Class/Model/Name: Saso Class Anti-Fighter Cruiser ND
Tech: Inner Sphere / 3067
Vessel Type: WarShip
Rules: Level 2, Standard design
Rules Set: AeroTech2
Mass: 760,000 tons
Hull: UA Duraframe Beta
K-F Drive System: (Unknown)
Length: 800 meters
Sail Diameter: 1,400 meters
Power Plant: Rolls Royce Model 4 Standard
Safe Thrust: 4
Maximum Thrust: 6
Armor Type: Valiant Lamellor Lamellor Ferro-carbide
Armament:
16 Tronel-55 NL55
4 Magna-35 NL35
10 Luxor-10 NAC/10
9 G-Tech Series 2 Kraken-T
31 Federated Multi-M AR10 Launcher
100 McArthur AMS
464 BlazeFire Sweetshot ER Large Laser
158 Johnston High Speed ER PPC
160 Mydron Excel LB 20-X AC
12 Delta Spreader Screen Launcher
Manufacturer: Universal Air
Location: Delevan
Overview
Before the start of the Reunification War several SLDF Admirals successfully lobbied the Procurement Department to solicit possible designs on a new kind of cruiser. It could be designed to provide a task force with superior anti-aerospace fighter and anti-assault dropship protection. For
three years the Procurement Dept. went over designs submitted by numerious companies with no success. It was not until the Procurement Dept. opened up the bidding to companies outside the Terran Hegemony that they finally found a design that would satisify their strict requirements. The design that Universal Air in the Federated Suns submitted was the winner and U.A. immediately began building a prototype. The prototype was only 76% complete when Aramis assassinated First Lord Cameron and plunged the Star League into chaos. When the Star League Regular Army began their assault on the Terran Hegemony to retake it from Aramis there were seven vessels that were ready to join in the fight. By the end of the savage fighting six of the original seven had been destroyed along with four more that were built and joined the liberation fleet. The last ship, Caspain Sea, is thought to have survived the fighting, but its whereabouts were not known. The Atlantics gave a good accounting of themselves in the fighting and were credited with saving several warships from suicidal aerofighter attacks in the final attacks on the Terran system. With the general decline of technology in the Succession Wars the ability to produce any more Atlantics was lost. But with many advanced construction techniques now in the hands manufacturers again many companies are once again looking at designs not produced in centuries. Universal Air submitted the design to the FedCom Procurement Department, who immediately looked at the design as a solution to the Thera warship in the Free Worlds League. (AFFS Admirals were shocked at the ease in which the FWLS Sardis had penetrated to the Lyran Alliance world of Arcadia to rescue the Mercenary unit Kristen's Krushers. Since then they had been quietly seeking a solution to the "Thera Issue") Universal was instructed to make a few basic changes in weaponry before the design would be ready to enter testing and production.
Capabilities
The renamed Saso Class was one of the most unique ship designs to be employed in the Star League Navy and in the Federated Suns. Their primary mission is to protect the command vessel of a strictly warship fleet and to accompany dropship squadrons to ensure they are able to successfully penetrate heavy aerospace fighter defences.
Engineers at Universal Air limited the number of anti-ship weapons on the Saso to the most basic levels. Sixteen Tronel-55 Naval Lasers were installed to give the ship a respectable long range bite and ward off smaller warships. Four Magna-35 Naval Lasers were installed (two forward and two aft)to provide close in firepower. Ten Luxor-10 Naval Autocannons were installed to give the ship needed firepower against the numerous assault dropships it would be encountering. One of the modification the AFFS Quartermasters wanted was the inclusion of the new G-Tech Series 2 Kraken-T Missile Launchers. These new systems would allow the Sasos to not only threaten larger warships,but to engage numerious dropships that would sure swarm around her. Even though several of the smaller Maelstrom AR-10 were removed to make room for the Kraken-T Missile Launchers, there are still an impressive thirty-one AR-10's on this ship. The Federated Multi-M AR10 Launcher was chosen to be included with the design instead of the imported Maelstrom launchers. The deadly array of anti-aerospace fighter weapons included on this design could shread entire aerospace fighter wings in mere seconds. Four hundred and fifty Diverse Optics Sunbeam Extended Range Large Lasers provide the primary punch against the expected enemy aerofighters. Together with an additional one hundred and fifty eight Johnston High Speed Extended Range PPC's these two weapons enable the ship to reach out and destroy any aerofighter that dares to stray to close. A secondary armament of one hundred and sixty Diverse Optics Type Extended Range Medium Lasers, and one hundred and sixty Mydron Excel LB 20-X AC's provide the the ship with an impressive short to medium range arsenal. But in case some aerofighters or assault dropships break through and
attack the ship directly, designers installed one hundred McArthur Anti-Missile Systems. While these will not protect the ship from all attacks,it will lessen their impact on the ship. An impressive ten tons of ammunition were installed with each AMS to ensure the ship can effectively do its job. Even though the Sasos are primarily designed to protect other vessels from aerofighters and assault dropships, designers also knew it might be required to screen retreating ships during a pitched battle. To help with this twelve Delta Spreader Screen Launchers were installed in the rear.
Three seperate fighter bays were installed in the Sasos. Each holds twenty Aerospace Fighters and the facilities to repair & maintain them. These fighters allowed the Atlantic's more flexability in their fleet support roles. The fourth bay contained the ships six small craft. The AFFS admirals decided to expand this bay to allow the ship to carry an additional ten small craft and 18 squads of Battlearmor. This would allow the Saso's to send boarding parties to disabled enemy vessels or to attempt a capture of vessels that had been severly damaged. Crew quarters for an additional one hundred and twenty six conventional Marines were installed on the ship to repell any enemy boarding attempts.
Of course all the modifications the AFFS wanted on the ship came at a price. The ships cargo bay is extremely limited in size. This would limit what the ship could carry in extra consumables and supplies. While not a large problem, it does limit the ships flexability for independant operations.
Battle History
The Atlantics proved themselves time and time again during the campaign to retake Terra. These ships continually dove into entire Aerospace Fighter regiments and Assault Dropship squadrons, ripping them to shreads. But it was when the Atlantics tried to engage heavier warships that their shortcomings were seen. Every Atlantic that was lost was because it tried to engage a warship. These were not foolish attacks, but attacks to help other ships in battles.
Variants
No variants are planned at this time.
Named Vessels: Original seven vessels: Atlantic, Black Sea, Pacific, Caspain Sea, Huron, Laptev Sea and Celebes Sea. Remaining four: Arabian Sea,Philippine Sea, Baltic Sea and Celtic Sea
New vessels constructed for the AFFS will be names after capital cities of planets in the Federated Suns. Names being considered are Saso, Beuller, and Stirling.
Deployment
The AFFS plans on building twelve of these ships, to be deployed in pairs, to accompany the three remaining Avalon Cruisers currently in service and the three to be constructed.
Class/Model/Name: Saso Class Anti-Fighter Cruiser ND
Mass: 760,000 tons
Equipment: Mass
Power Plant, Drive & Control: 182,400.00
Thrust: Safe Thrust: 4
Maximum Thrust: 6
Kearny-Fuchida Hyperdrive: Compact (Integrity = 16) 343,900.00
Lithium Fusion Battery 7,600.00
Jump Sail (Detachable): (Integrity = 4) 68.00
Structural Integrity: 77 58,520.00
Total Heat Sinks: 6,028 Double 5,380.00
Fuel & Fuel Pumps: 5,100.00
Bridge, Controls, Radar, Computer & Attitude Thrusters: 1,900.00
Fire Control Computers: 27,925.00
Food & Water: (120 days supply) 516.75
Armor Type: Lamellor Ferro-carbide (1,218 total armor pts) 1,170.00
Capital Scale Armor Pts
Location: L / R
Fore: 204
Fore-Left/Right: 203/203
Aft-Left/Right: 203/203
Aft: 202
Cargo:
Bay 1: Fighters (20) with 2 doors 3,000.00
Bay 2: Fighters (20) with 2 doors 3,000.00
Bay 3: Fighters (20) with 2 doors 3,000.00
Bay 4: Small Craft (16) with 2 doors 3,200.00
Battle Armor Points/Squads (18) 180.00
Cargo (1) 5,801.25
Grav Decks #1 - 2: (85-meter diameter) 100.00
Grav Deck #3: (110-meter diameter) 100.00
Life Boats: 30 (7 tons each) 210.00
Escape Pods: 30 (7 tons each) 210.00
Crew and Passengers:
78 Officers (78 minimum) 780.00
120 Crew (119 minimum) 840.00
229 Gunners (229 minimum) 1,603.00
126 Marines 630.00
308 Bay Personnel .00
Weapons and Equipment Loc SRV MRV LRV ERV Heat Mass
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 NL55 Nose 6 6 6 6 85 1,100.00
2 NL35 Nose 7 7 7 -- 104 1,400.00
1 NAC/10(100 rounds) Nose 10 10 10 -- 30 2,020.00
1 Kraken-T(10 msls) Nose 10 10 10 10 50 1,220.00
3 AR10 (18 KW, 18 WS, 30 B)Nose * * * * 60 3,270.00
11 AMS(1320 rounds) Nose -- -- -- -- 11 115.50
60 ER Large Laser Nose 48(480)48(480)48(480) -- 720 300.00
20 ER PPC Nose 20(200)20(200)20(200) -- 300 140.00
20 LB 20-X AC(1000 rounds) Nose 24(240)24(240) -- -- 120 480.00
2 NL55 FL/R 11 11 11 11 340 4,400.00
3 Kraken-T(30 msls) FL/R 30 30 30 30 300 7,320.00
7 AR10 (35 KW, 35 WS, 70 B)FL/R * * * * 280 14,000.00
10 AMS(1200 rounds) FL/R -- -- -- -- 20 210.00
60 ER Large Laser FL/R 48(480)48(480)48(480) -- 1440 600.00
17 ER PPC FL/R 17(170)17(170)17(170) -- 510 238.00
20 LB 20-X AC(1000 rounds) FL/R 24(240)24(240) -- -- 240 960.00
3 NL55 L/RBS 17 17 17 17 510 6,600.00
2 NAC/10(100 rounds) L/RBS 20 20 20 -- 120 8,040.00
12 AMS(1440 rounds) L/RBS -- -- -- -- 24 252.00
60 ER Large Laser L/RBS 48(480)48(480)48(480) -- 1440 600.00
22 ER PPC L/RBS 22(220)22(220)22(220) -- 660 308.00
20 LB 20-X AC(1000 rounds) L/RBS 24(240)24(240) -- -- 240 960.00
2 NL55 AL/R 11 11 11 11 340 4,400.00
2 NAC/10(200 rounds) AL/R 20 20 20 -- 120 8,080.00
1 Kraken-T(10 msls) AL/R 10 10 10 10 100 2,440.00
6 AR10 (36 KW, 36 WS, 60 B)AL/R * * * * 240 13,080.00
15 AMS(1800 rounds) AL/R -- -- -- -- 30 315.00
53 ER Large Laser AL/R 42(424)42(424)42(424) -- 1272 530.00
20 ER PPC AL/R 20(200)20(200)20(200) -- 600 280.00
20 LB 20-X AC(1000 rounds) AL/R 24(240)24(240) -- -- 240 960.00
4 Screen Launcher(80 scrns)AL/R -- -- -- -- 80 1,920.00
1 NL55 Aft 6 6 6 6 85 1,100.00
2 NL35 Aft 7 7 7 -- 104 1,400.00
1 NAC/10(100 rounds) Aft 10 10 10 -- 30 2,020.00
2 AR10 (12 KW, 12 WS, 20 B)Aft * * * * 40 2,180.00
15 AMS(1800 rounds) Aft -- -- -- -- 15 157.50
58 ER Large Laser Aft 46(464)46(464)46(464) -- 696 290.00
20 ER PPC Aft 20(200)20(200)20(200) -- 300 140.00
20 LB 20-X AC(1000 rounds) Aft 24(240)24(240) -- -- 120 480.00
4 Screen Launcher(80 scrns)Aft -- -- -- -- 40 960.00
1 Lot Spare Parts (1.00%) 7,600.00
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TOTALS: Heat: 12,056 760,000.00
Tons Left: .00
Calculated Factors:
Total Cost: 5,694,670,000 C-Bills
Battle Value: 259,177
Cost per BV: 21,972.13
Weapon Value: 145,437 (Ratio = .56)
Damage Factors: SRV = 10,699; MRV = 9,022; LRV = 4,474; ERV = 1,191
Maintenance: Maintenance Point Value (MPV) = 704,700
(76,528 Structure, 259,840 Life Support, 368,332 Weapons)
Support Points (SP) = 503,162 (71% of MPV)
BattleForce2: Not applicable
