Bushido Industries Shinyo (Chigusa Maru) Escort Carrier:

These ships are an extremely interesting vessel. Officially, they are classified as merchant ships not warships but in practice they really should be considered warships. Their official role is as fighter transports, well armed to act as safe transport to distant areas. No one wants pirates to steal a load of fighters after all. They even sometimes operate in this manner.

The reality is somewhat different however. If the ships were really mean as transports, there would be no real need for the fighters to be carried in bays ready for launch. No, their real purpose is that of escort carriers. Built off a Irako Maru class hull, they can sit in a fleet of other merchant ships and nobody will know they are a warship. They can also cruise through pirate space to act as a lure. When attackers appear, the ship launches fighters and turns the tables on their attackers.

Bushido Industries does sell some of their warship classes but does not sell the Shinyo class escort carrier. The class was originally classified as the Chigusa Maru class vehicle transport but later renamed to the Shinyo class. While still officially a vehicle transport, most consider it to be an escort carrier. Interestingly, these vessels are actually larger than the Hiryu class light carriers. A total of six of these vessels have been build although rumor is that they plan build several more.

While extensively modified to act as escort carriers, these ships are still based on merchant design. Their hull is not quite as strong as a light flight carrier of the same size would probably be. Still, they are modified from their merchant design with additional spaced armor. They carry military class shields similar to those carried on several other Bushido Industries warship designs. These escort carriers have only a single bridge.

In addition to the hull, the propulsion and power plant remain merchant designs. The ship mounts a fusion plant instead of an anti-matter reactor. In addition, the ship has a top speed of only three and a half light years per hour while the Hiryu class light carrier can reach six light years per hour. Normal space acceleration is also comparatively slow when compared to modern military designs.

These ships are far better armed than most merchant ship classes. They are not armed for close range combat but are quite well able to defend themselves. Extended range defense is two long range missile batteries with one hundred and sixty long range missiles per battery. This is backed up by four medium range missile batteries with each having one hundred and sixty medium range missiles each. Finally, for close range defense are eight mounts each with a heavy gravity rail gun and a variable focus particle beam. The sensors of the ship are also much more powerful, similar to those of a cruiser although the ship carries a backup civilian set so that she does not radiate as a warship.

Of course the main weaponry of the escort carrier is the embarked fighters. The Bushido Industries Katana and Tanto class fighters are highly effective. Ninja-to stealth fighters might also be embarked for special missions. Some faster than light external boosters may be carried for some of the Katana (or Ninja-to) fighters. While these escort carriers could theoretically carry non Bushido Industries fighters, there are no known cases where they have been embarked.

When the ships are actually used as transports, these ship’s embarked compliment will never be completely stripped out. Normally, a pair of squadrons at least will be retained for self defense. Five squadrons of light fighters and four squadrons of medium fighters seem to be standard. This can be varied with one and a half squadrons of light fighters able to replace a single squadron of medium fighters. As a result, a maximum of eleven squadrons of light fighters can be carried. Seven squadrons of medium fighters can be embarked instead of light fighters or a mixture of light and medium fighters.

Because one of the primary missions of the ship is anti-piracy patrols, the escort carrier has a large troop compliment although nothing like most assault carriers. Standard embarked troop compliment is one hundred and twenty with eighty power armors. Bushido Industries manufactures the Kage Tengu light power armor which is a highly effective design. Due to extensive automation, these ships require relatively small crews although embark quite a bit larger crews than an Irako Maru class merchant ship.

This starship design uses modified starship speed and weapon range rules. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World / Three Galaxies for more details.

Model Type: BIM(E)-04-M
Vehicle Type: Escort Carrier (Modified Medium Freighter)
Crew: 320 (20 Officers and 300 Enlisted Crew)
Troops: 120 Marines (80 in medium or light power armor), 100 to 160 fighter pilots (depending on fighter compliment), and can carry up to 50 passengers in addition to standard military personnel.

Vehicle, Robots, and Power Armors:
Power Armors:

Light Power Armors (BI-PA-60B Kage Tengu)

Fighter Compliment:

	132	BIF-75 Tanto class Light Starfighter (or other light starfighter).
	or
	84	BIF-67 Katana fighter ship (or other medium starfighter including Ninja-To)
	or
	60	BIF-75 Tanto class Light Starfighter (or other light starfighter).
	48	BIF-67 Katana fighter ship (or other medium starfighter including Ninja-To)

M.D.C. By Location:

	Combined GR-1000 Rail Gun / Particle Beam Cannon Turret (8):	400 each
	Medium Range Missile Batteries (6):	150 each
	Long Range Missile Batteries (2):	600 each
	Outer Hull (40 x 40 ft/ 12.2 m x 12.2 Area):	150
	Inner Hull (40 x 20 ft/ 12.2 m x 12.2 Area):	100
	[1] Bridge:	8,000
	Hanger Bays (4):	3,200 each
	[2] Main Engines (2):	9,500 each
	[3] Main Body:	35,000
	[4] Variable Force Field:	4,000 side (24,000 total)

Notes:
[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon to hit the bridge through the ship’s hull. This ship does not have an auxiliary bridge. Even if the bridge is destroyed, the ship can still be piloted from engineering but ship is -3 to dodge and all weapon systems will be at local control. Weapon hits near the bridge that do not penetrate the ships integrity can injure crew members on or near the bridge.
[2] Destroying the main engines means that the ship’s faster than light systems are destroyed and maximum sublight speed is reduced by half..
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the carrier out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.
[4] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (1,200 M.D.C.) per melee.

Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.
Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to can reach 60 percent of the speed of light. Star Ship can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.7 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 400 mph (643.7 kph), can enter an atmosphere because flight system is using contra grav.
Stardrive: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 3.5 light years per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either drive system. Carries about two years worth of supplies on board (Can be stretched to three years in an emergency.)

Statistical Data:
Length: 918.64 feet (280.0 meters)
Height: 329.72 feet (100.5 meters)
Width: 377.30 feet (115.0 meters)
Mass/ Weight: 413.370 tons (375,000 metric tons)
Power System: Advanced Fusion with a 20 year life span. The ship normally only goes 5 years between refueling and refitting.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows for carrying up to 22,050 tons (20,000 metric tons) metric tons) of cargo in addition to standard compliment of supplies and ammunition. Each enlisted crew member has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Ship’s officers have more space for personal items.
Market Cost: 3.2 Billion credits to build and convert (Does not include standard fighter and power armor compliment.)

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

Two (2) Long Range Missile Battery: Missiles have a top speed of Mach 20 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 8% of light per turn (faster than any starship.) Whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, battery, and missile. When drive goes dead, the missile will continue to travel in a straight line unless set to self destruct but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because the target does not move and missile, when unpowered, is at -25% to be detected.) Long range missiles do not have penalties to hit small targets unlike cruise missiles and are all considered smart missiles. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.
Maximum Effective Range: Long Range missile range is 3,400 miles (5,470 km) in an atmosphere and 1,800,000 miles (2,897,000 km/9.7 light seconds) in space.
Mega-Damage & Properties: See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details (Fusion warheads inflict 2D4x100 M.D.C. each.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), eight (8), sixteen (16), or thirty-two (32) missiles per battery, per melee attack.
Payload: 160 long range missiles each for a total of 320 long range missilew.
Six (6) Medium Range Missile Batteries: Weapon system is used for hitting enemy robots, fighters, and against incoming cruise missiles. Like other Phase world systems, weapon system range and speed has been greatly increased compared to Rifts Earth systems. Missile has a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light per turn. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.
Maximum Effective Range: Medium Range Missile range is 160 miles (257.5 km) in an atmosphere and 80,000 miles (128,750 km/0.43 light seconds) in space.
Mega-Damage: Varies with medium range missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), eight (8), or sixteen (16) missiles per battery.
Payload: 160 per battery for a total of 960 medium range missiles.
Eight (8) Combination GR-1000 Rail Gun/Particle Beam Cannons Ball Turret: Mounted in turrets are one GR-1000 Rail Gun with a particle beam above the rail gun laser cannons. Turret are main defensive weapon of starfighter and they inflict a huge amount of damage. Both weapons can be fired together if the weapons are within range and both are controlled by the turret gunner. The turrets may be put under the bridges control. Turrets have 360 rotation and 120 degree arc of.
- GR-1000 Rail Gun (1 each mount): Very powerful rail gun mounted in turret. This is the same weapon system that is mounted in the nose of the Scorpion starfighter. Projectiles are fired from the gravity rail guns at a significant fraction of the speed of light. The weapon cannot be used while the ship is traveling at faster than light velocities.
  Maximum Effective Range: GR-1000 Rail Guns: 16 miles (26 km) through atmosphere and 1,600 miles (2,575 km) in space.
  Mega Damage: GR-1000 Rail Guns: 40 round burst inflicts 4D6x10 M.D. (Combined particle beam [on heavy setting] and rail gun inflicts 8D6x10)
  Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
  Payload: 10,000 rounds (250 Bursts)
- Variable Focus Particle Beam Mounts (1 each mount): The particle beam is copied from those carried on the CAF Assault Shuttle and will fire a very powerful narrow beam and can fire a scatter effect that is less powerful but is capable of striking multiple targets. The weapon system is quite useful against missiles although the cone is not as wide as Tachyon cannon sprays are (Gives +2 bonus vs fast moving targets such as missiles.) The weapon cannot be used while the ship is traveling at FTL speeds.
  Maximum Effective Range: 300 miles (480 km) in space and 3 miles (4.8 km) in an atmosphere.
  Mega Damage: Single Target: 4D6x10 per blast. Wide Beam: 5D6 to all targets within a 5,000 foot (1,524 meter) diameter area. When fired as a wide beam, the cannon cannot be used on targets closer than 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) away (Combined particle beam [on heavy setting] and rail gun inflicts 8D6x10).
  Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
  Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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