Sic transit gloria mundi
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Sub a ship.
Image Source: Here.
Canon Link: N/A.
Permissions: N/A.
Primary Source: Caravel Class Heavy Lander.
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Firemane Industries.
Affiliation: Firemane Industries.
Market Status: Closed-Market
Model: FM-HT1b
Production: Limited
Material: Durasteel, Alusteel, standard starship components.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Classification: Heavy, Multi-Purpose Transport.
Length: 400m
Width: 200m
Height: 50m
Armament: Very Low
- 6 dual turbolasers
- 8 fast mount turbolasers
- Heavy reinforced armour plating.
- Redundant shield generators.
- Internal decompression seals.
- Jamming Systems
- Many quad lasers
- Multiple Point-defence weapons.
Hangar Allocations:
- Starfighters: 0 squadrons
- Support Craft: 0 squadrons
Maneuverability Rating: High
Speed Rating: Very High.
Hyperdrive: Yes. 1.0.
STANDARD FEATURES
- All standard features of a ship of its size, class and purpose. Aside from the standard, this also includes:
- Hypersleep Caskets for Crew (Optional)
- Nutrimax Dispensers to ensure culinary efficiency. Grunts complain about the food for some mind-boggling reason.
- Unlike the standard Caravel, the Ghurab landing ship cannot just fly and land on soft ground. The vessel has deployable water engines. It can redeploy itself so it's more dynamic for flowing through water. It also features some repulsor engines to hover just above the water, or to move onto land without engaging the main drive engines. That helps it travel on and above water and also move itself onto land as needed.
- Advanced sensor, encryption and communications systems, enabling it to serve as a mobile command centre during terrestrial and maritime operations. Enlightenment Quantum Communicator Stage 2 may be installed to enhance secure communications with field commands.
- Storage separated into 4 'quadrants' and two wing 'corridors'. Any can be sealed off to prevent hull rupture spreading. Any quadrant can be jettisoned and has its own life support and (very slow) propulsion. These can even land if detached in atmosphere.
- Can carry a very large force of soldiers. The passenger capacity is reduced if the vessel also transports vehicles such as speeders, tanks or walkers. It can transport and deploy the Patriot Class Amphibious Landing Craft, the Aulanerk Tactical Assault Boat and similarly sized watercraft on the waterways.
- Ablative Armour
- Nav Computer Route Astrogation Bypass
- Particle-emitters
- Anti-Ion Emission Tracer
- Sensor Scramblers
- Signal Jammers
- Heavily armoured, multi-purpose transport. It cannot just fly through space and atmosphere and land on the surface, but also move on water and deploy amphibious landing craft.
- Heavy Defences. With very heavy shielding, armour and special decompression seals, it is a tough nut to crack. Only the heaviest ground weapons have a chance of piercing its armour and shields.
- The vessel is useless in space or air combat, but can use its weapons against ground targets to provide fire support. At least its guns will make enemy troops take cover.
- It is designed for one purpose: troop transport and deployment. It has minimal capital weapons, and is a large boxy target. If this ship is caught in battle it is very vulnerable.
- The transport has no weapons on the bottom. Moreover, the weapons are scattered around the rim and top.
- Soft Inside. Though heavily protected due to armour and shielding, a well-aimed or lucky shot can tear into the corridors or quadrants, killing or jettisoning personnel and equipment. Though other areas are not crippled by the loss of one area, the loss of soldiers and hardware is still devastating. A single unfortunate strike can do the work of a week-long ground campaign.
- No hangar. The vessel does not carry any attack or support craft, which means it lacks starfighter escorts.
The Ghurab Class is named after an archaic sailing ships common on Tygara, a world that has only recently been exposed to the greater galaxy. Tygara is a world where seas and oceans play a huge role in transport, trade and thus also warfare. Sea power is just as essential as air or ground power. The Ghurab is supposed to fill a niche by helping out in all these areas. Unlike a standard landing ship such as the Caravel, it cannot just fly and land on soft ground. The vessel has deployable water engines. It can redeploy itself so it's more dynamic for flowing through water. It also features some repulsor engines to hover just above the water, or to move onto land without engaging the main drive engines. That helps it travel on and above water and also move itself onto land as needed.
The vessel's ability to traverse so many different environments has led to a bizarre inter-service turf war. Firemane's surface fleet has laid claim to it because it moves over water, and the navy wants it because it is a big spaceship. The army has complained about the bickering, but everyone keeps shooting its attempts to create an independent aerospace corps down. The landing ship is able to transport a substantial number of troops, be it motorised, infantry, armour or support directly into combat. Moreover, it can be used to deploy amphibious landing craft. Equipped with a potent array of sensors and heavily encrypted communications systems, it can potentially serve as a command centre during amphibious landing operations.
Moreover, since it can follow the troops it has deployed onto the ground. With its heavy armour and shielding, it makes a good command post. Heavy reinforced armour plates overlayed by redundant shield generators and internal decompression seals means that it is a tough nut to crack, unless engaged by larger ships at close range. However, its ability to hit back is very limited. It relies on its heavy defences and decent speed since its armaments are pitiful for space combat.
Quad lasers and point defence do allow it to protect itself against attack craft and support ground troops in the process of landing. The quad lasers and few turbolasers can fare better when bombarding enemy ground troops than they do in space combat. The Ghurab has no hangar, but smaller transport vessels can dock with it to take the personnel and equipment from altitude to the ground if needed.
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