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• New Coventry “Pepper Box” unmanned Cruise Missile Launcher

New Coventry “Pepper Box” Cruise Missile Launching System:

There are three variation on this system. These are the Tactical Support Version, the Tactical Bombardment Version, and the Strategic Bombardment Version. All three are designed to be as expendable and as inexpensive as possible. The original designers of the tactical support version were a starship captain and her chief engineer. The captain was Commander Terry Cindy Mayfair, who was then the commanding officer of HMS Wolfhound. The Engineer was Insall Tvek who is a Machine Person refugee who joined New Coventry’s Navy. The tactical and strategic bombardment version were later designed by the New Coventry Bureau of Shipbuilding as systems to take advantage of the basic design. The system is a long box with four hatches at on end with the engines at the other end. The strategic bombardment version has a larger engine and has a attachment on the top that the fire control systems are mounted on. All three systems will normally launch all cruise missiles at the same time. The system gets it name from the similarity it has to the four shot derringers which were also called pepper boxes

The Tactical Support versions purpose is to increase the cruise missile launching ability of a starship in the same way that Squires in Macross II increase the beam weapons of a starfighter. They were the first of the pepper box systems developed by New Coventry. Although they are listed here as starships, these systems are an unmanned drone that relies on the fire control of the starship that is using then and the tactical support cruise missile launcher does not have any sensors themselves. Because they rely on the fire control of the ship that they are tied to, the fire control of that ship limits the number that can be used effectively. A general rule is that a frigate or destroyer can control up to four, a light cruiser can control up to twelve, a heavy cruiser can control sixteen, a battlecruiser can control up to thirty-two, a battleship can control up to forty-eight, and stations can control up to ninety-six launchers. In some cases, a carrier will have a pair of these launchers for decoys. Some newer ships are modified to be able to control greater numbers of missiles. Unless the ship is going to use the launcher immediately, the launchers are physically attached to the hull of the starship. This allows them to be protected by the shields of the starship that is controlling them. The launchers normally detach just before they are used. In order to utilize the fire control of the starship that is controlling the launchers, the launchers need to be within 1,000 miles (1,610 km) of that ship.

The Tactical Bombardment versions purpose is to attack starships within your star system either effectively acting as mines or sent to a target to soften the target previous to the starship attacks. Unlike the tactical support versions, they have internal fire control systems and they have navigational shielding but can be used as support launchers if desired.. Depending on the commands wishes, the missiles can be launched at a variety of ranges including so that missile will travel to the target with their drive dead so that they are harder to attack.

The Strategic Bombardment versions purpose is to be able to launch cruise missiles at targets that are in star systems away from your starships. They are basically small unmanned starships with contra-grav FTL propulsion systems. Unlike the tactical support version, they have internal fire control systems and they have navigational shielding. The normal tactic is to launch these missiles from a nearby star system or from deep space nearby and target missiles for starships, space stations, or surface installations. They retain all the abilities of the tactical bombardment launchers. The reason why launchers are normally used from a relatively close star system to the one that they are deployed against is so missile have more accurate information, to minimize the time the target has to detect and intercept the launchers, and finally so star ship forces can arrive just after the damage the missile launchers created. The FTL signature of the launchers can be detected by Gravitic sensors as well.

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

Vehicle Types: Unmanned Cruise Missile Launcher

Crew: None, Unmanned

M.D.C. By Location:

Notes:

[1] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the launcher out of commission. Launcher has a self destruct system to prevent capture. It inflicts 2D4x100 M.D.C. to all targets within 50 feet (15 meters).

Speed:

Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.

Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the launchers to travel up to 99 percent of the speed of light theoretically, but normally limit their speed because of several factors. All three launchers can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 1.2 percent of light per melee.

The NCCM-01-TSL normally limits is speed to that of the ship carrying it because the launcher is virtually useless if outside of the range it can use the fire control of the ship that is using them. The launchers also do not have independent radiation and particle shielding so outside of the shielding of the ship that is using them for support they have a 1% chance of failure if moving faster than 20 percent of the speed of light.

The NCCM-02-TBL carries the radiation and particle shielding of a starfighter and can travel up to 40% of the speed of light without having failures from radiation. If the launcher travels over 40% of the speed of light, the launcher has a 1% chance of a failure. These failures are considered acceptable because the launcher is not manned so often they will travel at high sublight speed towards their target.

The NCCM-03-SBL carries the radiation and particle shielding of a starfighter and can travel up to 40% of the speed of light without having failures from radiation. If the launcher travels over 40% of the speed of light, the launcher has a 1% chance of a failure. These failures are considered acceptable because the launcher is not manned so often they will travel at high sublight speed towards their target.

Stardrive: The NCCM-03-SBL uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the launcher to reach a maximum of four light years per hour.

Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is Mach 2.5 (1,675 mph / 2,700 kph), can enter an atmosphere because flight system is using contra grav.

Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by Drive system.

Statistical Data:

Length:

42 feet (12.8 meters) for NCCM-01-TSL

42 feet (12.8 meters) for NCCM-02-TBL

48 feet (14.6 meters) for NCCM-03-SBL

Height:

16 feet (4.9 meters) for NCCM-01-TSL

20 feet (6.1 meters) for NCCM-02-TBL

20 feet (6.1 meters) for NCCM-03-SBL

Width: 16 feet (4.9 meters).

Weight:

15 tons (13.6 metric tons) empty and 25 tons (22.7 metric tons) fully loaded for NCCM-01-TSL

15 tons (13.6 metric tons) empty and 25 tons (22.7 metric tons) fully loaded for NCCM-02-TBL

20 tons (18.1 metric tons) empty and 30 tons (27.2 metric tons) fully loaded for NCCM-03-SBL

Power System: Fusion with two (2) year life span.

Cargo: None (Does not include missile tubes)

Market Cost: 25 million credits for the NCCM-01-TSL, 35 Million credits for the NCCM-02-TBL. 50 million credits for NCCM-03-SBL.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. Four (4) Cruise Missile Launchers: 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 unpowered, 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.

   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), three (3), or four (4). A ship can control multiple launch systems at the same time.

   Payload: One (1) Cruise Missiles each launcher for a total of four (4) cruise missiles (no reloads)

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

Copyright © 1998, 2000, & 2013, Kitsune. All rights reserved.

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