This is the favorite among my own run of ships from a 2300 campaign I ran years ago. The Laredos, (as my campaign has them) are a class of “utility ships” built by the Texans as they launched their colonial efforts in the 2250’s and 60’s, and now into advanced age for military ships. The Texan needs on the Far End of the Chinese Arm ruled out something so light as a typical frigate, with its short range. Cost clearly ruled out a big cruiser.
The Laredo is a generalist ship, capable of filling many roles. She can fight, or act in a support or even tranport role or take on other functions with a little bit of temporary refit. Key to her success is the “gun module” concept. The ship’s weapons are independently powered, so they don’t take power from the drive. This also means that the Laredo can be heavily outfitted in wartime. With a gun module massing 25 tons and costing .507 MLv, putting a score aboard a Laredo in wartime is not out of the question. Her weakness is her few TTA’s. The ship could therefore be overwhelmed by a modern missile carrier’s attack. However, the Laredo was not designed with them in mind. The Texans have fought few if any space battles, and in the lonely stretches of the Chinese Arm, the Laredos can take care of themselves.
In their early years, the Laredos were very fast ships, able to outrun what they could not outfight. In 2300, they have lost some of that edge. The Laredos are still useful and serviceable ships, but are a little long in the tooth. The Texans would be looking for an eventual replacement class, and seeking buyers for the Laredo ships. Ideal buyers would be other powers on the Chinese arm that need the range provided by a nuclear powered ship, like Canada, Brazil, the Incas, etc. The ships went through several refits during their lifespan, upgrading equipment and hull cladding, but not major engineering systems.
The Ships:
Laredo, built 2254, sold to the Incas in 2290 and renamed
K’yuchi
Brownsville, built 2256, scrapped after engine meltdown in 2281
El Paso
built 2258, refitting pending assignment as “station ship” at Kormorant.
Ft. Worth originally built as a “one-off”
predecessor to the Laredo class in 2250.
Completely rebuilt to Laredo standard in 2260.
Wichita Falls built 2262, now in French arm
supporting Texan ground forces
Lubbock built in 2264, now assigned to
Heidelschemat
Corpus Christ built in 2266, lost in French
Arm 2301
Beaumont 2268, now assigned to Austin’s
World
Galveston 2270, at Earth.
The Details:
Crew: 62 + Gunners Work Stations: 30 + Gunnery Stations
Lasers: Variable, typically 8. Each consists of a “Gun module” with 1x1 laser and turret mount, work station, integral 1MW power supply and 5 hours fuel.
Remotes: 3 Remote stations, dedicated space for 8 Ritage 2 missiles carried in missile tubes with individual ports, 1 sensor drone, carried in drone launch tube.
Bridge work stations: Captain, Navigation, Helm, Computer, 3 communications
Engineering: 25 MW OM Fission plant, 25 MW OM warp unit. 10 Engineer workstations
Spare work stations: 2 typically featuring a computer station, these two work stations modular, capable of being replaced rapidly (when the ship is at a proper facility) with whatever type work stations deemed most necessary for the missions ahead.
Medical work stations: 2
Accomodations, 100 at 50m3 each. Can be reconfigured for 200 at 25m3 each. Spin habitat. 10,000 man days of life support.
1800 m3 hangar deck. With 4 workstations for maintenance and operations. These stations are above ‘ship’ requirements, and are meant to provide the Laredo with the means to perform upkeep of attached small craft, visiting vessels, satellites, and allow for redundancy during long voyages.
Navigational Radar, Passive sensor 10. No active sensor. +1 FC, 4 TTA
Advanced composite Hull, Armor 1
3090 M3 Cargo space. (some is usually given over to additional fuel for ships boats, drone, and weapons.) 2nd drone sometimes carried in hold.
Weight, standard (full fuel and weapons complement, no cargo) 3768 tons
Warp efficiency 3.016
Radial Sig 6
Lateral Sig 9
Radiated Signature 5
Comfort 1 or 0
Hull Hits 70
Powerplant Hits 30
Cost, new, with 8 Ritage 2, 1 sensor drone. 68,460,000 Lv.