Escort Carriers
I am listing the following ships as "Escort Carriers" in order to differentiate them from the standard carriers. They are, however, intended to be alternatives to the existing carriers, not supplements.SFB carrier "doctrine" is built around making carriers combat capable ships, but then surround them with almost totally defensive ships. This means that the ship that is least expendable (the carrier) must be pushed farthest into combat to make effective use of the weapons of the carrier group.
Instead, why not make the carrier itself the defensive ship, and surround it with standard warships? This forces the fleet commander to keep the non-offensive carrier away from the direct combat, and put the less valuable escorts directly into combat. To implement this, the carriers are built basically as a combination of the standard carrier and the escort based on the same hull. (E.g. the FVE is a combination of the FFV and FFE.) They include limited aegis and are later refitted with full aegis when available. Those ships introduced after full aegis automatically include it.
Note that the escort requirements are unchanged in that SC4 carriers must have at least 1 escort, SC3 carriers must have at least 2 escorts and SC2 carriers must have 3 escorts. The difference is that standard warships are used to fulfill this requirement.
Federation
This really fits well with the established history of the Federation, in that gatling phasers are rare and difficult to produce, and they are supposed to be all about the photon. In a traditional arrangement, the extremely valuable carrier is thrust into direct combat (to use what are usually the only offensive weapons in the carrier group), and the difficult to produce gatling phasers are spread across relatively easy to kill escorts. The traditional arrangement is also always a source of temptation to turn those gatling armed escorts to offensive pursuits. With the Escort Carriers, the carrier is held back from combat, but is then also given weapons with which to defend itself. These carriers are not unarmed (like some older carriers), but rather are defensively armed and able to fully defend themselves against drone and fighter attacks. The carrier's escorts, being standard warships, are then able to directly press the combat with the fighters.
Heavy Escort Carrier (CVAE): The Heavy Carrier simply trades its photons in for more drone racks. Its other weapons were already at escort levels. It can control a number of drones equal to double its sensor rating. (ssd)
Strike Escort Carrier (CVSE): The CVSE replaces its photons with drone racks and gains a pair of gatlings. It can control a number of drones equal to double its sensor rating. (ssd)
New Escort Carrier (NVE): The NVE would be a very common carrier. The Federation would attempt to make sure every significant fleet contained at least an NVE, if not a larger carrier. It replaces the photons with drones, side phasers with gatlings, and AWR for cargo boxes. Its cargo boxes use the escort cargo rules (R2.R5). It can control a number of drones equal to double its sensor rating. (ssd)
Light Escort Carrier (NVLE): The precursor to the NVE. It has only two drone racks, but still has the full suite of gatling phasers. The NVE quickly replaced and superseded the NVLE, relegating the few examples to training ships. Its cargo boxes use the escort cargo rules (R2.R5). It can control a number of drones equal to double its sensor rating. (ssd)
Medium Escort Carrier (CLVE): The CLVE swaps out the side phasers for gatling phasers and drone racks and the photons for more drone racks. It also trades lab capabilities for cargo capacity, as on the escort. Its cargo boxes use the escort cargo rules (R2.R5). It can control a number of drones equal to double its sensor rating. (ssd)
War Destroyer Escort Carrier (DVE): Similar conversion as the NVE. Its cargo boxes use the escort cargo rules (R2.R5). It can control a number of drones equal to its sensor rating. (ssd)
Frigate Escort Carrier (FVE): The FVE is much more effective than either the FFV or the FFE. It sacrifices its APR for a second drone rack and installs gatlings on the sides. It could be assigned singly to frigate squadrons to provide attrition units, or it could be deployed in pairs to larger squadrons or fleets as an alternative for heavier carriers. It can control a number of drones equal to its sensor rating. (ssd)The CVL and CVE are unchanged, as they are both simply survey cruisers with fighters, not purpose-built carriers. Neither get aegis as they are designed for independent operations.
Klingon
The Klingon escorts are significantly less effective than Federation escorts. That said, they are still quite good at providing cover against incoming drone waves. The Klingons would therefore be much more interested in this approach as it allows the carrier to be highly resistant to drones, and allows the carrier's escorts to be much more effective regular warships.
Heavy Escort Carrier (C8VE): Changes the disruptors out for drone racks. This ship is about as drone-proof as you can get without gatling phasers. It can control a number of drones equal to double its sensor rating. (ssd)
Escort Space Control Ship (C8SE): This is configured just like the C8VE, except that the drone racks on the center engine are swapped out for special sensors, giving it incredible flexibility. (ssd)
Strike Escort Carrier (D7VE): A combination of the D7V and the AD6. An effective ship that doesn't have to make the compromises of the D5VE. (ssd)
Escort War Carrier (D5VE): Changes the carrier to adopt the AD5's wing P-3s and replaces the disruptors with drones. The AD5's engine phasers would have been nice, but the drones were more important. It can control a number of drones equal to double its sensor rating. (ssd)
Escort Mobile Carrier (FWVE): This take the FWV and replaces the disruptors with drones, while ignoring the FWE. It is rather disappointing when compared to the F5VE. (ssd)
Escort Frigate Carrier (F5VE): This directly combines the F5V with the AF5. It is a surprisingly powerful and effective escort carrier. (ssd)Romulan
Romulans have three separate lines of carriers, but the vast majority of their carriers are all based on their Hawk series of ships. With the modular Hawks, there is no real way to implement this strategy, as the modules are either escort modules, or carrier modules. The core of the ship is always the same. As such, the Romulan Hawk carriers don't change. This means that, unlike the Feds or Klingons, they will make some or all of their required carrier escorts actual escorts.
Kzinti
The Kzinti are configured exactly as the Klingons, and work out very similarly. This strategy provides for drone resistant carriers escorts with normal warships. The conversion strategy used by Kzinti escorts is very consistent (replace disruptors with Ph-1s; replace all drone racks with Type-G drone racks), so that same conversion is done to the Kzinti carriers.
Heavy Escort Carrier (CVAE): The large number of phasers, Type-G drone racks, and pair of ADD racks will cut down a significant number of drones. (ssd)
Strike Escort Carrier (CVSE): Has a surprising number of phasers. Again, would take a lot of drones to get through its defenses. (ssd)
Light Escort Carrier (CVLE): Uses the base conversion. Still suffers from the small fighter squadron for the hull size. (ssd)
Medium Escort Carrier (MCVE): This directly combines the MCV with the MEC using the base conversion (ssd)
Mobile Escort Carrier (DWVE): Uses the base conversion. While not as impressive as its larger brethren, it is still quite effective. (ssd)Gorn
For most of the Gorn escorts, all that is done is changing the Pl-F torpedoes out for Pl-D racks. For example the CE and CV, both based on the CL, use the exact same weapon pattern. As most carriers do this as a matter of course, there aren't a whole lot of differences in the Gorn carriers. The only exceptions to this are the carriers and escorts based on the HDD and BDD. These two escort carriers are different.
Heavy Escort Carrier (CVAE): This is just the standard CVA with the refit Pl-F replaced by Pl-D racks. It is kind of inexplicable why this isn't done with the "real" CVA, as it breaks the normal carrier pattern. (ssd)
Strike Escort Carrier (CVSE): The ship is the same as the standard CVS, but aegis is added.
Escort Carrier (CVE): The ship is the same as the standard CV, but aegis is added.
Heavy Destroyer Escort Carrier (HVE): The HVE is a major exception to the other carriers. The HDE makes significant changes (unlike the CE), therefore the HVE is quite different. Takes the HDV, changes the Pl-S to 2 tractors, and adds the HDE's wings This gives the escort carrier a purely defensive posture. (ssd)
Mobile Escort Carrier (BDVE): Unlike the BDE and BDV on which this is based, this escort carrier sacrifices the central plasma launcher. In its place is a tractor, and the extra space freed up allows for more plasma racks and phasers. (ssd)
Hydran
Hydran escorts are based on the fusion version of the primary hull, but replace the fusions with Ph-Gs and add in some more fighters. For escort carriers, there are then two approaches. For carriers with heavy weapons (like the ID and DWV), the heavy weapons would be replaced with Ph-Gs. For carriers without heavy weapons (which is the vast majority of them), they would need to replace some number of their existing phasers with Ph-Gs. Oddly, they already have one fighter that requires no changes as it already fits this configuration: the Scythian escort carrier. And it is even called an escort carrier!
Heavy Escort Carrier (CVAE): This is based on the Iron Duke (ID). The heavy weapons are swapped for Ph-Gs and aegis is added.
Lyran
Heavy Cruiser Escort Carrier (CAVE): This is based on the Cavalier (CAV). Since it has no heavy weapons, its Ph-2s are replaced with Ph-Gs and the forward Ph-1s are retained as Ph-1s. Aegis is added.
New Heavy Cruiser Escort Carrier (NCVE): This is based on the Mohawk-V (MKV). As with the CAVE, the Ph-2s are replaced with Ph-Gs and the forward Ph-1s are retained as Ph-1s. Aegis is added.
Medium Escort Carrier (CMVE): This is based on the Cossack (COS). The Ph-2s are replaced with Ph-Gs and the forward Ph-1s are retained. Aegis is added.
New Light Escort Carrier (NVLE): This is based on the underwhelming NVL. Replace the Ph-2s with Ph-Gs and add aegis. Still underwhelming.
Destroyer Escort Carrier (DDVE): This is based on the awesome Uhlan (UH). Replace the Ph-2s with Ph-Gs and add aegis.
War Destroyer Escort Carrier (DWVE): This is based on the Vampire Hunter. Replace the fusion beams with Ph-Gs and add aegis.
Escort Carrier (CVE): This is the Scythian. Simply add aegis. No other changes.
For the Lyrans to implement this idea, they would replace any disruptor on a carrier with a phaser. That is the only change that is made for Lyran escorts, so that would need to be the change made for carriers to make them into escort carriers. This would be done because it will actually increase the number of disruptors in the fleet as all of the required escorts can now be standard disruptor-armed warships. The carriers would then be responsible for protecting themselves with their forest of phasers.
Heavy Escort Carrier (CVAE): This is the standard CVA with the disruptors replaced by Ph-1s. Aegis is added. (no ssd)
Escort Carrier (CVE): This is the standard CV with the disruptors replaced by Ph-1s. (ssd)
Light Escort Carrier (CVLE): The CVL has no disruptors, and the one disruptor it could have has already been replaced by a phaser. The ship is the same as the standard CVL, but aegis is added.
Mobile Escort Carrier (DWVE): The DWV has no disruptors, and the one disruptor it could have has already been replaced by a phaser. The ship is the same as the standard DWV, but aegis is added.
Page last modified Thursday, 01/02/23.
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