Post by Daniel Gage on Sept 8, 2014 2:40:19 GMT
Class: Vancouver
Unit type: Frigate (Escort)
Manufacturer: Earth Federal Space Forces
Operators: Earth Federal Space Forces, Anti-Earth Union Group,
First deployment: UC 0086
Dimensions: Length 138 meters, maximum beam 22 meters
Displacement: 3975 tons fully loaded
Equipment and design features:
Fixed armaments:
Anti-Ship:
2 X Quick Beam Cannon, power rated at 57 MW (Heavy) mounted in bow
4 X Missile Tubes, (Capital), mounted in bow
Anti-Air:
6 X Particle Shot Cannons, mounted in 2 batteries of 3
4 X Twin machine cannon turrets, mounted in 2 batteries of 2 (Assault)
Description:
The One Year War fundamentally changed the nature of space combat. The complete annhialation of the EFSF’s escort fleet in the opening moves of Zeon’s opening offensive went through the few pre-70s Rearmement Plan frigates rapidly. Most thought the frigate weight was dead, since they were too small to carry mobile suits and any kind of meaningful weapons fit, especially given that they couldn’t be effectively armored.
Until the advent of the particle shot cannon, no one predicted their return. The Vancouver-class was developed to serve as a low-cost escort to bolster a task group’s antiair defenses. Armed with an impressive antiair battery, it can successfully provide supplemental point defense to a larger unit when tucked in close. If it coordinates its fires with a capital ship, the pair can even mount an effective area defense without their own mobile suits, thus reducing the almost universally fatal results any time task group encountered a mobile suit group without its own cover.
Against other ships, the Vancouver serves as a fast-moving missile boat, relying heavily on the ability of its speed to get it into knife range for an attack with its missile batteries, as it only has space for a single lightweight beam cannon for the anti-ship role. This leaves them very vulnerable to other ships when committed to a battle unsupported by heavier forces. Nevertheless, their small size, low cost, and ease of production has resulted in a high degree of popularity and practicality. The Federal Forces and Titans have both ordered many of them, and the AEUG has managed to procure the plans and is building its own flotilla of these small but capable warships.