magazine 192    Replacement Parts 5    

Nuclear Pulse Engine E10 (13)    Power 40    Efficiency 1.00    Signature 40    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 150,000 Litres    Range 30.0 billion km   (120 days at full power)
Alpha R300/10 Shields (10)   Total Fuel Cost  100 Litres per day

Quad Gauss Cannon R2-100 Turret (1x8)    Range 20,000km     TS: 9600 km/s     Power 0-0     RM 2    ROF 5        1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fire Control S04 10-9600 (1)    Max Range: 20,000 km   TS: 9600 km/s     50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Missile Launcher 04-060 (3)    Missile Size 4    Rate of Fire 60
Missile Fire Control FC24-R100/100 (1)     Range 72.0m km    Resolution 100
ASM (48)  Speed: 8000 km/s   End: 93.7 minutes    Range: 45m km   Warhead: 2    MR: 20    Size: 4

Active Search Sensor S48-R100/100 (1)     GPS 4800     Range 48.0m km    Resolution 100
Thermal Sensor TH5-40/100 (1)     Sensitivity 40     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  40m km
This probably needs to trim the armor in half and adding a couple more engines.  Like this:

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Enterprise - Copy class Strike Cruiser    9000 tons     800 Crew     943.8 BP      TCS 180  TH 600  EM 300
3333 km/s     Armour 2-38     Shields 10-300     Sensors 40/0/0/0     Damage Control 1-1     PPV 44
Magazine 192    Replacement Parts 5    

Nuclear Pulse Engine E10 (15)    Power 40    Efficiency 1.00    Signature 40    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 150,000 Litres    Range 30.0 billion km   (104 days at full power)
Alpha R300/10 Shields (10)   Total Fuel Cost  100 Litres per day

Quad Gauss Cannon R2-100 Turret (1x8)    Range 20,000km     TS: 9600 km/s     Power 0-0     RM 2    ROF 5        1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fire Control S04 10-9600 (1)    Max Range: 20,000 km   TS: 9600 km/s     50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Missile Launcher 04-060 (3)    Missile Size 4    Rate of Fire 60
Missile Fire Control FC24-R100/100 (1)     Range 72.0m km    Resolution 100
ASM (48)  Speed: 8000 km/s   End: 93.7 minutes    Range: 45m km   Warhead: 2    MR: 20    Size: 4

Active Search Sensor S48-R100/100 (1)     GPS 4800     Range 48.0m km    Resolution 100
Thermal Sensor TH5-40/100 (1)     Sensitivity 40     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  40m km

The Fletcher is intended to interpose itself between incoming missile salvos and the carriers.  But be close enough it provide additional final defensive fire.  Each turret has it?s own fire control so that a maximum number of salvos can be engaged.  There is only 1 fire control for the intercept launchers so that doubling can be done effectively.  This really needs the upgraded laser turret I mentioned with the Essex

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Fletcher class Light Escort Cruiser    8000 tons     798 Crew     802.2 BP      TCS 160  TH 400  EM 240
2500 km/s     Armour 2-35     Shields 8-300     Sensors 1/0/0/0     Damage Control 1-1     PPV 40
Magazine 368    Replacement Parts 5    

Nuclear Pulse Engine E10 (10)    Power 40    Efficiency 1.00    Signature 40    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 150,000 Litres    Range 33.8 billion km   (156 days at full power)
Alpha R300/10 Shields (8)   Total Fuel Cost  80 Litres per day

Quad 10cm C1 Infrared Laser Turret (2x4)    Range 20,000km     TS: 9600 km/s     Power 12-4     RM 1    ROF 15        3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Fire Control S04 10-9600 (2)    Max Range: 20,000 km   TS: 9600 km/s     50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Intercept Missile launcher (8)    Missile Size 1    Rate of Fire 15
PD counter missile control (1)     Range 1.8m km    Resolution 1
Intercept Missile 1 (368)  Speed: 8000 km/s   End: 93.7 minutes    Range: 45m km   Warhead: 1    MR: 10    Size: 1

Active Search Sensor S48-R100/100 (1)     GPS 4800     Range 48.0m km    Resolution 100


The fleet currently consists of:

3 Essex CV?s with 30 fighters
8 Spruance CL?s
6 Enterprise CS?s
6 Fletcher CLE?s

Now I need to buildup an opposing race with the same research and population constraints and fight it out.

[Erik L]

The only thing I see is the armor is eggshell light on these designs.

[Charlie Beeler (OP)]

Agreed.  Still trying to get a feel for the new armor functionality.  Part of that is also that I'm trying to cram both offensive and defensive systems into the same ships. The mass had to come from someplace and i felt that they were already way to slow to pull engines to gain mass for weapons.

It also doesn't help that I'm restricting the starting research and still trying to field both fighters, missiles, defensive laser turrets, and gauss cannons.  I have a bad habit of trying to do too much with too little.  I may try a starting race with just fighters and gauss cannons or just missiles.

[James Patten]

It would be interesting to have an option which retards certain technologies - for instance, retarded beam tech means just railguns and missiles (maybe some other stuff), with the race not even considering such things until they run into another race with such weapons.

[Erik L]

It would be interesting to have an option which retards certain technologies - for instance, retarded beam tech means just railguns and missiles (maybe some other stuff), with the race not even considering such things until they run into another race with such weapons.

That would be an interesting idea. On race creation, you are presented with a checklist of weapon types; Laser, Railgun, Gauss Cannon, Plasma Carronade, Missile, Meson, Microwave, etc. Say pick 2 or 3 at full research cost, and any other starting starts to reduce the effectiveness at which it is researched. I.E. 4th is at 80% rate, 5th at 60%

[Charlie Beeler (OP)]

OK guys,  I guess we're thinking too loudly again.  I just finished posting over in suggestions something along those lines.  

[Kurt]

The only thing I see is the armor is eggshell light on these designs.

Given the level of escorts for the carriers, I'd take out most of the defenses on the CV's and add fighters.  Or, reduce the number of escorts and add CV's.  

Kurt

[Erik L]

I just noticed, your Lexington fighters are designed only for a anti-shipping role. A CSP design with gauss cannons might be a good idea to throw into the mix, and thus reduce the on-board defenses of the CVs.

[Charlie Beeler (OP)]

I just noticed, your Lexington fighters are designed only for a anti-shipping role. A CSP design with gauss cannons might be a good idea to throw into the mix, and thus reduce the on-board defenses of the CVs.

With this fleet the intent is for the fighters to fufill the role of extreme range strike.  The screening light cruisers are supposed to fill the close support role.  For now the opposing force I?m building is going to be a missile only race.  

I?ve got another game going where the fighters have three roles that they are handling.  In that one each carrier?s strike group consist of 3 csp class fighters with 3 gauss cannon, 10 strike fighters with 6 launchers each, and a single scout platform.  The opposing race in that game is using heavy lasers for offense and gauss cannon for PD.

I need to make more time this week to run some battles through both.  

I?d have replied sooner, but storm rolled through Friday morning and dismounted my satellite dish at home so I only had Internet at work.  Do to various ?honey do? priorities the dish didn?t get a new mount and properly aimed until last evening.

[Charlie Beeler (OP)]

Well that was interesting.  It seems that I overlooked something really important when designing the Lexington fighter.  The fire control is just a little myopic, wrong resolution for anti-shipping.  

Replaced with this:

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Lexington-B class Fighter    225 tons     11 Crew     29.9 BP      TCS 4.5  TH 24  EM 0
5333 km/s     Armour 1-3     Shields 0-0     Sensors 4/0/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 1.8
Magazine 12    

Ftr Nuclear Pulse Engine E1000 (1)    Power 24    Efficiency 100.00    Signature 24    Armour 0    Exp 25%
Fuel Capacity 10,000 Litres    Range 0.8 billion km   (41 hours at full power)

Fighter Rail 2 (6)    Missile Size 2    Hangar Reload 15 minutes    MF Reload 2.5 hours
Missile Fire Control FC6-R100/100 (1)     Range 18.0m km    Resolution 100
Fighter Missile (6)  Speed: 12000 km/s   End: 31.2 minutes    Range: 22.5m km   Warhead: 1    MR: 12    Size: 2

Thermal Sensor TH0.5-4/100 (1)     Sensitivity 4     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  4m km

This design is classed as a fighter for production and combat purposes

Much better.  the ability to stand-off way outside detection range and salvo 180 missiles from 3 squadrons makes for a nasty surprise.  

The Fletcher turns out too also have a major design flaw,  no reactor too power the laser turrets.

I've learned the some of the things I wanted too. So it's time to actually start a campaign, this should be interesting.

[Steve Walmsley]

Much better.  the ability to stand-off way outside detection range and salvo 180 missiles from 3 squadrons makes for a nasty surprise.  

With regard to the fighter stand off range, I think some equivalent of the AEW unit or a radar picket is going to be necessary to provide some  warning of fighter and missile attack. Another possibility is a really huge active sensor, maybe 20-30 HS. When facing massed missile attack, a good formation is also essential, with the anti-missile units set up to automatically deploy on the threat axis

Steve