HAFS Chevalier class Escort Cruiser:
The Human Alliance Navy was originally a hodgepodge of different vessel with different capabilities. Their combat abilities were simply too different to operate together. The situation is understandable since the Human Alliance Militaries was formed by combining the independent militaries of the various planets who founded the Human Alliance. Still, the situation was intolerable and designs were created for new ships which would form the core of the military forces. Cruisers, or their equivalent, have always been the foundation of successful navies. As such, initial construction was concentrated on cruiser designs. One of these was the Boadicea class cruiser which was considered by most to be a heavy cruiser. The other was the Chevalier class light cruiser which role was to ask as an escort ship. Destroyer designs of the time were considered too lightly armed and the Chevalier class was designed to fulfill a similar but could be much heavier armed. Some considered the Chevalier to be an "Escort Cruiser." Large number of these light cruisers were built and they served as both escorts in task forces and as convoy escorts. The large number of long range missile launchers made they very dangerous to marauding fighters and great for long range missile defense roles.
Later, the Ferret class corvette was introduced but the small attack ship was not considered a replacement for the "Escort Cruiser" and was considered primarily a strike ship. The Chevalier class were not as fast as newer cruiser designs such as the Kurganov class missile cruiser and Everest class gun cruisers. There were plans to design an light cruiser of similar combat capabilities to the Chevalier class with a higher sublight and faster than light class. Unfortunately, the new light cruiser class was canceled due to budget constraints. The role of escort for fast carriers and battleships were performed by the heavier Kurganov and Everest class due to a lack of having anything else suitable. The Chevalier class still existed in large numbers and performed the same role for older vessels and convoys.
Like most of the other class designed around the time of the Chevalier class, the ship was considered by the Consortium Navy to simply be too slow. The role was performed by Wolfen Hunter class destroyers. While the destroyer's missile batteries do not have the range of the Chevalier's missile batteries, the destroyer requires a fraction of the crew. The Human Alliance retained the class as escort for convoys but the ships were slowly retired. At first, the old light cruisers were considered too old to discard and were put in mothball but later were sold off or scrapped. Presently, the Human Alliance does not have any standard Chevalier class light cruiser but they still operate a variant of the old cruiser design. As well, some are still operated by Independent Defense Forces within the Human Alliance. Small numbers are also operated outside of Consortium space in both government militaries and mercenary forces. A small number have found there way into the hands of the Free World Council. A few Chevalier class light cruiser have been upgraded to more modern standards but most remain mostly unchanged from their original design.
Interesting is the fact that both the Human Alliance and the Consortium have developed designs to fill the same role as the Chevalier class. Both designs are much smaller than the Chevalier class and are of the destroyer / frigate classes. The Consortium has developed the "Long Bow" class Patrol Ship which is a modified Scimitar class with long range missile batteries replacing the heavy G-Cannons. The Human Alliance developed the Soyakaze class Escort Corvette. The ship is even smaller than the Longbow class patrol ship but has a very limited payload of long range missiles. Bushido Industries has also designed ships to fill similar roles.
Main weaponry for the Chevalier class are two long range missile batteries. These batteries have a greater payload per launcher than the Boadicea although total payload is less. The Chevalier does not mount any cruise missile batteries. The long range missile batteries are backed up with four mini-missile batteries for point defense. For energy weapons, the escort cruiser mounts two 18 cm particle beams but does not mount any additional heavy weaponry. The particle beams are longer ranged than most lasers available when the ship was designed. The mini-missile launchers are supported by four point defense lasers and four point defense rail guns.
Unlike most later ship classes, the Chevalier class does not rely on a anti-matter power system but instead uses a fusion reactor. While the fusion reactor is much larger than an anti-matter power plant of the same output, the system is both safer and far less expensive to maintain. Probably the largest weakness of the Chevalier is the ship's shields. The shields are only slightly better than to those carried on most modern destroyers. The hull is stronger than most destroyers but modern cruisers of a similar mass are far tougher. Sublight acceleration and faster than light speed were considered excellent when first designed but are both far less than those in modern vessels.
The vessel was designed to be able to carry up to four medium fighters. During Human Alliance naval service, the Osprey medium starfighters was the most common fighter. While some surviving vessel carry this fighter due to its cost and availability, newer fighter are often carried as well. Common newer fighters carried include Naruni Broadsword and Fire Eater Fighters as well as the Bushido Industries Katana Fighter. Some crews have also chosen to replace the four medium starfighters with a half squadron (6 fighters) of light starfighters. Unlike the Boadicea class cruiser, the Chevalier does not have facilities for marines. As well, the ship does not have a second bridge although the ship can be partially run through engineering.
Unlike virtually any ships as old as the Chevalier class cruiser, the Human Alliance operates a variant of the escort cruiser. This is the Cobra class minesweeper. About two hundred are split between active and reserve forces. The ship replaces the 18 cm long range particle beams with a powerful direction minesweeping search sensor. The sensor system combines radar, neutrino sensors, gravitic sensors, and tachyon based sensors of high resolution mine hunting. It is planned that a minesweeping variant of the Soyakaze corvette will replace the Cobra class minesweeper but it is planned that about fifty of the old minesweepers will be retained in the inactive reserve fleet.
Ship design uses modified starship speeds and weapon ranges. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details.
| Model Type: | CL(E)-07 | Chevalier class Escort Cruiser |
| CL(MS)-07 | Cobra class Minesweeper |
Vehicle, Robots, and Power Armors:
Fighter compliment can vary with 6 Light Starfighters replacing 4 Medium
Starfighters.
Fighter Compliment:
| 4 | Medium Starfighters (Commonly the SF-6 Osprey Starfighters) |
M.D.C. By Location:
| 18 cm Particle Beam Batteries (2 - Chevalier Cruiser Only): | 800 each | |
| Sensor Suite (Replaces main battery on Cobra Minesweeper): | 1,000 | |
| Point Defense Rail Gun Turrets (4): | 150 each | |
| Double Barrel Defense Laser Turrets (4): | 150 each | |
| Long Range Missile Batteries (2): | 400 each | |
| Mini-Missile Launchers (4): | 100 each | |
| Outer Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area): | 120 | |
| Inner Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area): | 80 | |
| [1] Bridge: | 4,000 | |
| Hanger Bay: | 2,000 | |
| [2] Main Engines (2): | 5,000 each | |
| [3] Main Body: | 15,000 | |
| [4] Variable Force Field: | 1,200 a side (7,200 Total) |
Notes:
[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon
to hit the bridge through the ships armor. This ship does not have an auxiliary
bridge. Even if the bridge is 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 main engines means that ship Faster than Light systems
are destroyed and maximum sublight speed is reduced by half.
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will put the cruiser 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% (360 M.D.C.) per melee round.
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 0.75 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 420 mph (676 kph),
can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for atmospheric
flight
Stardrive: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship
to reach a maximum of 2.5 lightyears per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either Drive system.
Carries about four years worth of supplies on board.
Statistical Data:
Length: 478 feet (145.7 meters)
Height: 105 feet (32.0 meters)
Width: 185 feet (56.4 meters)
Weight/Mass: 44,000 tons (40,000 metric tons)
Power System: Fusion with a 10 year life span. The ship normally
only goes 5 years between refueling and refitting.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows
for carrying up to 2,000 tons (1,814.369 metric tons) of cargo 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 taken up by
extra ammunition, armor, troops, weapons, engine, and other equipment.
Market Cost: Chevalier class Escort Cruiser would cost about
400 million credits and Cobra class Minesweeper would cost about 450 millions
to manufacture in present time in the Three Galaxies. Ships are no longer
being produced. When available, these ships sell for 500 to 800 million
credits.
WEAPON SYSTEMS:
Sensor System of Note:
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