SHIPS
Ships in The Local War universe are divided into two major categories: SIL and Standard. Both categories use macromolecular technology to grow ships.
SIL vessels are machine intelligences capable of performing their own operations and maintenance. Crew sizes are small. SIL can reconfigure their hull and internal structures extensively within the limit of their mass, but require significantly longer growth times than their standard counterparts. No new SIL are being produced.
Standard ships removed the machine intelligence and, thus, require larger crews to operate. They can repair damage quickly but have limited ability to reconfigure internal structures. They can be grown much faster than SIL.
SIL Ships
Standard Ships
Solaris Class Battlecarrier (BCV)
SIL
The SIL deployed the first Solaris class battlecarrier in 2161 at the close of the First SIL War (2141-2162), and this class remains one of the largest class of warships in the Star Navy. Over 120 served during the SIL Wars, though only fifteen remain in active service today.
Solaris class ships travel in one of two standardized configurations: 3-point or wing. The 3-point form is an equidistant three-pointed star and is used both on the offense and defense. This configuration allows for firing and fighting in all directions while using the least amount of mass (versus a spherical design). The wing configuration concentrates firepower forward for offensive strikes but is vulnerable to attack from other directions.
Each ship carries a standard compliment of 95 spacecraft stored in individual bays with their own internal launch rails, which allows all ninety-five craft to be launched simultaneously. This class can also recover spacecraft nearly anywhere along its surface, and thus can maneuver and fight while performing recovery operations. Standard load out includes three squadrons each of F-19 Terra Fighters and F/A-24 Burster Fighter/Attack spacecraft, ten spacecraft per squadron, plus supporting sensor, electromagnetic warfare, and search and rescue craft. This arrangement can be reconfigured at any time to meet the tactical situation.
Resting mass: 296,100 metric tons
Crew: 320 + 204 pilots and flight crew
Length: 504 meters (3-point star)
Standard weapon configuration:
– 12 Nova internal launch rails
– 24 SIM internal launch rails
– 12 TAP Directed Energy Weapons
– 18 KIL-100 Railguns
– 12 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Ryden Class Battlecarrier (BCV)
Standard
The Ryden class battlecarriers date back to the Second SIL War (2178-2190), produced in response to the Solaris class BCV-S. Less capable than the SIL, the Ryden class nonetheless had the advantage of requiring 60% less material and construction time, and was produced in substantially greater numbers. Sixty-two of these ships remain in service in the Star Navy, and production continues at the Sol IV and Olympus Shipyards at a rate of one Ryden BCV every seven years. Even so, production has fallen far short of the mandatory retirement rate of older Ryden class ships, and the force size has fallen by half in the last 500 years. The Emperor, in an effort to reverse this trend, has authorized six new Ryden BCVs.
Ryden class BCVs are cylindrical in design (being the easiest form to construct) with weapons ports located in three lines along the hull 120 degrees apart. Spacecraft are launched from bays set between the line of weapons, and are recovered on the Flight Deck built into the bow of the vessel. This means Rydens must hold a steady course and speed while recovering spacecraft.
The Ryden class BCVs can carry 85 spacecraft: two squadrons each of F-19 Terra Fighters and F/A-24 Burster Fighter/Attack spacecraft, one squadron of ten TAC-7 Genkii Transatmospheric Attack Craft, plus supporting sensor, electromagnetic warfare, and search and rescue craft. Each squadron shares a separate hanger/launch bay. The entire complement of spacecraft can be launched simultaneously using internal launch rails, though only two spacecraft at a time can be recovered.
Resting mass: 174,700 metric tons
Crew: 2,492 + 870 pilots and flight crew
Length: 596 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– 12 Nova internal launch rails
– 15 SIM internal launch rails
– 6 TAP Directed Energy Weapons
– 6 KIL-100 Railguns
– 6 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Io Class Assault Ship (LSA)
SIL
Io class assault ships are the largest active warships in the Star Navy and date back to the First SIL War (2141-2162) when the SIL still emulated humanoid surface warfare methods, a practice that ended early in the Second SIL War (2178-2190) as the SIL shifted to Madu as their sole surface and space facility assault weapon. The SIL repurposed the existing Io Class ships as battleships for the remainder of the SIL Wars, and they saw limited success, used primarily to guard SIL fabricators. Humanity returned them to their original assault role after their victory in the Third SIL War (2191-2203). Thirty-one still serve on active duty. Like all SIL warships, no new ships are being produced.
Io class ships are cylindrical in design with weapons nominally located in three lines along the hull 120 degrees apart. They are typically organized into 5-ship task forces with each task force carrying one brigade of infantry or Marines, or one armored cavalry regiment. The Star Navy uses one ship exclusively for training.
Nominally configured with a complement of 72 Muon TAC-3 Transatmospheric Assault Carriers, a single Io class LSA-S can transport its entire complement of soldiers with light and medium weapons to space or surface facilities in a single wave. When conducting an armored assault, 22 Heavy Equipment Transporter System (HETS) spacecraft per ship allow a 5-ship task force to land its entire complement of heavy armor on a planetary surface in a single wave.
Resting mass: 301,080 metric tons
Crew: 315 + 95 flight crew + 630 berths
Length: 762 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– 12 Nova internal launch rails
– 24 SIM internal launch rails
– 6 TAP Directed Energy Weapons
– 6 KIL-100 Railguns
– 6 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Procyon Class Assault Ship (LST)
Standard
The backlash against technology which began during the First SIL War (2141-2162) started to affect weapon system development as early as 2160, and the Procyon class is a classic example of this trend. Part of the “unglamous service” of logistics ships, tight funding forced its designers to compromise on many points. The ship’s size was reduced by more than half from its predecessor (of which no examples currently exist), and its weapons and cargo were reduced accordingly. Whereas five SIL LSAs can carry a brigade-sized unit, eleven Procyons are required for the same task. Because surface-landing ships are expensive to operate, the Procyons were made space-only vessels. Loading and unloading operations require between eight and twelve hours depending on the cargo and the quality of the crew. These compromises did, however, produce two advantages: the Procyons could be produced rapidly and in large numbers, as they were in the last years of the Second SIL War and throughout the Third SIL War, and the destruction of a few vessels had a lesser affect on ground operations than the destruction of a single SIL LSA.
Procyons have a standard complement of 12 Muon TAC-3 Transatmospheric Assault Carriers and 6 Heavy Equipment Transporter System (HETS) spacecraft per ship.
Reliance on SIL LSAs for combat operations has relegated the Procyons to low-priority missions like troop transfers and cargo runs. The Olympus Shipyards produce the Procyon class at a rate of only one ship every ten years, and there are no plans to expand production in the future. Twenty-eight are currently in service.
Resting mass: 91,000 metric tons
Crew: 1602 + 120 flight crew + 300 berths
Length: 297 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– 12 Stellar Fire internal launch rails
– 6 SIM internal launch rails
– 9 KIL-100 Railguns
– 6 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Djinn Class Heavy Cruiser (CGS)
SIL
Better known as “The Black Death,” this class is the most infamous and widely known of the SIL warships. Appearing about 2150, these ships would often operate alone or in wolf packs (a term borrowed from twentieth century Earth), attacking rear-area population centers and production facilities. In this way, they had an effect far exceeding their actual numbers, forcing the Coalition to spread its assets to defend a wide area. So feared is the Djinn class that the appearance of a single ship is often enough to stop civil unrest or halt pirate operations, while the ship is present.
The incident for which this class is best known, and where it earned its nickname, is the Madu attack on the Iselin Colony in 2151. A single ship appeared low in the sky over the colony and dropped several dozen cluster munitions. When the munitions struck the ground not a single one exploded, and the ship soon disappeared. The colonists, believing the attack was over, canceled their calls for help. Two days later, a cargo ship discovered the entire population of the colony dead, literary ripped apart. The crew themselves were attacked soon after they landed, the Madu coming through the hull of their ship. Their grisly deaths were recorded by internal sensors. One crew member managed to get off a distress signal before Madu killed her, and a troop from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment responded, securing the colony with great loss of life.
Djinn class ships usually travel in one of two possible configurations: 3-point or wing. The 3-Point configuration takes the form of a three-pointed star and is used both on the offensive and defensive. The Wing takes the form of a wing-only body and concentrates its firepower forward for assault. A spherical configuration can be used when a ship is totally defensive and unsure of the direction of attack. No new ships are being produced, though 296 remain in active service.
Resting mass: 51,300 metric tons
Crew: 143
Length: 330 meters (3-point star)
Standard weapon configuration:
– 12 Nova internal launch rails
– 12 Stellar Fire internal launch rails
– 15 SIM internal launch rails
– 6 TAP Directed Energy Weapons
– 6 KIL-100 Railguns
– 6 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Megiddo Class Heavy Cruiser (CAG)
Standard
The appearance of the Djinn class cruisers in 2150 couldn’t have come at a worst time for the Coalition. After being on the defensive for nine long years, Coalition forces had finally turned the tide of battle and were conducting their first offensive operations. The Djinns, which greatly outclassed anything the Coalition fielded at the time, turned the tide again and put the Coalition on the defensive. In one of its first actions, a lone Djinn raided the Tau Ceti star system, destroying seven destroyers, several auxiliary ships, and their support facilities. The Iselin Madu Massacre occurred about six months later. An answer to the Djinn became the Coalition’s highest priority.
The answer came in 2153 with the Megiddo class heavy cruiser. These ships were based on a simple cylindrical design with three lines of weapons running the length of the hull 120 degrees apart. Megiddos carried a compliment of weapons similar to the Djinn’s and incorporated one of the first active armor systems on a starship, borrowing from the Army’s active armor technology used on its T3 tanks. Though far less maneuverable than the Djinn, and not able to absorb even half the damage, these ships nevertheless could be produced rapidly and their numbers began to be felt as early as 2157 when the Coalition again went on the offensive.
The Megiddo class was improved throughout the SIL Wars, but no major changes have occurred in the 1300 years since. These ships are produced on Sol IV (Mars), Tocci III Shipyards, and Olympus at a rate of three per year, with plans to increase production at the Olympus Shipyards in the near future. There are currently 882 in active service.
Resting mass: 40,980 metric tons
Crew: 623
Length: 402 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– 3 Nova internal launch rails
– 9 Stellar Fire internal launch rails
– 12 SIM internal launch rails
– 6 TAP Directed Energy Weapons
– 6 KIL-100 Railguns
– 6 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Amazon Class Destroyer (DDG)
Standard
From the early days of the Solthari War (2070-2091), destroyers were the primary combatant ships of the Coalition, and maintained this role until the introduction of the Megiddo class cruiser in 2153. Makin class destroyers, all SIL, which preceded the Amazon class, gained fame during the defense of Sol Star System in 2090 and in the assault on the Solthari Homeworld in 2091. The Makins were quietly mothballed in 2098 with the conclusion of the unofficial Alien Actions (2091-2098), leaving only smaller frigates to keep the peace and defend shipping lanes. Increased pirate activity forced the Coalition to revive the destroyer concept in 2130 and an upgraded Makin, renamed the Admiral Schermer, pushed out of the docks in 2136.
In 2141, the Schermer class destroyers were SIL working for the Coalition. When the SIL revolted, most of them turned against Humanity. The Schermers that did not revolt, ironically, were the Coalition’s sole defense for almost two years until the introduction of the Amazon class destroyer, which did not depend on SIL technology. The Amazons accounted themselves well until the appearance of the Djinn class cruisers in 2150. From that point on, Amazons rarely operated alone, though they proved very successful in the combat escort role.
Today, Amazon class destroyers are found in many planetary defense forces and still serve as escorts for important convoys. Like other Coalition ships, Amazons are cylindrical with three lines of weapons running the length of the hull set 120 degrees apart. They are produced on Sol IV, Tocci III Shipyards, and Olympus at a rate of twelve per year. 2,616 are in active service.
Resting mass: 25,140 metric tons
Crew: 321
Length: 312 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– 3 Nova internal launch rails
– 6 Stellar Fire internal launch rails
– 6 SIM internal launch rails
– 3 TAP Directed Energy Weapons
– 3 KIL-100 Railguns
– 6 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Lisala Class Destroyer Escort (DDE)
Standard
By 2195, during the height of the offensive against the SIL fabricators, the demand for warships became so critical that Amazon class destroyers could no longer be spared for convoy escort duties. To fill the void, the Coalition commissioned the Lisala class destroyer escorts. These ships saw extensive duty through the end of the war, and continue to escort convoys to this day. Lisala class ships are simple and easy to build, following the same cylindrical design followed on other Coalition ships with three lines of weapons set 120 degrees apart. They are produced on Sol IV, Tocci III Shipyards, and Olympus at a rate of twelve per year. 2,287 are in active service.
Resting mass: 23,140 metric tons
Crew: 298
Length: 304 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– 6 Stellar Fire internal launch rails
– 6 SIM internal launch rails
– 3 KIL-100 Railguns
– 6 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Zambezi Class Frigate (FGS)
SIL
Around 2195, fighting became so intense that the SIL could no longer spare larger warships to defend their planets and supply lines. In response, they produced their first small warship–the Zambezi class frigate. Despite its small size, this SIL warship earned a healthy respect from Coalition forces. In one widely publicized incident, a single Zambezi damaged or destroyed two Megiddo class cruisers and four escorting Amazon class destroyers. Zambezi class ships are often described as a compass needle or two daggers stuck end to end in appearance. There are currently 376 in active service. Like all SIL, no new ships are being produced.
Resting mass: 17,100 metric tons
Crew: 51
Length: 135 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– 3 Nova internal launch rails
– 9 Stellar Fire internal launch rails
– 9 SIM internal launch rails
– 3 TAP Directed Energy Weapons
– 3 KIL-100 Railguns
– 3 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Roche Class Frigate (FFG)
Standard
Like destroyers, frigates can trace their lineage back to the first space warships, having seen extensive duty throughout the Solthari Wars, Alien Actions, and the SIL Wars. The Roche class was commissioned about the same time as the Lisala class destroyer escorts and assigned to combat escort duties to further free up Amazon class destroyers for combat operations. This class served well but was undergunned, and thus was never produced in large numbers, though some can be found in planetary defense forces. Roches are cylindrical with three lines of weapons set 120 degrees apart. They are produced on Tocci III Shipyards and Olympus at a rate of six per year. 1,451 are in active service.
Resting mass: 12,530 metric tons
Crew: 169
Length: 156 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– 3 Stellar Fire internal launch rails
– 3 SIM internal launch rails
– 3 KIL-100 Railguns
– 3 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Brasilia Class Minesweeper (MCM)
Standard
One of the greatest advantages SIL warships enjoy over their standard counterparts is the ability to reconfigure for a minesweeping role. When the Coalition stopped using SIL technology in 2141, they were left without a dedicated minesweeping capability. The SIL immediately took advantage, mining dozens of star systems and key installations. Several hastily converted frigates proved inadequate, often becoming victims of the mines they were intended to sweep. It wasn’t until 2147, when the Brasilia class dedicated minesweepers were commissioned, that this threat was reduced.
To clear lanes through minefields for combat operations, the Brasilias employ three different methods. The simplest and most cost effective system is the SRLM, commonly known as “The Trojan.” It is a circular membrane four kilometers in diameter reminiscent of a solar sail. The membrane, only one molecule thick, explodes mines on contact, then repairs itself from material reservoirs lining its rim. The second method is the SGM-25MS, which is modified from the Nova multirole missile. The SGM-25MS moves to a designated point and fires 628 submunitions which detonate simultaneously, exploding all mines within a thirty-five-kilometer diameter, 208-kilometer long conical area. The last method is the CM-17. Modified from the CM-9 countermeasure decoy, the CM-17 deceives mines by simulating the emissions of specific ships, causing the mines to fire. Though highly effective, the single-use CM-17 is too expensive to deploy in large numbers. The Brasilias also carry an array of remote vehicles for area minesweeping in noncombat situations. It is this role that keeps the Brasilias relevant, as they are often employed for research or survey missions.
Unlike other Coalition designs, the Brasilias are dumbbell-shaped, with two spherical sections containing sensors, minsweeping equipment, and remote vehicles connected by a heavily shielded cylindrical crew compartment. They are produced at the Tocci III Shipyards at a rate of 1 per year. 178 are currently in service.
Resting mass: 13,330 metric tons
Crew: 124
Length: 104 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– None
Ramadan Class Patrol Ship (PCG)
Standard
Ramadan patrol craft are a common sight in nearly every inhabited star system, being used in both law enforcement and antipiracy roles. First deployed in 2193 as the last in a long line of patrol craft dating back to the Solthari Wars (2070-2091), the Ramadans saw extensive combat duty in the Third SIL War (2191-2203). Their high speed and impressive weapon load made them very effective in hit and run attacks against larger warships, though losses in such attacks often exceeded 30%. So successful was the design that production increased after the war as star systems sought an inexpensive alternative to more costly warships and static defenses. Ramadans are cylindrical with three lines of weapons set 120 degrees apart. As they are locally produced, no numbers are currently available.
Resting mass: 5,340 metric tons
Crew: 91
Length: 111 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– 6 Stellar Fire internal launch rails
– 3 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Logistics Ships
Fabricator (DEST)
SIL
These Deep Space Tenders were the backbone of the SIL, and proved to be their greatest vulnerability. Immense by any standard, they served as the SIL’s primary space manufacturing, repair, and resupply facilities from 2162 to 2203. Fabricators, as they are more commonly known, can mine asteroids, comets, and other small bodies directly, collect free particles and stellar particle emissions, and collect stellar material in nebula or even directly from stars which are shedding material unto companions. Additionally, the fabricator can produce both mobile and static mining facilities tailored to the raw material source. This raw material is then processed and formed into whatever is needed. The ability to move the manufacturing complex to a source of raw materials allowed the SIL to operate without a large logistics fleet, and made it very difficult for the Coalition to find and target the SIL manufacturing base.
By the end of the Second SIL War, the Coalition began to appreciate the importance of the fabricators and during the Third SIL War (2191-2203) made their destruction their highest priority. Fabricator losses mounted quickly and their loss led directly to the SIL defeat in 2203.
Owing to the tremendous cost in time and raw material required to construct even one fabricator, only 178 were ever produced. Eleven fabricators were captured by the Coalition and still serve in the Star Navy today. They are considered so vital to galactic security that their whereabouts are known only to a few in Imperial Intelligence.
Resting mass: 9.76 x 10^16 metric tons
Crew: 321 maintenance personnel
Length: 1,397 kilometers
Standard weapon configuration:
– 600 Nova internal launch rails
– 900 SIM internal launch rails
– 180 TAP Directed Energy Weapons
– 180 KIL-100 Railguns
– 1,200 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Algol Class Underway Replenishment Ship (URS)
SIL
The Algol Underway Replenishment Ships are designed to provide a task force with fuels, munitions, provisions, and other supplies while underway. In its usual configuration, an Algol can carry 23,100 metric tons of fuels, 5 megaliters of water, 8,400 metric tons of munitions, and 1,500 metric tons of provisions. Algols transfer supplies by physically attaching to one or more ships, and thus do not expose ships engaged in replenishment operations to outside detection. The Algols proved highly efficient in supplying SIL task forces during the SIL Wars, and the 397 that remain in active service are still used extensively.
Resting mass: 160,800 metric tons
Crew: 312 maintenance personnel
Length: 727 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– 12 SIM internal launch rails
– 12 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons
Cygnus Class Underway Replenishment Ship (URA)
Standard
As offensive combat operations commenced in 2157, the Coalition realized the need for an underway replenishment ship. Following the principle of simple cylindrical construction, the first Cygnus entered service just nine months later, and was produced in large numbers throughout the SIL Wars. Each ship can carry 13,200 metric tons of fuels, 2.5 megaliters of water, 6,400 metric tons of munitions, and 1000 metric tons of provisions. The Cygnus uses an adaptation from Fluid Drive technology to create a “boom” to another ship or ships through which supplies are transferred, and thus does not expose ships engaged in replenishment operations to outside detection.
These ships are produced on Sol IV, Tocci III Shipyards, and Olympus at a rate of six per year, with plans to increase production at the Olympus Shipyards in the near future. There are currently 612 in active service.
Resting mass: 115,300 metric tons
Crew: 786
Length: 394 meters
Standard weapon configuration:
– 3 Archer Close-in Defense Weapons