by David Weber
Chase: 1L, 2PD
Service Life: 1904–1918
The Series 282 light attack craft was never given a formal class name because it was a prototype LAC, designed by the Weapon Development Board for the Trojan Horse program which saw extremely limited operational service.
While the Highlander class was a typical LAC design, built to very similar standards as a conventional warship, the Series 282 took advantage of advances in both equipment miniaturization and automation to greatly decrease the volume necessary for critical systems. The result was a flattened hull that was slightly smaller than the Highlander, despite being half again the tonnage. The small size of the Series 282, along with the fact that its “on-paper” offensive capabilities were nearly identical to those of the old design, was cited numerous times by the program’s many critics.
These critics uniformly failed to recognize the qualitative improvements behind the figures. The 282s carried only twelve cell-launched missiles, but both the missiles and launch cells were far in advance of anything the Highlander mounted. Beam mounts were also more powerful, and the addition of a counter-missile launcher in each broadside more than doubled their survivability, as well as allowing them to perform an area defense mission in protection of their launch platform. Perhaps most notably, the Series 282 was the first LAC to mount an impeller ring powerful enough to accelerate it to the limits of its inertial compensator. This class was the first to serve as testbeds for the early second generation compensator, raising its maximum acceleration to just over 600 G.
Despite the type’s clear advantages, it was never able to overcome the opposition of its critics. Regarded as suitable solely for local defense and burdened with the anti-LAC attitudes of a navy philosophically committed to projecting combat power (and vehemently opposed to attrition-based tactics), it was produced in very small numbers. The number built provided valuable experience in the new technologies and were used as test beds for many of the systems incorporated into the early Shrike-class prototypes, however, and the 282s provided a critical component in the combat power of the Trojan-class Q-ships until their final retirement in 1918.
Shrike-class light attack craft
Mass: 20,250 tons
Dimensions: 71 × 20 × 20 m
Acceleration: 636 G (6.237 kps²)
80% Accel: 508.8 G (4.989 kps²)
Forward: 4M, 1G, 4CM, 6PD
Service Life: 1912–1917
The Shrike revolutionized the concept of the LAC in many ways. Far from a simple evolutionary outgrowth of the Series 282, the Shrike has virtually nothing in common with a conventional LAC. Although the Shrike carried over many of the 282’s technology innovations in terms of system miniaturization and increased automation, it represented a complete conceptual break with previous LACs. Earlier examples of the type had been seen as miniature warships equipped with traditional weapon systems; the Shrike was visualized as a single-weapon system, optimized for the sole purpose of getting its powerful graser into decisive range.
Historically, LACs have suffered from limited endurance driven by bunker space for fusion reactor hydrogen, so, unlike any warship in a millennia, the Shrike class carries a highly efficient fission pile as primary power. Inspired by Grayson developments in fission reactor technology, the fission plant means that the Shrike’s cruise endurance is limited primarily by crew support consumables. Its combat endurance remains a factor of plasma feedstock for the gravitic subsystems (mostly graser and missile launch systems), but its ability to stay on station for months if necessary is a huge advantage in the system defense role. In addition, while a Shrike masses almost twice as much as a Highlander (in a hull less than half the size), its remotes and expert systems are some of the most advanced anywhere in space, simultaneously increasing lethality while decreasing crew requirements.
The Shrike class was also the first warship to be fitted with the new “beta-squared” impeller nodes, which by 1921 PD have become standard equipment on all new Manticoran construction. In addition to the mass savings the nodes provided, they also allowed the Shrikes to transmit FTL communications while under acceleration. The vastly more powerful impeller rings, second generation inertial compensators and enhanced electronic warfare and stealth systems made the Shrikes the fastest, stealthiest, and ton-for-ton most dangerous warships in space for their time.
Among all of the other advances seen on the Shrike class, perhaps the most notable was the introduction of the all-forward armament, combining the new off-bore launch technology with a bow wall and a powerful spinal-mounted graser for close range antiship strikes, all without relying on the traditional broadside armament carried by LACs up until this point.
For a program that was nearly cancelled by Navy before it could prove itself, the Shrike-class LACs performed far above expectations during the Second Battle of Hancock. Able to approach to far closer range of an enemy under stealth than anyone had predicted, their initial attacks were devastating. While their survivability against a prepared opponent was questionable, their ability to isolate and destroy cripples and the savage damage they could do to the enemy’s screen proved their value.
Despite exceeding all expectations, the original Shrike was still a transitional design, with many flaws, some major and some minor, appearing during the early simulations, wargames, and battle experience. While the heavy demand for LACs kept many of them in service longer than expected, the last of the original production run was replaced in 1917 by the Shrike-B.
Shrike-B-class light attack craft
Mass: 21,250 tons
Dimensions: 72 × 20 × 20 m
Acceleration: 635.5 G (6.232 kps²)
80% Accel: 508.4 G (4.986 kps²)
Forward: 4M, 1G, 4CM, 6PD
Aft: 4CM, 6PD
Service Life: 1914–present
The Shrike-B class was a refinement of the original Shrike class, based on operational experience with the initial deployed prototypes. Almost before the first of what came to be known as the Shrike-A variant was commissioned, simulation data had begun to turn up weaknesses in the design. Its first trial by fire at Hancock provided all the evidence BuShips needed to finalize the new design. The aft hanger and cutter of the original Shrike were replaced by a duplicate set of counter-missile launchers and point defense facing aft, which provided much needed protection against the “up-the-kilt” fire which was responsible for the majority of the early losses. A small hanger was retained for deployment of the current generation of Ghost Rider reconnaissance drones or decoys.
Starting from 1915, all new construction added an external sternwall generator modeled on the one carried by the Ferret class. Like the Ferret’s generator, the power budget was tight enough to provide only enough power to run either the bow or sternwall but not both simultaneously.
Ferret-class light attack craft
Mass: 20,750 tons
Dimensions: 72 × 20 × 20 m
Acceleration: 635.8 G (6.235 kps²)
80% Accel: 508.6 G (4.988 kps²)
Forward: 4M, 4CM, 6PD
Aft: 4CM, 6PD
Service Life: 1914–present
The Ferret class was developed in parallel with Shrike-B as a screening unit, designed both to accompany squadrons of Shrikes on their strike missions and to thicken defenses for the wall of battle.
The Ferret is a pure missile-armed craft, with no antiship energy armament. The launch tubes remain in the same locations but the magazine is a far more traditional design, rather than the combination magazine and launch cell used in the Shrikes. The mass and volume freed up by the removal of the graser was enough to more than double the missile load of the Shrikes, thereby allowing the Ferret to carry dedicated electronic warfare (EW) drones as well as sophisticated decoys in addition to shipkillers. The counter-missile launchers remained similar to the Shrike-B, but their capacity was expanded as well, and the EW systems were upgraded still further. The addition of a dedicated sternwall generator marked the final difference between t
he Ferret and original Shrike-B classes, though the same power management limitations applied as on the Shrike-B refits.
Katana-class light attack craft
(for specification, see GSN Katana-class LAC)
Service Life: 1920–present
Shortly after the turnover at Admiralty House in 1920 PD, the RMN ordered several dozen squadrons of Katanas from the Graysons and put the design into Manticoran production, as well. Many of their frontline Minotaur and Hydra-class carriers are being refitted to carry a few squadrons of Katanas in addition to their regular complement of Shrikes and Ferrets.
DESTROYERS (DD)
From the earliest days of the Wormhole Junction and subsequent expansion of both the Navy and merchant fleet, the destroyer has been the workhorse of the Royal Manticoran Navy. The type itself remained almost unchanged in fundamental design for hundreds of years, but the roles it fills have been in a state of constant flux, especially over the course of King Roger’s buildup.
Destroyer missions generally fit into one of two major roles: screening the wall of battle and fulfilling independent missions such as commerce protection. The primary choice facing designers has always been how—or even whether—to balance these roles.
The destroyer first came into its own as a screening unit because it was an inexpensive platform that could provide tactical reconnaissance duties as well as deny the enemy those same opportunities. A hyper-capable unit was needed to search in nearby sub-bands when a fleet or convoy was in hyper transit. Traditional cruising formations also deployed destroyers and light cruisers far out to the flanks upon emergence into real space to expand the sensor baseline of the formation and provide an outer picket to detect and destroy enemy scouting forces. Once battle was joined, the lighter units of the screen fell into position behind and around the wall, lending their support to the area defense without putting their fragile hulls in the line of fire.
The evolution of small, high-endurance drones began to erode the destroyer’s operational reconnaissance roles, as these new drones were both faster and stealthier than any warship, in addition to being unmanned and therefore more expendable. The destroyer became a crewed node controlling formations of drones and the principle antiscouting platform, designed to localize and destroy recon drones as they approached the flanks of the formation. It still had a place as part of the wall’s missile defense, but remained fragile and limited in that role compared to heavy cruisers and battlecruisers. On the other side of the coin, the traditional roles of a destroyer as an independent cruising unit were being eroded slowly as the Navy built up its inventory of light cruisers, a type that had been traditionally underrepresented in the Manticoran order of battle. The new light cruisers were more powerful, better defended and had longer endurance than any destroyer in service, which made them far better suited to the roles of strategic reconnaissance picket forces, commerce protection, or commerce raiding. The advent of the advanced LAC in 1914 PD, followed by the evolution of LAC antimissile doctrine in the early 1920s, removed the destroyer’s last vestiges of utility as a screening unit. On a ton-for-ton basis, the new LACs were faster, better at localizing and killing recon drones, and far more effective in the missile defense role then destroyers had ever been.
At the present time, the future of the destroyer as a type is uncertain. On the one hand, there are those who predict that the destroyer will effectively disappear from the Navy in the not-too-distant future, with its independent operations role reverting to the cruiser and its fleet screening role going to the LAC groups. On the other hand, it is clear that the RMN sees a role for the destroyer today and into the future, as evidenced by the new Roland class. The advent of the multi-drive missile and the fact that the Roland appears to be the smallest hyper-capable ship type able to carry a meaningful number of these missiles indicate to many that the destroyer will be with us for a long time, even if it masses as much as an old-style light cruiser.
Noblesse-class destroyer
Mass: 68,250 tons
Dimensions: 351 × 41 × 24 m
Acceleration: 524.4 G (5.143 kps²)
80% Accel: 419.5 G (4.114 kps²)
Broadside: 4M, 3L, 2CM, 3PD
Chase: 2M, 1L, 1CM, 2PD
Number Built: 60
Service Life: 1819–1907
The Noblesse-class destroyer, a contemporary of the Courageous-class light cruiser, was the oldest destroyer still in service when the war with Haven began. In many ways, it was built as a scaled-down version of the Courageous, armed with the same outdated missile tubes and general weapon balance, though without the powerful beam armament carried by its larger cousin.
Although originally scheduled for decommissioning by the turn of the century, the RMN’s need for light combatants extended the class beyond its planned operational life, and the many of the ships remained in service until 1907 PD. Although they were still suited for anti-piracy work, they had become obsolete with the rapid technological developments stimulated by the war and all were decommissioned as the Culverin class started coming off the building slips.
Falcon-class destroyer
Mass: 70,500 tons
Dimensions: 355 × 42 × 24 m
Acceleration: 523.6 G (5.134 kps²)
80% Accel: 418.8 G (4.108 kps²)
Broadside: 3M, 4L, 3CM, 4PD
Chase: 1M, 2L, 2CM, 2PD
Number Built: 88
Service Life: 1851–1916
The Falcon-class destroyer was a product of the same design study that yielded the Apollo-class light cruiser and Lightning-class frigate, the last frigate class to be built by the RMN. The notable feature of the Falcon class is that it is a beam-heavy platform relative to its contemporaries, designed to close quickly and engage an enemy at short range.
The first flight Falcons suffered from the same sub-standard construction practices which caused the Apollo class’ structural weaknesses, and all but two required substantial refits.
Unlike the far more successful Apollo, both the Falcons and Lightnings were widely considered to be too fragile to survive an energy engagement (where a single lucky hit can do major damage). Although possessed of impressive firepower for their size, there were grave concerns about their ability to defeat something of their own rate. Although the last of the Lightnings was decommissioned before the turn of the century, the Falcons lasted until the fleet drawdown of 1916 PD.
Havoc-class destroyer
Mass: 84,500 tons
Dimensions: 377 × 44 × 26 m
Acceleration: 519.8 G (5.097 kps²)
80% Accel: 415.8 G (4.078 kps²)
Broadside: 5M, 3L, 3CM, 3PD
Chase: 2M, 1L, 2CM, 2PD
Number Built: 83
Service Life: 1861–present
The Havoc class was built as a successor to the Falcon-class destroyer. In many ways, its design presaged the move away from beam-heavy combatants to missile-heavy combatants. Designed as a general purpose destroyer, the Havoc class was able to perform all of the traditional destroyer missions and served many of them well. This was especially true in Silesia, where its mix of defensive armaments and adequate broadside made it a natural for anti-piracy operations. The skipper of a Havoc will generally attempt to keep the range open against its usual opponents, where the Havoc’s superior electronics and deep magazines provide it the greatest edge. Beam armament is modest at best, and a Havoc commander who approaches too aggressively places his command in danger.
As the buildup of light units accelerated and after hull numbers reached an unwieldy four digits, the RMN began to renumber its destroyers, with HMS Havoc being redesignated as DD-01 in 1873 PD. While the majority of the class are still in service, the combination of a small cramped hull and sub-par defenses have relegated the Havocs to rear-area duties and less important remote stations. With the latest round of EW refits, they remain well suited for anti-piracy operations, even if they are unsuited for combat against the Republic of Haven Navy.
Chanson-class
destroyer
Mass: 78,000 tons
Dimensions: 367 × 43 × 25 m
Acceleration: 520.7 G (5.107 kps²)
80% Accel: 416.6 G (4.085 kps²)
Broadside: 3M, 3L, 4CM, 4PD
Chase: 2M, 1L, 2CM, 2PD
Number Built: 204
Service Life: 1867–present
With King Roger’s naval expansion program in full swing, the RMN began a serious analysis of combat records from Silesia, and realized that ship defense needed significant improvement. The resulting destroyer, light cruiser, and heavy cruiser designs of the Enhanced Survivability Program all emphasized greater defensive armament and improved passive defenses. The destroyer design was the Chanson class.
By far the most numerous class of destroyer in the RMN, the Chanson is well suited to a variety of duties, from scouting and picket duty to the destroyer screen of a wall of battle, to independent operations “showing the flag” in smaller star polities. The class has long strategic endurance for a destroyer, making it popular with RMN planners, and its modern electronics suite and enhanced area defense capabilities make it better suited for convoy defense than the Havoc. Despite the reduction in launchers over the Havoc and Noblesse classes, the Chanson class remains strongest in a missile duel. Its heavy defenses and superior fire control allow it to hold its own against most destroyers and even some light cruisers as long as it can remain out of energy range. Still, it lacks the offensive punch of the Havoc class and its successor the Javelin class, a fact that was heavily criticized by opponents of the Enhanced Survivability Program.
When the Culverin class was delayed in the early 1900s, another flight of Chansons was ordered as a stop-gap. Other than incremental updates in electronics and fittings, these hulls are virtually identical to the older model Chansons, despite the ten-year gap in construction.