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By Amoebor
04/11/2010 - 20:40:33

Type: Spaceship
Rating: 0.01 (Not rated)
Tags: amoebor, carrier, red, retro, solarian, usrn, white

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Description

Small aerospacecraft had not been a viable military tool in the two centuries since the invention of the shield power transformer, which increased defensive shield power of large vessels to a level too high for the small-craft weapons of the day to penetrate; accordingly, torpedo boats became the smallest viable warcraft, and carriers disappeared from interstellar navies. The USRN, however, had been developing smaller torpedoes and more powerful, compact warheads powerful enough to be militarily significant against capital ships. Although not the one-shot-kill weapons that torpedoes of 21st century surface navies could be, these newer, smaller torpedoes once again made it possible to field carrier aerospacecraft as feasible weapons of war. Aerospacecraft themselves had not disappeared in the intervening two centuries; on the contrary, their design had progressed and a healthy industry supplied them in all sizes and types for personal and commercial uses. Air-space races, taking place on multiple planets within a single star system and involving course sections through asteroid belts and near planetary surfaces, had become a popular spectator sport and had spurred the development of maneuverable airframes and powerful, reliable engines.The USRN created a provisional Aerospace Corps to demonstrate the feasibility of the carrier concept in modern times. Deploying from a specially-modified bulk transport, the Aerospace Corps used civilian racing craft as fighters and specially modified craft to launch the new light torpedo in demonstration attacks on target ships. There was some resistance from some of the older admirals, but all concerned were generally too historically aware to ignore the implications of the test program. Accordingly, the USRN lobbied Congress in secret for "black budget" money to begin building a small force of light carriers and aerospacecraft wings. Congress initially balked, but gave way under the Navy's argument that if they could develop it, so could their competitors - or their enemies.The first operational carrier design to be commissioned was the Chimera class light carrier. Capable of fleet speed, the Chimera carried a complement of thirty aerospacecraft, generally evenly split between fighters and torpedo bombers. Lightly shielded, armored and armed only with a light battery of defensive weapons, Chimera had to steer clear of most other vessels. Fortunately, she was fairly light and handled well, both in space and in atmosphere. She was fast and long-ranged enough to need refueling less often than other vessels in the fleet, and was particularly reliable. Her planes gave her a range of firepower far in excess of even Zeus class battleships. Although a single Chimera's fifteen or so torpedo bombers were not a dominating weapon in capital ship battles, they did present a real threat, particularly since over the intervening two hundred years, most navies had severely reduced the number of light weaponry capable of tracking craft as small as a fighter or torpedo bomber. Chimera class ships were more effective, however, when hunting enemy convoys or patrolling friendly space for raiders or pirates. Chimera was a solid, reliable design (still in use in some backwaters) that paved the way for the fleet carriers to come.Seen here is USRN Manticore en route to the Eisly Archipelago with Task Force Rho, on a punitive expedition against the Jun Pirates.