Background text by Dave DEITRICH (deitrich@mcs.net)
Background info provided by the Macross Online Compendium. Suggestions are NOT welcome- I don't write by committee.
 | Escort Battle Carriers. | | |||
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The aircraft carrier had been the dominant symbol of naval power from the Second World War until the Unifications Wars; A carrier could transport fighters armed with torpedoes, bombs, missiles, or nuclear
ARK ROYAL-Class Battle Carriers form the backbone of the UGC's militry forces. They can quickly carry almost 400 VFs along with their pilots, support crews, supplies, and weaponry to anywhere they are needed in UGC territory and beyond. The ARK ROYAL-Class are not transformable and are thus far less costly to build and operate. On the other hand, ARK ROYAL-Class are not designed for heavy ship-to-ship combat and are more heavily reliant on their fighter squadrons for protection. Their advanced sensors and communications gear allows their commanders to coordinate fighter squadrons and ships over large distances in carefully orchestrated attacks. The carriers are also common sights among UGC Colonization fleets, but here there role is somewhat different. ARK ROYAL-Class Carriers are often put in command of large civilian colonization vessels, and the ships are physically mated to the colony vessels where they form the command and control centers for the ships. This arrangement is particularly beneficial as it provides the civilian vessels with a dedicated defense force of VFs, and provides the crew of the carrier with luxuries and entertainment that they normally do not have access to in an all-militry fleet. Colony ships designed to mate with ARK ROYAL-Class Carriers include Riviera resort Vsls, Hollywood Entertainment Vsls, BEGINHILL Training Vsls, and Einstien-Class Research Vsls. ARK ROYAL-Class Battle Carriers were first launched in 2031 have been part of the Spacy's fleet ever since, and there are no plans to retire the design any time in the future. Although not as powerful as the ARK ROYAL-Class carriers and others, they are far more cost effective to produce and operate. They can also operate in space OR within an atmosphere equally well, and can even rest atop the water with ease. With a recent retrofit they submerge (like the HAYES-Class carrier), and thus are being considered as a replacement for the HAYES-, ARMOR-, YOUNGER-, PLANETMASTER-, EMPORER-, and KHYRON-Classes. However, this decision, yea or nay, is still in the distance. (They are not being considered to replace any fast-reaction vsls, however.) Current Status: With the rise of newer battlewagon types, the ARK ROYAL-Class's days are numbered. They ships simply don't meet all of the needs of the REF Spacy, and really haven't for a while. Only the sheer number of hulls built previously is keeping the fleet going, and the fleet is declining at a rate of 12 hulls per decade. In about 150 years, the last ARK ROYAL will either be decommissioned and scrapped or possibly transferred to regional forces for customs enforcement. Ship Type: Long Distance Space, Guardian, and Veritech Fighter Command Carrier. Crew: 2,063 total. Command Tower: 62. Main Ship: 1,300 to 1,500. VF Pilots: 300 to 500. Troops: 1,000. MDC By Location: | |||||
| * Main Body ** Command Tower ** Sensor Array (behind Command Tower) *** Foredeck *** Flight decks (2) **** Main engines (2) **** Secondary Engines (2) **** Small Guidance thrusters (36) | 40,000 8,000 800 12,000 8,000 each 8,000 each 2,500 each 200 each | Retractable Laser Turrets (24) Main Anti-Warship Missile Launchers (6) Medium Range Missile Launchers (12) Small Airlocks/Access Hatches (100) Large Airlocks (20) Outer Hull (per 40ft area) Interior walls (per 20ft) ***** Pin Point Barriers (4) | 300 each 400 each 200 each 250 each 500 each 120 20 5,000 each | ||
| Notes: * Depleting the MDC of the main body will put the Carrier out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck. ** Destroying the command tower will instantly kill the command staff and deprive the ship of all forms of long range communications, radar and targeting. The range and targeting capabilities of the secondary systems are equal to that of a VF-11 Thunderbolt. The ship can still operate, but is at -3 on initiative, -3 to strike, and number of attacks per melee of the weapon systems are reduced by half. Destroying the main sensory array behind the command tower will have the same effect, but the command staff will not be killed instantly. *** Destroying the foredeck or the flight decks will greatly impair the carrier's ability to deploy and recover aircraft. Under normal operations the carrier can launch or recover up to 12 VFs per turn. If the foredeck is destroyed this number drops to 6, and each flight deck destroyed reduces this number by 3. If both the foredeck and the flight decks are destroyed the carrier can only launch or recover one aircraft every other turn. **** Depleting the MDC of the main engines will force the ship to rely on its secondary engines. Depleting the MDC of the main engines AND secondary engines will leave the ship adrift in space. If in an atmosphere, the ship will crash (destruction of the main engines will render the antigravity system useless due to loss of power). ***** The Pinpoint Barriers regenerate at a rate of 1,250 MD per second (2,500 MD per melee round). If destroyed, a barrier will completely regenerate within four seconds (2 melee rounds). See the Pinpoint Barrier System entry for details. Speed and Statistical Data | |||||
| Speed (sublight): 0.20 speed of light (32,000 miles per second). Speed (Auxiliary Drives): Mach 3 Space Fold: Range Unlimited (1 light year every 6 minutes). Planet Bound: Maximum Hover Speed: 60 knots Maximum Hover Ceiling: 100 feet Maximum Sailing Speed: Under propellers only: Up to 20 knots. Maximum Submerged Speed: Under propellers only: Up to 8 knots; While the HAYES-Class is 25% faster, the ARK ROYAL-Class is much heavier for aero-spacecraft, and far more flexible. The loss of a few underwater knots, when considered against the fact that they can fly, isn't considered a "loss" at all in any case. | Range In Hover: No limit; You could raise the anchors and cruise forever. Maximum Range: Unlimited (estimated 30 year life span). Length: 4,950 ft (1,500 m). Weight: 2,500,000 tons (empty)/3,100,000 tons (standard). Fold System: ORTEC/Shinnakasu/General Galaxy Advanced Fold System Cluster. Sublight Drive: ORTEC/Centinel Impulse Drive Cluster. Gravity Control System: Internal. Auxiliary Engine: Shinnakasu/Shinsei Industries/Agar Nuclear Pulse Rocket Motor Cluster. Radar System: Hyperspace Sensor Pod. Cost And Availability: About 10 million credit; Fairly common. | ||||
Weapons Systems: | |||||
| 1. Heavy Missile Launchers (6): ARK ROYAL-Class Escort Carriers are not designed for heavy starship-to-starship combat, instead relying on their fighter wings for protection and attack. However if necessary the carriers are armed with six missile launcher tubes for launching ICBM-like missiles at enemy ships. Resembling torpedo launchers, they are mounted on the front of the ship facing forward. The launchers contain long-range nuclear missiles and are usually used only during assaults and heavy combat. Speed: Mach 2+ (1340 mph/2140 kmph) in an atmosphere. MD: 4D6 times 1000 MD. Range: 3,000 miles (4824 km). Blast Radius: 3,000 feet (915 m). Rate Of Fire: Each launcher tube holds one missile and must be reloaded after firing. Reloading a launcher tube takes 1 minute (4 melee rounds). If loaded, all 6 tubes can fire at once for a volley of 6 nuclear missiles (!). Payload: A typical battle carrier carries 30 missiles in storage that can be readied for firing in about 30 minutes. Additional missiles can be carried if deemed necessary, however. NOTE: These missiles CANNOT be used by variable fighters. Each missile is approximately the same size as a VF-11 Thunderbolt. Variable fighters that require nuclear ordinance usually carry RMS-1 Anti-Warship long range missiles. 2. Medium Missile Launchers (12): In addition to the heavy missile launchers, the escort carriers are armed with twelve medium missile launchers which are primarily intended for anti-aircraft defense. Each launcher contains 8 missile tubes allowing volleys of up to 8 missiles to be fired at a single target per launcher. Once depleted, the missile launchers are reloaded by an automated loading system that takes 15 seconds (one melee round) to reload all 8 missiles. Armor-piercing smart missiles are usually used to avoid chances of friendly fighters being shot down by the missiles. 3. Retractable Laser Turrets (24): As a final line of defense the escort carrier is armed with 24 automated laser turrets that retract into the ship's hull when not in use. These short-range lasers are intended primarily for anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense, but can do moderate damage against smaller enemy spacecraft if they get too close. The lasers are located at key points along the spacecraft's hull. At most 4 lasers can be directed against a single target at any time. | 4. Pinpoint Barrier Defense System: Originally developed by researchers onboard the UES MACROSS (SDF-001) during the Fɪʀsᴛ Robotech War, the Pinpoint Barrier System is a standard defense system on board all UN Spacy starships, including the ARK ROYAL-Class Escort Carriers. The system generates four small disc-shaped force fields that can be positioned anywhere along the ship to deflect missiles, energy beams or projectiles. Each pinpoint barrier is about 200 feet (61 m) in length and can absorb up to 5,000 MD in damage, which then regenerates within four seconds (2 melee rounds). The barriers can also be layered on top of each other to generate a field which provides 20,000 MDC and can even deflect heavy particle beams (usually). The four barriers are controlled by operators in the command tower of the carrier. These operators are instructed to defend (1) the command tower, bridge, and sensor array, (2) main engines, (3) hangar bays, and (4) weapon systems, in that order. The operators primarily concentrate on defending the ship against larger spacecraft and leave defense against mecha attacking the carrier to the VF pilots. MD Capacity: Can sustain up to 5,000 MD per round. Regenerates at a rate of 2,500 MD per melee round. Range: Up to 300 feet (91.5 m) from the surface of the vessel. Radius: 200 ft (61 m). Defensive Movement: Can move from one end of the carrier to the other in less than a single round. Trained operators can attempt to block attacks up to 8 times per melee (counts as a parry) and are at +7 to block. Untrained characters can parry up to their number of hand-to-hand attacks with their normal parry bonuses only. Payload: Nearly inexhaustible. Will work as long as system is functional (see below) and engines are intact. If main engines are destroyed, the barrier will loose power and not function. NOTE: If all four barriers are grouped in a single spot they can deflect a heavy particle beam attack, such as the one generated by the Macross Cannon and T'sentraedi command warships. However, the beam will completely destroy all four barriers and put incredible strain on the pinpoint barrier system, to the point where it may short out. After deflecting an energy beam, roll percentile dice on the table below to determine additional effects/damage. 01-15: Lucked out, system will be operational in 1D6 hours. 16-30: Minor damage, system will require 4D6 hours to repair. 31-45: Major damage, system will require 2D6 times 10 hours to repair (yes, DAYS of work). 46-60: Completely destroyed! System can be rebuilt, but will require new parts and 2D6 DAYS of work to replace. 61-75: Major damage, system will require 2D6 times 10 hours to repair. 76-90: Minor damage, system will require 4D6 hours to repair. 91-95: Lucked out, system will be operational in 1D6 hours. 96-00: It's a miracle! Trivial damage only, system will be operational again in only 4D6 melee rounds! 5. Mecha Complement: Up to 10 Squadrons on active status. | ||||
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