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Description
Carriers

First developed by naval forces on many worlds the carrier quickly lost it's place once star travel was achieved. the light weapons, poor armor,and inability of most fighters to play a significant offensive role in early star faring history relegated the carrier to a support role for heavy direct fire capable warships such as battleships and dreadnoughts.

After initial contact with Earthbound societies a few noted the heavy reliance of fighters by the Terran Alliance executive in their defense of earth against the Najuhlim Zealots. Particularly the role fighters armed with heavy anti ship missiles, had played in denying air superiority to the heavily armed and armored assault ships of the Najuhlim fleet.

After several startling successes by TAE fleets using light combat craft ,as well as dedicated torpedo armed strike craft, in an offensive role the Valkiir, began to experiment with heavier, more offensively armed fighters and scored several lopsided victories against Najuhlim, and Onai assaults on their worlds.

As a result the Valkiir fleets, and TAE fleets now field many carriers and use Fighters, and Attack craft in a wide variety of role requiring the construction of even larger more capable designs.

The largest and most powerful carriers are the TAE Legacy class Strategic fleet carriers. The are lightly armed and armored, usually carrying only defensive guns, and point defense batteries and depend almost exclusively on fighters, and interceptors for defense, and their heavy compliment of attack craft and attack drones for offensive operations.

the More common fleet carrier still serves as a fleet support craft, carrying a more defensive load of craft, and mounting heavier armor and defenses. While not as capable of mounting offensive operation on their own. fleet carriers have played pivotal roles in many recent fleet engagements.
Most notably the destruction of Najuhlim High Command battleship and dreadnought in a Najuhlim incursion into the TAE controlled Rosetta system.

A large number of Battle Carriers have been commissioned as well. these craft are technically refereed to as Battle Fleet Support Carriers. They are heavily armored, mount numerous offensive drone and missile weapons, as well as heavy guns and armor.
Usually deployed to the rear of a battle wall the Battle carrier provides support fire and defensive fighter screening for the main battle group, and often finds itself facing cruisers, destroyers, and fast strike ships trying to flank or envelope fleet formations.
While many experts claim the craft are too light to fight and too heavy to run, the Kirov, Kurita, and Kusnetsov have both won several direct engagements when caught by fast moving flanking maneuvers and contributed to the destruction of several hostile raiding groups countered by the First Reaction Fleet.

Considered fully defensive vessels Medium, light and escort carriers are more numerous, and more often seen among the Perimeter fleets, and convoys supplying isolated garrisons, and fleets operating well outside the Core worlds region.
Escort carriers have won much fame and honors for their courageous and determined actions against large commerce raiders, hunter killer wolf packs, and pirate craft operating in the perimeter regions. as a result the small vulnerable Jeep carriers are seen as fast track assignments to the larger fleet assignments by pilots and crews who feel that being given an Escort carrier assignment is far preferable to garrison, colony, or station defense squadrons.

A recent attack of opportunity against a commerce raider refit and support tender traveling with a large wolf pack as escort resulted in the first carrier only capital Ship Kills by light carriers. The Escort carriers Gambier Bay, Vengeance, and Akagi who put together a surprise attack using only their fighters and scouts. The strike group hastily rearmed for anti ship operations using weapons taken from the cargo of the supply ships they were escorting.

Catching the wolf pack in the middle of rearming the sudden fierce assault destroyed the Tender, and four of the twelve commerce raiders that accompanied it. While letters of reprimand were issued to the captains for risking the security of the convoy, all were promoted and assigned to larger fleet carriers "where they could put their skills to good use".

Technical Notes:
All carriers carry the fuel, weapons, and shops needed to keep their craft in operational condition. The crews of a carrier claim they rebuild battle damaged craft, and return them to operation faster than their ground bound counterparts, while ground crews argue about that claim. No questions the ingenuity and resourcefulness of a carrier crew when it comes to finding the parts they need, even if once in a while they might "retask" parts and supplies intended for other ships in their battle group.

Carriers usually launch their craft form lateral launch tubes, compact catapults designed to fire the fighter craft outward at up to six gees allowing them to reach combat speeds in a very short period of time. as a result carriers have to be allowed a lateral gap during launch operations which leaves them slightly vulnerable to attack by light craft, and attack craft launched by enemy forces.

To recover their combat craft carriers must maintain a steady course and speed allowing the pilots to line up with their recovery bays. this also leaves carrier vulnerable to torpedoes, missiles and attack craft, which precludes recovering combat craft during combat.

to allow a larger more effective striking force to be carried many carriers mount combat drones, and drone missiles, in addition to their manned combat craft. usually these drones are carried externally. Drones are only brought in to be rearmed, refueled and repaired. the positive side of this arrangement is that a carrier can release a swarm of drones in short order, the down side is that if attacked the nested drones can be easily damaged or destroyed by enemy fire.

Due to the large crews, and numerous combat craft they carry. A carrier is a supply hungry beast, often they require dedicated supply formations in addition to the normal supply "tail" of the battle group. this increases the requirements for rear group security, and aggravates supply and logistics operations but the striking and defensive power of modern carriers more than pays off for the extra baggage.

Fighter compliment:

Escort carrier:
12 point defense fighters
6 Scouts
6 Strike Fighters
2 cargo Shuttles
1 Ships Boat
12 combat drones

Group Defense "Light" Carrier
24 Point defense fighters
24 Combat Drones
6 Scouts
4 Long range recon drones

Battle Group Support carrier "Medium Carrier"
24 Point defense fighters
12 Patrol/strike fighters
24 Drone Missiles
12 Combat drones
12 Dedicated Strike Fighters
8 Scouts
4 Long range recon Drones
8 Capital Missiles (torpedo armed heavy drone missile)

Battle Carrier
24 point defense fighters
12 Scout/strike fighters
36 combat drones
48 drone missiles
12 capital missiles
76 Anti ship missiles in honeycomb launchers
193 Interceptor missile in honey comb launchers
10 Sensor picket drones

24 torpedoes in 6 quad tube lateral launchers.

The Ark Royal class Battle carrier mounts no anti ship missiles and only point defense launchers. Instead it carries a heavier fighter armament by adding.
12 superiority fighters
12 Heavy Strike craft.

Fleet carrier:
24 Point defense fighters
12 Space Superiority fighters
12 Scout strike fighters
12 Dedicated Strike Fighters
36 Combat drones
12 Drone missiles
12 capital Missiles
4 long range recon drones
8 sensor picket drones

Strategic Carrier
Fleet carrier:
48 Point defense fighters
12 Space Superiority fighters
12 Scout/strike fighters
24 Dedicated Strike Fighters
36 Combat drones
48 Drone missiles
12 capital Missiles
4 long range Strategic Bombers ( carried in external cradles)
6 Long range Recon drones.
8 sensor picket drones

Description
Carriers

First developed by naval forces on many worlds the carrier quickly lost it's place once star travel was achieved. the light weapons, poor armor,and inability of most fighters to play a significant offensive role in early star faring history relegated the carrier to a support role for heavy direct fire capable warships such as battleships and dreadnoughts.

After initial contact with Earthbound societies a few noted the heavy reliance of fighters by the Terran Alliance executive in their defense of earth against the Najuhlim Zealots. Particularly the role fighters armed with heavy anti ship missiles, had played in denying air superiority to the heavily armed and armored assault ships of the Najuhlim fleet.

After several startling successes by TAE fleets using light combat craft ,as well as dedicated torpedo armed strike craft, in an offensive role the Valkiir, began to experiment with heavier, more offensively armed fighters and scored several lopsided victories against Najuhlim, and Onai assaults on their worlds.

As a result the Valkiir fleets, and TAE fleets now field many carriers and use Fighters, and Attack craft in a wide variety of role requiring the construction of even larger more capable designs.

The largest and most powerful carriers are the TAE Legacy class Strategic fleet carriers. The are lightly armed and armored, usually carrying only defensive guns, and point defense batteries and depend almost exclusively on fighters, and interceptors for defense, and their heavy compliment of attack craft and attack drones for offensive operations.

the More common fleet carrier still serves as a fleet support craft, carrying a more defensive load of craft, and mounting heavier armor and defenses. While not as capable of mounting offensive operation on their own. fleet carriers have played pivotal roles in many recent fleet engagements.
Most notably the destruction of Najuhlim High Command battleship and dreadnought in a Najuhlim incursion into the TAE controlled Rosetta system.

A large number of Battle Carriers have been commissioned as well. these craft are technically refereed to as Battle Fleet Support Carriers. They are heavily armored, mount numerous offensive drone and missile weapons, as well as heavy guns and armor.
Usually deployed to the rear of a battle wall the Battle carrier provides support fire and defensive fighter screening for the main battle group, and often finds itself facing cruisers, destroyers, and fast strike ships trying to flank or envelope fleet formations.
While many experts claim the craft are too light to fight and too heavy to run, the Kirov, Kurita, and Kusnetsov have both won several direct engagements when caught by fast moving flanking maneuvers and contributed to the destruction of several hostile raiding groups countered by the First Reaction Fleet.

Considered fully defensive vessels Medium, light and escort carriers are more numerous, and more often seen among the Perimeter fleets, and convoys supplying isolated garrisons, and fleets operating well outside the Core worlds region.
Escort carriers have won much fame and honors for their courageous and determined actions against large commerce raiders, hunter killer wolf packs, and pirate craft operating in the perimeter regions. as a result the small vulnerable Jeep carriers are seen as fast track assignments to the larger fleet assignments by pilots and crews who feel that being given an Escort carrier assignment is far preferable to garrison, colony, or station defense squadrons.

A recent attack of opportunity against a commerce raider refit and support tender traveling with a large wolf pack as escort resulted in the first carrier only capital Ship Kills by light carriers. The Escort carriers Gambier Bay, Vengeance, and Akagi who put together a surprise attack using only their fighters and scouts. The strike group hastily rearmed for anti ship operations using weapons taken from the cargo of the supply ships they were escorting.

Catching the wolf pack in the middle of rearming the sudden fierce assault destroyed the Tender, and four of the twelve commerce raiders that accompanied it. While letters of reprimand were issued to the captains for risking the security of the convoy, all were promoted and assigned to larger fleet carriers "where they could put their skills to good use".

Technical Notes:
All carriers carry the fuel, weapons, and shops needed to keep their craft in operational condition. The crews of a carrier claim they rebuild battle damaged craft, and return them to operation faster than their ground bound counterparts, while ground crews argue about that claim. No questions the ingenuity and resourcefulness of a carrier crew when it comes to finding the parts they need, even if once in a while they might "retask" parts and supplies intended for other ships in their battle group.

Carriers usually launch their craft form lateral launch tubes, compact catapults designed to fire the fighter craft outward at up to six gees allowing them to reach combat speeds in a very short period of time. as a result carriers have to be allowed a lateral gap during launch operations which leaves them slightly vulnerable to attack by light craft, and attack craft launched by enemy forces.

To recover their combat craft carriers must maintain a steady course and speed allowing the pilots to line up with their recovery bays. this also leaves carrier vulnerable to torpedoes, missiles and attack craft, which precludes recovering combat craft during combat.

to allow a larger more effective striking force to be carried many carriers mount combat drones, and drone missiles, in addition to their manned combat craft. usually these drones are carried externally. Drones are only brought in to be rearmed, refueled and repaired. the positive side of this arrangement is that a carrier can release a swarm of drones in short order, the down side is that if attacked the nested drones can be easily damaged or destroyed by enemy fire.

Due to the large crews, and numerous combat craft they carry. A carrier is a supply hungry beast, often they require dedicated supply formations in addition to the normal supply "tail" of the battle group. this increases the requirements for rear group security, and aggravates supply and logistics operations but the striking and defensive power of modern carriers more than pays off for the extra baggage.

Fighter compliment:

Escort carrier:
12 point defense fighters
6 Scouts
6 Strike Fighters
2 cargo Shuttles
1 Ships Boat
12 combat drones

Group Defense "Light" Carrier
24 Point defense fighters
24 Combat Drones
6 Scouts
4 Long range recon drones

Battle Group Support carrier "Medium Carrier"
24 Point defense fighters
12 Patrol/strike fighters
24 Drone Missiles
12 Combat drones
12 Dedicated Strike Fighters
8 Scouts
4 Long range recon Drones
8 Capital Missiles (torpedo armed heavy drone missile)

Battle Carrier
24 point defense fighters
12 Scout/strike fighters
36 combat drones
48 drone missiles
12 capital missiles
76 Anti ship missiles in honeycomb launchers
193 Interceptor missile in honey comb launchers
10 Sensor picket drones

24 torpedoes in 6 quad tube lateral launchers.

The Ark Royal class Battle carrier mounts no anti ship missiles and only point defense launchers. Instead it carries a heavier fighter armament by adding.
12 superiority fighters
12 Heavy Strike craft.

Fleet carrier:
24 Point defense fighters
12 Space Superiority fighters
12 Scout strike fighters
12 Dedicated Strike Fighters
36 Combat drones
12 Drone missiles
12 capital Missiles
4 long range recon drones
8 sensor picket drones

Strategic Carrier
Fleet carrier:
48 Point defense fighters
12 Space Superiority fighters
12 Scout/strike fighters
24 Dedicated Strike Fighters
36 Combat drones
48 Drone missiles
12 capital Missiles
4 long range Strategic Bombers ( carried in external cradles)
6 Long range Recon drones.
8 sensor picket drones