The state of Exetonia wishes to purchase an aircraft carrier capable of carrying 50 aircraft at a cost of 1.8 bil max. Money will be direct to any nation capable of supplying this with a shipment of uranium. (value, 500 mil)
Agnosticium
23-10-2003, 21:43
Here's my submission... i know it's 1.85 billion, but i will cut the price to 1.8 for you if that is your max. It carries only 48 aircraft, unless you scratch some of the rotary wing assets.
AMS-12 Heroic Class Escort Carrier
The AMS-12 class of vessels were designed with the intent of providing the Navy a suitable aircraft carrier designed mostly for fleet defense and limited offense. The escort carrier’s role is simply to provide a platform from which aircraft can base in their roles as fleet defenders. Smaller by half than the AMS-6 Repressor class, the Courageous class is a fraction of the 4.4 billion dollar cost of the full-sized carrier. Able to carry up to four full squadrons of V/STOL aircraft or three-plus squadron of conventional ground-based fighters, the Heroic and her sister ships give a commander the flexibility of air coverage without the cost of a major carrier.
Following the success of the AMS-8 class escort carriers, the AMS-12 design was lengthened and the capacity increased to provide an even better presence on the naval battlefield. One notable feature is the rear-deck of the vessel which may act as an entire elevator, lowering at the stern to simultaneously raise eight aircraft to the flight deck as well as the two other lifts, allowing for ten aircraft to be readied on the flight deck at once in a matter of minutes where before the multiple lifts on other carriers had to ferry one plane at a time up to the deck.
The AMS-12 has both a ski-ramp and catapults to assist in the launch of conventional aircraft at the expense of being unable to both launch and recover fighters at the same time. However, the Heroic is capable of catapult launching up to three aircraft at once. In the V/STOL launch procedures, up to eight aircraft may lift-off simultaneously for immediate air presence. The presence of AMH-1 attack helicopters also gives the Heroic significant anti-ship and shore support loitering capabilities. Combined with the AMH-9 ASW/SAR helicopter, the AMS-12 has significant offensive firepower at its disposal, even if not equal to that of a major, full-length aircraft carrier.
Nuclear powered, the Heroic has indefinite cruising capability while also maintaining 2.8 million gallons of aviation fuel for air operations. Capable of transporting up to 400 troops in the barracks-style troop transport area, the AMS-12 is also capable of fielding a landing element for strike and/or beachhead protection.
One stand-out system aboard AGNOS Manufacturing vessels is the FABS (Foam Anti-Breach System) breach-management system that lines all portions of the vessel where water might breach the hull in the event of attack or collision. When activated or after the compartment has been filled halfway with water, the auto-reactive foam particles are ejected into the water and instantly swell and harden, plugging the breach and filling the afflicted compartment with a light composite foam with excellent buoyancy capabilities. In the event that the breach damages the FABS console in a compartment, the foam automatically fires and fills the area.
The Heroic is akin to other capital ships in that it also has an extremely advanced electronics suite designed to maximize survivability and information flow, as well as disrupt enemy detection efforts. The Goliath II SATDATA imaging system is the primary system for the Heroic warships, linking in high-speed, multi-spectrum, encrypted data bursts to global satellites to provide an accurate worldwide picture with a zoom enabling the tracking and viewing of objects up to .5m in size. The David IIIS tracking computer works alongside the Goliath and uses the incoming data to create an accurate targeting display and reduces the strain upon the Goliath system. With one simply providing the picture and the other using the data to identify, track and co-ordinate targets, this array is compositely known as the Hercules IV. Each vessel has three Hercules IV tracking systems.
Specifications
Displacement:
-Full Load 36,300 tons
-Design 29,860 tons
Dimensions:
Length Overall: 750ft
Length Waterline: 735ft
Beam: 128ft
Draft:
-23ft
-28ft max
Flight Deck Length:
-750ft (design)
-770ft (after refits with 12 degree ski jump fitted)
Flight Deck Width: 48ft
Launch Systems: 2x Magnetic Acceleration Catapults w/steam back-up
Propulsion: 2x AE9905 Sunshine Nuclear Reactors providing 160,000 HP over two shafts
Range: Unlimited
Propeller System: 2x 8-bladed variable pitch
Speed: 35 knots
Fuel Capacity: 2,800,000 gallons
Armament:
-2x Mk-67 20mm Rotary cannon point defense systems
-2x Mk-68 30mm Rotary cannon point defense systems
-4x Hellion quad-battery AM-4 Shameless ship defense system, each with 48 missiles (12 reloads)
Aircraft:
-48x AMF-4 Wraith V/STOL Fighters or
40 AMF-1 Phoenix Interceptors
-8x AMH-1 Crusader Attack Helicopters
-6x AMH-9 Krait ASW/SAR Helicopters
Complement:
-725 Navy (32 Officer, 693 Enlisted)
-365 Air Wing (64 Officer, 301 Enlisted)
-400 Troops
Unit Cost: 1.85 billion dollars or equivalent