Balmung class Frigate
In class: 170
In service: 2560
Mass: 750,000
Sail Integrity: 4
Thrust: 3/5
Fuel: 1,000 tons
Structural Integrity: 80
Armor: 1,198 ton, Improved Ferro Aluminum (N: 124, FL/R: 130, AL/R: 130, A:
123)
Docking Collars: 4
Fighters: 18
Small Craft: 10
Crew: 327 minimum (58 Officers, 269 Enlisted)
Marines: 210 (Battalion of
Jump Infantry)
Lifeboats: 30
Escape Pods: 30
Grav Decks: 6, 3 120 meter & 3 80 meter
Cargo: 25,015 tons
Bay 1: Fighters (18) 6 doors
Bay 2: Marines (10 platoons) 4 doors
Bay 3: Small Craft (10) 2 doors / Cargo (25,015 tons) 3 doors
Other Equipment
None
Weapons: (Heat Sinks: 9,400)
Forward
3 Medium NPPCs
6 NL/55s
4 Killer
Whale Missile Launchers
2
Barracuda Missile Launchers
Fore Left/Fore Right
2 NAC 30s
3 Medium
NPPCs
6 NL/55s
4 Killer
Whale Missile Launchers
2
Barracuda Missile Launchers
Left Broadside/Right Broadside
2 NAC 30s
3 Medium
NPPCs
6 NL/55s
4 Killer
Whale Missile Launchers
2
Barracuda Missile Launchers
Aft Left/Aft Right
2 NAC 30s
3 Medium
NPPCs
6 NL/55s
4 Killer
Whale Missile Launchers
2
Barracuda Missile Launchers
Aft
3 Medium NPPCs
6 NL/55s
4 Killer
Whale Missile Launchers
2
Barracuda Missile Launchers
Ammo:
1200
rounds of Naval Autocannon ammunition
320
Killer Whale Missiles
160
Barracuda Missiles
Overview:
During the final phases of the
Age of War the Commonwealth’s venerable Victory class Frigate was clearly
outmatched by other threat vessels from enemy nations. A board of mostly “old
school” Lyran Admirals determined that the Victory’s age and outdated mission
profile (Independent Patrol Ship) were to blame. They favored a new larger vessel
with massive firepower (a dedicated Warship killer) that would serve as a fleet
sentry (attached to a specific fleet rather than a solo patrol route). The need
for such a vessel was apparent during the massive naval battles during the Age
of War. However, this new design would quickly encounter problems during the
Reunification War with the smaller scale Periphery tactics and pirate attacks during
the Star League era. Although the Lyran Navy commissioned this new design budgetary
constraints delayed the vessels construction. The signing of the Tharkan
Accords and the creation of the Star League changed all that. The funding for
the newly christened Balmung (named for the powerful magic sword of Siegfried in Teutonic mythology)
class Frigate updated with latest Terran
innovations was rapidly approved by the Estates General.
Capabilities:
This Lyran Heavy Frigate was a
very good warship capable of challenging any other large combat vessel of the
time. This was mainly due to the Balmung’s impressive armament which was
composed of twelve Naval Autocannon 30s, twenty four Medium Naval Particle
Projection Cannons, forty eight Naval Laser 55s, thirty two Killer Whale
Missile Launchers, and sixteen Barracuda Missile Launchers. Since it was a
warship killer the vessel’s weapons payload was arrayed in its broadsides.
Forty eight capital missiles and an integral aerospace wing were included to defend
against massed fighter assaults. Superior armor protection was provided by
Improved Ferro Aluminum warship armor used once before on the Valkyrie class
Destroyer. A full battalion of Marines were included for boarding actions and
to a lesser extent vessel security. Four docking collars were more than enough
to carry sufficient supporting elements into battle. In addition the Balmung
was fast, (well for a Lyran ship anyway) capable of attaining a maximum speed
of 2.5 Gs. Despite these advantages the Balmung class did have its drawbacks. The
vessels cargo capacity of only 25,000 tons was woefully inadequate for long
term independent operations. Also the vessel featured relatively small
“Steiner” sized fuel tanks for a frigate.
Deployment:
Ships
of the Balmung class were named for magical weapons (or other items) of legend,
mostly from Teutonic
or Norse mythology. The Lyran Heavy
Frigate was an excellent fleet sentry but proved to be a poor patrol vessel.
During the Star League this fact was concealed mainly by the excellent
performance of the SLDF. It was during this time that the Star League Navy
assumed most of the Lyran patrol assignments (mainly along the Periphery border).
The Balmung’s reliance on other ships in its fleet to help supply support
hindered the Frigate’s operations. Many Star League sailors soon grew to resent
their slow Lyran allies showing up with a massive fleet just after the battle
(usually with pirates) was over. In the face of growing bandit raids along the
Draconis-Periphery border the Lyran Navy chose to reactive the Victory (renamed
the Icarus) class Frigate as a dedicated patrol vessel. The Balmung continued
in its role throughout the 1st Succession War were it was one of the
last large warships to be destroyed. Without the support of a large fleet,
which it was to lookout for, all of these ships were lost due to the attrition
of the post Star League era.
Notable Ships:
It is strange that the two most famous ships, the LCS Hofud & LCS Gjaller, of the
class may never have existed. Yet rumors of the ships, which have spread in
recent years, are inexplicably linked with Project Bifrost. The ships (named
for Heimdall’s sword and horn) were supposedly gifted to the Heimdall organization
by a Lyran Archon (which one differs on the story however) to safeguard the
Commonwealth. Shortly after the Amaris Coup, Archon Robert Steiner II supposedly initiated Project Bifrost
with Heimdall’s assistance. Perhaps motivated by the fall of the Terran
Hegemony and the extinction of the Cameron line the Archon authorized the
construction of Bifrost. A mammoth space station located near the center of the
Lyran nation in void space run by Heimdall was to serve as a secure location in
case of such a disaster should befall the Commonwealth. Rumors of this near
mythical place have spread far similar to the ancient American Area 51. The two warships were
the guardians of this facility. Yet of the one hundred and seventy ships that
were produced by the Commonwealth no record exists of these vessels. However,
eyewitness accounts and evidence from the Draconis Combine seem to indicate
that there maybe some truth in the rumors. During the 1st Succession
War the LCS Hofud was apparently destroyed by a Draconis battlegroup. Although
by this time the House Kurita was familiar with some of these rumors
(conspiracy theories) and the LCAF denied these reports of the Hofud’s
destruction. The Gjaller, which was allegedly equipped with an HPG, apparently
survived and has been linked to many other mysterious incidents (i.e. the LAS
Arthur Steiner-Davion). Some still believe that Bifrost serves as Heimdall’s
main base of operations.