Kilrathi Snakeir class Fleet Carrier (Wing Commander):
The Snakeir class fleet carriers in various forms served the Kilrathi Navy for a long period of time and were not replaced in front line service until the Battle of Earth. Later versions were slightly larger and were better armored and shielded. Whiel the ships are based on the same design, the later versions look quite a bit different. The Snakeirs class carrier could be considered the standard Kilrathi fleet carrier and were produced in larger numbers than any other carrier class. Even though most have been retired after the battle of Earth, many are still serving in second line duties. Three generations of Kilrathi fighters have served on the Snakeir class of fleet carriers. These carriers often act as flagships for massive Kilrathi fleets.
The original Snakeir class warship served as the Kilrathi Navy's primary fleet carrier during the Twenty-Six Fifties. While the Kilrathi carrier is only around half the tonnage of Confederation fleet carriers, the Snakeir class was able to carry around the same amount of fighters and bombers as the Confederation Bengal class fleet carrier. Around eighty fighters can be embarked onboard. Part of this comes from the fact that the Bengal class is heavier armed but the Snakeirs class are also much lighter armored and shielded than the Bengal class. As such the carriers are more vulnerable to being crippled than Confederation fleet carriers. As well, the fighter handling facilities are more limited than on Confederation carriers and turn around time of strikes is slower than on Confederation carriers. As well, the carriers are less able to perform extensive repairs on fighters. Due to the years of deployment of these carriers, Confederation Intelligence has determined that the carriers propulsion systems have been worn out. It is believed that the propulsion systems are cruder than those on Confederation carriers although acceleration is slightly greater than that of the Confederation Bengal class. It is believed that the Kilrathi had retired all original Snakeir class carriers before the Battle of Earth and put them in second line service. It is believed that all older Snakeir class carriers were put out of service when the later Snakeir II class carriers were put in second line service.
The improved version of the original Snakeir class fleet carrier is often called the Snakeir II class. It is believed that the first of the class was introduced in the early Twenty-Six Sixties and the served as the Kilrathi's standard fleet carrier from the time of their introduction until after the Battle of Earth. The carriers are slightly larger and carry a larger number of fighters, around 100 embarked craft vs 80 for the original version. The improved version still have the weakness of comparatively light armor and light shielding from the original version. While propulsion systems are improved compared to the original Snakeir class carrier, their long service has caused extensive maintenance problems. As well, a large number of the fleet carriers which survived until after Battle of Earth have been destroyed/cripple in recent battles. The new Bhantkara class carriers has all but replaced them on the front line and all remaining Snakeir II carriers have been delegated to backwater sectors, where they have been very successful in dealing with Confederation escort carrier raiding groups. Snakeir II fleet carriers are normally considered to be contemporary rivals of the Confederation Jutland class carriers.
Notes of game conversion:
Because of the nature of the Video Game / Novel series “Wing Commander” and the needs to put the starship into game mechanics, the starship has several modification compared to the Video Game and Novels. The most important change it to change top speed to acceleration. Like fighters in Star Wars and original Battlestar Galactica, the fighters appear to act as if they are in the atmosphere even when they operating in space. This is incorrect. The Television series Babylon 5 and the new Battlestar Galactic are good series to watch to get a clearer idea on how space vehicles would probably maneuver although still not a perfect perspective. The starship has been modified to uses my revised phase world starship rules and can hold their own against most C.A.F and Kreeghor starships.See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World / Three Galaxies for more details.
| Model Type: | Snakeir | Original Version |
| Snakeir II | Improved Version |
| Crew: | Snakeir | 820 (64 officers and 756 enlisted) |
| Snakeir II | 880 (72 officers and 808 Enlisted) | |
| Troops: | Snakeir | 120 fighter pilots. Has flag facilities for up to 80 additional personnel |
| Snakeir II | 160 fighter pilots. Has flag facilities for up to 80 additional personnel |
Vehicles:
| Snakeir | Snakeir II |
| 36 | 36 | Light Starfighters (Salthi / Sartha Light Fighters) | |
| 24 | 24 | Medium Starfighters (Dralthi, Dralthi II, Krant, Drakhri Medium Fighters) | |
| 16 | 24 | Heavy Starfighters (Jalthi / Gratha / Jalkehi Heavy Fighters) | |
| 0 | 12 | Heavy Bombers (Grikath Heavy Fighter / Bomber) |
| 4 | 8 | General Purpose Shuttles |
| M.D.C. By Location: | Snakeir: | Snakeir II: |
| Triple Heavy Neutron Cannon Turret: | 800 | None | |
| Anti-Matter Guns (1): | None | 2,000 | |
| Heavy Laser Cannon Turrets (10 or 6): | 300 each | 300 each | |
| Light Point Defense Laser Cannon mounts (6): | 100 each | None | |
| Light Point Defense Mass Drivers (9): | None | 120 each | |
| Hanger Bays (2): | 1,500 each | 2,000 each | |
| [1] Main Bridge: | 6,000 | 7,500 | |
| [1] Auxiliary Bridge: | 6,000 | 7,500 | |
| [2] Engineering section: | 12,000 | 14,000 | |
| Main Engines (2): | 6,000 each | 7,000 each | |
| [3] Main Body: | 24,000 | 34,000 | |
| [4] Variable Force Field: | 2,000 side (12,000 Total) | 2,000 side (12,000 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 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 engineering section means that ship FTL propulsion
systems are destroyed and maximum sublight acceleration is reduced to ten
percent of normal (using navigational thrusters).
[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% (600 M.D.C.) per melee.
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 0.35 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: The fleet carrier cannot operate within
an atmosphere. If the ship enters an atmosphere, it will crash.
Stardrive: The fleet carrier mounts a jump drive which is capable
of jumping instantly from a fixed point in a system to another fixed point
in a system. These points are weaknesses in the fabric of space and have
been mapped in most cases. Fuel is hydrogen which the escort carrier scoops
from space to fuel the jump engine.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either drive system.
The carrier has about four years worth of supplies on board.
Statistical Data:
Length: Snakeir: 2,132.5 feet (650 meters), Snakeir
II: 2,345.8 feet (715 meters)
Height: Snakeir: 597.1 feet (182.0 meters), Snakeir
II: 618.4 feet (188.5 meters)
Width: Snakeir: 813.6 feet (248 meters), Snakeir II:
774.3 feet (236 meters)
Weight: Snakeir: 33,100 Tons (30,000 metric tons) fully
loaded, Snakeir II: 55,100 Tons (50,000 metric tons) fully loaded
Power System: Fusion with a 20 year life span. The ship normally
only goes 5 years between refueling.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows
for carrying up to 3,000 tons of cargo (5,000 tons in Snakeir II) in addition
to standard compliment of supplies and ammunition. Each enlisted crew member
has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Ships officers have
more space for personal items. Most of the ships spaces are take up by
extra ammunition, armor, troops, weapons, engine, and other equipment.
Market Cost: The Original Snakeir class carrier costs around
20.5 billion credits to manufacture not including fighter compliment and
later version cost around 26 billion credits not including fighter compliment.
Fighter compliment cost approximately 2.6 billion credits.
WEAPON SYSTEMS:
- Snakier class Carrier:
- Triple Heavy Neutron Cannon Turret: This is a heavy mount
which is larger than the standard mount carried on fighters and are longer
ranged. On later generation vessels, such as the Confederation Gilgamesh
class destroyers, these are replaced by anti-matter guns. The weapons are
mounted near the nose of the destroyer and are the main anti-capital ship
weapon of the vessel. They are shorter ranged than the anti-matter guns
on later vessels but are longer ranged than standard neutron cannons. Weapons
system has half the normal penalties to hit fighters and small targets
as standard heavy anti-ship mounts.
Maximum Effective Range: 6,213.7 miles (10,000 km) in space. and 31.07 miles (50 km) in an atmosphere.
Mega Damage: 3D6x10+40 per cannon, 6D6x10+40 for two cannons, and 1D6x100+100 for all three cannons
Rate of Fire: Equal to gunners hand to hand (Usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Effectively Unlimited. - Ten (10) Heavy Point Defense Lasers in Dual Mounts: Six total
on top, bottom, port, and starboard sides. All can fire forward and aft.
Each Turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. Individually more
powerful than the lasers mounted on fighters and have a longer range. Compared
to point defense weaponry carried on most starships within the Three Galaxies,
the weapon mounts have a longer range.
Maximum Effective Range: 4,971 miles (8,000 km) in space and 24.85 miles (40 km) in an atmosphere.
Mega-Damage: 4D6x10 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Effectively Unlimited. - Six (6) Light Point Defense Lasers in Single Mounts: Ten
total on top, bottom, port, and starboard sides. All can fire forward and
aft. Each Turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. Weapon is equal
to standard fighter laser mounts. Compared to most point defense weaponry
carried on most starships within the Three Galaxies, the weapon mounts
have a longer range.
Maximum Effective Range: 3,106.8 miles (5,000 km) in space and 15.5 miles (25 km) in an atmosphere.
Mega-Damage: 1D6x10 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
- Triple Heavy Neutron Cannon Turret: This is a heavy mount
which is larger than the standard mount carried on fighters and are longer
ranged. On later generation vessels, such as the Confederation Gilgamesh
class destroyers, these are replaced by anti-matter guns. The weapons are
mounted near the nose of the destroyer and are the main anti-capital ship
weapon of the vessel. They are shorter ranged than the anti-matter guns
on later vessels but are longer ranged than standard neutron cannons. Weapons
system has half the normal penalties to hit fighters and small targets
as standard heavy anti-ship mounts.
- Snakier II class Carrier:
- One (1) Anti-Matter Cannon Mount: Weapon is mounted on the
front of the ship and is the main anti-ship weaponry of the carrier. Weapons
can angle up to forty degrees to the sides and above and bellow the ship.
The anti-matter cannons are extremely powerful and inflict heavy damage
to other capital ships. The weapon is not designed to target fighters and
has standard penalties against fighters and other small targets.
Maximum Effective Range: 8699.2 miles (14,000 km) in space and 43.5 miles (70 km) in an atmosphere.
Mega-Damage: 2D6x100 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Four per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited - Six (6) Heavy Point Defense Lasers in Dual Mounts: Six total
on top, bottom, port, and starboard side. All can fire forward and aft.
Each Turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. Individually more
powerful than the lasers mounted on fighters and have a longer range. Compared
to point defense weaponry carried on most starships within the Three Galaxies,
the weapon mounts have a longer range.
Maximum Effective Range: 4,971 miles (8,000 km) in space and 24.85 miles (40 km) in an atmosphere.
Mega-Damage: 4D6x10 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Effectively Unlimited. - Nine (9) Light Point Defense mass Driver in Single Mounts:
Nine total on top, bottom, port, and starboard side. All can fire forward
and aft. Each Turret can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. Weapon is
equal to standard fighter mass driver mounts except has a higher payload.
Compared to most point defense weaponry carried on most starships within
the Three Galaxies, the weapon mounts have a longer range.
Maximum Effective Range: 1,242.7 miles (2000 km) in space and 6.21 miles (10 km) in an atmosphere.
Mega Damage: 2D6x10 per 20 round burst.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: 20,000 Rounds (1000 Bursts) per cannon.
- One (1) Anti-Matter Cannon Mount: Weapon is mounted on the
front of the ship and is the main anti-ship weaponry of the carrier. Weapons
can angle up to forty degrees to the sides and above and bellow the ship.
The anti-matter cannons are extremely powerful and inflict heavy damage
to other capital ships. The weapon is not designed to target fighters and
has standard penalties against fighters and other small targets.
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CGI / Artwork of starship created by Klav / Adam Burch. Picture taken from Wing Commander CIC.
Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).
Rifts Conversion Copyright © 2004, 2006, & 2013, Kitsune. All rights reserved.