Return of the American Super-Carrier

[pottsbr]

In my Traveller Universe, the Americans embarked on the goal of reestablishing the political and military dominance that they had in the late 20th century. Secret building projects abounded, the Kennedy Class being a prime example. The beginning of the Kafer War though brought about the most ambitios building project yet attempted, the USS Independence, the first in a line of super carriers to form the core of a battlegroup consisting of a carrier and four Kennedy's. Five battlegroups were planned.

The Independence, fully fitted out, cost a staggering 5BLv, but it was well worth the cost. This 258 meter behemoth boasted a gross mass of 242,057 tons. She carried 60 small combat spacecraft including 20 Space Superiority fighter, 20 Fighter Bombers capable of ground attack, and 20 close in support fighters for defense. In addition, the Independence greatly extended it detection range with 6 stealthy recon ships boasting a top speed of 5.263. She also carried three landing craft capable of landing her marines. Her size permitted each craft to have a generous hanger and launch door, allowing quick launch and recovery.

The ship itself was heavily armored and shielded. In addition, she carried An impressive armament of 8 Allen BMZ 150MW PBWS double jack turrets, 20 Hyde Dynamics EA 122 double External Mounts, and 8 SIM-14 Missile Packs.

To support extended operations away from supply, ship's stores included 117000 tons of fuel for her small craft and 2000 SIM-14 missiles.

The crew was accommodated in twin, counter-rotating sections. This easily supported her crew of 807, with space enough for up to 4000 marines on board in normal quarters. Ship's stores allowed the ship to operate unsupplied with a normal crew load for up to six months, or with a full complement of marines for a month.

The Independence was, unfortunately, not ready for service until 2302, after the Battle of Beowulf, but was an important component of the eventual counter attack into Kafer space. If she has a weakness, it is the inadequacy of the Stutterwarp drives available for her. Her 300MW drive is able to only push her to about 1.880 when fully loaded. The Independence is armed for a fight, but uses her recon ships to keep that fight at arms length, using her fighter bombers escorted by her space superiority fighters to fight her battles from well out of the sensor range of her opponents. 40 missile firing fighters to swarm and overrun even the most powerful enemy vessel.

This ship and her small craft were designed using the Star Cruiser Rules. Over gunned as she is, given her huge size, she looks like she has only a few weapons scattered in key points of her hull.

Her fighters carry a forward firing double mount laser and can be equipped with slung missiles. Her fighter bombers sport twin SIM-14 missile packs.

 

[mbrinkhues]

The size is okay for a minor player trying to boast his ego. The construction OTOH is not IMHO. The Americans are "Joe Lightfoot", their ships are extremly fast, missile-equipped eggshells. Barely moving slab of armor ist the German style just like "Proud and Decrepit" is the British or "huge but lousy command" is the French.

 

[pottsbr]

The carrier actually uses tactics very similar to the Kennedy. The Independence is not so much a warship on its own as a mobile starport supporting a large number of light, fast, combat spacecraft. These fighters are designed to approach fast, drop their missiles and run, all the time trying to avoid revealing the location of their base.

The carrier would typically be kept near the deeps. If an enemy did approach, somehow avoiding the recon pickets, the Kennedy's job would be to harass and delay that enemy until the carrier could escape into FTL.

As for how it falls into the politics of 2300AD. It falls along the same lines as the rest of the American resurgence that we see around the time of the Kafer War. Americans enter the war late, but are important when it counts, improving American prestige. In the meantime, The French Arm has been smashed and the European powers are on the ropes while America has been left untouched but militarily powerful, sort of like after WWII, when the sea going American carriers came to dominate the oceans.

 

[mbrinkhues]

The main problem with the Carrier is that he runs contrary to US design philosophy as shown in 2300AD. The US was the "speed as armor" nation with speed and missiles as the main defence (The "Jam-filled doughnut" class has Armor-1 by accident in StarCruiser) So building a slow, heavily armored carrier runs totally contrary to their design concept.

Lightly armed, huge reactors/engines, missile armament and missile armed fighters, thats the US-style.

 

[pottsbr]

I'm not sure that the American design philosophy is that well defined or straight forward. Yes, the Kennedy's are designed for fast, missile hit and run attacks, which is exactly what the fighters aboard the carrier do. I'm not so sure, though, that one ship class defines an entire nation's design philosophy. The only other American ship I can think of from the old books is the Columbia, which went toe-to-toe with a Kafer Alpha, tying up Triumphant Destiny, distracting the entire Kafer chain of command, and possibly winning the Battle of Beowulf. We have no stats on the Columbia, but it had to be quite a formidable ship to take on an Alpha.

What other American warship classes have been published?

 

[atpollard]

I find it a little sad that the Americans are still getting drawn into European mischief 300 years in the future. When will we learn to mind our own business. :nonono:

[This is a reference to two world wars and not current events. It is a historical and not political comment.]

 

[epicenter00]

I sort of agree with what mbrinkhues commented. The Americans in 2300 are odd in some ways compared to their European counterparts who act like they did in the 1800s or something. I think given the United States returning to their pre-WW2 (really almost pre-WW1) status in 2300, I don't think leaping from their "mosquito boats" to CVNs is possible. Despite everything, the ASF doesn't doesn't have the "1% of a lot of money is still a lot" that the French have nor the "we might not have much but we have a fleet, damnit" which is the British Royal Navy. It's possible the ASF is working up a "Nimitz" class, but I find the concept a bit far-fetched for my version of 2300.

Before I gave up Starcruiser as hopelessly flawed and shelved it, I was toying with giving the Americans a carrier of sorts, based on the sort of loony but sort of cool at the same time idea of the Macon and Akron flying Aircraft Carriers. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Akron_(ZRS-4) for those not familiar). The concept I was considering was that the ASF wanted carriers but Congress wouldn't fund something so huge and expensive 10-15 years ago when nobody knew about the Kafers - and the ASF was already smarting over the scandal involving massive cost overruns and corruption in the design process for the Columbia-class BB, the Australians were allies and good friends in the Arm, and people were more concerned about the "dead end" than fighting - none of which would give the ASF an excuse to create a carrier. Instead the Americans would be myopically looking at their own navels and considering problems closer to home.

Fortunately, there was a problem closer to home - AmeriCo smuggling.

AmeriCo's smuggling operations were becoming a major headache to US customs, with growing corruption in the customs department, increasing sophistication of the AmeriCo smuggling fleet, and so on making lawmakers clamor for a more effective deterrent to AmeriCo smuggling. The ASF despised duties like that, believing them to be "below them" and more of a "Coast Guard" duty, but orders were orders and they carried them out. The problem was that Kennedy and Cayugas simply couldn't blanket a system well enough to identify smugglers. Given the realities of light-speed sensors it was trivial for smugglers to slip free of a system, even with two or three Kennedys patrolling it.

The ASF considered the problem, then mated it with the idea of wanting a carrier type starship. A proposal for a cheaper carrier type starship, ideal for anti-piracy operations got grudging funding from Congress, and the Essex class was born. The idea behind the Essex was a carrier type starship that could keep up with the Kennedy and other planned ASF "fast fleet" ships. As they couldn't get the funding to design a ship from the ground up, they converted the proven Kennedy-class hulls and systems instead. Unlike the French and British carriers, the new ship wouldn't be able to carry its fighters inside bays, instead they would be stored in external racks with an interior hangar with a two-fighter capacity for more extensive maintenance work. For the most part, however, arming and routine duties would have to be preformed by space-suited technicians.

The first proposals called for 12 fighters of the FS-17 type to be carried. However, after seeing French demonstrations of the Mistral and Bufer class strike fighters, the ASF began negotiations to purchase or license-build missile-armed fighters instead for a strike role. Given the added logistical burden of such ships, the number of fighters dropped from 12 to 10. Furthermore, accidents involving the mock-up of the new class caused technicians and pilots to clamor for a smaller ship to wrestle the fighters back into position and attach the SIM-14 ordinance onto strike fighters. The ASF purchased MidTech CargoDevils for this duty, but carriage requirement for two CargoDevils further reduced the fighter complement from 10 to 8 fighters. The Americans finally had their carrier.

The Essex class shows all of the problems of a "make fit" solution. Eight fighters is considered by the ASF to not be truly worthy of the name "carrier." While solo missions by the fighters allow a system to be more effectively blanketed by sensors, in wartime, the fighters would be organized into four wingman teams with one bomber and one escort. Pilots of the fighters have to be very skilled as maneuvering back to the escort carrier is hazardous and requires great skill. Negotiations with the French for missile armed fighters were unsuccessful as the French were unwilling to part with their latest fighters (not a concern during peacetime as FS-17s and RS-3 ships were plenty good enough to deal with smugglers). Conditions are extremely cramped aboard the Essex, with the addition of technicians and pilots and the additional support staff requiring "hot bunking" solutions. The need for space for stores and to save mass to increase warp efficiency, the Essex class ships are practically unarmed save for minimum four laser turrets thought necessary for missile defense (derisively referred to as "popguns" by the crew). Finally, the addition of the fighters and their mass has hurt the Essex's warp efficiency. While able to keep up with Kennedy class ships on the strategic movement level, tactical mobility is reduced, forcing escorting Kennedys to "throttle back." All of these were considered secondary problems while on anti-smuggling patrols - bases were nearby allowing crews plenty of opportunity to "decompress."

Once the Essex class was pressed into service during the Kafter war did further problems emerge. Though the French hastily authorized sales of Bufer class fighters to arm the American carriers to make them a more potent threat against Kafers, the large fighters required even more space, further reducing the fighter complement from 8 to 7. The munitions required by the Bufers put a severe strain on stores, allowing only a two full sorties by fighters before the Essex would need to withdraw to replenish missile stores carried aboard supply vessels that were unarmed and slow. The command and communications suite of the Essex, while more than adequate for maritime patrols proved to be problematic during wartime require hasty refitting with modern French models which proved to be more effective, but obtaining spare parts (and storing them) proved problematic. Long wartime tours in the cramped conditions caused morale problems amongst the crew.

Despite all of these problems, the two Essex class ships were used during the Kafer War. While Amiral Rochemont early on tried to utilize them as commerce raiders, the short combat legs of the class made them mediocre at best (Kennedys proved far superior). After months of using them for SIGINT and recon duties in occupied systems, problems with morale on such extended journeys made Rochemont use Essex ships as convoy escorts. Slowed by maximum speed of merchantmen, this proved to be disastrous.

The ASF Akron (the other example of the Essex class) was escorting a convoy when it came under attack by a Kafer Beta-class BC. Unlike the Epsilons that could be chased off or even destroyed by Bufers, the Beta managed to close, and the captain of the Essex, staying as a rearguard for the scattering merchantmen, was easily destroyed by the Beta's missiles.

In respose the ASF demanded a greater role for their remaining Essex. Finally, Rochemont utilized it as a screens and picket. The Essex could race to a discharge point in a system, bring the stutterwarps of its fighter complement on-line, then launch its Bufers in pairs. The Bufers would proceed to patrol the outer system where stutterwarp efficiency was greater than C. Upon sighting the enemy they would race back faster than standard sensor waves, giving human fleets hours notice of Kafer movements. As Kafers often utilized their fighters in a similar way, the paired Bufer evolution proved ideal - one fighter would stay and engage the Kafers (the heavily armed Bufers being a very potent threat against their Kafer counterparts) while the other raced back to report.

 

[pottsbr]

I don't think I'd call the Kafer War "European mischief." Had the Kafer defeated European forces in the French arm, I doubt they would have left American possessions alone once they reached Earth and beyond.

As I see the Independence, it and her sister ships are an attempt by the American's to reclaim past glory. As mentioned in the 2300 rules themselves, American manifest destiny dies hard. The cost of these ships is extraordinary though at 5 Billion Livre each, and only the threat of alien invasion allowed funding to be found on that scale. Like many of the European powers of today, having once been a premier power and now being restricted to second class status is also a big impetus to try and shift the balance of power.

Several European powers today are building large carriers, not so much because it meats current needs or design philosophy, but because of the status such a ship brings. The Charles de Gaul and the Queen Elizabeth class carriers are just such statements in the 21st century.

 

[mbrinkhues]

Actually we have a few from Challenge like the Cayuga Close Escort (Fast Frigate) and from the semi-sanction IIRC 2300Fanzine a Columbia Version.

All in the light armor, decend missiles variant (the proposed Columbia had some shields to add)

 

[jwcarroll60]

Based on the loss of the Sanchez, and the need for anti smuggling ships I would suggest 2 or 3 new ship classes. 1st would be an armored cruiser class midway between the Kennedy and the Columbia in size. 2nd would be an updated/upgraded version of the Cayuga for the antismuggling and escort role. I would also see room for a carrier version of the armored cruiser hull as well.

 

[kapitan]

i agree with the above statements, that the super-carrier would not fit in very well with us naval doctrine in 2300. furthermore i want to add that the construction of such vessels would not be a wise move for the us.
the world of 2300 is very closely modeled after the 19th cetury, taking inspiration from the period between the napoleonic wars up to the franco-german war of 70/71 (in my opinion, this is what makes the game world so rich despite of having very little material published, without making it a mere (and boring) copy of our world today), and maybe some allegories may be drawn.
if i remember correctly, the us had little commitment in the kafer invasion, their contingent totalling only 4 to 5 hulls, only 1 or 2 of which were lost. so they were little harmed in the war, while the three big powers suffered greatly (especially france with the loss of precious battleships), and will have to concentrate on rebuilding. also, with the recently reemerged germany and a weakend france the whole power balance changed considerably, leading to the big tree mainly concentrating on each other. the situation in the end of the 19th century was not so different, with the european power concentrating on each other and the us fairly unwatched. in this era the us picked a smaller european ex-power (spain) for a war that granted them a colonial empire, formulated the "big stick" and the "american hegemony" doctrines, partitioned columbia for gaining control of the geopolitically important panama canal and the like, steadily gaining power.
it is likely that in the current situation (as of 2310s-20s) the us would try something similar. behemoth battleships would be of little use, though. they could never hope to go toe to toe with the powerful french fleet (not even germany or britain could) in any reasonable time, and concentrating so much recources on just 5 ships would rob them of much strategic flexibility.
dont forget, for 5blv (and thats without the fighters, right?) you could lay down 21 (!) kennedies. no less firepower, but much more strategic and geopolitical (or is it kosmo-political? *grin*) flexibility. also, the building would be much quicker, since they could be built parallel in multiple shipyards (building tiny bismark took 4 years, and was considered a speed record. building these behemoths, say 9 years each, even with two super shipyards would take more than two decades. enough time to draw the attention of the big ones back to the us when they least whant it)
fancy battleships and super-carriers is for kids that already have everything else (the french), if you are a startup, you'll have to chose how to spent your recources.
but i do think the americans (and other possible powers to be) are gonna try something. built up their forces, pick some coutries to test their possibilities (maybe mexico or canada?) and bring thier chessmen into position 'cross the globe. how will the big three react? can they put aside their quarrels to impose peace once again? will this be the path to WWIV? will the kafers feel the reduced presence of human forces and try something? how about an occupied earth? mmmmhhh, i like this path ... *evilgrin*

 

[deniable]

Small carriers

I think that if the Americans were looking at anti-piracy, their first attempts would probably be a converted cargo vessel. A modular freighter would be a good choice. Put together modules to house fighters, missile resupply, and any other needs and attach them to the freighter. It would be cheap and discrete and when you're done you can return the freighter to whoever leased it to you.

 

[pottsbr]

dont forget, for 5blv (and thats without the fighters, right?) you could lay down 21 (!) kennedies. no less firepower, but much more strategic and geopolitical (or is it kosmo-political? *grin*) flexibility.

Actually, the 5BLv was for a fully fitted out Independence including all fighters, small craft and ordinance. I believe the ship itself was under 2BLv, so most of the cost comes from the fighters and the SIM-14's for the fighters. The carrier itself is really an armored beer can, with most of the interior dedicated to hangers and storage. It's weapons load is a little lighter than the top of the line French ships, but those weapons are not really ever meant to be used as it depends on the fighters.

One carrier could pretty effectively control a system, acting as a mobile base for recon ships and fighter patrols.

I'm not going to argue the design philosophy debate. The only published American ship in any of the official materials that I have is the Kennedy, and I don't think you can define a nation's navy by one ship class. The only other ship mentioned was a battleship which was never presented in any of the modules or sourcebooks. The unofficial writeups all seen to assume it would just be a big Kennedy, but Triumphant Destiny's Delta would have had no problem dispatching such a ship, not slugged it out with her toe to toe for two hours.

I do see the Americans as wanting to take advantage of the Kafer War to reestablish their position as a major power. The weakening of the European Powers and America's largely untouched assets give them the opportunity to step out of the major power's shadows.

 

[mbrinkhues]

Actually the Cayuga is official (Challenge Magazin) as is the LC-20 Landing craft (Traveller Digest) and the Hampton. All fast, light armor and missile armed. And slugging it out can mean a lot of things

Besides a supercarrier simply does not fit the universe AT all. We talk about Tantallium being rare/costly and 8-10 fighters being a sizeabel force projection (The French BBs).

 

[Murph]

I agree, some midweight cruiser, a larger battleship, and a large, fast carrier with no/minimal marines. Remember the USN does not use carriers as assault ships, but sea control/space control vessels. Your dedicated Assault carriers like the Iwo Jima class would carry the marines. An Armored Cruiser would fit into a historical US perspective. Remember we launched our Dreadnaught only shortly after the British did.

 

[mbrinkhues]

I agree, some midweight cruiser, a larger battleship, and a large, fast carrier with no/minimal marines. Remember the USN does not use carriers as assault ships, but sea control/space control vessels. Your dedicated Assault carriers like the Iwo Jima class would carry the marines. An Armored Cruiser would fit into a historical US perspective. Remember we launched our Dreadnaught only shortly after the British did.

Everybody did launch it's Dreadnaught shortly after the Brits did.