Multi-Purpose Frigate Concept, Minuteman Class Frigate

[xenoscepter (OP)]

 - A concept design for a multi-role missile Frigate. This design lacks speed, defense and mounts an inefficient array of missiles, but what it lacks in specialization it makes up for with robustness and tactical flexibility. While at first glance the spread of Missile Fire Controls will seem excessive, it is important to note that this design emphasizes chooses the right missile for the job. Hence, each spread of four Missile Fire Controls has a different resolution. Empty missile stages filled with Submunitions and set to a separation range of 0 km are used as "Canisters" for the design, allowing it to function as an AMM, Anti-Fighter, or capital Ship Killer.

 - Built using Composite Armor and Ion Engines, with Active Sensor Strength of 10 and Passive Sensor Strengths of 5 in both categories, this ship is far from high tech. A fuel consumption tech of 0.8 is barely nominal, while 4x warhead tech and an agility tech of 48 per MSP make for barely acceptable missiles. No engine power techs means that the missile designs presented were locked to 200% boost, and as such are quite slow. Gamma Shields and matching Shield Regen tech allow the ship to furnish itself with a modest passive defense screen, while 3 layers of Armor help it to tank lighter blows. A range of 8.1 billion km round trip is nothing to sneeze at, however, and the 57.6 PPV is excellent for a functional warship of this size. The launchers alone constitute just over 40% of this ship's mass!

 - It's not without significant vulnerabilities, but it's relatively cheap and very flexible. You could use it to survey with GeoProbes during peacetime and the 16 massive Size 24 Box Launchers give it great throw weight for such a little ship. The ability to load up against a variety of threats with the Canister rounds further extends the utility of this ship, and with such big launchers it can even be used as a minelayer when it gets old and outdated. The Active Sensors and Missile Fire Controls together amount to 4.8 BP worth of cost, so with a fairly simple refit the range of the launchers can be greatly extended. This allows for periodic upgrades that only require a refit of the sensors, fire controls and new ordinance to make the ship much more relevant again.

Minuteman Frigate:

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Minuteman class Frigate      6,250 tons       76 Crew       684.2 BP       TCS 125    TH 125    EM 270
2000 km/s      Armour 3-30       Shields 9-150       HTK 39      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 6      PPV 57.6
Maint Life 12.40 Years     MSP 984    AFR 48%    IFR 0.7%    1YR 12    5YR 177    Max Repair 75.00000 MSP
Magazine 384   
Commander    Control Rating 1   BRG   
Intended Deployment Time: 3.1 months    Morale Check Required   

Ion Drive  EP125.00 (2)    Power 250.0    Fuel Use 40.96%    Signature 62.500    Explosion 8%
Fuel Capacity 230,000 Litres    Range 16.2 billion km (93 days at full power)
Gamma S3 / R150 Shields (3)     Recharge Time 150 seconds (0.1 per second)

Size 24 Box Launcher (16)     Missile Size: 24    Hangar Reload 245 minutes    MF Reload 40 hours
Missile Fire Control FC17-R125 (4)     Range 17.8m km    Resolution 125
Missile Fire Control FC28-R500 (4)     Range 28.3m km    Resolution 500
Missile Fire Control FC3-R1 (4)     Range 3.6m km    Resolution 1
Missile Fire Control FC7-R10 (4)     Range 7.7m km    Resolution 10

Active Search Sensor AS28-R500 (1)     GPS 4000     Range 28.3m km    Resolution 500
Active Search Sensor AS17-R125 (1)     GPS 1000     Range 17.8m km    Resolution 125
Active Search Sensor AS3-R1 (1)     GPS 8     Range 3.6m km    MCR 321.1k km    Resolution 1
Active Search Sensor AS7-R10 (1)     GPS 80     Range 7.7m km    Resolution 10

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
Minuteman Missile System:
 - A series of missiles designed for use with the Minuteman Class Frigate. The Minuteman I System is built around Canisters of submunitions, allowing each launcher to fire one "salvo" of the desired type of munition. SLASM denotes a "Space Launched Anti-Ship Missile", SLAMM denotes a "Space Launched Anti-Missile Missile", SLAFM denotes a "Space Launched Anti-Fighter Missile", and SLMPM denotes a "Space Launched Multi-Purpose Missile". The SLMPM Canister is the 'principle' munition of the Minuteman Class, and is meant to be used against a variety of targets. The MIRV is a special case among the Minuteman I System, as it is designed to be fired at a planet only when the Point Defense systems have already been neutralized.

 - The Minuteman I MIRV can be considered as a terror weapon to use against a helpless target rather than a tactical one. The Minuteman II System is a stand-off system designed to offset the Minuteman Class' relatively poor engagement range. The SLASM is designed around hitting other ships equal to or above the Minuteman's own weight, while the SLAPT is a "Space Launched Anti-Plantary Torpedo", and should be considered a long range tactical nuke and employed as such. It is worth noting that the SLAPT does only about a third of the damage of the MIRV, while also having only a third of the fallout. Both instances of the Minuteman II System use Active Sensors and waypoint fire as their primary method of engagement.

Off-Topic: show

Minuteman II SLASM
- Missile Size: 24.0 MSP  (60.00 Tons)     Warhead: 18    Radiation Damage: 18    Manoeuvre Rating: 13
Speed: 15,000 km/s     Fuel: 1,750     Flight Time: 113 minutes     Range: 101.67m km
Active Sensor Strength: 0.5   EM Sensitivity Modifier: 5
Resolution: 125    Maximum Range vs 6250 ton object (or larger): 4,460,305 km
Cost Per Missile: 15.644     Development Cost: 1,564
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 195.0%   3k km/s 65.0%   5k km/s 39.0%   10k km/s 19.5%

Materials Required
Tritanium  4.5
Boronide  0.3
Uridium  0.5
Gallicite  10.344
Fuel:  1750
Minuteman II SLAPT
- Missile Size: 24.00 MSP  (60.000 Tons)     Warhead: 12    Radiation Damage: 50    Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 16,150 km/s     Fuel: 4,575     Flight Time: 3 hours     Range: 168.9m km
Active Sensor Strength: 0.15   EM Sensitivity Modifier: 5
Resolution: 500    Maximum Range vs 25000 ton object (or larger): 3,878,036 km
Cost Per Missile: 16.18     Development Cost: 1,618
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 161.5%   3k km/s 53.8%   5k km/s 32.3%   10k km/s 16.2%

Materials Required
Tritanium  6.25
Boronide  0.09
Uridium  0.15
Gallicite  9.69
Fuel:  4575
Minuteman I MIRV Submunition
- Missile Size: 1.3 MSP  (3.25 Tons)     Warhead: 2    Radiation Damage: 10    Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 0 km/s     Fuel: 0     Flight Time: 1 seconds     Range: 0 km
Cost Per Missile: 1.3     Development Cost: 130
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 0%   3k km/s 0%   5k km/s 0%   10k km/s 0%

Materials Required
Tritanium  1.3
Minuteman I SLAFM Submunition
- Missile Size: 3.000 MSP  (7.5000 Tons)     Warhead: 1    Radiation Damage: 1    Manoeuvre Rating: 12
Speed: 21,933 km/s     Fuel: 62     Flight Time: 6 minutes     Range: 7.54m km
Cost Per Missile: 1.9812     Development Cost: 198
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 263.2%   3k km/s 87.7%   5k km/s 52.6%   10k km/s 26.3%

Materials Required
Tritanium  0.25
Gallicite  1.7312
Fuel:  62
Minuteman I SLAMM Submunition
- Missile Size: 1.000 MSP  (2.5000 Tons)     Warhead: 1    Radiation Damage: 1    Manoeuvre Rating: 14
Speed: 16,200 km/s     Fuel: 20     Flight Time: 4 minutes     Range: 3.63m km
Cost Per Missile: 0.73832     Development Cost: 74
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 226.8%   3k km/s 75.6%   5k km/s 45.4%   10k km/s 22.7%

Materials Required
Tritanium  0.25
Gallicite  0.48832
Fuel:  20
Minuteman I SLASM Submunition
- Missile Size: 6.00 MSP  (15.000 Tons)     Warhead: 12    Radiation Damage: 12    Manoeuvre Rating: 13
Speed: 10,333 km/s     Fuel: 300     Flight Time: 29 minutes     Range: 17.72m km
Cost Per Missile: 4.934     Development Cost: 493
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 134.3%   3k km/s 44.8%   5k km/s 26.9%   10k km/s 13.4%

Materials Required
Tritanium  3
Gallicite  1.934
Fuel:  300
Minuteman I SLMPM Submunition
- Missile Size: 4.000 MSP  (10.0000 Tons)     Warhead: 3    Radiation Damage: 3    Manoeuvre Rating: 16
Speed: 16,450 km/s     Fuel: 312     Flight Time: 29 minutes     Range: 28.46m km
Cost Per Missile: 2.8652     Development Cost: 287
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 263.2%   3k km/s 87.7%   5k km/s 52.6%   10k km/s 26.3%

Materials Required
Tritanium  0.75
Gallicite  2.1152
Fuel:  312
Minuteman I MIRV
- Missile Size: 24.0 MSP  (60.00 Tons)     Warhead: 0    Radiation Damage: 0    Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 3,717 km/s     Fuel: 750     1st Stage Flight Time: 128 minutes    1st Stage Range: 28.46m km
2nd Stage Flight Time: 1 seconds    2nd Stage Range: 0k km
Cost Per Missile: 21.73     Development Cost: 2,173
Second Stage: Minuteman I MIRV Submunition x15
Second Stage Separation Range: 28,460,000 km
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 37.2%   3k km/s 12.4%   5k km/s 7.4%   10k km/s 3.7%

Materials Required
Tritanium  19.5
Gallicite  2.23
Fuel:  750
Minuteman I SLASM
- Missile Size: 24.00 MSP  (60.000 Tons)     Warhead: 0    Radiation Damage: 0    Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 0 km/s     Fuel: 1,200     1st Stage Flight Time: 1 seconds    1st Stage Range: 0k km
2nd Stage Flight Time: 29 minutes    2nd Stage Range: 17.72m km
Cost Per Missile: 19.736     Development Cost: 1,974
Second Stage: Minuteman I SLASM Submunition x4
Second Stage Separation Range: 0 km
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 0%   3k km/s 0%   5k km/s 0%   10k km/s 0%

Materials Required
Tritanium  12
Gallicite  7.736
Fuel:  1200
Minuteman I SLAFM
- Missile Size: 24.000 MSP  (60.0000 Tons)     Warhead: 0    Radiation Damage: 0    Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 0 km/s     Fuel: 496     1st Stage Flight Time: 1 seconds    1st Stage Range: 0k km
2nd Stage Flight Time: 6 minutes    2nd Stage Range: 7.54m km
Cost Per Missile: 15.8496     Development Cost: 1,585
Second Stage: Minuteman I SLAFM Submunition x8
Second Stage Separation Range: 0 km
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 0%   3k km/s 0%   5k km/s 0%   10k km/s 0%

Materials Required
Tritanium  2.00
Gallicite  13.8496
Fuel:  496
Minuteman I SLAMM
- Missile Size: 24.000 MSP  (60.0000 Tons)     Warhead: 0    Radiation Damage: 0    Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 0 km/s     Fuel: 480     1st Stage Flight Time: 1 seconds    1st Stage Range: 0k km
2nd Stage Flight Time: 4 minutes    2nd Stage Range: 3.63m km
Cost Per Missile: 17.71968     Development Cost: 1,772
Second Stage: Minuteman I SLAMM Submunition x24
Second Stage Separation Range: 0 km
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 0%   3k km/s 0%   5k km/s 0%   10k km/s 0%

Materials Required
Tritanium  6.00
Gallicite  11.71968
Fuel:  480
Minuteman I SLMPM
- Missile Size: 24.000 MSP  (60.0000 Tons)     Warhead: 0    Radiation Damage: 0    Manoeuvre Rating: 10
Speed: 0 km/s     Fuel: 1,872     1st Stage Flight Time: 1 seconds    1st Stage Range: 0k km
2nd Stage Flight Time: 29 minutes    2nd Stage Range: 28.46m km
Cost Per Missile: 17.1912     Development Cost: 1,719
Second Stage: Minuteman I SLMPM Submunition x6
Second Stage Separation Range: 0 km
Chance to Hit: 1k km/s 0%   3k km/s 0%   5k km/s 0%   10k km/s 0%

Materials Required
Tritanium  4.50
Gallicite  12.6912
Fuel:  1872

[Jorgen_CAB]

I find this a pretty cool concept, something I have tried before. The only real issue was that I had to manually fire AMM canisters as the auto system would not understand there are multiple AMM in each one. I also normally used two types of launchers as I recall, typically a size 6 and a size 12 launchers and the distribution was commonly 1/3 size 6 and 2/3 size 12 or something like that.

The smaller launcher would generally hold AMM and Anti-craft missiles but could also hold a small medium range cruise missile. The larger launcher cold then fit allot more varied designs.

In C# I think that these kinds of ships are even more viable as if you keep the frigates small you can easily bring a decent fleet tender vessel as a commercial design for resupply, refuel, repair and reloading the frigates. Now, these frigates can even deploy outside their assigned systems to a greater extent.

The utility of such ships should never be underestimated.

[L0ckAndL0ad]

I'm currently considering box-launcher heavy ships and was wondering if you actually tested this concept in combat? Or anything similar?

My main concern is whether or not it requires more fiddling with targeting than with the usual reloadable launcher designs. As pointed out above, AMMs are obviously need to be dealt with manually, but what about ASMs?

Notes?

[Jorgen_CAB]

I'm currently considering box-launcher heavy ships and was wondering if you actually tested this concept in combat? Or anything similar?

My main concern is whether or not it requires more fiddling with targeting than with the usual reloadable launcher designs. As pointed out above, AMMs are obviously need to be dealt with manually, but what about ASMs?

Notes?

ASM does not require any extra handling at all, they just launch multiple missile per launcher and that is it.