Ascalon class Battleship
In class: 3
In service: Late 2786
Mass: 1,280,000 tons
Sail Integrity: 6
Thrust: 3/5
Fuel: 5,000 tons
Structural Integrity: 120
Armor: 3,072 ton, Lamellor Ferro-Carbide (All locations: 524)
Docking Collars: 6
Fighters: 40
Small Craft: 8
Crew: 410 minimum (71 Officers, 339 Enlisted)
Marines: 189 (Battalion of Jump
Infantry)
Lifeboats: 60
Escape Pods: 60
Grav Decks: 2 90 meter
Cargo: 45,874 tons
Bay 1: Fighters (40) / Small Craft (8) 8 doors
Bay 2: Marines (9 platoons) 2 doors
Bay 3: Cargo (45,874 tons) 5 doors
Other Equipment
Lithium Fusion Battery
Weapons: (Heat Sinks: 5,550 [11,100])
Forward
4 Heavy NPPCs
3 AR-10 Missile Launchers
8 Gauss
Cannons
5 LRM
20s w/ Artemis IV FCS
5 ER
Large Lasers
8 Ultra Autocannon 5s
Fore Left/Fore Right
3 Naval Autocannon 40s
4 Heavy NPPCs
3 AR-10 Missile Launchers
8 Gauss
Cannons
5 LRM
20s w/ Artemis IV FCS
5 ER
Large Lasers
8 Ultra Autocannon 5s
Left Broadside/Right Broadside
3 Naval Autocannon 40s
4 Heavy NPPCs
3 AR-10 Missile Launchers
8 Gauss
Cannons
5 LRM
20s w/ Artemis IV FCS
5 ER
Large Lasers
8 Ultra
Autocannon 5s
Aft
Left/Aft Right
3 Naval Autocannon 40s
4 Heavy NPPCs
3 AR-10 Missile Launchers
8 Gauss
Cannons
5 LRM
20s w/ Artemis IV FCS
5 ER
Large Lasers
8 Ultra
Autocannon 5s
Aft
4 Heavy NPPCs
3 AR-10 Missile Launchers
8 Gauss
Cannons
5 LRM
20s w/ Artemis IV FCS
5 ER
Large Lasers
8 Ultra Autocannon 5s
Ammo:
720
Naval Autocannon rounds
160 Killer Whale Missiles
160 White Shark Missiles
160 Barracuda Missiles
1536 rounds of Gauss Cannon ammo
720 rounds of LRM 20 ammo
320 rounds of Ultra Autocannon ammo
Overview:
During
the final days of the Star League the AFFC High Command faced the terrifying
prospect of a two front war with the Draconis Combine and the Capellan
Confederation. Although the Admirals of the Navy felt confident in their ship’s
abilities to perform effectively against any threat vessel they wanted an
insurance policy of sorts. Both of these nations fielded larger more modern Battleships
than the Federated Suns venerable Iron Duke class. Numbers on the Kurita Hie
class Battleships differed wildly with some Davion naval analysts insisting
that the Combine may have nearly 70 vessels.
The House Liao was equally as
devious with its quick fleet led by the Sun Tzu class Battleship. Word came in
late 2781 that the Capellan Confederation was developing a new Battleship named
the Dragon that used advanced Star League technology. To meet these threats in
an ever increasing hostile environment Prince Davion authorized the creation of
a new Battleship. The class was dubbed the Ascalon after St. George’s legendary magical
dragon slaying sword.
Capabilities:
The
Dragonslayers were assembled using the most advanced Star League technology that
was not quite fully understood by many Davion techs. Although the ships were
constructed at the Star League built James McKenna Shipyards in the Kathil star
system many techs who worked there had packed up and left with General
Kerensky. Even though these Star League techs were replaced by Davion’s best
and brightest there were still gaps in the facility’s advanced technical
knowledge. In addition the sheer complexity of the Ascalon’s led to many design
errors.
The new Battleship featured one of the heaviest armaments
centered on eighteen massive Naval Autocannon 40s. Designers did consider using
Heavy Naval Gausses but decided to go with the Naval Autocannons that Davion
sailors favored. Thirty two Heavy Naval Particle Projection Cannons and twenty
four AR-10 Missile Launchers rounded out the vessel’s capital arsenal. This was
not the only weaponry included in the Ascalon design, however, as a large array
of standard weapons were also added. Sixty four Gauss Cannons, forty Long Range
Missiles with Artemis IV FCS, forty Extended Range Large Lasers, and sixty four
Ultra Autocannon 5s.
The vessel’s advanced armament was supplemented by the
new Lamellor Ferro Carbide armor for good protection. Double heat sinks handled
the entire warship’s heat dissipation needs. For support purposes six docking
collars, two wings of aerospace fighters, and eight small craft were included.
A battalion of Marines were stationed on board for security. By far the Ascalon’s
biggest technical marvel was the Lithium Fusion Battery that allowed the ship
to store enough energy for an extra jump. The LF battery also proved the source
of many technical problems.
Deployment:
The FSS Ascalon
was launched just after Minoru Kurita’s declaration of ruler ship over the
InnerSphere. It was deployed to the Capellan March were it was to spearhead the
Davion offensive against the Capellan Confederation. During the opening phases
of the 1st Succession War the Ascalon performed so well that the
High Command left it as the only major warship along the Capellan border. For
five years it was instrumental in garrisoning the border against Liao heavy
Hunter Killer Squads. In April 2791 using the new CCS Tiger (a Dragon class
Battleship) as bait the Ascalon was trapped by two Liao heavy naval squadrons
at Alcyone. Despite destroying four Capellan warships (including a Sun Tzu
class Battleship) the Ascalon was destroyed by the Liao fleet with the help of
nuclear weapons.
The
FSS Golden Lion was commissioned in early 2789 and was immediately deployed to
New Avalon to protect the Federated Suns from a looming Kurita invasion. When
Prince John Davion ordered his second counteroffensive against the Draconis
Combine a year latter the mighty warship became the taskforces’ flagship. Led
by Admiral Kenneth Jones aboard the Golden Lion the taskforce hit ten Kurita
occupied systems inflicting heavy causalities. The taskforce even managed to
resupply the Davion resistance groups on some Kurita occupied worlds. Heading
for home the taskforce jumped into Cholame to rest and recharge before leaving
Kurita held space. The system was not unguarded as Admiral Jones had thought
and the taskforce was immediately attacked. In the ensuing conflict the Golden
Lion darted back and forth between the system’s jump points hoping to allow
some of the Davion troops an opportunity to withdraw. The ship was eventually
overwhelmed and destroyed along with 100 other Davion warships. The House
Kurita paid a heavy price however losing an equal number of ships while
destroying the AFFS taskforce.
The FSS Excalibur was the final Ascalon class warship
built by the Federated Suns launched in late 2791. Already dismayed at the
war’s losses the ship became the focus of the nation. The Excalibur would
finally lead the AFFS to victory over the Dragon and eventually usher in a new
era of peace. To blunt the Draconis drive towards the capital the vessel was
dispatched towards to New Avalon to take up station. To the dismay of the
Federated Suns populace the warship disappeared in mid journey. Despite an extensive
search no trace of the ship was ever uncovered. Two years latter the AFFS
officially declared that the Excalibur was lost in an apparent misjump due most
likely to continuing problems from the vessel’s LF Battery. Several expeditions
and countless lostech prospectors have attempted to locate the vessel with no
success. A small group mainly from the New Avalon Catholic Church still
believes to this day that the ship will return during the Federation’s time of
greatest need. They await the time when this Davion King Arthur will emerge to
wield the Excalibur and establish a new Golden Age.