Kiev and MaréchalCommon European Space Agency DestroyersBy Bryn Monnery, Laurent Esmiol, David Gillon and Dan Hebditch Introduction
Acknowledgements The concept of the Kiev as a common European design is by David Gillon. Artwork is by Laurent Esmiol. The spreadsheet at Appendix 3 is by Michael Bolda.
Below: HMS Camperdown and USS Reagan racing away form Adlerhorst orbit in response to a Kafer incursion into the Vogelheim system on 8 July 2301 |
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CESAD
Batch 1 There
were five key design characteristics for the initial CESAD design. These
were: -
Common
hull design using standard RT2 composite materials. Whilst the sections
had to be cast in a special facility they could be assembled in almost
any shipyard. -
Modular
approach to internal systems allowing individual nations room to customise
avionics, sensors and other systems. -
A
heavy missile armament to maximise long range firepower. A laser armament
providing close defence and allowing close combat against smaller targets.
-
Protection
in the form of hull armour and shields developed for the Ypres.
-
A
commonly produced drive system utilising a French Alsthom designed
50MW fission reactor and a commercially available British Rolls-Royce
Clyde-550 stutterwarp drive. Hull
design The
hull is composed of three distinct parts all of which are armoured. -
The
bow contains the bulk of the operational, non-engineering, systems of
the ship. Including the bridge, computers, TAC, sensors, stores, life
support and almost all of the weapons. It also contains much of the
ship’s recreation space. -
The
spin habitat, which includes only sleeping quarters and a very small
med bay. These quarters are extremely cramped and are a bare minimum
for extended operations. -
The
stern contains the fission powerplant and the stutterwarp drive. In
addition the bulk of the engineering components and fuel is stored here. Overall
dimensions: -
Length:
59 m. -
Tonnage:
5410 tonnes Armament The
armament on the batch one was fairly standard, although several nations
used different systems the fit remained the same. However as the ships
went into refit a greater divergence of system emerged. The initial
layout was: -
5
x Guiscard LL-55 laser weapons mounted in five turrets. -
12
x CESAM carried in three bays located in the bow with three remote piloting
stations. Electronics Sensor
systems are provided by Darlan Opto-Physique whilst the targeting computer and combat system
are based on the Black
Arrow SSIS-2 developed
for HMS Dreadnought. -
Active
with one working station: -
DSAP
S-2252. (Active: 10) -
Passive
with two working stations: -
DSMSP
S-2253T (Passive: 5) -
Standard
Navigation systems, Gravitational sensors, Deep system scanners. Engineering
Systems -
Power
Plant: Alsthom 50Mw fission
reactor. -
Drive:
Rolls-Royce
Clyde 550 Old Commercial
30MW stutterwarp drive. Crew The
Batch 1 has a total of 70 crew: -
14
in bridge. -
11
in TAC -
37
in engineering. -
5
troops. -
1
in steward office. -
2
in medical bay. Living
conditions in the Batch 1 are cramped and crowded, the spin habitats
are used for sleeping only and are extremely claustrophobic. Life support
is sufficient for 90 days of operations. CESAD
Batch 2 The
main driver behind the Batch 2 design was to make the ship more comfortable
for extended durations and make some minor improvements in the overall
design. Hull
design There
only one change in hull design: -
The
addition of two extra modules in the spin habitat for a total of four.
The two new habitats are attached via walkways from the existing habitats
and braced using cables. Overall
dimensions: -
Length:
59 m. -
Tonnage:
5450 tonnes Electronics The
Batch 2 saw the introduction of a slightly improved passive system. -
Passive
with two working stations: -
DSMSP
S-2260T (Passive: 6) Engineering
Systems Whilst
most of the engineering systems remained the same, both the French and
British upgraded the stutterwarp drive to a more advanced model. Crew While
crew numbers remained the same the double of volume in the spin habitat
made the Batch 2 a much more comfortable ship for its crew and extended
range missions became possible. Indeed life support capacity has been
increased to 120 days. |
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Maréchal Sometimes
described as the Batch 3 CESAD, the Maréchal is in fact an entirely
French project, albeit one that draws strongly on the CESAD series.
It introduced several new design concepts. -
A
lengthened design for increased internal volume. -
Updated
systems including drives, sensors and combat system and materials. -
Increased
spin habitat volume and life support. Provision for specialist mission
modules. -
Lander
bay giving interface capability. |
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Hull
design -
Lengthened
stern to enclose lander bay. -
Spin
habitat as a modular ‘ring’ rather than individual habitats. -
The
main hull is armoured with RSC 5 composite whilst the habitat is unarmoured
and constructed from RTS 4 advanced synthetics. Overall
dimensions: -
Length:
70 m. -
Tonnage:
5860 tonnes -
100
tonnes of fuel for small craft. Armament The
overall layout of armament showed little change except for the innovation
of UTES technology: -
5
x Guiscard LL-69 laser weapons mounted on five UTES equipped turrets. -
12
x Ritage-1 carried in three bays located in the bow with three remote
piloting stations. Electronics The
combat system saw substantial revision with the use of the Rochard
P-15T combat system. -
Active
with one working station: -
DSAP
S-2265. (Active: 10) -
Passive
with two working stations: -
DSMSP
S-2267T (Passive: 10) -
Standard
Navigation systems, Gravitational sensors, Deep system scanners. -
Basic
survey sensors. Engineering
Systems -
Power
Plant: Alsthom 50Mw fission
reactor. -
Drive:
Rouchard-Ligget “Propulseur
Jérôme” PJ-30; 30MW old military stutterwarp drive. Crew The
Maréchal has a total of 73 crew: -
14
in bridge. -
11
in TAC -
37
in engineering. -
5
troops (can be expanded with correct modules). -
1
in steward office. -
2
in medical bay. -
2
scientific. -
1
small craft. Living
conditions in the Maréchal are well in advance on anything that has gone before, and
are still some of the roomiest in service, adding to their popularity.
The ship has 150 days of life support, giving it excellent endurance.
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Above: The IFS Foch (D624) the lead ship of the Maréchaux. Although the oldest class of destroyer still operating in the MSIF these ships are still highly regarded by their crews. (MSIF Media Ops)
CESAD Batch 1 Warp
Efficiency: 2.57 Life
Support: 90 days (72 personnel), Comfort: 0, Price:
53 Mlv. Ship Status Sheet
Hits Bridge:
Captain, Helm, Navigator, Communications, Engineering, Computer. TAC:
Active Sensors, 2xPassive Sensors, 6xFire Control, 3xRemote Operators Hull
Hits: 48/24/12 Power
Plant Hits: 66/12 Damage
Control: 6 teams Armament 12
CESAM with 3 datalinks or 12 Ritage-1 for French ships. CESAD
Batch 2 Warp
Efficiency: 2.56 (2.84 on French and British ships) Fuel:
20 tons (1 refuel for utility shuttle), Cargo: 450
cubic meters, Life
Support: 120 days (72 personnel), Comfort: 0 Price:
55.75 MLv. (75.25 MLv for upgraded drives) Ship Status Sheet
Hits Bridge:
Captain, Helm, Navigator, Communications, Engineering, Computer. TAC:
Active Sensors, 2xPassive Sensors, 6xFire Control, 3xRemote Operators Hull
Hits: 46 using Bryn’s rule (106) Power
Plant Hits: 66/12 Damage
Control: 6 teams
12
CESAM with 3 datalinks or 12 Ritage-1 for French ships.
Maréchal Warp
Efficiency: 2.76 Fuel:
20 tons (1 refuel for utility shuttle), Cargo: 290
cubic meters, Life
Support: 150 days (80 personnel), Comfort: 0, Price: 79 Mlv. Ship Status Sheet
Hits Bridge:
Captain, Helm, Navigator, Communications, Engineering, Computer. TAC:
Active Sensors, 2xPassive Sensors, 6xFire Control, 3xRemote Operators Hull
Hits: 62/31/15 Power
Plant Hits: 66/12 Damage
Control: 6 teams Armament
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Above: The IFS Du Guesclin, HMS Sluys and the Württemberg above Tirane in 2262 comemorating the first major battle of the Alpha Centauri War fought between two Argentine warships and ESA auxiliary crusiers from France, Bavaria and Britain exactly 100 years before. (Space Forces Monthly.)
France France purchased six Batch 1 CESADs, known as the Paladin Class, it then procured a further six Batch 2s as the Odysseus Class. The Batch 1 Paladins, Roland, Bertrand Du Guesclin, Montmorency, De La Tour d'Auvergne, Charles Martel and Cyrano de Bergerac were well received in-service and saw their last service during the Central Asian War in the core systems before being retired. The only combat loss was the Montmorency which was lost to Manchurian ambush. Some were sold on to French clients and others scrapped to recover the Tantalum used in the drive. The Odysseus class; Odysseus, Agammenon, Menelaus, Hector, Achille and Ajax followed on swiftly after the Paladins and provided the mainstay of the French long range destroyer fleet in the late 60s and early 70s when they were increasingly supplemented by the Maréchals. The Odysseus were prominent in the early years of the Central Asian War especially operating against Manchurian privateers on both the French and Chinese Arms. At the end of the Central Asian War and with the commissioning of the Patrie Class destroyers the Odysseus began to be paid off. The first three were sold to Azania while remaining three were retained in service following the rise in Franco-German tensions and saw service in the core during the 2292-93 war, when the Hector was destroyed in the Battle of Hochbaden, before finally being paid off being sold to Freihafen. France took the lead with the so-called Batch 3 or Maréchaux and commissioned seven of these craft which were completed in the 2270’s. These were the Maréchal Foch, Maréchal Suchet, Maréchal Marsin, Maréchal Ney, Maréchal Bouvier, Maréchal Villars and the Maréchal Leclerc. These ships are the oldest destroyers still in regular MSIF service and are very highly regarded. They have seen heavy action against the Kafers with the Maréchal Suchet and Maréchal Bouvier being lost in action.
Below: Maréchal Foch and Maréchal Ney of the French 3e Flotte's Division de Torpilleurs 31 being provisioned above Beta Canum-4 in Spring 2301. These ships would form the backbone of Rochemont's operations in the Beta Canum Cluster over the next year. Note the Foch is being fitted with troop accomodation modules. (MSIF Media Ops.) |
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Britain Britain
was always the most lukewarm of the ESA nations towards the CESAD project.
They had already been proceeding with their own high-tech Dreadnought
destroyer project, which the RSN had high hopes for. However the
Dreadnought was a cutting edge design which had already suffered
numerous cost overruns. The Treasury was looking for a way of curtailing
these costs and along with the Foreign Office began to push for participation
in CESAD. Ultimately a messy, very British, compromise was reached Dreadnought
and her two sisters would be completed, but the MoD would purchase
CESAD as its main combat destroyer of the 60’s and 70’s. She would also
participate in the CESAC project. The British purchased six CESAD, three Batch 1 ships and three Batch 2. These were named the Trafalgar, Nile, Sluys, Cape St Vincent, Copenhagen and Camperdown. The naming of these ships after victories over the French or French allies was noted in the popular press and perceived, rightly or wrongly, as the RSN’s commentary on being levered into the CESAD programme. Once in service however the Battle Class proved capable and popular ships. Although not quite as cutting edge as the Dreadnoughts they were certainly more reliable and easier to operate. The Batch 1 ships operated almost exclusively in the core systems and were frequently deployed on OQC duties. The longer ranged Batch 2 were more frequently used as command ships for colonial squadrons on the French Arm and on patrols on the Chinese Arm. Trafalgar, Nile and Sluys were eased out of service in the late-2270s, being sold on and were replaced by Resolution Class destroyers developed from the Dreadnoughts. However the 3 Batch 2 Battles were retained in service and continuously upgraded giving good service in the colonies in the unstable years of the Central Asian and German Reunification Wars. Copenhagen and Camperdown remained in service through the 2290s although Cape St Vincent was retired due to a chronic drive malfunction. These ageing ships were retained specifically for peacekeeping duties in the Vogelheim system, with one routinely deployed to the system and the other refitting at Earth. Plans were well laid to retire these ships when the Kafer War erupted which led to both ships being retained during the hostilities. Camperdown
in particular wrote herself a glorious footnote to her service in action
with the force protecting Vogelheim, and then as a part of Rochemont’s
Fleet. She has since returned to Earth for a hero’s welcome, it is likely
both ships will be paid off soon although there is talk about retaining
them for core defence duties or converting Camperdown into a
museum. Azania Azania leapt at the opportunity to become involved in the CESAD programme and Azania was the main supplier of drive coils for export versions of the ship. Azania procured 3 Batch 1 CESAD Isandlwana, Nkandhla and Majuba which were used extensively as at the time they were the most capable ships in Azanian service. A
further 3 Batch 2s were procured as the Blaauwberg, Vegkop
and Magersfontein specifically to support the expansion of Azania's
colonial holdings at far off Joi in the 61 Ursae Majoris system. These
were later supplemented with the purchase of three former French Odysseus
Class CESADs due to the increased tensions at 61 Ursae Majoris caused
by the Elysian Revolt. These ships were renamed as the Otavi,
Mavinga and Mbholompo The
hard used Batch 1s were increasingly used only as training ships and
guard units in the Alpha Centauri system into the early 90s and they
have since been sold on. To replace them three new build Maréchaux were procured: Shaka,
Cetshwayo and Mbuoto Bavaria
Bavaria was a keen member of the CESAD |
