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Description
Basic Information

Deployment Date: 97 AE
Displacement: 350,000 tons
Length: 1,000.00 meters
Beam: 350.00 meters
Height: 240.00 meters
Number of Decks: 20 primary, 8 secondary.

Non-FTL: Propulsion: 8 Landau-Model Interplanetary Class X sub-light propulsion systems
FTL Propulsion: 2 Kakuma/Chernoff Type H Coaxial Jump drives.
Speed: 6.9-10.35kmp
Range: 4 Year voyage
Complement: 2,931 officers and enlisted.

Armament:
    4× Mark IX AMPP Torpedo Launcher (1x4)
    8× ATML Energy Weapons Bank (1x8)
80× DRAIL, Type 4/AA - Point Defense
240× ATML Energy Weapons Array - Point Defense

Craft Carried:
295× Light Deep Space Fighter
177× Medium Deep Space Fighter
59× Heavy Deep Space Fighter
60× Small Craft
12× Dropships (Models vary depending on mission)

Overview

   The Opathe class served the Commonwealth as an able peacetime fleet carrier with what was considered at the time the most advanced craft handling capabilities. It was also deemed to have forward compatible facilities despite the archaic-appearance of the craft. As a testament to the Opathe’s career not a single such craft was ever lost in combat or in peacetime despite multiple battles with the Hulegu. The relative success of the vessel prompted an upgrade/overhaul in 87 AE for additional service. This upgrade came before the Serian League came knocking and with no consideration of the realities of a war against a very well trained opponent. The refitted craft was internally and visually different enough to be known as the Maasai class/retrofit. The entrance into war in 88 AE signaled the end of the Opathe-type carrier’s dominance as a fleet command element with the loss of four such craft in single month during the conflict. It became readily apparent that the upgrades simply were not enough; the Opathe when upgraded was not able to coordinate war fleets and was not at all able to match the Serian’s ability to coordinate attack craft or sustain damage in combat. Fortunately, in the 70’s early proposals existed for replacements of the Opathe and most of the best of these designs were combined to produce the Unathi class hybrid carriers off of the Kongo class cruiser chassis. This left the fleet carrier role completely empty as the fleet still needed a mobile vessel that could command, control and coordinate a battle.

   The Atakora/Atakira class carrier came into existence as a homework exercise of a Naval engineering student’s theoretical work in designing a “advanced carrier concept”. The design would have languished in a professor’s desk at the Natitingou Institute of Naval Design and Study had it not been for the chancellor’s review and audit of student submitted documents in 68 AE. The unfinished but reasonably complete (for the assignment standards) design was revolutionary for its time, and theoretically what the institute needed to politically prove that it’s students were top notch. The designer was hailed as brilliant and a head of his time but the issue was tracking down the designer. Normal searches proved difficult, he as it turned out had went off the grid. As fate would have it, the student; Tafari Werknesh despite his apparent genius, had fallen into despair and had joined the threadbare homeless population on the moon of Fh’shoti. Much to the shock of the University and Military representatives seeking him he willingly gave up all rights to the design that would become the Atakora in exchange for several liters of Samuraan Rum. Several days later the designer of the Atakora class carrier was found dead of alcohol poisoning in an improvised shack comprised of cardboard and salvaged corrugated tin and fiber-steel siding. The death of Mr. Werknesh stood as a dark point to the progress of the design, it was considered inappropriate that the resulting ship class which had no name be named after its creator because of social stigmas associated with his death. Additionally Werknesh’s parents and family would likely object as they were of a particularly conservative mindset. The resulting design was thus named after the province of the designer’s birth. Up until this publication the exact origins of the Atakora class were a well-kept state secret as to avoid any shame to the family of Tafari Werknesh Fortunately, the resulting ship on the other hand is an excellent case of a genius seeing the need early.

Capabilities

   The Atakora class is by all definitions a true wartime fleet carrier as its prolonged design time has allowed for some critical considerations in what the final design would be able to do and how it would do it. In review using historical records as well as more modern battle reports and footage the original designer of the craft realized that all carriers suffer from the same primary fault in that the first casualty of carrier operation is the flight deck and associated facilities. This weakness of carriers is that they trade weapons for fighter craft space, which in turn requires some form of flight deck which must be big enough to launch enough craft quickly during battle to apply the fighters as indirect ranged attack power. These large flight decks limit what can be done from an engineering perspective and make for a very obvious large target. Secondly, all carriers suffer from the fact that the fighters must be fueled and rearmed from magazines and fuel supplies that have a higher chance to be detonated if the flight deck or hull of the craft is reasonably penetrated by ordinance designed to be armor penetrating or that relied on sheer explosive force to do internal damage. In every Terran conflict where carriers were involved and saw close combat every carrier that was lost was lost due to the aforementioned design flaws because in truth they had a relatively low battle damage tolerance.

   The Atakora solves the first problem common to all carriers by simply having a flight deck module for lack of a better term. The forward half of the vessel contains the flight deck but the entire flight deck module can be jettisoned. This ability allows for the rear half of the craft to move clear of a critical detonation in the flight deck section or alternately preserve enough of the carrier that the navy has not lost an entire ship. In general repair of the Atakora is about the same as any carrier but the ability to simply attach a new flight deck in replacement of the old cuts the potential time spent in dry dock for repair in half. Additionally because the Flight deck has a separate life support system, power generation, secondary sensors and its own secondary main computer the flight deck could conceivably act as a life boat (two months) if the rear half is critically damaged. The forward half has no FTL propulsion and limited sub-light propulsion. As per standard Commonwealth naval doctrine, both halves of the Atakora have scuttling charges built into them that are of sufficient power to destroy the craft as a whole or in half (if detached) to prevent the craft from being captured by an enemy.

Damage resistance is the second problem with carrier design. Little can be done for the fact that carriers are large targets or that flight decks take up incredible amounts of space. The Atakora has a respectable amount of armor by warship standards and an exceptionally thick armor belt by carrier standards. This armor is distributed as a whole across the entirety of the vessel and even the flight deck is not lacking in protection. The large size of the vessel compared to the older Opathe types is partially a result of this. The exact amount of armor and its layout is more like that of a heavy cruiser than a carrier which improves the ship’s durability. Unlike a cruiser the armor is spaced with the gaps between being filled with intracellular regenerative hull materials. The inclusion of a self-sealing hull also reduces the expected crew casualties that occur during hull fractures and punctures increasing the vessel’s suitability in combat.

The armament of the Atakora class is rather simplistic; four Mark IX AMPP torpedo launchers in four turrets comprise the main anti-capital weapons while eight ATML energy weapons banks are the secondary armament. Eighty point defense turrets are spread across the vessel each mounting a composite weapons system that combines a single DRAIL type 4/AA kinetic energy weapon and three ATML energy weapons arrays. All of the point defense systems are equally able to engage raiders, dropships, small craft, fighters, missiles and torpedoes with equal ease. The ATML energy weapons are also especially accurate in handing space debris and since the ship mounts both point defense models and anti-capitol level ATML’s the Atakora can conceivably clear derelict vessels wreckage and some types of mines and improvised explosive devices. In terms of the Atakora’s on-board complement the vessel at maximum can transport 295 light deep space fighters, 177 medium deep space fighters, 59 heavy deep space fighters, 60 small craft and 12 dropships or raiders as the mission requires. The maximum load of fighter craft is commonly carried for major battles or planetary invasion operations; it is more common that the Atakora carries about 200 LDSF, 100 MDSF, 50 HDSF and 48 small craft with the number of dropships or raiders berthed being largely random and based on the mission. The key detail to consider is that the Atakora carries its dropship scale vessels in fully internal docks making it impossible to tell until the vessels are launched just what the actual intention of the craft is. If the Atakora class is paired with a normal detachment of Sabarei class cruisers the force projection effect of the group is off the charts. As a final consideration to the Atakora class, the carriers of this type are noticeably faster at sub-light than the Opathe/Maasai class they effectively replace. The Atakora mounts two Kakuma/Chernoff Type H Coaxial Jump drives with a partially internal drive ring. The portions of the drive ring that are externally visible are as heavily armored as the system can bear. The type H model H&K drive is very reliable, stable and uses most of the same parts as the Type J on the Ericsson class dreadnought and the Type I on the Unathi class flight deck carrier. Additionally to increase the turning and maneuvering speed at sub-light speeds the Atakora uses eight Landau-Model Interplanetary Class X sub-light propulsion systems which are a multi-stage magneto-plasmatic drive system that produces thrust using multiple field systems in a composite thruster system

Deployment (as of 98 AE)

As of this writing the first three Atakora have been completed but information regarding where they are being deployed is scarce and full of rumor.

Description
Basic Information

Deployment Date: 97 AE
Displacement: 350,000 tons
Length: 1,000.00 meters
Beam: 350.00 meters
Height: 240.00 meters
Number of Decks: 20 primary, 8 secondary.

Non-FTL: Propulsion: 8 Landau-Model Interplanetary Class X sub-light propulsion systems
FTL Propulsion: 2 Kakuma/Chernoff Type H Coaxial Jump drives.
Speed: 6.9-10.35kmp
Range: 4 Year voyage
Complement: 2,931 officers and enlisted.

Armament:
    4× Mark IX AMPP Torpedo Launcher (1x4)
    8× ATML Energy Weapons Bank (1x8)
80× DRAIL, Type 4/AA - Point Defense
240× ATML Energy Weapons Array - Point Defense

Craft Carried:
295× Light Deep Space Fighter
177× Medium Deep Space Fighter
59× Heavy Deep Space Fighter
60× Small Craft
12× Dropships (Models vary depending on mission)

Overview

   The Opathe class served the Commonwealth as an able peacetime fleet carrier with what was considered at the time the most advanced craft handling capabilities. It was also deemed to have forward compatible facilities despite the archaic-appearance of the craft. As a testament to the Opathe’s career not a single such craft was ever lost in combat or in peacetime despite multiple battles with the Hulegu. The relative success of the vessel prompted an upgrade/overhaul in 87 AE for additional service. This upgrade came before the Serian League came knocking and with no consideration of the realities of a war against a very well trained opponent. The refitted craft was internally and visually different enough to be known as the Maasai class/retrofit. The entrance into war in 88 AE signaled the end of the Opathe-type carrier’s dominance as a fleet command element with the loss of four such craft in single month during the conflict. It became readily apparent that the upgrades simply were not enough; the Opathe when upgraded was not able to coordinate war fleets and was not at all able to match the Serian’s ability to coordinate attack craft or sustain damage in combat. Fortunately, in the 70’s early proposals existed for replacements of the Opathe and most of the best of these designs were combined to produce the Unathi class hybrid carriers off of the Kongo class cruiser chassis. This left the fleet carrier role completely empty as the fleet still needed a mobile vessel that could command, control and coordinate a battle.

   The Atakora/Atakira class carrier came into existence as a homework exercise of a Naval engineering student’s theoretical work in designing a “advanced carrier concept”. The design would have languished in a professor’s desk at the Natitingou Institute of Naval Design and Study had it not been for the chancellor’s review and audit of student submitted documents in 68 AE. The unfinished but reasonably complete (for the assignment standards) design was revolutionary for its time, and theoretically what the institute needed to politically prove that it’s students were top notch. The designer was hailed as brilliant and a head of his time but the issue was tracking down the designer. Normal searches proved difficult, he as it turned out had went off the grid. As fate would have it, the student; Tafari Werknesh despite his apparent genius, had fallen into despair and had joined the threadbare homeless population on the moon of Fh’shoti. Much to the shock of the University and Military representatives seeking him he willingly gave up all rights to the design that would become the Atakora in exchange for several liters of Samuraan Rum. Several days later the designer of the Atakora class carrier was found dead of alcohol poisoning in an improvised shack comprised of cardboard and salvaged corrugated tin and fiber-steel siding. The death of Mr. Werknesh stood as a dark point to the progress of the design, it was considered inappropriate that the resulting ship class which had no name be named after its creator because of social stigmas associated with his death. Additionally Werknesh’s parents and family would likely object as they were of a particularly conservative mindset. The resulting design was thus named after the province of the designer’s birth. Up until this publication the exact origins of the Atakora class were a well-kept state secret as to avoid any shame to the family of Tafari Werknesh Fortunately, the resulting ship on the other hand is an excellent case of a genius seeing the need early.

Capabilities

   The Atakora class is by all definitions a true wartime fleet carrier as its prolonged design time has allowed for some critical considerations in what the final design would be able to do and how it would do it. In review using historical records as well as more modern battle reports and footage the original designer of the craft realized that all carriers suffer from the same primary fault in that the first casualty of carrier operation is the flight deck and associated facilities. This weakness of carriers is that they trade weapons for fighter craft space, which in turn requires some form of flight deck which must be big enough to launch enough craft quickly during battle to apply the fighters as indirect ranged attack power. These large flight decks limit what can be done from an engineering perspective and make for a very obvious large target. Secondly, all carriers suffer from the fact that the fighters must be fueled and rearmed from magazines and fuel supplies that have a higher chance to be detonated if the flight deck or hull of the craft is reasonably penetrated by ordinance designed to be armor penetrating or that relied on sheer explosive force to do internal damage. In every Terran conflict where carriers were involved and saw close combat every carrier that was lost was lost due to the aforementioned design flaws because in truth they had a relatively low battle damage tolerance.

   The Atakora solves the first problem common to all carriers by simply having a flight deck module for lack of a better term. The forward half of the vessel contains the flight deck but the entire flight deck module can be jettisoned. This ability allows for the rear half of the craft to move clear of a critical detonation in the flight deck section or alternately preserve enough of the carrier that the navy has not lost an entire ship. In general repair of the Atakora is about the same as any carrier but the ability to simply attach a new flight deck in replacement of the old cuts the potential time spent in dry dock for repair in half. Additionally because the Flight deck has a separate life support system, power generation, secondary sensors and its own secondary main computer the flight deck could conceivably act as a life boat (two months) if the rear half is critically damaged. The forward half has no FTL propulsion and limited sub-light propulsion. As per standard Commonwealth naval doctrine, both halves of the Atakora have scuttling charges built into them that are of sufficient power to destroy the craft as a whole or in half (if detached) to prevent the craft from being captured by an enemy.

Damage resistance is the second problem with carrier design. Little can be done for the fact that carriers are large targets or that flight decks take up incredible amounts of space. The Atakora has a respectable amount of armor by warship standards and an exceptionally thick armor belt by carrier standards. This armor is distributed as a whole across the entirety of the vessel and even the flight deck is not lacking in protection. The large size of the vessel compared to the older Opathe types is partially a result of this. The exact amount of armor and its layout is more like that of a heavy cruiser than a carrier which improves the ship’s durability. Unlike a cruiser the armor is spaced with the gaps between being filled with intracellular regenerative hull materials. The inclusion of a self-sealing hull also reduces the expected crew casualties that occur during hull fractures and punctures increasing the vessel’s suitability in combat.

The armament of the Atakora class is rather simplistic; four Mark IX AMPP torpedo launchers in four turrets comprise the main anti-capital weapons while eight ATML energy weapons banks are the secondary armament. Eighty point defense turrets are spread across the vessel each mounting a composite weapons system that combines a single DRAIL type 4/AA kinetic energy weapon and three ATML energy weapons arrays. All of the point defense systems are equally able to engage raiders, dropships, small craft, fighters, missiles and torpedoes with equal ease. The ATML energy weapons are also especially accurate in handing space debris and since the ship mounts both point defense models and anti-capitol level ATML’s the Atakora can conceivably clear derelict vessels wreckage and some types of mines and improvised explosive devices. In terms of the Atakora’s on-board complement the vessel at maximum can transport 295 light deep space fighters, 177 medium deep space fighters, 59 heavy deep space fighters, 60 small craft and 12 dropships or raiders as the mission requires. The maximum load of fighter craft is commonly carried for major battles or planetary invasion operations; it is more common that the Atakora carries about 200 LDSF, 100 MDSF, 50 HDSF and 48 small craft with the number of dropships or raiders berthed being largely random and based on the mission. The key detail to consider is that the Atakora carries its dropship scale vessels in fully internal docks making it impossible to tell until the vessels are launched just what the actual intention of the craft is. If the Atakora class is paired with a normal detachment of Sabarei class cruisers the force projection effect of the group is off the charts. As a final consideration to the Atakora class, the carriers of this type are noticeably faster at sub-light than the Opathe/Maasai class they effectively replace. The Atakora mounts two Kakuma/Chernoff Type H Coaxial Jump drives with a partially internal drive ring. The portions of the drive ring that are externally visible are as heavily armored as the system can bear. The type H model H&K drive is very reliable, stable and uses most of the same parts as the Type J on the Ericsson class dreadnought and the Type I on the Unathi class flight deck carrier. Additionally to increase the turning and maneuvering speed at sub-light speeds the Atakora uses eight Landau-Model Interplanetary Class X sub-light propulsion systems which are a multi-stage magneto-plasmatic drive system that produces thrust using multiple field systems in a composite thruster system

Deployment (as of 98 AE)

As of this writing the first three Atakora have been completed but information regarding where they are being deployed is scarce and full of rumor.