Spanish Tiburón (Shark) class Submarine:


While the S-80 class submarines had lengthy delays in development, when they finally entered service they were considered excellent boats. With an air independent propulsion system, they had far greater underwater range than previous Spanish submarine classes. Unfortunately the last of the class entered service only a few years prior to the revolution in material science.


A temporary solution was to refit the relatively new submarines with the new materials. Eventually it was decided to develop a new submarine class using the new materials. It was decided to use the recently completed S-80 submarines as a basis. A total of four of these new submarines were planned. It was planned that the refitted S-80 would be sold when the new submarines entered service.


Designed the S-100 class, the new class was also known as the Tiburón class, named for the Spanish word for shark. While based on the S-80 class, a number of improvements were incorporated during the design process. Still the design was designed to use as much in the way of already tested technology as possible in order to reduce development delays.


Upgrades included increasing range and a slightly greater top speed. Of course the use of the new materials allowed for far deeper diving depths. Main armament was unchanged however with six torpedo tubes. There was some discussion around adding a vertical launch system but was later rejected. Sonar systems were only slight improved over the previous class. All of the various upgrades did increase the displacement of the boat compared to previous classes.


The first of the new class was laid down in the early Twenty Thirties with the other boats laid down within the next few years. Unfortunately the new class was caught in a similar situation to the S-80 class. Soon after the last of the class was completed, there was a second technological revolution. This time in practical fusion. In some ways this technological was even more revolutionary for submarined designs than in material science. While air independent propulsion system gave far greater underwater than conventional diesel electric boats, fusion power gave virtually unlimited range.


There was debate about what to do with the recently completed Tiburón class submarines. One suggestion was to cut the vessels in half and replace the original engines. Several other navies decided to give their recently completed submarines a longer lease on life. While cheaper than building new submarines, the reconstruction was still quite expensive.


The Spanish navy however decided to develop a new submarine class using the new fusion power plants and sell the recently completed Tiburón class submarines. This new submarine design later became the Marsopa class fast attack submarine. Due to increasing tensions, it was decided to build eight of these new fusion submarines. This was later increased to twelve and then sixteen submarines.


Even with the limitations of the four Tiburón class submarines, they were retained initially. Later as more Marsopa class submarines entered service, it was decided to sell off four conventionally powered submarines. Interestingly, two our the four submarines were later converted to fusion power as was originally considered by the Spanish navy. They remained useful naval units and it believed that all four Tiburón class submarines actually remained in service until the Great Cataclysm.


The fate of none of these boats is unknown with all four disappearing during the chaos of the Great Cataclysm. Still, due to being constructed from advanced composites and alloys, they are practicably immune to ravages of the environment. As long as not badly damaged during the cataclysm itself, it is quite likely that theses boats could still be salvaged if they were to be discovered.


If they could be salvaged, they could be valuable assents to either adventurers or smaller navies. Adventurers could operate these submarines due to requiring relatively small crews.


Even though considered fairly old with regard to their technology by the time of the Great Cataclysm, few navies have access to the most advanced technology prior to the collapse of civilization. In fact these submarines might be considered some of the most advanced submarines operated around the world. The newest Coalition submarines largely rely on older technology. Only a few navies can be considered more advanced. These include the New Navy, the New German Republic, and the Republic of Japan.


Even though air independent propulsion systems were revolutionary when first introduced, it would be hard to maintain for a post apocalypse navy if one of the unconverted boats was able to be recovered. As such, it is likely that they would end up converting the submarine to fusion. Another option might be for techno-wizards to convert the submarines to a magical propulsion system.


Author Note: With respect to time line, these designs may or may not reflect our modern time line. The time line of these writeups diverged from our time line starting around 1999. Consider the universe that these designs are created for to be an alternate universe not bound by ours.


Model Type: S-100 class Submarine.

Class: Ocean, Attack Submarine.

Crew: 26; 3 Officers, 4 chief petty officers, and 25 enlisted (Has a high degree of automation.)

Troop Capacity: 8 (Special Forces.)


Robots, Power Armors, and Vehicles:

None.


M.D.C. by Location:

 

533 mm (21 inch) Torpedo Tubes (6, sides of submarine):

80 each.

 

Main Sail:

360.

 

[1] Sail Planes (2, sail):

120 each.

 

[2] Pump Jet Propulsor (1):

300.

 

[3] Main Body:

1,300.

Notes:

[1] Destroying the submarine’s sail planes will reduce the submarine’s ability to change depths but will not eliminate it. It also makes it difficult for the submarine’s crew to control the submarine giving a penalty of -25% to all underwater piloting rolls.

[2] Destroying the submarine’s pump jet propulsor causes serious problems. The submarine will no longer be able to use forward momentum and the sail planes to keep the submarine level. It is recommended that ballast tanks are immediately blown so submarine comes to the surface.

[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body destroys the submarine’s structural integrity, causing it to sink. If the submarine is underwater, the entire crew will die unless protected by environmental armors that can withstand the pressure that the submarine is under. If on the surface, there are enough flotation devices and inflatable life rafts to accommodate everyone aboard.


Speed:

Surface: 13.8 mph (12 knots/ 22.2 kph) maximum and 11.5 mph (10 knots 18.5 kph) normal cruise speed.

Underwater: 23.0 mph (20 knots / 37.0 kph) maximum and 5.8 mph (5 knots / 9.3 kph) normal.

Maximum Depth: 4,920 feet (1,500 meters).

Range: Boat carries three (3) months of supplies for crew and troops on board.

Original Configuration (Diesel-Electric / Fuel Cell):

Diesel: 11,050 miles (9,600 nautical miles / 17,780 kilometers) at 11.5 mph (10 knots 18.5 kph) on the surface and 9.210 miles (8,000 nautical miles / 14,820 kilometers) at 11.5 mph (10 knots 18.5 kph) while snorkeling.

Battery: 760 miles (660 nautical miles /1,220 kilometers) at 5.8 mph (5 knots / 9.3 kph). Reduce to 50.6 miles (44 nautical miles / 81.5 kilometers) at 23.0 mph (20 knots / 37.0 kph). Requires 48 hours to fully recharge batteries.

Fuel Cell: 3,450 miles (3,000 nautical miles / 5,555 kilometers) at 5.8 mph (5 knots / 9.3 kph).

Converted Submarines (Fusion Powered): Effectively unlimited due to fusion engines (needs to refuel every 20 years and requires maintenance as well).


Statistical Data:

Draft:    20.41 feet (6.22 meters).

Width:   38.45 feet (11.72 meters).

Length:  266.24 feet (82.15 meters).

Displacement: 3,350 tons surfaced and 3,675 tons submerged.

Cargo: Submarine is very cramped, 10 tons (9.07 metric tons) of nonessential equipment and supplies. Each enlisted crew member has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Boat’s officers have a bit more space for personal items although still extremely cramped. Most of the boat’s spaces are taken up by extra torpedoes, weapons, and engines.

Power System:

Original Configuration (Diesel-Electric / Fuel Cell): Hybrid diesel electric and fuel cell.

Converted Submarines (Fusion Powered): Nuclear fusion; average energy life of 20 years. Normally refuels every 15 years.

Black Market Price:

Original Configuration (Diesel-Electric / Fuel Cell): Not for sale; many nations and organizations would pay one hundred million or more credits for a new and undamaged unconverted Tiburón class submarine.

Converted Submarines (Fusion Powered): Not for sale; many nations and organizations would pay hundreds of millions of credits for a new and undamaged fusion converted Tiburón class submarine.


Weapon Systems:

  1. Six (6) 533 mm Heavy Torpedo Tubes: On the sides of the submarine are six torpedo tubes with three on each side. Tubes are 21 inches (533 mm) wide and torpedoes can be used against both surface ships and submarines. For warheads, heavy torpedoes should be treated as having long range missile warheads. Along with standard torpedoes, the launcher can also fire missiles (long range or cruise missiles) in special canisters and rocket boosted ASW torpedoes. Submarine normally carries twenty-four reloads for torpedoes (in addition to six torpedoes in the tubes) and can carry up to forty-eight mines in place of torpedoes.

    Maximum Effective Range: 40 miles (34.8 nautical miles / 64 km) for torpedoes.

    Mega-Damage: By heavy torpedo warhead type (See revised Rifts torpedoes for details), can fire missiles (long range or cruise missiles) in special canisters as well (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)

    Rate of Fire: Can fire heavy torpedoes one at a time or in volleys of two (2), three (3), four (4), or six (6) torpedoes. Reloading takes one full melee round.

    Payload: Six (6) heavy torpedoes total [Has twenty-four (24) additional heavy torpedoes for reloads.]

  2. Four (4) Advanced Decoy Drones: The submarine carries four advance decoys drones. They are a small automated vehicles that creates a false sonar image designed to mimic the submarine’s sonar signature. It has a small propulsion system that can simulate movement [has a maximum speed of 23.0 mph (20 knots / 37.0 kph)] and maneuvers. In addition to be able to be used to decoy torpedoes, they can sometimes be used to trick another vessel while the submarine moves into position. If decoys are not destroyed, they can usually be recovered and repaired if they can be retrieved. Rifts Earth decoys systems are assumed to not be effective against Phase World / Three Galaxies guidance and targeting systems due to technological differences.

    M.D.C.: 20.

    Range: Not applicable. Decoys do however have a duration of 30 minutes (120 melee rounds) once launched.

    Effects: The decoy has an 80% chance of fooling ordinary non military sonars and non smart guided torpedoes, the decoy has a 50% chance of fooling military level sonars (like those of the Coalition) and non “smart” torpedoes, and the decoy has a 25% chance of fooling advanced military sonars (Like those of the New Navy and Triax) and “smart” torpedoes.

    Rate of Fire: Boat can launch one decoy drone per melee round.

    Payload: Four (4) decoy drones.

  3. Noisemakers: The submarine carries noisemakers in order to decoy torpedoes. They are most effective against normal torpedoes and less effective against “smart” torpedoes. Considered in many ways to be the last line of defense against incoming torpedoes and similar systems are carried on most submarines. The noisemakers are launched from the middle of the submarine.

    Effects: 50% of decoying normal torpedoes and 20% of decoying “smart” torpedoes.

    Rate of Fire: Two (2) noisemakers at a time (Can be reloaded in one melee round).

    Payload: Twenty (20) noisemakers.

Special Systems:

The submarine has all systems standard on a robot vehicle plus the following special features:


[ Altarain TM, Bandito Arms TM, Brodkil TM, Chipwell Armaments TM, Coalition States TM, Cyber-Knight TM, Federation of Magic TM, Free Quebec TM, Golden Age Weaponsmiths TM, Horune TM, Iron Heart Armaments TM, Kankoran TM, Kittani TM, Kydian TM, Larsen’s Brigade TM, M.D.C. TM, Mechanoids TM, Mega-Damage TM, Megaversal Legion TM, Millennium Tree TM, Mutants in Orbit TM, Naruni Enterprises TM, Naut’Yll, New Navy TM, New Sovietskiy TM, NGR TM, Nog Heng TM, Northern Gun TM, Phase World TM, Psyscape TM, Rifter TM, SAMAS TM, S.D.C. TM, Shemarrian TM, Splugorth TM, Stormspire TM, Sunaj TM, Tolkeen TM, Triax TM, Wellington Industries TM, Wilk’s Laser Technologies TM, Xiticix TM, and Zaayr TM are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]

[ Beyond the Supernatural®, Heroes Unlimited®, Nightbane®, Ninjas & Superspies®, Palladium Fantasy®, and Rifts® are registered trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]


Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2019, Kitsune. All rights reserved.


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