Vox Imperia - Drone Fighter Fleet

[martinuzz (OP)]

These are the ships of one of my player races - Vox Imperia, a federal theocracy.
Fleet doctrine is based around different specialized drone fighter carriers, and use of numbers to overwhelm enemy defenses.

Drone Carriers:

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Witch-hunter MkI class Cruiser    7,000 tons     426 Crew     1639.92 BP      TCS 140  TH 703.5  EM 0
6700 km/s     Armour 5-32     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 6     PPV 0
Annual Failure Rate: 65%    IFR: 0.9%    Maint Capacity 879 MSP    Max Repair 113 MSP    Est Time: 4.38 Years
Hangar Deck Capacity 1750 tons     Magazine 640   

Reinforced Imperial Engine MkV (6)    Power 156.25    Fuel Use 60%    Signature 117.1875    Armour 1    Exp 20%
Fuel Capacity 355,000 Litres    Range 152.1 billion km   (262 days at full power)

Vox ASM S1R30 (640)  Speed: 50,000 km/s   End: 10m    Range: 30m km   WH: 4    Size: 1    TH: 233 / 140 / 70

Ship Sensor MR122-R40 (1)     GPS 4320     Range 122.9m km    Resolution 40

ECM 50

Strike Group
10x Holy Water ASM Drone   Speed: 26857 km/s    Size: 3.5

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

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Priest MkI class Defense Drone Carrier MkI    7,000 tons     509 Crew     1972.3 BP      TCS 140  TH 703.5  EM 0
6700 km/s     Armour 5-32     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 8     PPV 30
Annual Failure Rate: 49%    IFR: 0.7%    Maint Capacity 1409 MSP    Max Repair 270 MSP    Est Time: 4.13 Years
Hangar Deck Capacity 1750 tons     

Reinforced Imperial Engine MkV (6)    Power 156.25    Fuel Use 60%    Signature 117.1875    Armour 1    Exp 20%
Fuel Capacity 340,000 Litres    Range 145.7 billion km   (251 days at full power)

Triple Gauss Cannon R4-67 Turret (2x12)    Range 40,000km     TS: 30000 km/s     Power 0-0     RM 4    ROF 5        1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
AMBFC S03 60-30000 (1)    Max Range: 120,000 km   TS: 30000 km/s     92 83 75 67 58 50 42 33 25 17

Missile Sensor MR25-R1 (1)     GPS 144     Range 25.9m km    Resolution 1

ECM 50

Strike Group
10x Holy Ward MkI Gauss Drone   Speed: 26857 km/s    Size: 3.5

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Mission MkI class Cruiser    7,000 tons     327 Crew     1481.8 BP      TCS 140  TH 703.5  EM 0
6700 km/s     Armour 5-32     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 5     PPV 0
Annual Failure Rate: 71%    IFR: 1%    Maint Capacity 728 MSP    Max Repair 113 MSP    Est Time: 3.76 Years
Hangar Deck Capacity 1000 tons     Troop Capacity: 1 Battalion    Cargo Handling Multiplier 100   

Reinforced Imperial Engine MkV (6)    Power 156.25    Fuel Use 60%    Signature 117.1875    Armour 1    Exp 20%
Fuel Capacity 250,000 Litres    Range 107.1 billion km   (185 days at full power)

ECM 50

Strike Group
5x Missionary Dropship   Speed: 23500 km/s    Size: 4

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Judge MkI class Strike Carrier    4,650 tons     283 Crew     977.26 BP      TCS 93  TH 351.75  EM 0
5043 km/s     Armour 5-24     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 4     PPV 0
Annual Failure Rate: 36%    IFR: 0.5%    Maint Capacity 624 MSP    Max Repair 113 MSP    Est Time: 5.03 Years
Hangar Deck Capacity 1750 tons     Magazine 320   

Reinforced Imperial Engine MkV (3)    Power 156.25    Fuel Use 60%    Signature 117.1875    Armour 1    Exp 20%
Fuel Capacity 150,000 Litres    Range 96.8 billion km   (222 days at full power)

Wrath MkI (10)  Speed: 0 km/s   End: 0m    Range: 0m km   WH: 16    Size: 8    TH: 0 / 0 / 0
Purifier (30)  Speed: 0 km/s   End: 0m    Range: 0m km   WH: 64    Size: 8    TH: 0 / 0 / 0

ECM 50

Strike Group
10x Executioner MkI Cruiser   Speed: 26857 km/s    Size: 3.5

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
Drones:

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Holy Water class ASM Drone    175 tons     5 Crew     81.9 BP      TCS 3.5  TH 32.9  EM 0
26857 km/s     Armour 1-2     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 1.2
Annual Failure Rate: 2%    IFR: 0%    Maint Capacity 29 MSP    Max Repair 30 MSP    Est Time: 8.38 Years
Magazine 8   

Fighter Drive MkV (1)    Power 93.75    Fuel Use 6000%    Signature 32.8125    Armour 0    Exp 100%
Fuel Capacity 5,000 Litres    Range 0.9 billion km   (8 hours at full power)

Size 1 Box Launcher (8)    Missile Size 1    Hangar Reload 7.5 minutes    MF Reload 1.2 hours
ASMFC 36-R40 (FTR) (1)     Range 36.9m km    Resolution 40
Vox ASM S1R30 (8)  Speed: 50,000 km/s   End: 10m    Range: 30m km   WH: 4    Size: 1    TH: 233 / 140 / 70

ECM 20

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

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Holy Ward MkI class Gauss Drone    175 tons     5 Crew     93.1 BP      TCS 3.5  TH 32.9  EM 0
26857 km/s     Armour 1-2     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 1.5
Annual Failure Rate: 2%    IFR: 0%    Maint Capacity 33 MSP    Max Repair 45 MSP    Est Time: 7.24 Years

Fighter Drive MkV (1)    Power 93.75    Fuel Use 6000%    Signature 32.8125    Armour 0    Exp 100%
Fuel Capacity 5,000 Litres    Range 0.9 billion km   (8 hours at full power)

Gauss Minicannon R4-8 (3x4)    Range 40,000km     TS: 26857 km/s     Accuracy Modifier 8%     RM 4    ROF 5        1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
AMBFC S00.5 30-10000 (FTR) (1)    Max Range: 60,000 km   TS: 40000 km/s     83 67 50 33 17 0 0 0 0 0

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Missionary class Dropship    200 tons     3 Crew     60.1 BP      TCS 4  TH 32.9  EM 0
23500 km/s     Armour 4-3     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 0
Annual Failure Rate: 3%    IFR: 0%    Maint Capacity 19 MSP    Max Repair 27 MSP    Est Time: 6.14 Years
Drop Capacity: 1 Company   

Fighter Drive MkV (1)    Power 93.75    Fuel Use 6000%    Signature 32.8125    Armour 0    Exp 100%
Fuel Capacity 5,000 Litres    Range 0.8 billion km   (8 hours at full power)

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Executioner MkI class Bomber  175 tons     5 Crew     81.9 BP      TCS 3.5  TH 32.9  EM 0
26857 km/s     Armour 1-2     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 1.2
Annual Failure Rate: 2%    IFR: 0%    Maint Capacity 29 MSP    Max Repair 30 MSP    Est Time: 8.38 Years
Magazine 8   

Fighter Drive MkV (1)    Power 93.75    Fuel Use 6000%    Signature 32.8125    Armour 0    Exp 100%
Fuel Capacity 5,000 Litres    Range 0.9 billion km   (8 hours at full power)

Size 8 Box Launcher MkII (1)    Missile Size 8    Hangar Reload 60 minutes    MF Reload 10 hours
ASMFC 36-R40 (FTR) (1)     Range 36.9m km    Resolution 40
Purifier (1)  Speed: 0 km/s   End: 0m    Range: 0m km   WH: 64    Size: 8    TH: 0 / 0 / 0

ECM 20

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s
Fleet support ships:

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Inquisitor MkI class Missile Cruiser    18,750 tons     1495 Crew     5085.52 BP      TCS 375  TH 1406.25  EM 0
5000 km/s     Armour 5-62     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 45     PPV 140
Annual Failure Rate: 112%    IFR: 1.6%    Maint Capacity 4238 MSP    Max Repair 270 MSP    Est Time: 4.79 Years
Magazine 1600   

Reinforced Imperial Engine MkV (12)    Power 156.25    Fuel Use 60%    Signature 117.1875    Armour 1    Exp 20%
Fuel Capacity 650,000 Litres    Range 104.0 billion km   (240 days at full power)

Triple Gauss Cannon R4-67 Turret (4x12)    Range 40,000km     TS: 30000 km/s     Power 0-0     RM 4    ROF 5        1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
AMBFC S03 60-30000 (2)    Max Range: 120,000 km   TS: 30000 km/s     92 83 75 67 58 50 42 33 25 17

Size 8 Missile Launcher (50% Reduction) (20)    Missile Size 8    Rate of Fire 175
ASM FC147-R40 (4)     Range 147.5m km    Resolution 40
Vox MIRV S8 R138 (200)  Speed: 18,700 km/s   End: 120m    Range: 137.4m km   WH: 0    Size: 8    TH: 62 / 37 / 18

Compact ECCM-4 (4)         ECM 50

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

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Shield MkI class Area Defence Cruiser    7,000 tons     578 Crew     1902.2 BP      TCS 140  TH 703.5  EM 0
6700 km/s     Armour 5-32     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 28     PPV 16
Annual Failure Rate: 46%    IFR: 0.6%    Maint Capacity 2444 MSP    Max Repair 144 MSP    Est Time: 8.09 Years
Magazine 816   

Reinforced Imperial Engine MkV (6)    Power 156.25    Fuel Use 60%    Signature 117.1875    Armour 1    Exp 20%
Fuel Capacity 240,000 Litres    Range 102.9 billion km   (177 days at full power)

Size 1 Missile Launcher (16)    Missile Size 1    Rate of Fire 5
AMM FC19-R1 (4)     Range 19.4m km    Resolution 1
Vox AMM MkI (816)  Speed: 50,000 km/s   End: 1m    Range: 3m km   WH: 1    Size: 1    TH: 800 / 480 / 240

Missile Sensor MR25-R1 (1)     GPS 144     Range 25.9m km    Resolution 1

ECM 50

Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s

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Helmet MkI class Point Defence Cruiser    7,000 tons     680 Crew     2635.8 BP      TCS 140  TH 703.5  EM 0
6700 km/s     Armour 5-32     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 6     PPV 62
Annual Failure Rate: 60%    IFR: 0.8%    Maint Capacity 1530 MSP    Max Repair 360 MSP    Est Time: 3.26 Years

Reinforced Imperial Engine MkV (6)    Power 156.25    Fuel Use 60%    Signature 117.1875    Armour 1    Exp 20%
Fuel Capacity 210,000 Litres    Range 90.0 billion km   (155 days at full power)

Twin R6/C3 10cm Meson Cannon Turret (4x2)    Range 60,000km     TS: 40000 km/s     Power 6-6     RM 6    ROF 5        1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
Triple Gauss Cannon R4-67 Turret (2x12)    Range 40,000km     TS: 30000 km/s     Power 0-0     RM 4    ROF 5        1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
AMBFC S03 60-30000 (1)    Max Range: 120,000 km   TS: 30000 km/s     92 83 75 67 58 50 42 33 25 17
AMBFC S04 60-40000 (2)    Max Range: 120,000 km   TS: 40000 km/s     92 83 75 67 58 50 42 33 25 17
Small Reactor P2 (12)     Total Power Output 24    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Missile Sensor MR25-R1 (1)     GPS 144     Range 25.9m km    Resolution 1

ECM 50
Missiles:

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Vox ASM S1 R3.6 (submunition)
Missile Size: 1 MSP  (0.05 HS)     Warhead: 5    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 12
Speed: 43700 km/s    Endurance: 1 minutes   Range: 3.6m km
Cost Per Missile: 2.0292
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 524.4%   3k km/s 168%   5k km/s 104.9%   10k km/s 52.4%

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Vox ASM S1 R30
Missile Size: 1 MSP  (0.05 HS)     Warhead: 4    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 14
Speed: 50000 km/s    Endurance: 10 minutes   Range: 30.0m km
Cost Per Missile: 1.9333
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 700%   3k km/s 224%   5k km/s 140%   10k km/s 70%

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Vox MIRV S8 R138
Missile Size: 8 MSP  (0.4 HS)     Warhead: 0    Armour: 0     Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 18700 km/s    Endurance: 120 minutes   Range: 134.6m km
Cost Per Missile: 12.646
Second Stage: Vox ASM S1 R3.6 x5
Second Stage Separation Range: 150,000 km
Overall Endurance: 2 hours   Overall Range: 138.2m km
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 187%   3k km/s 60%   5k km/s 37.4%   10k km/s 18.7%
A fleet will consist of two Inquisitors, able to launch salvos of 40 MIRV missiles, splitting into 200 size 1, warhead 5 submunitions, giving the fleet the capability to strike from afar.
Five Shields and five Helmets will provide anti-missile capabilities for incoming enemy long-range attacks.
Five Witch-hunters will harbor the fleet's alpha strike team, 50x Holy Water, being able to shoot 400 strenght 4 missiles at once from their size-1 box launchers at the enemy, from a relatively comfortable distance of up to 30m km.
Double their number, ten Priests will send out their Holy Wards to accompany the Holy Waters, partly to provide some anti-missile defense for the strike wings, but also to incorporate flock theory into fleet doctrine, where sheer numbers increase the survivability of the individual in the flock. Enemy attempts at firing at the incoming fighters (if they detect them at all) will be twice as likely to hit a Holy Ward, than to hit a Holy Water, increasing the strike group's chance of achieving their objective.
The Witchunters carry enough ammo for 7 reloads for their fighters, which only take 7.5 minutes.
Two Missions will use their Missionaries to try and capture any enemy ship that gets damaged and falls out of formation.
Finally, two Judges give the fleet planetary bombardment capabilty, the standard Executioner's loadout, the Purifier, can be swapped out for the Wrath, which does less physical damage, but a stunning 256 radiation damage.

[Vanigo]

You have at least one critical problem: No sensors on your fighters. Without a sensor fighter, your entire strikeforce is completely impotent unless you've got some full-size ships in sensor range - not usually where you want your carriers to be. Even then, the Holy Wards won't be able to see incoming missiles. I'd replace a handful of Holy Wards with some sort of dedicated sensor platform. Maybe two designs; one for detecting ships and one for incoming missiles.

Do you think your carriers have enough fuel? Fighters burn through fuel like crazy, especially if you're planning to reload them seven times.

Do you realize your MIRVs are useless against anything that's moving away from the firing fleet? The submunitions will run out of fuel before they strike. Also, anything approaching your tech level will probably be able to knock down the Voxes before the submunitions launch; the separation range should really be higher, especially since under the new active sensor rules, being size 8 makes them easier to detect and engage.

Using the Holy Wards to protect the Holy Waters by drawing off enemy missiles is silly: the Holy Wards are actually more expensive. However, the Holy Ward's fire control is bigger than it needs to be; fire control tracking speed in excess of weapon tracking speed is wasted. You might be able to squeeze in a second layer of armor by reducing the fire control size. Do that, and the Wards will actually be able to take a couple of hits, so using them to draw enemy fire will be a sensible proposition.

Do you really think you want ECM on the Holy Waters, and not ECCM? Anything packing decent ECM will cut their range dramatically, making them easy meat for any antifighter weapons the fleet has, ECM and all. Both would be better, obviously, but you don't have room for that, so you have to prioritize. ECM will reduce enemy engagement range by 20% if you're lucky. ECCM will increase your engagement range by - if their ECM is as good as yours - 40%.

Oh, and hey, how are you going to get this fleet through jump points? With that many separate ships, you're going to need a lot of jump drives. Or... is this why you were asking about loading carriers onto carriers in that other thread?

[martinuzz (OP)]

You're right about the missile sensor. I should design another drone class for that. However, I would think the 120+m km ship sensor on the Witch-hunters has enough range to support the fighters.

Fuel might be a problem, I did design a fuel runner though, mostly to run fuel from my harvester bases, but also for fleet support.

The MIRV seperation range is actually 2.8m km, not 150k. That's an artefact of bringing back up the missile design window and choosing the old design, to copy-paste here. The seperation range is not saved there, I forgot about that.
The MIRV missiles are not intended to fire at targets moving away. Much too expensive ammo for that. They're mainly for assaulting PDC/orbital bases, and big prize ships silly enough to advance on me.

Holy Wards are expected to be lost.. If their losses exceed expectations, I will consider your FC/armor trade-off idea.
It would get their armor to 2-2 instead of 1-2, I don't know if that would really matter much.
EDIT: hmm, I can't make a smaller FC. It is already as small as it gets, at normal size, normal speed. I could only make it smaller by reducing it's range, but don't want that. (my base FC tracking speed is 10000km/s)

The ECM on the Holy Waters should be ECCM indeed. Only the Executioners are intended to have ECM. I must have mis-clicked. Good catch, thanks.

Jump points.. Indeed, that's why I asked the carrier in carrier question. I want to design Church/Cathedral class Jump-carriers that can hold 5 drone carriers each, and if there's space left, some more fuel. My shipyards are up to building 50k ton ships, and I have jump drive efficiency 12, so that should be doable.

Oh, and why they're called drones, even though they do have crew..
It's not actually crew. The drones all have room aboard for some captive heretics. The Imperial Church will grant pardon to those prisoners that return alive from a combat mission. The Lord might grant pardon to those killed in combat.

[Vanigo]

You're right about the missile sensor. I should design another drone class for that. However, I would think the 120+m km ship sensor on the Witch-hunters has enough range to support the fighters.

Only if you don't mind the enemy knowing where your carriers are. Sometimes that's fine. Sometimes it is not.

The MIRV seperation range is actually 2.8m km, not 150k. That's an artefact of bringing back up the missile design window and choosing the old design, to copy-paste here. The seperation range is not saved there, I forgot about that.
The MIRV missiles are not intended to fire at targets moving away. Much too expensive ammo for that. They're mainly for assaulting PDC/orbital bases, and big prize ships silly enough to advance on me.

They're still liable to get shot down before separation. Did you know precursor countermissiles hav about a 30mkm range so they double as antifighter weapons? And that size 8 missiles can be detected from 77% further away than size 6- missiles?

[/quote]Holy Wards are expected to be lost.. If their losses exceed expectations, I will consider your FC/armor trade-off idea.
It would get their armor to 2-2 instead of 1-2, I don't know if that would really matter much.
EDIT: hmm, I can't make a smaller FC. It is already as small as it gets, at normal size, normal speed. I could only make it smaller by reducing it's range, but don't want that. (my base FC tracking speed is 10000km/s)[/quote]Huh, thought you could do reduced size/reduced tracking speed. Anyway, my point isn't that you shouldn't expect to lose fighters. My point is that if that's your plan, you should do your best to lose the cheap ones. (Although, I suppose a fully-loaded Holy Water is marginally more expensive than a Holy Ward, but not enough to matter much.) If you can't reduce the size of the fire control, why not reduce its cost by using older technology?
As for how much raising the armor to 2-2 would help - it would increase the durability of the Wards by about 50%, and the fleet as a whole by a third.

[UnLimiTeD]

I think you could use a single 2000 ton ship in your fleet with a swarm jumpdrive, to escort a half dozen drones through a point for attacks without endangering your carriers.