I'd point out the lower laser size limit is totally arbitrary at the moment.  I do however agree that something like that in particular souldn't be swappable for a fighter sized thing.

Also, the equalizer was a perfectly effective weapon (it let the thing destroy tanks for heck sakes), and the harrier was quite useful for the fact that it was very flexible, despite its overall low speed.  It performed fine in the Falklands war for instance.

I could see lasers as they are now not being particularly swappable for fighter sized things, but that doesn't mean hardpoints shouldn't be possible period.  It would be terrible if it was a system that only applied to fighter sized vessels arbitrarily, so lasers could easily just only be swappable for much larger vehicles.  And then fighters have reduced multi mission capability purely off of the fact they are so small.

The Ships of the Terran Federation: Red Oak Victory-class ammunition transport and Capella-class missile base


The Red Oak Victory-class ammunition transport is the Federation Navy's main vessel for providing ammo replenishment for long-range Fleet operations.  A single ship of this class has sufficient capacity to fully reload 5 Luna-class destroyers, and still have some missiles left over.  Although it is not a carrier, the Red Oak Victory also features a 5,250-ton-capacity hangar bay capable of docking and reloading an Akizuki-class missile boat in less than 40 minutes.  In fact, the Red Oak Victory was designed largely with that specific purpose in mind, thus allowing the missile boats to conduct sustained operations in deep space.  It can also function as a maintenance supply ship or even as a refueling tanker, but with slightly shorter range than a Luna Block II it is not really ideal for the latter purpose.  Typically, the Red Oak Victory saves its fuel reserves to assist critically damaged Federation ships during post-battle cleanup.

The Red Oak Victory does not possess offensive weaponry since it is not intended to engage in combat.  However, it does possess a pair of Phalanx autoguns to shoot down missiles in the event that any enemy ships should slip past the main fleet.  Lightly shielded and lightly armored, this class uses speed for defense. 

The ship summary shown below represents the current, obsolete version of the class.  An upgrade with ICFD engines, compressed fuel storage, and triple the operational range is planned.  However, due to a shortage of 1200-rated ICFD drives no work on this upgrade will begin until the Luna-class destroyers have all received their replacement drives first.  Unfortunately, the highly advanced Freeman Megacorp 1200 ICFD's are proving slow and difficult to construct, even with fully half the might of Earth's industrial capacity behind the project.

Vessels in service:  Red Oak Victory, China Victory, Greece Victory, USSR Victory

Red Oak Victory class Ammunition Transport    30 000 tons     565 Crew     5547 BP      TCS 600  TH 1260  EM 180
6000 km/s     Armour 3-86     Shields 6-300     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 29     PPV 0
Maint Life 2.53 Years     MSP 3351    AFR 248%    IFR 3.4%    1YR 730    5YR 10955    Max Repair 1050 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Flight Crew Berths 3   
Hangar Deck Capacity 5250 tons     Magazine 2040    Cargo Handling Multiplier 10   

Freeman Megacorp 1200 EP Magneto-plasma Drive (3)    Power 1200    Fuel Use 68.89%    Signature 420    Exp 15%
Fuel Capacity 6 010 000 Litres    Range 52.3 billion km   (100 days at full power)
Tesla Corporation Beta R300/180 Shields (4)   Total Fuel Cost  30 Litres per hour  (720 per day)

Phalanx CIWS-120 (2x6)    Range 1000 km     TS: 12000 km/s     ROF 5       Base 50% To Hit
Javelin Mk II (408)  Speed: 30 700 km/s   End: 73.9m    Range: 136.2m km   WH: 9    Size: 5    TH: 112/67/33

ECM 10

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

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes


The Capella-class planetary missile base is the first armed planetary defense installation to achieve widespread deployment in the Federation.  Military designers procrastinated for years debating what characteristics a main planetary defense base should possess until it was finally realized that unless a powerful, reasonably sized installation was fielded now then over half a dozen of the Federation's most important colonies would be totally undefended in the event of a surprise attack.  As such, most Federation worlds in the 60-80 million population range can construct a Capella installation from scratch in less than a year, while even the smallest colonies would be able to assemble a prefabricated unit in a matter of a few months at most.

Intially the Capella was conceived as a platform for deploying massive, very long ranged MIRV-capable missiles.  While promising, in order to avoid designing a whole host of new technologies to support such a missile it was decided that for now the Capella should be able to utlize existing stocks of Federation warheads.  Of course, this also greatly simplifies logistics.  Despite this the anti-ship barrage that a Capella can throw into space is still rather fearsome, comparatively speaking.  The base also provides the surrounding space with a reasonable measure of anti-warhead and anti-small-craft defense.  As a PDC the armor protection of the Capella is exceptionally thick; in theory, it could sustain dozens of direct fusion strikes and remain operational.  Furthermore the massive ammunition bay, equivalent to an entire Red Oak Victory collier, allows for extended barrages to overcome the point defense of any target.  Although it is not a fighter base the Capella can provide auxiliary support for small spacecraft operating within its theater.  Finally, since the Capella is designed as a planet's main (and perhaps only) planetary base, it features a Flag Bridge to effectively coordinate all local operations.  In time, the Federation plans to not only field at least one Capella on each major world, but also to seed asteroids and other planetary bodies near jump points with these units as well.

Two bases of this type are currently in service, with six more in various stages of construction.  As a planetary defense base the Capella does not follow a formal naming system, instead being designated through whatever factors and traditions the local military authorities deem appropriate.

Capella class Missile Base    27 600 tons     635 Crew     5418 BP      TCS 552  TH 0  EM 0
Armour 28-81     Sensors 1/720     Damage Control Rating 0     PPV 140
Intended Deployment Time: 1 months    Flight Crew Berths 0   
Flag Bridge    Hangar Deck Capacity 1000 tons     Magazine 2228   

Phalanx CIWS-200 (2x6)    Range 1000 km     TS: 20000 km/s     ROF 5       Base 50% To Hit
Raytheon Size 1 Anti-Missile Launcher (15)    Missile Size 1    Rate of Fire 10
Raytheon PDC Size 5 Missile Launcher (25)    Missile Size 5    Rate of Fire 15
Raytheon Missile Fire Control FC277-R100 (1)     Range 277.2m km    Resolution 100
Raytheon AMM Missile Fire Control FC95-R1 (1)     Range 95.0m km    Resolution 1
Javelin Mark III (406)  Speed: 36 800 km/s   End: 84.1m    Range: 185.7m km   WH: 9    Size: 5    TH: 135/81/40
Dart Size 1 Anti-missile Missile (200)  Speed: 52 000 km/s   End: 11.2m    Range: 34.9m km   WH: 1    Size: 1    TH: 260/156/78

Raytheon AMM Active Search Sensor MR79-R1 (1)     GPS 720     Range 79.2m km    MCR 8.6m km    Resolution 1
Raytheon Active Search Sensor MR231-R100 (1)     GPS 21000     Range 231.0m km    Resolution 100

ECCM-2 (1)         Missile to hit chances are vs targets moving at 3000 km/s, 5000 km/s and 10,000 km/s


This design is classed as a Planetary Defence Centre and can be pre-fabricated in 12 sections


A credible effort, but I don't really think a beam-oriented fleet will work well at this tech level.  Nearly every opponent you will conceivably face will be able to reach much higher speeds than you, making those lasers useless weight most of the time.  And the ships here are really, really slow.  Correspondingly slow targeting speeds further compound the problem.  In short, Precursors and Swarm drones will obliterate them.

If all you need is an initial presence to safeguard your home system, these are probably ok.  However I would personally prefer missile-based ships at this tech level.  I'm thinking slow missile-throwers stuffed with the most powerful and long-ranged missiles you can manage.  Even then I wouldn't expect too much, and frankly I'd forget about fighters entirely until you research Magnetic Confinement drives at least.

Dragon, do you play World of Warships?  Just curious since many of the ships ring familiar from the Japanese tech tree.  Or maybe you're just a history buff, lol.

Anyway, yeah.  Frightening stuff.  It is my sincere hope that my Federation never encounters an opponent this advanced, because if I do, I'm dead.

The Ships of the Terran Federation: Akizuki-class Missile Boat and Lancer-class Gunboat


The Akizuki-class Missile Boat was the second warship class to be fielded after the Luna.  During the battle of 41 Arae a task force of Luna-class destroyers struggled to put down a Swarm mothership because the monstrous bio-ship was shooting down or simply absorbing most of their missiles.  Although the Navy was victorious, a plan was put into motion to create a new class of missile-armed ship that could help its fleet overwhelm a target's point defense in the initial strike.  The resulting ship, the Akizuki, is designed solely for maximizing that "first strike" missile wave: all other considerations are secondary.  To this end the Akizuki features 40 size-5 external missile racks rather than the conventional missile tubes of the Luna.  It also utilizes the same fire control system as the Luna.  However the Akizuki does not have shields, it does not have shipboard sensors, and it is basically unarmored.  Despite this a single Akizuki is theoretically capable of destroying any Precursor drone-ship with its single, devastating missile volley.  Because the Akizuki cannot reload on its own, Navy doctrine states that an "empty" Akizuki should immediately withdraw to the nearest ammunition collier or friendly planet to rearm.

Six Akizuki-class Missile Boats are currently in service.  The current Block III upgrade tripled the Akizuki's range with a ICFD engine and Compressed Fuel storage.  It also added a shuttle bay, a feature that was sorely missing before.

Akizuki Block III class Missile Boat    5 000 tons     71 Crew     1190.5 BP      TCS 100  TH 144  EM 0
6000 km/s     Armour 1-26     Shields 0-0     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 4     PPV 30
Maint Life 4.12 Years     MSP 707    AFR 42%    IFR 0.6%    1YR 67    5YR 1001    Max Repair 600 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Flight Crew Berths 1   
Hangar Deck Capacity 125 tons     Magazine 200   

Freeman Megacorp 600 EP Internal Fusion Drive (1)    Power 600    Fuel Use 47.32%    Signature 144    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 2 055 000 Litres    Range 156.3 billion km   (301 days at full power)

Raytheon Size 5 Box Launcher (40)    Missile Size 5    Hangar Reload 37.5 minutes    MF Reload 6.2 hours
Raytheon Missile Fire Control FC277-R100 (1)     Range 277.2m km    Resolution 100
Javelin Mk II (40)  Speed: 30 700 km/s   End: 73.9m    Range: 136.2m km   WH: 9    Size: 5    TH: 112/67/33

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

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes


The Lancer-class Gunboat is a brand-new type of warship designed to provide devastating short-range firepower for its fleet.  The Lancer is outwardly similar to the Akizuki, and in fact uses the exact same type of internal confinement fusion drive.  However, the Lancer is actually an entirely new design purpose-built around its main weapon, a single General Dynamics 30cm Spinal Laser.  This laser represents the highest damage output over time and certainly the highest damage per shot of any energy weapon yet fielded by the Federation.  A direct hit at short range from this laser yields 24 megajoules of energy striking an area approximately the size of a dinner plate.  While a larger, well-protected vessel might be able to sustain such a hit, it is anticipated that such a hit would completely deplete the energy shielding of nearly any vessel yet encountered, achieve a complete "burn-through" on most contemporary vessels of 5,000 tons or less, and likely incapacitate or destroy most targets in one shot.  The laser's main advantage is the burst damage it is capable of delivering, however, the 15cm recharge time also represents the most advanced capacitor recharge technology that the Federation can field.  While much larger lasers were considered (including a ridiculously large 45cm spinal laser capable of firing once every 35 seconds), the 30cm Spinal Laser was ultimately selected as a reasonable compromise between hitting power, compactness, and rate of fire.  Because it is designed for close combat, every ton of the ship that is not devoted to weaponry, crew systems, or fuel storage is dedicated to armor and shielding.  As such, the Lancer is quite tough for its size.  However, in contrast to most other Federation military ships the Lancer does not have a shuttle bay.  Like the Akizuki, the Lancer relies on other ships to provide active sensor coverage.

Two Lancers have recently been completed, and two more are currently under construction. 

Lancer class Gunboat    5 000 tons     96 Crew     1637.5 BP      TCS 100  TH 144  EM 300
6000 km/s     Armour 10-26     Shields 10-300     Sensors 1/1/0/0     Damage Control Rating 3     PPV 9
Maint Life 2.4 Years     MSP 614    AFR 66%    IFR 0.9%    1YR 146    5YR 2195    Max Repair 600 MSP
Intended Deployment Time: 4 months    Spare Berths 1   

Freeman Megacorp 600 EP Internal Fusion Drive (1)    Power 600    Fuel Use 47.32%    Signature 144    Exp 12%
Fuel Capacity 1 770 000 Litres    Range 134.7 billion km   (259 days at full power)
Tesla Corporation Gamma R300/240 Shields (5)   Total Fuel Cost  50 Litres per hour  (1 200 per day)

General Dynamics 30cm C8 Spinal Ultraviolet Laser (1)    Range 384 000km     TS: 6000 km/s     Power 24-8     RM 4    ROF 15        24 24 24 24 19 16 13 12 10 9
General Dynamics Spinal Fire Control S03 192-6000 (1)    Max Range: 384 000 km   TS: 6000 km/s     97 95 92 90 87 84 82 79 77 74
General Dynamics Tokamak Fusion Reactor Technology PB-1 (1)     Total Power Output 8    Armour 0    Exp 5%

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes