Fuerza Espacial Argentina 2303

By Demetrios Rammos

Overview

The Fuerza Espacial Argentina (Argentine space force) is the oldest such force in human space. In the aftermath of 4 wars and many more incidents against Brazilian and British ships and constantly outnumbered by her opponents since her creation the FEA has developed into a ferocioucly competitive, highly trained force that before the Kafer war could well claim to be the most experienced of all human forces. Argentina hasn't seen much action against the Kafer yet but that is bound to change as hostilities continue.

The present FEA fleet consists almost solely of ships built in the military buildup initiated after the 3rd Rio Plata war to keep in pace with developments in Brazil and Britain and deal with problems revealed in the war, where Brazil's introduction of detonation missile came as a lethal surprise to the FEA.

Fleet organization

FEA is using a battlegroup doctrine roughly similar to its German and Brazilian counterparts although like Brazilian ships FEA vessels are much better optimised for single ship operations compared to their German counterparts. Argentine battlegroups have been designed to operate at a 3+ warp speed, somewhat slower than Brazil but comparable with RSN vessels.

Overall numbers

carriers: 0+1 (planned)
battlecruisers : 3+1
cruisers: 8
destroyers:9
frigates: 18
fighters: 60

Operational commands

Earth

1st battlegroup
1st to 3rd frigate divisions
1st and 2nd fighter squadrons

Tirane

2nd battlegroup
4th to 6th frigate divisions
3,4 fighter squadrons

Montana

3rd battlegroup
7th to 9th frigate divisions
5,6,7 fighter squadrons

Ships

? class CV

Design Date: 2298
First Example Laid Down: 2303
First Example Completed: 2306
Fleets in Service: Argentina
Number in Service: 0+1
Names: yet undecided.

Light carriers each to carry 12 Pulqui fighters. Argentina was caught somewhat behind in carrier development and the first ship has been just laid down in 2303 and is sheduled to complete in 2306.

Santa Maria class BC

Design Date: 2280
First Example Laid Down: 2285
First Example Completed: 2290
Fleets in Service: Argentina
Number in Service: 3+1
Names: Santa Maria, La Argentina, Chimborazo, Islas Malvidas (to complete 2305)

Argentina's answer to the Nelson class the Santa Maria's are highly effective ships and innovative ships that had several features copied by other navies they are a prime example on Argentine emphasis on ship protection. The Brazilian response came with the Sneider class that shares certain characteristics with her Argentinean rival.

Warp efficiency: 3.3; Power Plant: 240 MW fusion; Fuel: 3510t; ; Mass: 23584t full, 28357t empty ; Cargo Capacity: 4536.1 cubic m; Crew: 242 (40 Bridge, 12 Flag, 35 TAC,  27 Small Craft,  35 Engineering, 75 troops, 5 science,  5 stewards, 8 medical); Comfort: 0;  Life Support:  180 days; Cost: 460.47 MLv, exclusive of small craft and ordnance

Ship Status Sheet
Move: 7; Screens: 6; Radiated Signature: 4(7); Radial Reflected: 5(6); Lateral Reflected: 9; Target Computers: +2; Radial Profile: -1; Lateral Profile: +3; Armour: 10; Hull hits: 200; Power Plant Hits: 160; Active: 16 and redundant; Passive: 12 and redundant;  Other: 6 Pulqui fighters in 6 bays, 3 landers in 3 bays.

Weapons
8 2+1  laser in single turrets with TTA, 8 3-2 particle beams with TTA, 8 LL-7 equivalant, 32 EM-10 missiles in 8 bays

Independencia class CG

Design Date: 2275
First Example Laid Down: 2280
First Example Completed: 2282
Fleets in Service: Argentina
Number in Service: 8
Names: Independencia, Veinticinco de Mayo, Almirante Brown, Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Cordoba, Corrientes

Conterporary in design to the Kennedy and the Ligeiro the Independencia class has followed her own unique path, exchanging speed for armor and thanks to the use of an OC warp is cheaper than both units although counting missiles the difference is minimal. The much faster Independencia II is in the design boards for some time but the FEA axquisitions board is still debating the 67 Mlv increase in cost from the standard ships.

Warp efficiency: 3.28; Power Plant: 180 MW fusion; Mass: 10929t ; Cargo Capacity: 3042,7 cubic m; Crew: 96 (20 Bridge, 20 TAC, 27 Engineering, 25 troops, 4 medical); Comfort: 0;  Life Support:  180 days; Cost: 203.51 MLv, exclusive of small craft and ordnance

Ship Status Sheet
Move: 7; Screens: 6; Radiated Signature: 4(7); Radial Reflected: 5(6); Lateral Reflected: 7; Target Computers: +2; Radial Profile: 0; Lateral Profile: +1; Armour: 10; Hull hits: 75; Power Plant Hits: 120; Active: 16 and redundant; Passive: 12 and redundant; 

Weapons
12 1+1 laser in single turrets with UTES, 6 LHH-637 submunition dispensers, 24 EM-10 missiles in 6 bays.

Hercules class DD

Design Date: 2280
First Example Laid Down: 2285
First Example Completed: 2287
Fleets in Service: Argentina, Mexico, Turkey
Number in Service: 9
Names:  Hercules, Chuchui, Mentoza, Chubut, Tucuman, San Juan, Santa Cruz, Salta, Santa Fe

Influenced by the larger Independencia class in its design the Hercules is an essential part of the FEA it has also seen export to Mexico while a couple are building for Chile.

Warp efficiency: 3.27; Power Plant: 100 MW fusion; Mass: 6529t ; Cargo Capacity: 1507.9 cubic m; Crew: 48 (14 Bridge, 16 TAC, 16 Engineering, 2 medical); Comfort: 0;  Life Support: 180 days; Cost: 137.9 MLv, exclusive of small craft and ordnance

Ship Status Sheet
Move: 7; Screens: 3; Radiated Signature: 3(6); Radial Reflected: 6; Lateral Reflected: 7; Target Computers: +2; Radial Profile: -1; Lateral Profile: +1; Armour: 10; Hull hits: 50; Power Plant Hits: 66; Active: 16 and redundant; Passive: 12 and redundant; 

Weapons
10 1+1 laser in single turrets with TTA, 4 LL-7 submunition dispensers, 16 EM-10 missiles in 4 bays.

Espora class FF

Design Date: 2274
First Example Laid Down: 2277
First Example Completed: 2279
Fleets in Service: Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Spain
Number in Service: 18
Names: Espora, Spineli, Agopian, Spiro, Nicolaidi, Toricelli, Rodriguez, Ruiz, Abramovits, Olivieri, Inrepida, Indomita, Heroina, Sarandi, Rosales, Parker, Drummond, Guerrico.

A cheap yet capable frigate the Espora class has been the cheapest and easiest in maintainance Argentine designers could come up with that was still able of taking on a Leander class frigate on its terms. The design has been also exported to Mexico and more recently Chile while Spain has also bought a couple of ships

Warp efficiency: 2.26; Power Plant: 18 MW fission; Mass: 2629.4t ; Cargo Capacity: 115.16 cubic m; Crew: 40 (14 Bridge, 10 TAC, 14 Engineering, 2 medical); Comfort: 0;  Life Support: 180 days; Cost: 36.1 MLv, exclusive of small craft and ordnance

Ship Status Sheet
Move: 5; Screens: 0; Radiated Signature: 2(5); Radial Reflected: 5; Lateral Reflected: 6; Target Computers: +2; Radial Profile: -2; Lateral Profile: 0; Armour: 4; Hull hits: 32; Power Plant Hits: 24; Active: 10 and redundant; Passive: 10 and redundant; 

Weapons
6 1 MW laser in single turrets with TTA, 2 LL-7 submunition dispensers, 8 EM-10 missiles in 2 bays.

Pulqui class fighter

A fighter that has caused more than a bit of controversary inside Argentina Pulqui is easily one of the best fighters in the world if not the best fighter in the world according to some of its supporters. The downside is that it costs a little over 30 million livre apiece.

Warp efficiency: 3.75; Power Plant: 6 MW MHD; Mass: 314t ; Cargo Capacity: 0.2 cubic m; Crew: 2 Life Support: 3 days; Cost: 30.27 MLv.

Ship Status Sheet
Move: 8; Screens: 0; Radiated Signature: 4; Radial Reflected: 4; Lateral Reflected: 4; Target Computers: +2; Radial Profile: -3; Lateral Profile: -2; Armour: 10; Hull hits: 32 (4); Power Plant Hits: 12; Active: 10 and redundant; Passive: 12 and redundant; 

Weapons
1 2+1 laser in jack turret with UTES, 2 LL-7 submunition dispensers

EM-10 missile

Effectively an equivalent of the Fan Tan missile. 

Warp efficiency: 3.83; Power Plant: 0.2 MW MHD; Mass: 14.68t ; Cost: 10.065 MLv. Warhead: 10x2; Move: 8; Fuel, 5 hrs: 0.45 tons