Canadian Magnificent class Nuclear Light Aircraft Carrier:

In the 2070's the US Navy was strained to the breaking point. Global tensions had risen to a level never before recorded. What was being called "Brush Fire" wars were raging in Africa, Asia, and South America. The New Soviet Navy was pressuring both NATO and NEMA on all the seas. Though the US Navy had 17 large-deck (Nimitz, Coral Sea, and Ranger classes) and 3 small-deck (Avenger class) carriers, it could not meet the commitments required of it. Fortunately the US was joined by two growing powers in the Northern Eagle Military Alliance (NEMA). Canada and Mexico had taken tremendous bounds in society, technology and politics. Through a joint venture, all three countries designed a powerful yet small aircraft carrier design that helped to take some pressure off of the United States in this time of great turmoil.

Though the Canadian and Mexican governments were on a major upswing, they did not have the same capital and shipbuilding expertise the US had in carrier design. In fact only Canada had ever operated any carriers and that was over 100 years before they began considering operating carriers. To that end, it was primarily the US who did the initial development of the new carrier design. They decided to expand upon the American Avenger (CVE-140) design for several reasons. The most important of these was that most of the conflicts required ships to operate in shallow waters to get close enough to do any good. The large-decked US carriers had difficulty operating in shallow waters like the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. In the close quarters of the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of St. Lawrence the US carriers would not have room to maneuver and would be susceptible to multiple danger not encountered in open water. Also, the US was very capable of handling the open water missions against the Soviet, Chinese, and Indian navies with its large carriers. They would be able to support the smaller carriers closer to shore while staying further out to sea. The new carrier was designed with all this in mind. The over-riding need for hulls on the battle line limited the amount of research that could be done. Therefore the NEMA designers began work on modifying the hull and superstructure of the Avenger to capitalize on the lessons learned from the escort carriers. The new carrier class was much larger and was more accurately considered a light carrier

The designers could not help but notice the similarity between the new carrier class and the British Ark Royal class. One of the Mexican designers also noted a similarity between the new carrier they were developing and a light carrier design from the late 1970's that the US had canceled. During that time period, there was much thought of building smaller aircraft carriers rather than larger (aka Nimitz class) ones. The new carrier designation, CVV, was conceived with this prospect in mind. The vessel was an attempt provide limited power projection at a lost cost than the much larger Nimitz class. Ultimately, the idea was abandoned, but before that happened blueprints of the finalized design were finished. Noting the greater capability of the Ark Royal class and the CVV concept than a Avenger class, they abandoned the ski-jump and integrated the angled flight deck of the CVV design.

Vast changes to the original design had to be made. Unlike the Avenger class, the new carrier would be powered by a pair of fusion reactors. They provided more than enough power for the ship, making the design capable of 32 knots. While not as fast of most United States super carriers, the carriers were the equal of the Avenger class escort carrier and British Ark Royal class carrier. Advanced automation was incorporated into the design, vastly reducing the crew necessary to run the ship compared to older carriers of a similar size. For example the Midway class carrier required a crew of around 2500 and an air wing of around 1700. American carrier personnel were initially assigned to the Canadian and Mexican carriers and assisted in the training of the crews of the new carriers. Weaponry is for self defense only and incorporates three American combination rail gun and short range missile launchers. One the rear of the superstructure was an American tactical length Mk-41 vertical launch missile system. The older system was adopted to reduce costs and there was insufficient shape for the more capable MK-55 system or any type of reload system. In the last carrier of the class designed for Canada, this system was replaced with the MK-59 vertical launch missile system by relocating other systems under the position of the launchers.

Interestingly, the dimensions for the Canadian and Mexican light carrier came out to be virtually identical to the CVV concept. Electromagnetic catapults were fitted although most of the NEMA's aircraft were VSTOL. This was done to allow older craft of other allied nations to deploy from the decks of the ships as needed. Canada purchased the APAR 10 radar system which four plane system acted as both a search radar and a fire control radar. Mexico chose the less expensive route and chose the American the SPX-1A radar instead of the APAR system carried on the Canadian Carriers. This single rotating phased array system was not as powerful as those on other carrier designs, but was felt adequate for the light carrier's design. No sonar system was originally incorporated into the design, but the last Canadian carrier was completed with a hull sonar system. The system was installed on the older Canadian carriers as they came into dock for routine maintenance but was not installed in the Mexican carrier. While not a stealth design compared to the newer American carriers, some minimal attempted were made to reduce the radar signature of the light carrier. Of course the ship was constructed of the advanced alloys and composites that the military had become so fond of.

The title CVVN was at first adopted for the new class, but was replaced with the original CVLN designation just before the first vessel was commissioned. It was felt that the designation could too easily be confused with the CVN title and might give a wrong impression about the carrier's capabilities. A total of five vessels were built for the Canadian and Mexican navies during the Twenty-Seventies and Twenty-Eighties. Three were built for Canada while only one was built for Mexico. The Canadian carriers were named the Magnificent, Bonaventure, and Eagle. The Mexican carrier was named Quetzalcoatl Original an additional Mexican carrier was planned but construction was cancelled before it was laid down. The concept of the light carrier was brought in front of the United States Congress but the Navy persuaded the legislature to continue funding full sized carriers. They cited the greater capabilities of the Saratoga class CVN which was under development.

The air wings of the ships were tailored to meet the needs and desires of each country. The Mexican ship tended to use more recent US aircraft while the Canadians used both British and US designs. Both countries used the Silver Eagle SAMAS as the standard power armor on the ships, in keeping with NEMA practices.

The ships were very useful and did help to relieve some of the pressure on the US Navy. Canada used two carriers in the North Atlantic and one in the North Pacific, patrolling the oceans and coasts against Soviet forces. This allowed the American carriers to patrol further forward. The Mexican navy operated their carrier primarily in the Atlantic and helped guard the East Coast of Central America from hostilities.

Model Type: Warrior class Multi Purpose Light Aircraft Carrier
Vehicle Type: Ocean, Escort Aircraft Carrier
Crew:
Ships Crew: 820 (65 officers, 30 chief petty officers, 725 enlisted [Has a high degree of automation])
Air Wing: 1140 (78 Pilots, 32 flight deck officers, 440 enlisted)
Troops: 100 (40 pilots for "Silver Eagle" SAMAS power Armor, 60 soldiers in body armor)

Robots, Power Armors, and Vehicles:
Power Armors:

30

PA-04A "Silver Eagle" SAMAS

Fighter/Aircraft Compliment (Canadian):

	2	EV-84A General Cargo / Search and Rescue
	8	EVS-84A Anti-Submarine Warfare
	4	EVE-84A Electronics Warfare
	18	FV-38 Panther II VSTOL Fighter
	8	S-14 Buccaneer VTOL Jet Fighter/Bombers
	4	FV-45-EW Sea Hawk VTOL Jet Jamming Fighters
	4	Utility Tilt Rotors

Fighter/Aircraft Compliment (Mexican):

	2	EV-84A General Cargo / Search and Rescue
	6	EVS-84A Anti-Submarine Warfare
	4	EVE-84A Electronics Warfare
	24	FV-45 Sea Hawk VTOL Jet Fighters
	6	FV-45-EW Sea Hawk VTOL Jet Jamming Fighters
	6	CV-22N Osprey Utility Tilt Rotors.

M.D.C. by location:

	[1] Electromagnetic Catapults (2):	100 each
	[1] Arrester Cables (3):	50 each
	[2] Elevators (2):	200 each
	Hanger Doors (2):	200 each
	[3] Flight Deck:	2,250
	Mk 44 Combination Anti-Missile System (3, Flight Deck):	200 each
	Mk-59 48 Cell Vertical Missile Launchers (Superstructure):	300
	Chaff Launchers (2, Superstructure):	10 each
	[4] APAR Radar Systems (4, Canadian Carriers):	100 each
	[4] SPX-1A Phase Array Radar System (Mexican Carriers):	200 each
	[5] Bridge / Command Tower:	1,200
	Outer Hull (per 40 foot / 12.2 meter area):	80
	[6] Main Body:	7,500

Notes:
[1] If the catapults are destroyed, non-VTOL or STOL aircraft cannot be launched. If Arrester Cables are destroyed, non-VTOL or STOL aircraft cannot land until arrester cables are replaced.
[2] If all three elevators are destroyed, no aircraft can be moved from the hangers to the main flight deck.
[3] If the flight decks are destroyed, only VTOL aircraft can be launched or land. VTOL aircraft are at -15% to piloting.
[4] APAR: Destroying Phase Array radar panels will destroy the ship's fire control systems but secondary systems have backup systems and panels can compensate for each other. All Bonuses are lost if panels are destroyed.
SPX-1A: Destroying the Phase Array radar panel will destroy the ship's main fire control systems but the vessel has backup systems with a shorter range (Equal to robot vehicle sensors)
[5] If Forward Control Bridge and Rear Control Tower are destroyed, the ship can still be piloted from engineering but with a -15% to piloting rolls. Communication and sensor equipment are not concentrated on the bridge to reduce the effectiveness of bridge hits.
[6] Destroying the main body destroys propulsion and power systems, disabling the ship. The ship is fitted with an advanced polymer armor that allows the ship to withstand up to -3000 MDC before losing structural integrity and sinking. There are enough life preservers and inflatable lifeboats to accommodate everyone on the ship.

Speed:
Surface: 36.8 mph (32 knots/ 59.3 kph)
Maximum Effective Range: Unlimited due to fusion engines (needs to refuel every 20 years and requires maintenance as well). Ship carries six months of supplies on board.

Statistical Data:
Length: 912 feet (meters) overall
Draft: 34.5 feet (11.9 meters)
Width: 126 feet (76.5 meters)
Displacement: 45,200 tons standard and 59,800 tons fully loaded
Cargo: 5,000 tons of nonessential equipment and supplies. Each enlisted crewmember has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Ships officers have more space for personal items. Extra ammo, armor, troops, weapons, and engines take up most of the ship's spaces.
Power System: 2 Fusion Reactors, average life span is 20 years
Market Cost: Not for Sale but costs around 1 billion credits to construct. If found and sold on the black market would probably cost 2 to 3 billion credits.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. Three (3) Mk 44 "Sea Sabre" Combination Anti-Missile Defense Systems: These weapons are out on the sides of the hull below the carrier's flight deck. Two are forward on either side of the flight deck and the other mount is mounted at the rear of the carrier. These anti-missile defense systems combine both a rapid-fire rail gun and a short-range missile launcher. While mounted in one system, both defense systems have separate tracking systems. The short-range missile launchers can target up four targets and can fire a volley up too twice per melee. The rail gun is capable of destroying any missile or inflicting serious damage on aircraft. The rail gun can fire on automatic at up to six targets per melee (Has +3 to strike missile and +2 to strike aircraft). The system also can be used against other ships and ground targets. The system has a 360-degree rotation and can elevate up to 90 degrees to fire at targets directly overhead.
   Maximum Effective Range: Rail Guns: 11,000 feet (2 miles / 3.2 km). Short Range Missiles: As per short-range missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Mega-Damage: Rail Guns: 3D4x10 MD per burst of 40 rounds (Can only fire burst). Short Range Missiles: As per short-range missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Rate of Fire: Rail Guns: 6 attacks per melee. Short Range Missiles: 2 attacks per melee, can fire one at a time or in volleys of two or four.
   Payload: Rail Guns: 8000 rounds (200 burst) each. Short Range Missiles: 16 short-range missiles each.
2. Vertical Launch Missile Launcher (1): The missile launcher is mounted on top of the island of the carrier just aft of the Phased Array tower. The two oldest Canadian Carriers and the Mexican Quetzalcoatl carries a tactical thirty-two cell Mk-41 vertical launch missile system while the last built Canadian carrier mounts a forty-eight cell Mk-59 Vertical Launch Missile Launcher.
   1. MK-41 32 Cell Tactical Length Vertical Launch Missile Launcher: A very reliable Vertical Launch Missile Launcher, dating back from the previous century, made in the USA, and exported to numerous countries. The launcher cannon carry cruiser missiles due to length but can carry two long range missiles per cell. In place of two long range missiles, each cell could also hold four medium range missiles. This launcher usually carried only Surface to Air missiles of various sizes. This launcher is normally loaded with Surface to Air missiles Only.
      Maximum Effective Range: As per long or medium range missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Mega-Damage: As per long or medium range missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volley of 2, 4, or 16 per melee and can be fired at multiple targets at the same time.
      Payload: 32 missile cells in the VLS launcher (Can carry a total of 64 long range missiles). Two long range missiles or Four medium range missiles may be carried per cell, and a usual complement was 32 Long Range Missiles and 64 Medium Range Missiles.
   2. Mk-59 Vertical Launch Missile Launcher (1): launcher is smaller and carries half as many missiles as the launcher on the Darcey and Fox class naval vessels. The system is similar to the vertical launch system employed on many ships in the late twentieth century to launch the SM-2 series missile but since the missiles are smaller they have a reload system that reloads from under the launcher and can reload within 15 seconds. The launcher has a total of 48 individual cells and is six missile cells longs by eight cells wide. The launcher can fire up to half its total payload per melee. The launcher can use a vast variety of missiles including surface skimming missiles and rocket propelled torpedoes. Each cell can carry one long range missile or two medium range missile. The reload for the cell must carry the same load as the main cell. Long range missiles are normally used against large targets and aircraft further out where the medium range missiles will normally be used to engage closer targets. About half of all long range missiles carried are fusion warheads and most missiles are normally smart missiles.
      Maximum Effective Range: As per long or medium range missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Mega Damage: As per long or medium range missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, 8, 16, or 24 missiles for the whole launcher per melee. Missile cells are automatically reloaded and are ready to fire next melee.
      Payload: 48 missile cells in launcher with reload systems for each cell (1 reload each cell). One long range missile or two medium range missiles may be carried per cell but reload must be the same load out as well. The ship will often carry 32 cells with two medium range missiles each and the other cells loaded with one long range missile each.
3. Chaff Launcher (2): Located on the sides of the hull of the ship, they are designed to confuse incoming missiles. All four launchers must be operated or effects will be reduced. Reduce effects of launchers by 50% per launcher not used. Rifts Earth decoy systems are assumed to not operate on Phase World missiles due to technological difference. Reduce effects by 20% against smart missiles (Add +20% to rolls for smart missiles.)
   Maximum Effective Range: Around Ship
   Mega Damage: None
   01-35 Missile or Missile volley detonates in chaff
   36-60 Missile or Missile volley loses track of target, may lock onto another target
   61-00 No Effect; Missile Still on target
   Payload: 24 each for a total of 48
4. Advanced Towed Decoys (2): The vessel carries a pair of advanced towed decoy drones. They are each a small automated vehicle that creates a false sonar image designed to mimic the vessels. The decoy is dragged behind the carrier using a cable. If decoys are not destroyed, they can be recovered and repaired. Rifts Earth decoy systems are assumed to not operate against Phase World weapons due to technological difference.
   M.D.C.: 20
   Effects: The decoy has an 80% chance of fooling ordinary non military sonars and non smart guided torpedoes, the decoy has a 50% chance of fooling military level sonars (like those of the Coalition), and the decoy has a 25% chance of fooling advanced military sonars (Like those of the New Navy and Triax) and smart torpedoes.
   Maximum Effective Range: Not Applicable
   Rate of Fire: One can be deployed at a time and requires 2 minutes to deploy (Reel Out) another decoy
   Payload: 2 Decoys.

Special Systems:
The ship has all systems standard on a robot vehicle plus the following special features:

• APAR 10 Three Dimensional Search Radar System Canadian Carriers only. An incredibly advanced radar and computer system first developed before the coming of the Rifts and is the equal of the Aegis system on Coalition Navy vessels. Powerful and flexible radar system that is comprised of four panels that each emit radar waves. If allowed by the horizon, the system can track out to 600 miles (966 km) and can simultaneously track and identify up to 768 targets at one time. The system controls missile launched from the long range missile launchers and the system track and guide each individual missile to a individual target for up to 192 targets. If a target is eliminated, missiles are automatically guided to a new target. The system can also control missiles launched from other linked vessels as well and can also act as fire control for gun mounts. The system gives a +10% to read sensory rolls, +2 on initiative, and +1 to strike.
• SPX-1A Phased Array Radar System: Mexican Carrier only. Unlike systems carried by most larger naval vessels, the radar system is comprised of a single array on top of the radar tower behind the island. This system is smaller, lighter, and requires less power than a system of fixed panels. If allowed by the horizon, the system can track out to 400 miles (644 km) and can simultaneously track and identify up to 576 targets at one time. The system controls missiles launched from the ship and can track and guide each individual missile to an individual target for up to 144 targets. If a target is destroyed, missiles are automatically guided to a new target. The system can also control missiles launched from other linked vessels as well and can also act as fire control for gun mounts. The system gives a +10% to read sensory rolls, +2 on initiative, and +1 to strike.
• Advanced Hull Sonar: Carried on Canadian carriers but not on the Mexican carrier. Mounted under the bow of the ship. Range of 25 miles (21.7 nm / 40.2 km). This hull sonar system has both a passive and active system built in. Sonar system can track up to 32 targets at one time
• Command and Control Facilities: The carrier carries extra communications equipment and command facilities, to enable the ship to operate as the flagship for a flotilla. When operating in a flotilla, all ships get a +1 on sensor rolls, +1 to strike on all weapons, and +10% on communications.
• Radar Defeating Profile: The ship superstructure is designed so that the radar profile of the ship is reduced. Because of this, attempts to detect the ship using radar are made with a -10% penalty to read sensor rolls when attempting to detect this ship. Go to General Detection Penalties for more information on penalties and bonuses to use with stealth.
• Sonar Masking System: The ship uses water bubbles to form a barrier against sonar as well as a shrouded propeller and sound absorbing materials. Gives a -20% penalty to any Read Sensory Instrument rolls to detect this ship using sonar.
• Combination Radar Detectors and Active Jamming System: Combination of radar detection system (ESM) and an active jamming system. The system can detect another radar system at 125% of the range of the transmitting radar. In jamming mode, causes -25% to detection but when it is active, other vehicles/ bases can detect that it is jamming, and some missiles will home in on jamming signals. Jamming also causes a -4 penalty to all radar guided weapons.

[Golden Age Weaponsmiths and Triax are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
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