Horatio Nelson modified Kurganov class Missile Cruiser:

(New Coventry)

The Kurganov class cruiser has been serving since before the formation of the Consortium of Civilized worlds and although it can be expected to be in service for a long time to come, the design has simply become dated. A huge amount of the Human Alliance navy ships are of this class and this creates a weakness in their fleet even though the ships are still pretty effective.

There had been various nebulous plans to upgrade the class but no concrete plans were laid until a Kurganov class cruiser was captured by the New Coventry Captain Mayfair from the hands of pirates. New Coventry shipbuilding decided that upgrading the ship would be much less expensive than it would be to construct another cruiser and that the ship still had a lot of life left in it.

New Coventry had not actually completed the refitting before the Human Alliance Forces division of shipbuilding approached New Coventry Admiralty for the plans for the upgrade. After a lengthy discussion, New Coventry provided the plans for the upgrade but at a relatively steep cost. It would cost two more Kurganov class cruisers at half cost as well as New Coventry getting a contract to complete some of the upgrades of the missile cruisers. Finally, New Coventry received the technology for improved faster than light drives. This upgraded engines will be mounted in new construction Warspite class cruisers. The first ship of the modified Kurganov class is named after Admiral Horatio Nelson who defeated the Spanish in the battle of Trafalgar.

The upgrade to the ship is very extensive and includes virtually all major systems. The three main exceptions are the engines, main hull, and defensive shields. To upgrade the engines, the ship would have to have even more extensive reconstruction than is to be completed and be very expensive. The ships faster than light speed and sublight acceleration are not bad when compared to many newer classes so it not really needed. The hull could only be moderately upgraded so it was left unchanged as costing more than desired although stress cracks are to be repaired where needed. The shields while not as powerful as those mounted in the Black Prince and Warspite cruiser classes, they are as powerful as the shields mounted on a standard Consortium Warshield cruiser.

The entire computer systems have upgraded by a more powerful computer system adapted from a Warshield class Cruiser and the sensor systems have been upgraded as well. Along with this upgrades, the automation has been increased which allows for about a ten percent reduction in ships crew. While important, these upgrades can almost be considered window dressing for the most important upgrades, which are the weapon systems. This is not to say that these upgrades, especially fire control, are unimportant.

All of the weapons systems have been replaced and upgraded. The key to the ships weaponry has always been the missile batteries and both the capital missile batteries and long range missile batteries have been replaced by more modern batteries. This increases the number of missiles which can be fired by about fifty percent although magazines are unmodified so payload of missiles can be burned through quite quickly. The ships are planned to carry twelve pepperbox capital launchers when in service with New Coventry. A total of one hundred and seventy-six capital missiles can be fired as a single missile volley if the box launchers and main batteries are fired together.

Like with other New Coventry capital ships, the mini-missile launchers have been replaced by medium range missile launchers. This gives point defense a much better defensive range although the number of missiles has been reduced due to the size difference in the missiles. The two 18 cm heavy particle beams have been replaced by more powerful 20 cm laser cannon mounts. While they have a slower rate of fire, they inflict more damage and have a longer range than the particle beams they replace. The direct fire point defense weaponry has been replaced with six GR-1000 heavy gravity point defense rail guns, six point defense particle beams, and four tachyon scatter beams. This inner point defense array is similar to the defense array on other ships in the New Coventry fleet and has shown itself to be quite effective against missile volleys.

While the crew has been reduced, the number of marines is identical to the original ships. On ships in service with New Coventry, all marines are in Combat Environment Power Armor except for those in Silverhawks but on Human Alliance ships, the troop compliment have not adopted a light power armor most are equipped with conventional body armor. As well, New Coventry cruisers carry the Badger light interceptor while the Human Alliance ships carry Scorpion light fighters. The New Coventry missile cruisers also carry the long range versions of the Black Eagle and Storm Eagle while the Human Alliance carry mostly standard versions. Both carry the same compliment of Katana medium fighters. New Coventry plans to eventually replace all Black Eagles, Storm Eagle, and Katana fighters with the Lightning medium fighter.

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: CL-23 (FRAM I)
Vehicle Type: Missile Cruiser
Crew: 265 (20 Officers, 243 enlisted)
Troops: 80 marines, 32 fighter pilots, 10 Silverhawk Pilots,

Vehicles:
New Coventry:
Power Armors:

	80	Combat Environment Power Armors
	10	SH-CCW100 Silverhawk Attack ExoSkeleton

Fighter Compliment:

	8	CSF-4 Badger class Light Interceptors.
	2	SF-101LR Black Eagle medium fighter
	2	SF-101I-LR Storm Eagle medium interceptor
	4	BIF-67 Katana fighter ship

Human Alliance:
Power Armors & Robots:

SH-CCW100 Silverhawk Attack ExoSkeleton

Fighter Compliment:

	8	SF-69 CAF Scorpion Star Interceptor
	2	SF-101 Black Eagle medium fighter
	2	SF-101I Storm Eagle medium interceptor
	4	BIF-67 Katana fighter ship

M.D.C. By Location:

	20 cm Main Laser Cannons (2, Front):	1,200 each
	GR-1000 Gravity Point Defense Rail Gun Turrets (6):	200 each
	Point Defense Particle Beam Cannons (6):	150 each
	Tachyon Scatter Beams (4):	200 each
	Cruise Missile Batteries (4):	1,000 each
	Long Range Missile Batteries (4):	600 each
	Medium Range Missile Launchers (4):	500 each
	Outer Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):	150
	Inner Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area):	100
	[1] Bridge:	8,000
	[1] Auxiliary Bridge:	8,000
	Hanger Bay:	10,000
	[2] Main Engines (2):	10,000 each
	[3] Main Body:	35,000
	[4] Variable Force Field:	4,000 a 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 armor. This ship also has an auxiliary bridge. Even if both bridges are taken out, 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 cruiser 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% (1200 M.D.C.) per melee round.

Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.
Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to travel up to 60 percent of the speed of light. Star Ship can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.95 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 450 mph (724 kph), can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for atmospheric flight
Stardrive: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 4 light years per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either drive system. Carries about four years worth of supplies on board.

Statistical Data:
Length: 650 feet (198.1 meters)
Height: 250 feet (76.2 meters)
Width: 350 feet (106.7 meters)
Weight: 145,000 tons (131,700 metric tons)
Power System: Anti-Matter with a 25 year life span. The ship normally only goes 7 years between refueling and refitting.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows for carrying up to 4,000 tons (3,628.7 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. Most of the ship’s spaces are taken up by extra ammunition, armor, troops, weapons, engine, and other equipment.
Market Cost: An unmodified Kurganov would cost about 1.8 billion credits to manufacture in present time in the Three Galaxies. Upgrades cost 1.4 billion credits and if the ship was constructed new it would cost about 2.6 billion credits. Cost does not include embarked craft.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

Two (2) 20 cm Heavy Laser Cannons: These Cannons replace the particle beams are located on the front of the starship and are used as anti-capital ship weapons and can take out frigates in one shot and can do large amounts of damage to bases or larger starships. The Laser cannons can be combined together or each one used separately. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities. Weapon has standard penalties to hit fighters and small targets for large starship weaponry. The barrels can be fired either forward or behind and can be rotated 30 degrees horizontally or vertically.
Maximum Effective Range: 100,000 miles (161,000 km) in space. and 100 miles (161 km) in an atmosphere.
Mega Damage: 1D4x1000 M.D.C. each and can be combined for a total of 2D4x1000.
Rate of Fire: Maximum of two (2) times per melee per cannon.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
Six (6) GR-1000 Large Point Defense Rail Guns: Used as an anti-starfighter and missile weapon and against targets that are impervious to energy. Each rail gun is in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. When used in space, projectiles are fired from rail guns at close to the speed of light. Gravity rail gun uses a 30 mm projectile. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
Maximum Effective Range: 16 miles (26 km) through atmosphere and 1,600 miles (2,575 km) in space.
Mega-Damage: Rail gun inflicts 4D6x10 M.D.C. for a 40 round burst.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: 10,000 Rounds (250 Bursts) each cannon.
Six (6) 25 mm Point Defense Particle Beams: These weapons are used for anti-missile, anti-power armor, and anti-star fighter defense. Each Particle Beam is in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. The weapon system cannot be used to engage targets while traveling at faster than light velocities.
Maximum Effective Range: 600 miles (960 km) in space and range is 6 miles (9.6 km) in atmosphere.
Mega Damage: 3D6x10 M.D.C. each.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
Four (4) Point Defense Tachyon Scatter Beams: The main purpose of this system is as an anti-missile point defense. They do this by firing a wide blast that affects all targets in a cone that can destroy whole volleys of missiles before the strike the ship (Roll once against a volley and unless the missiles roll to dodge greater than strike roll, they are all destroyed.) The stream lasts for significant fraction of a second and missiles tend to run into the stream (Gives +4 bonus vs fast moving targets such as missiles.) This system has an interesting property that the system can actually be used at faster than light velocities because Tachyons travel faster than the speed of light. Each Tachyon Scatter Gun is in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire.
Maximum Effective Range: 99.4 miles (160 km) with a width of 12.4 miles (20 km), range and width is one sixteenth in an atmosphere.
Mega Damage: 2D4x10 M.D.C. each.
Rate of Fire: Maximum of four (4) times per melee each.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
Four (4) Cruise Missile Batteries: Missile has a top speed of Mach 25 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 10% of light per turn (far faster than any starship.) Whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launching starship, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will continue to travel in a straight line unless preset to self destruct or receives a destruct code but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile when dead is at -25% to be detected.) See modified starship rules for more details - Cruise missiles have penalties to hit small targets but are all considered smart missiles. These are modern Consortium missile batteries similar to those carried on a number of warships. Batteries can launch on multiple targets each at the same time.
Maximum Effective Range: Cruise Missile range is 8,000 miles (12,875 km) in an atmosphere and 4,000,000 miles (6,437,376 km/ 21.5 light seconds) in space.
Mega-Damage & Properties: See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details (Anti-Matter multi-warheads inflict 5D6x100 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 launcher, per melee round, for a maximum of 128 missiles per melee. Launchers are reloaded on the same melee and can be fired again on the next.
Payload: 128 total, 32 cruise missiles per launcher. Ship has 6 reload of missiles (768 cruise missile reloads total.)
Four (4) Long Range Missile Batteries: Missile has 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, launcher, and missile. When drive goes dead, 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 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 launcher, per melee attack.
Payload: 960 total, 240 long range missiles per launcher.
Four (4) 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 launcher.
Payload: 320 per launcher for a total of 1,240 medium range missiles.

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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