Bobcat Class

Seeing the cost effectiveness of Klingon F5U pIH (Suspicious) Class Fleet Repair Frigates, the Imperial Lyran Navy commissioned the Bobcat based on the hull of the Lynx Class Frigate. Whilst less resilient to damage than larger Fleet Repair Tenders, these craft are less costly and much more capable of defending themselves in hostile territory.

## Development

As with many powers in the 2230s and 2240s, the Imperial Lyran Navy discovered in one of their many border conflicts with the Mirak Star League that a lighter warship to act as a picket and scout for their larger Cruisers. Updating a system patrol craft design with heavier weaponry, warp drive and an enhanced M/AM reactor (housed in a "warp bustle" to the rear of the hull, similar to early Earth M/AM designs), the initial design for the Lynx Class had problems with power consumption. These were solved with a rather ingenious, if potentially troublesome solution. The Heavy Disruptor Cannons were moved to mounts on the front of the warp nacelles, and drew their power directly from the warp reactor. (as Federation designs later would with the Langley and Type II Projects in the 2270s). As Starfleet engineers later discovered, this system does allow greater power to be focused through to weapons systems, but a destabilisation or loss of warp power renders any weapon systems attached in such a manner (without a weapons capacitor) immediately inoperable. Lyran engineers and tacticians considered this to be a reasonable risk, given that a loss of warp power would likely lead to a loss of the warship anyway.

In 2269, following Klingon practice (and the practice of most galactic powers at that time), the Imperial Lyran Navy modified the Lynx Class into a specialised Scout Frigate variant, the Wildcat Class. In 2270, again following Klingon practice, the basic hull was modified further into a Fleet Repair Frigate, the Bobcat Class.

The fitting of a Molecular Repair Beam Emitter to the relatively diminutive frame of the Lynx Class was no mean feat, both physically and in providing enough power for the device to function, and Lyran engineers devised an interesting solution. Removing the sensor arrays from the extended sensor pylon of the Wildcat Class, the Molecular Repair Beam Emitter was mounted in their place, with power consumption issues solved by the removal of the Wildcat's Light Disruptor Cannons, leaving the Bobcat with only a pair of standard Disruptor Cannons.

## Operational History

The Bobcat entered service in 2272, providing a vital underway repair function for the Imperial Lyran Navy. She also quickly became valued for rapidly repairing Lyran Outposts along the perpetually tense Mirak border, being able to patch up hull breaches and keep defences operational.

The great test of the Bobcat came during the Organian Conflict. The Imperial Lyran Navy bore the brunt of the resurgent Hydran Royal Navy, with losses of the type being accordingly heavy. Bobcats were thrown into constant action, working alongside Lyran shipyards to try and keep the warships of the Imperial Lyran Navy in fighting shape. It is testament to the abilities of the Bobcat that so many warships of the ILN were returned to service after suffering crippling battle damage.

Although an older design by the time of the Interregnum‏‎, the reformed Imperial Lyran Navy made extensive use of the Bobcat, pending development of a newer design. Due to the rebuilding and reformation of the Star Kingdom in the wake of the Interregnum‏‎, the Imperial Lyran Navy did not participate in the General War, although some Ducal fleets close to the Klingon border mobilised during the Gorn counter-invasion, believing the Gorn Royal Navy may have chosen to continue their advance across the border.

## Apocrypha

Economic difficulties in the wake of the General War and the geopolitical changes that followed meant that the Imperial Lyran Navy never replaced the Lynx, Wildcat or Bobcat Class Frigates. After the annexation of the Lyran Star Kingdom by the Klingon Empire in 2314 and the creation of the Lyran Autonomous Region, the Lyran Autonomous Defence Force‏‎ continued to make use of these reliable Frigates until rendered entirely obsolete in the 2330s and replaced on repair duties by Lyran-crewed Klingon designs.

## Specifications

* **Class:** Fleet Repair Frigate
* **Hull Type Designation:** LFR
* **Length:** 112m
* **Crew:** 37
* **Warp Nacelles:** 2

* **Maximum Sublight Speed:** 4200 k/s (42 Mk/s)
* **Cruise** **Warp Factor Speed:** wf 7.0
* **Safe** **Maximum Warp Factor Speed:** wf 8.6
* **Hull Rating:** 180 HSF
* **Shield Rating:** 280 FSP

* **Sensor Rating:** 400 SRU

* **Armament and Equipment:**
	+ Primary
		- 2 × Disruptor Cannon
	+ Secondary
		- None
	+ Heavy
		- None
	+ Advanced
		- None
	+ Equipment
		- Molecular Repair Beam Emitter
		- Tractor Beam Emitter
		- Probes

## Ships in Service (2292)

LSS Cabor

LSS Tortyth

LSS Cathico

LSS Calari

LSS Terreth

LSS Lirpos

LSS Nogoth

LSS Korbal

LSS Lethye

LSS Suoroth

LSS Kathiroth

LSS Kazanni

LSS Dro'abhi

LSS Shozhid

LSS Dro'atharr

LSS Ma'farahn

LSS Ab'arr-Jo

LSS Ra'sha

LSS Ma'bil

LSS Ra'azha

LSS Omzhirr

LSS Urjakha

LSS Khatesh

LSS Ranatabe

LSS Ri'ha

LSS Dro'jhan

LSS Bhikar

LSS Dro'sien

LSS Ma'gh

LSS Ak'hirr

LSS Helsaad

LSS Ma'sha

LSS Josharkhu

LSS Ranraym

LSS Akh'marash

LSS Hasagh

LSS Bhishavir

LSS Thenorad

LSS Zoatasarr

LSS Ma'raym

LSS Kharrassa