HMS Horatio Nelson modified Kurganov class Missile Cruiser:
The Kurganov class cruiser has been serving since before the formation of the Consortium of Civilized worlds and although it can be expected to be in service for a long time to come, the design has simply become dated. A huge amount of the Human Alliance navy ships are of this class and this creates a weakness in their fleet even though the ships are still pretty effective.
There had been various nebulous plans to upgrade the class but no concrete plans were laid until a Kurganov class cruiser was captured by the New Coventry Captain Mayfair from the hands of pirates. New Coventry shipbuilding decided that upgrading the ship would be much less expensive than it would be to construct another cruiser and that the ship still had a lot of life left in it.
New Coventry had not actually completed the refitting before the Human Alliance Forces division of shipbuilding approached New Coventry Admiralty for the plans for the upgrade. After a lengthy discussion, New Coventry provided the plans for the upgrade but at a relatively steep cost. It would cost two more Kurganov class cruisers at half cost as well as New Coventry getting a contract to complete some of the upgrades of the missile cruisers. Finally, New Coventry received the technology for improved faster than light drives. This upgraded engines will be mounted in new construction Warspite class cruisers. The first ship of the modified Kurganov class is named after Admiral Horatio Nelson who defeated the Spanish in the battle of Trafalgar.
The upgrade to the ship is very extensive and includes virtually all major systems. The three main exceptions are the engines, main hull, and defensive shields. To upgrade the engines, the ship would have to have even more extensive reconstruction than is to be completed and be very expensive. The ships faster than light speed and sublight acceleration are not bad when compared to many newer classes so it not really needed. The hull could only be moderately upgraded so it was left unchanged as costing more than desired although stress cracks are to be repaired where needed. The shields while not as powerful as those mounted in the Black Prince and Warspite cruiser classes, they are as powerful as the shields mounted on a standard Consortium Warshield cruiser.
The entire computer systems have upgraded by a more powerful computer system adapted from a Warshield class Cruiser and the sensor systems have been upgraded as well. Along with this upgrades, the automation has been increased which allows for about a ten percent reduction in ships crew. While important, these upgrades can almost be considered window dressing for the most important upgrades, which are the weapon systems. This is not to say that these upgrades, especially fire control, are unimportant.
All of the weapons systems have been replaced and upgraded. The key to the ships weaponry has always been the missile batteries and both the capital missile batteries and long range missile batteries have been replaced by more modern batteries. This increases the number of missiles which can be fired by about fifty percent although magazines are unmodified so payload of missiles can be burned through quite quickly. The ships are planned to carry twelve pepperbox capital launchers when in service with New Coventry. A total of one hundred and seventy-six capital missiles can be fired as a single missile volley if the box launchers and main batteries are fired together.
Like with other New Coventry capital ships, the mini-missile launchers have been replaced by medium range missile launchers. This gives point defense a much better defensive range although the number of missiles has been reduced due to the size difference in the missiles. The two 18 cm heavy particle beams have been replaced by more powerful 20 cm laser cannon mounts. While they have a slower rate of fire, they inflict more damage and have a longer range than the particle beams they replace. The direct fire point defense weaponry has been replaced with six GR-1000 heavy gravity point defense rail guns, six point defense particle beams, and four tachyon scatterguns. This inner point defense array is similar to the defense array on other ships in the New Coventry fleet and has shown itself to be quite effective against missile volleys.
While the crew has been reduced, the number of marines is identical to the original ships. On ships in service with New Coventry, all marines are in Combat Environment Power Armor except for those in Silverhawks but on Human Alliance ships, the troop compliment have not adopted a light power armor most are equipped with conventional body armor. As well, New Coventry cruisers carry the Badger light interceptor while the Human Alliance ships carry Scorpion light fighters. The New Coventry missile cruisers also carry the long range versions of the Black Eagle and Storm Eagle while the Human Alliance carry mostly standard versions. Both carry the same compliment of Katana medium fighters. New Coventry plans to eventually replace all Black Eagles, Storm Eagle, and Katana fighters with the Lightning medium fighter.
This starship design uses modified starship speed and ranges. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details.
Model Type: CL-23 (FRAM I)
Vehicle Type: Missile Cruiser
Crew: 265 (20 Officers, 243 enlisted)
Troops: 80 marines, 32 fighter pilots, 10 Silverhawk Pilots,
Vehicles:
New Coventry:
Power Armors:
| 80 | Combat Environment Power Armors | |
| 10 | SH-CCW100 Silverhawk Attack ExoSkeleton |
| 8 | CSF-4 Badger class Light Interceptors. | |
| 2 | SF-101LR Black Eagle medium fighter | |
| 2 | SF-101I-LR Storm Eagle medium interceptor | |
| 4 | BIF-67 Katana fighter ship |
| 10 | SH-CCW100 Silverhawk Attack ExoSkeleton |
| 8 | SF-69 CAF Scorpion Star Interceptor | |
| 2 | SF-101 Black Eagle medium fighter | |
| 2 | SF-101I Storm Eagle medium interceptor | |
| 4 | BIF-67 Katana fighter ship |
M.D.C. By Location:
| 20 cm Main Laser Cannons (2, Front): | 1,200 each | |
| GR-1000 Gravity Point Defense Rail Gun Turrets (6): | 200 each | |
| Point Defense Particle Beam Cannons (6): | 150 each | |
| Tachyon Scatterguns (4): | 200 each | |
| Cruise Missile Batteries (4): | 1,000 each | |
| Long Range Missile Batteries (4): | 600 each | |
| Medium Range Missile Launchers (4): | 500 each | |
| Outer Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area): | 150 | |
| Inner Hull (40 ft/ 12.2 m Area): | 100 | |
| [1] Bridge: | 8,000 | |
| [1] Auxiliary Bridge: | 8,000 | |
| Hanger Bay: | 10,000 | |
| [2] Main Engines (2): | 10,000 each | |
| [3] Main Body: | 35,000 | |
| [4] Variable Force Field: | 4,000 a side (24,000 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 also has an auxiliary
bridge. Even if both bridges are taken out, 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 F.T.L. 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% (1200 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 0.95 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is 450 mph (724 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 4 lightyears per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either Drive system.
Carries about four years worth of supplies on board.
Statistical Data:
Length: 650 feet (198.1 meters)
Height: 250 feet (76.2 meters)
Width: 350 feet (106.7 meters)
Weight: 145,000 tons (131,700 metric tons)
Power System: Anti-Matter with a 25 year life span. The ship
normally only goes 7 years between refueling and refitting.
Cargo: Cargo holds are scattered about the ship that allows
for carrying up to 4,000 tons (3,628.7 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: An unmodified Kurganov would cost about 1.8 billion
credits to manufacture in present time in the Three Galaxies. Upgrades
cost 1.4 billion credits and if the ship was constructed new it would cost
about 2.6 billion credits. Cost does not include embarked craft.
WEAPON SYSTEMS:
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