Sarzonia
17-04-2006, 15:01
Background When the Incorporated Sarzonian Navy chose to adopt the 25 inch naval gun as its primary capital ship armament, the Brandywine class light command battleship was intended for retirement as it was deemed infeasible to convert its nine 24 inch naval guns to the larger 25 inch model without causing logistical problems and possibly lowering the total number of main guns. Upper brass in the Sarzonian Cabinet also felt very strongly that the niche filled by the Brandywine as a flagship for smaller stations where a SD would be considered either unable to travel or prohibitively expensive to send could be filled by the larger Independence class pocket SD. However, several small scale combat operations and exercises where a Brandywine was not present proved to the ISN that it still performed a useful role in the navy's long-term plans. But the problem lay in how to modernise the Brandywine besides increase its armament to 25 inch guns and potentially compromise its ability to perform its mission.
Considering the history of the Brandywine class, one ship stood out as physical evidence of the utility of the class and for its successes on the international stage. The legendary ISS Potomac, veteran of the naval Battle of Daltrey between a squadron of 40 ISN ships against a fleet of 200 Panteran invading ships that showed the world that Sarzonia would not back down from any foe. Thus, the decision was made to create a new class similar to the Brandywine but up-armed with 25 inch naval guns. The result is the new Potomac class Trimaran light command dreadnought.
Armament Obviously, the first question that needed to be answered was how to arm the new warship. This was answered by giving it three triple turrets of 25 inch (635 mm) Mark IV ETC naval guns, with two turrets in A & B positions fore and one in Y position aft. These guns now form the main armament for all capital warships of approximately 500,000 tonnes or greater in ISN service with the eventual replacement of the Vigilant class in mind. The secondary armament for the Potomac would be 10 127 mm dual purpose ETC naval guns in single turrets port and starboard. Other armaments include four RAM launchers, 576 Mark 142 VLS tubes (capable of launching Scourge and Scorcher anti-surface missiles or Dragonfly long-range SAMs), four 1,000 mm TT for the Broadsword ultralarge torpedo, twelve 35 mm Rattlesnake CIWS mounts for the Millennium Gun and the Yellow Jacket mini-SAM and four 35 mm supercavitating guns.
Propulsion At a lighter displacement than many of the larger capital assets of the ISN, the need for tremendous numbers of nuclear reactors is greatly reduced. Thus, the Potomac is powered by six Pebblebed nuclear reactors with four internalised water jets. Emergency propulsion is provided by four diesel turbines, which generate speeds of up to 10 knots of get-me-home speed. The maximum speed for the Potomac is 36 knots at short range sprint.
Protection As with nearly every ship, the ISN's chief priority is building for survivability. Thus, the Potomac is designed with 780 mm-1,040 mm of an advanced armour composite consisting of titanium, vanadium, aluminum, amorphous steel, and ballistic ceramics, a double-bottomed, reinforced keel with a torpedo bulge and void spaces over a honeycomb frame. Composite rods and KE-reducing ceramic plates provide protection against KE attacks.
Potomac-class Trimaran battleship
Length: 509 m; Beam: 87 m; Draught: 16.1 m
Displacement: 596,430 tonnes fully laden
Armament: 3 x 3 635 mm Mark IV ETC guns in A, B & Y positions; 10 x 127 mm DP ETC guns; 4 x RAM launchers; 6 x 96 cell Mark 142 VLS; 4 x 1,000 mm TT; 12 x 35 mm Rattlesnake CIWS; 4 x 35 mm supercavitating guns
Protection: 780 mm-1,040 mm advanced armour composite (titanium, vanadium, aluminum, amorphous steel, ballistic ceramics); double-bottomed, reinforced keel with torpedo bulge and void spaces over a honeycomb frame. Composite rods and KE-reducing ceramic plates provide protection against KE attacks.
Propulsion: Six Pebblebed nuclear reactors; four internalised waterjets. Four diesel turbines for emergency propulsion. 36 knots.
Aircraft: 4-8 H-15 Dragon ASW helicopters; up to 6 UAVs.
Complement: 2,400 plus 100 aircrew; 300 Naval Infantry
Electronics: Next Generation Theatre Combat Management System (TCMS), which includes redundant satellite imagery transceivers and processors, GPS transceivers, LIDAR and LADAR, target prioritisation and acquisition software, and millimetric wave radar; AN/SPS-73(V) SSR; AN/SPS-67; AN/SPY-3B MFR multi-function radar; Maritime Forward Looking Infrared System; Optical Surveillance System; Shipboard Command and Control System; AN/SQS 510(V) hull mounted sonar; AN/SLY-2 (V) electronics warfare suite
Decoys: AN/SLQ-49; AN/SLQ-25 Nixie; MK-53 Nulka DLS
Fire Control: MK-99 FCS missile fire control; MK-86 GFCS gun fire control; MK-116 mod 7 ACWSCS torpedo fire control
Fleet Defense System: MK-200 mod 2 FDS
Fleet Defense Control: MK-201 FDC
Price: $55 billion
Running Cost: $1.75 billion
Considering the history of the Brandywine class, one ship stood out as physical evidence of the utility of the class and for its successes on the international stage. The legendary ISS Potomac, veteran of the naval Battle of Daltrey between a squadron of 40 ISN ships against a fleet of 200 Panteran invading ships that showed the world that Sarzonia would not back down from any foe. Thus, the decision was made to create a new class similar to the Brandywine but up-armed with 25 inch naval guns. The result is the new Potomac class Trimaran light command dreadnought.
Armament Obviously, the first question that needed to be answered was how to arm the new warship. This was answered by giving it three triple turrets of 25 inch (635 mm) Mark IV ETC naval guns, with two turrets in A & B positions fore and one in Y position aft. These guns now form the main armament for all capital warships of approximately 500,000 tonnes or greater in ISN service with the eventual replacement of the Vigilant class in mind. The secondary armament for the Potomac would be 10 127 mm dual purpose ETC naval guns in single turrets port and starboard. Other armaments include four RAM launchers, 576 Mark 142 VLS tubes (capable of launching Scourge and Scorcher anti-surface missiles or Dragonfly long-range SAMs), four 1,000 mm TT for the Broadsword ultralarge torpedo, twelve 35 mm Rattlesnake CIWS mounts for the Millennium Gun and the Yellow Jacket mini-SAM and four 35 mm supercavitating guns.
Propulsion At a lighter displacement than many of the larger capital assets of the ISN, the need for tremendous numbers of nuclear reactors is greatly reduced. Thus, the Potomac is powered by six Pebblebed nuclear reactors with four internalised water jets. Emergency propulsion is provided by four diesel turbines, which generate speeds of up to 10 knots of get-me-home speed. The maximum speed for the Potomac is 36 knots at short range sprint.
Protection As with nearly every ship, the ISN's chief priority is building for survivability. Thus, the Potomac is designed with 780 mm-1,040 mm of an advanced armour composite consisting of titanium, vanadium, aluminum, amorphous steel, and ballistic ceramics, a double-bottomed, reinforced keel with a torpedo bulge and void spaces over a honeycomb frame. Composite rods and KE-reducing ceramic plates provide protection against KE attacks.
Potomac-class Trimaran battleship
Length: 509 m; Beam: 87 m; Draught: 16.1 m
Displacement: 596,430 tonnes fully laden
Armament: 3 x 3 635 mm Mark IV ETC guns in A, B & Y positions; 10 x 127 mm DP ETC guns; 4 x RAM launchers; 6 x 96 cell Mark 142 VLS; 4 x 1,000 mm TT; 12 x 35 mm Rattlesnake CIWS; 4 x 35 mm supercavitating guns
Protection: 780 mm-1,040 mm advanced armour composite (titanium, vanadium, aluminum, amorphous steel, ballistic ceramics); double-bottomed, reinforced keel with torpedo bulge and void spaces over a honeycomb frame. Composite rods and KE-reducing ceramic plates provide protection against KE attacks.
Propulsion: Six Pebblebed nuclear reactors; four internalised waterjets. Four diesel turbines for emergency propulsion. 36 knots.
Aircraft: 4-8 H-15 Dragon ASW helicopters; up to 6 UAVs.
Complement: 2,400 plus 100 aircrew; 300 Naval Infantry
Electronics: Next Generation Theatre Combat Management System (TCMS), which includes redundant satellite imagery transceivers and processors, GPS transceivers, LIDAR and LADAR, target prioritisation and acquisition software, and millimetric wave radar; AN/SPS-73(V) SSR; AN/SPS-67; AN/SPY-3B MFR multi-function radar; Maritime Forward Looking Infrared System; Optical Surveillance System; Shipboard Command and Control System; AN/SQS 510(V) hull mounted sonar; AN/SLY-2 (V) electronics warfare suite
Decoys: AN/SLQ-49; AN/SLQ-25 Nixie; MK-53 Nulka DLS
Fire Control: MK-99 FCS missile fire control; MK-86 GFCS gun fire control; MK-116 mod 7 ACWSCS torpedo fire control
Fleet Defense System: MK-200 mod 2 FDS
Fleet Defense Control: MK-201 FDC
Price: $55 billion
Running Cost: $1.75 billion