Royal Navy
The naval forces of the Commonwealth are known as the Royal Navy. The ship design philosophy of the Royal Navy is to build large warships, capable of multiple roles. This philosophy has resulted in two major warship classes, the Renown class battlecruiser and the Devonshire class escort cruiser. However with only two Renowns and three Devonshires in service, the Royal Navy has fewer warships in service than every other Navy except the Armada Española. Before detailing these two classes, it is worth explaining the Royal Navy nomenclature for vehicles and electronic systems.
Vehicle Designation System (VDS)
Vehicle in this context referred to a any unmanned missile, drone, buoy or mine in use by the Commonwealth. The VDS allows easy identification of the type and purpose of each vehicle. The required format is as follows:
(Primary Launch Platform)(Mission)(Vehicle Type) - (Design Number)(Series Letter)(Popular Name)
Primary Launch Platform
A - Spacecraft powered by fighter engine
B - Multiple Launch Environments
C - Captor Mine
G - Planetary Defence Centre
L - Box Launcher
R - Spacecraft
S - Second Stage of Drone or Missile
U - Stealthy Spacecraft
Mission
D - Decoy
E - Special Electronics
G - Spacecraft Attack
I - Interception (of missiles or perhaps fighters)
L - Detection or Reconnaissance
M - Scientific Instruments (e.g. geosurvey buoy)
S - Delivery System
Vehicle Type
B - Booster or First Stage
C - Captor Mine
M - Guided Missile
N - Probe or Recon Drone
R - Submunition
S - Unarmed Satellite or Buoy
Design Number
Each vehicle type will have a design number based on chronological order of design. It is possible there could be multiple versions of the same vehicle type intended for different purposes or with different launch options. These versions would use the same design number with different letter combinations. For example would, the RGM-1A might be a spacecraft-launched spacecraft-attack missile while RLN-1A is a spacecraft-launched reconnaissance drone, which replaces the warhead of the RGM-1 with a sensor package but is otherwise identical.
Series Letter
Variants of a basic vehicle type are designated by a suffix letter. The first model always receives suffix "A" and subsequent series letters are assigned in strict sequence (omitting "I" and "O" to avoid confusion with numerals "1" and "0"). The series letter is a mandatory component of the VDS and therefore 'plain' designations such as 'RIM-12' always designate the general type of vehicle and never a specific model.
Popular Name
Most vehicles receive a 'popular name' or acronym early in the planning or development phase. While the name is not part of the official designation, many missiles and other vehicle types are almost exclusively referenced by their name, both in the popular press and in official government news releases and documents.
Examples
RGM-1A Falchion is a Spacecraft-launched (R) Guided-missile (M) intended to attack other Spacecraft (G)
RLN-2A Raven is a Spacecraft-launched (R) Recon Drone (N) used for reconnaissance (L)
Electronics Designation System (EDS)
The older US Joint Electronics Type Designation System provided a basis for the Commonwealth's naming scheme for its electronic systems, known as the Electronics Designation System. All designations are proceeded by RN/.
Platform
A - Spacecraft powered by fighter engine
B - Stealthy Spacecraft
F - Planetary Defence Centre
G - Spacecraft powered by gunboat engine
S - Spacecraft powered by military or commercial engines
Equipment Type
A - Invisible Light
D - Radioactivity Detection
G - Gravitational Survey
L - Countermeasures
M - Geological Survey
P - Active Sensor
Q - Thermal Detection
Purpose
D - Missile Detection
G - Fire Control
N - Navigation
Q - Special or Combination
R - Receiving or Passive Detection
S - Active Search
Y - Surveillance (used for particularly large active sensors)
Examples:
The RN/SPS-7 Active Search Sensor is a Spacecraft-mounted (S) Active Sensor (P) used for Area Search (S)
The RN/SQR-1 Thermal Sensor is a Spacecraft-mounted (S) Thermal Detection sensor (Q) used for Passive Detection (R)
Ship Classes
The Renown class battlecruisers, Renown and Repulse, are each armed with eight Mk1 Guided Missile Launching Systems, capable of launching the advanced RGM-1A Sabre Anti-Ship Missile, plus six 15cm C3 Near Ultraviolet Lasers, enabling them to be effective in both long-range and energy-range combat. Their sensor suite is among the most capable of any warship class.
Renown class Battlecruiser 15,000 tons 408 Crew 2206.64 BP TCS 300 TH 1200 EM 0
4000 km/s Armour 5-54 Shields 0-0 Sensors 10/18/0/0 Damage Control Rating 7 PPV 64
Maint Life 2.35 Years MSP 644 AFR 257% IFR 3.6% 1YR 159 5YR 2390 Max Repair 144 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Spare Berths 0
Magazine 520
Rolls Royce RR-240 Ion Drive (5) Power 240 Fuel Use 56% Signature 240 Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 670,000 Litres Range 14.4 billion km (41 days at full power)
15cm C3 Near Ultraviolet Laser (6) Range 180,000km TS: 4000 km/s Power 6-3 RM 3 ROF 10 6 6 6 4 3 3 2 2 2 1
RN/SPG-5 Beam Fire Control (1) Max Range: 96,000 km TS: 4000 km/s 90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
RN/SPG-6 Beam Fire Control (1) Max Range: 192,000 km TS: 4000 km/s 95 90 84 79 74 69 64 58 53 48
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (4) Total Power Output 18 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Mk1 Guided Missile Launching System (8) Missile Size 5 Rate of Fire 50
RN/SPG-4 Missile Fire Control (2) Range 94.6m km Resolution 120
RGM-1A Sabre Anti-Ship Missile (104) Speed: 28,800 km/s End: 65.6m Range: 113.4m km WH: 5 Size: 5 TH: 96/57/28
RN/SPY-3 Area Search Sensor (1) GPS 17280 Range 94.6m km Resolution 120
The RN/SQR-9 Thermal Sensor (1) Sensitivity 10 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 10m km
The RN/SLR-8 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 18 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 18m km
In keeping with the Royal Navy philosophy of multi-purpose warships, the Devonshire class provides two layers of anti-missile defence. Her ten MK2 GMLS are used to launch RIM-2A Stiletto AMMs against hostile missiles at almost a million kilometres while her pair of Twin 10cm Laser Turrets allow for a back-up point-blank defence. Devonshire and her sister ships Carnarvon and Antrim can also provide support to the Renown class battlecruisers in a close-range energy engagement.
Devonshire class Escort Cruiser 9,000 tons 215 Crew 1418.48 BP TCS 180 TH 720 EM 0
4000 km/s Armour 4-38 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/6/0/0 Damage Control Rating 4 PPV 26.56
Maint Life 2.14 Years MSP 394 AFR 162% IFR 2.2% 1YR 115 5YR 1721 Max Repair 144 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Spare Berths 3
Magazine 370
Rolls Royce RR-240 Ion Drive (3) Power 240 Fuel Use 56% Signature 240 Exp 10%
Fuel Capacity 405,000 Litres Range 14.5 billion km (41 days at full power)
Twin 10cm Laser Turret (2x2) Range 48,000km TS: 16000 km/s Power 6-6 RM 3 ROF 5
RN/SPG-12 Beam Fire Control (1) Max Range: 48,000 km TS: 16000 km/s
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (4) Total Power Output 18 Armour 0 Exp 5%
Mk2 Guided Missile Launching System (10) Missile Size 1 Rate of Fire 10
RN/SPG-11 Missile Fire Control (2) Range 8.6m km Resolution 1
RIM-2A Stiletto (370) Speed: 31,200 km/s End: 2.1m Range: 4m km WH: 1 Size: 1 TH: 135/81/40
RN/SPS-2 Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 5760 Range 31.5m km Resolution 120
RN/SPS-10 Missile Detection Sensor (1) GPS 144 Range 8.6m km MCR 941k km Resolution 1
The RN/SLR-7 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 6m km
Discovery and her sister ship Endeavour are intended primarily for long duration, long distance geological survey missions. However, given the tense situation among the Earth-based powers, the Royal Navy has elected to arm its survey ships so they may act as auxiliary warships in an emergency. The three Single 15cm Laser Turrets on the Discovery class are unusual in that the maximum rotational speed of the turrets only allows for effectively tracking targets at 4000 km/s or less. This is to compensate for the low maximum speed of the Discovery in comparison to the tracking technology available to the Commonwealth.
Discovery class Geological Survey Vessel 6,000 tons 144 Crew 987.6 BP TCS 120 TH 336 EM 0
2800 km/s Armour 3-29 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/6/0/3 Damage Control Rating 5 PPV 13.2
Maint Life 5.42 Years MSP 514 AFR 57% IFR 0.8% 1YR 29 5YR 440 Max Repair 100 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 48 months Spare Berths 0
Rolls Royce RR-168E Ion Drive (2) Power 168 Fuel Use 22.96% Signature 168 Exp 7%
Fuel Capacity 715,000 Litres Range 93.4 billion km (386 days at full power)
Single 15cm Laser Turret (3x1) Range 180,000km TS: 4000 km/s Power 6-3 RM 3 ROF 1
RN/SPG-6 Beam Fire Control (1) Max Range: 192,000 km TS: 4000 km/s 95 90 84 79 74 69 64 58 53 48
Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (2) Total Power Output 9 Armour 0 Exp 5%
RN/SPS-2 Active Search Sensor (1) GPS 5760 Range 31.5m km Resolution 120
The RN/SLR-7 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 6m km
Geological Survey Sensors (3) 3 Survey Points Per Hour
The Atlas class freighter and Mayflower class colony ship are slightly longer-ranged than those of the other powers and each is equipped with a single passive EM sensor. Two Atlases and one Mayflower are in service.
Atlas class Freighter 39,150 tons 172 Crew 673.4 BP TCS 783 TH 1500 EM 0
1915 km/s Armour 1-102 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/6/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
MSP 11 Max Repair 75 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 1
Cargo 25000 Cargo Handling Multiplier 15
Commercial Ion Drive (5) Power 300 Fuel Use 6.19% Signature 300 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres Range 22.3 billion km (134 days at full power)
The RN/SLR-7 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 6m km
Mayflower class Colony Ship 31,700 tons 252 Crew 1308.6 BP TCS 634 TH 1800 EM 0
2839 km/s Armour 1-89 Shields 0-0 Sensors 1/6/0/0 Damage Control Rating 1 PPV 0
MSP 26 Max Repair 75 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Spare Berths 1
Cryogenic Berths 60000 Cargo Handling Multiplier 15
Commercial Ion Drive (6) Power 300 Fuel Use 6.19% Signature 300 Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 300,000 Litres Range 27.5 billion km (112 days at full power)
The RN/SLR-7 EM Sensor (1) Sensitivity 6 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 6m km
