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Ships, Units, & Squadrons

• UNS Aerie
• UNS Eagle
• Special Science Forces
• Marine Detachment
• DIRE Wolves
• Heartbreakers
• Phantoms
• Silverhawks
• Related Organizations

Mecha Readouts

• VF-17 Nightmare
• VF-19 Excalibut
• VF-11G Thunderbolt
• VF-11F MAXL-4
• Approved FAST Packs
• Missile Types
• Cyclops III

Technical Information

• Aerie Statistics
• Eagle Statistics
• Capital Ship Deckplans
• Standard Equipment
• Standard Weaponry
• M-155 APC and AEV
• CS-4 Appaloosa
• C-420 Goliath Transport

With the removal of the internal mechanics necessary for a transformation process, the UNS Aerie instead houses scientific facilities that rival and perhaps even surpass those found on board an Einstein Class science vessel.  Including a fully staffed hospital, biological and chemical research complexes, fission and fusion dynamics labs, Spiritia research and development establishments, and a wide range of other laboratories, the UNS Aerie has a scientific crew of over 5000 researchers and technicians, not including the personnel directly attached to the Special Science Forces.  Also included on-board are fully functioning mecha fabrication factories, and a top-level staff of mecha engineers, researchers, and designers.

The UNS Aerie also incorporates the most advanced hyper-space Fold drive ever designed.  Able to cross a light-year in just under four minutes (The norm is a six-minute light-year), she is the fastest ship in the UN Spacy fleet.  She is also able to extend the Fold envelop out several kilometers without noticeably effecting the ship's ability to Fold space.  This feature allows any smaller support ships escorting the Aerie to cross the interstellar distances at the same accelerated rate.

To help the crew be comfortable during the extended length of their mission, a small city-like area of the ship, called the "Promenade," was built and manned by the UN Spacy Services division.  This area allows the crew to experience the variety and flavor of civilian existence during their off-duty hours.

Ship Statistics:

INFORMATION:

Class: Far Explorer Class

Ship Type: Long Range Expeditionary Survey Force Command Carrier

Manufacturer: UN Spacy Corps of Engineers / Shangri-La Colony Shipyards

Statistics:

• Length: 5420 ft

• Width: 1475 ft

• Height: 1128 ft

• Unloaded Mass:  3,125,000 tons

• Standard Mass: 3,850,000 tons

Crew:

• 2,520 total

• 74 command crew

• 642 science/medical crew

• 36 active fighter pilots (48 in reserve)

• 120 shuttle crewmen

• 194 soldiers (MARDET)

Notable Ships of Class:

• CVS-01 Far-Explorer (construction never completed)

• CVS-02 Aerie

MEGA-DAMAGE CAPACITY:

• Main Body -- 40,000

• Command Tower -- 8,000

• (2) Foredecks -- 12,000

• (2) Flight-decks -- 8,000

• (2) Main Engines -- 16,000

• (4) Secondary Engines -- 2,500

• (36) Guidance Thrusters -- 200

• (1) Macross-Cannon Module -- 14,000

• (6) Heavy Missile Launchers -- 400

• (12) Medium Missile Launchers -- 200

• (24) Retractable Laser Turrets -- 300

• (100) Small Airlocks / Access Hatches -- 250

• (20) Large Airlocks -- 500

• Armored Hull (10 sq meters) -- 140

• Interior Hull (10 sq meters) -- 80

• Interior Bulkheads (10 sq meters) -- 20

• (6) Pin Point Barriers -- 5000 (regenerate 2500 every )

PERFORMANCE:

• Main Sub-light Drives:  0.20c (32,000 miles per second)

• Auxiliary Drives:  Mach 3

• Hyperspace Fold Drives:  1 light year for every 4 minutes

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

Macross Cannon Main-Gun Module: The most powerful weapon on the Far-Explorer Class Survey Carrier is the Macross Cannon, which is basically the same heavy particle beam cannon used by the original SDF-01 Macross in the war against the Zentraedi. The cannon can fire a beam up to 120,000 miles (192,000 km) long and 2 miles (3.2 km) wide that essentially destroys EVERYTHING in its path. The disadvantage of the weapon is the tremendous power it consumes.  The cannon takes a full 5 MINUTES  to recharge between shots.

• Primary Purpose: Heavy Assault

• Secondary Purpose: Anti-Warship

• Range: 60,000 feet (96,000 m) in an atmosphere. Double in space.

• Damage: Destroys EVERYTHING in its path, regardless of MDC and movement. The only way to avoid obliteration is to avoid being in the path of the beam! If used against a planet, the beam causes 3D6x1,000,000 MD, leaving only a radioactive crater 2D6x10 miles long and 3D6x100 feet deep. The resulting shockwave will also cause substantial damage to surrounding terrain for an additional 1D6x10 miles from the edge of the crater.

• Rate of Fire: Once per 5 minutes

• Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

Heavy Missile Launchers (6): Far-Explorer Survey Carriers are not designed for heavy starship-to-starship combat. However if necessary the carriers are armed with six missile launcher tubes for launching ICBM-like missiles at enemy ships. Resembling torpedo launchers, they are mounted on the front of the ship facing forward. The launchers contain long-range nuclear missiles and are usually used only during assaults and heavy combat.

• Primary Purpose: Anti-Warship

• Secondary Purpose: Assault

• Range: 3000 miles (4824 km)

• Speed: Mach 2+ (1340 mph/2140 kmph) in an atmosphere.

• Damage: 4D6x1000 M.D.

• Blast Radius: 3000 feet (915 m)

• Rate of Fire: Each launcher tube holds one missile and must be reloaded after firing. Reloading a launcher tube takes 1 minute (4 melee rounds). If loaded, all 6 tubes can fire at once for a volley of 6 nuclear missiles (!).

• Payload: A Survey Carrier carries 30 missiles in storage that can be readied for firing in about 30 minutes. Additional missiles can be carried if deemed necessary, however.

Defensive Missile Launchers (12): In addition to the heavy missile launchers, the Survey Carrier is armed with twelve medium missile launchers which are primarily intended for anti-aircraft defense. Each launcher contains 8 missile tubes allowing volleys of up to 8 missiles to be fired at a single target per launcher. Once depleted, the missile launchers are reloaded by an automated loading system that takes 15 seconds (one melee round) to reload all 8 missiles. Armor-piercing smart missiles are usually used to avoid chances of friendly fighters being shot down by the missiles.

• Primary Purpose: Anti-Aircraft

• Secondary Purpose: Anti-Warship

• Missile Types: Any type of UN Spacy long-range or medium-range missile can be used. Smart missiles are commonly used to avoid hitting friendly aircraft.

• Range: Varies, typically 60 miles (80.4 km).

• Damage: Varies, typically 2D4x10 M.D.

• Rate of Fire: Volleys of 2, 4, 6, or 8 missiles per launcher.

• Payload: Each launcher holds 8 missiles. Once the missiles are expended the launcher is reloaded within 1 round via an automated system. The reload system holds 40 missiles per launcher.

Retractable Laser Turrets (24): As a final line of defense the Survey Carrier is armed with twenty-four laser turrets that retract into the ship's hull when not in use. These short-range lasers are intended primarily for anti-aircraft defense, but can do moderate damage against smaller enemy spacecraft if they get close enough. The lasers are located at key points along the spacecraft's hull. At most 4 lasers can be directed against a single target at any time.

• Primary Purpose: Anti-Aircraft

• Secondary Purpose: Assault

• Range: 30 miles (48.2 km) in an atmosphere. Double in space.

• Damage: 1D6x20 M.D. per shot

• Rate of Fire: Equal to the controller's number of hand-to-hand attacks

• Payload: Unlimited.

SYSTEMS OF NOTE:

• Anti-Gravity Systems:  Far-Explorer Survey Carriers are equipped with an anti-gravity propulsion system used for planetary landings and liftoffs. The system is good for vertical ascent/descent only and can lift the ship at speeds of up to 1,320 feet (400 m) per minute. The system will function so long as the main engines can supply energy to it.

• Hyperspce Communications Array: Based on the same technology as the space fold system, the hyperspace communications relay allows faster-than-light communication between the Far-Explorer ships and other vessels or planetary bases. Hyperspace communications are still not instantaneous, however. Audio/video communication travels through hyperspace at a rate of about 5 seconds per light year, so messages communicated over vast distances can still take days, weeks, or months to arrive.

• Life Support Systems: The Survey Carriers have sufficient life support to provide breathable air and comfortable temperatures for 3,000 people for up to 30 years (air is recycled). In an emergency the life support system can support up to 5,500 people at one time, though living conditions onboard will get extremely cramped at that point. The carrier also contains Hydroponics Farms and water recycling plants to support a crew of 3,000 for up to five years..

• Long Range Radio/Laser Communications Array: The impressive communications tower of the Survey Carrier can communicate with up to 1,000 craft simultaneously at ranges of up to 900 miles (1,440 km). This range can be boosted indefinitely by using satellites or other spacecraft as to relay communications.

• Long-Range Radar: The radar array of the Survey Carrier is equally as impressive as the communication system, and can track and identify up to 2,000 craft simultaneously. The radar system has a 2,000 mile/3,200 km range.

• Hyperspace Fold Drives: For FTL propulsion, the Survey Carrier is equipped with a revolutionary Shangri-La Laboratories Advanced Fold System Cluster, capable of propelling the carrier through hyperspace at speeds up to 1 light year per 4 minutes. The range of the fold drive is theoretically unlimited except by the life expectancy of the spacecraft.

• Sublight Engines: As a backup to the Fold System, the Survey Carrier is equipped with ORTEC/Centinel Impulse Drive Cluster engines that can propel the craft at speeds up to 0.20 speed of light (32,000 miles per second) in space. Note that these engines are mainly intended for rapid movement inside a planetary system and are not suited for long voyages between star systems. In a planetary atmosphere the carrier is limited to speeds of Mach 3 maximum due to hull stress.

• Mass Detection System: The Far-Explorer Survey Carriers are equipped with subspace sensors, which are based on the same principles as the hyperspace communications array. These sensors can essentially instantly detect mass readings and movement of objects up to 1 AU (93 million miles) distant from the carrier, and the readings are used both for early warning and for navigation when traveling at sublight speeds. Readings taken with the subspace sensors are not very detailed (-25% penalty when trying to identify a detected object) and cannot detect objects of less than 60,000 kg (this includes most variable fighters).

STANDARD MECHA COMPLEMENT:

• (4) VF-22 Sturmvogels (held in reserve)

• (12) VF-19 Excaliburs

• (12) VF-17 Nightmares

• (12) VF-11G Thunderbolts

• (24) CS-4 Appaloosa Shuttles

• (6) C-420 Goliath Heavy Transports

• (48) M-155 Armored Personnel Carriers

• (12) Cyclops Mk-3 Powered Armor

Note: The Far-Explorer Class Survey Carrier has large enough hanger bays to hold up to 200 additional fighters in reserve.  These additional mecha are not used in active service except when absolutely neccessary.