Armstrong Class Cruiser

### Builder(s)

Stella Nova Interstellar Shipyards, Centuari Starworks, Paris Orbital Fleet Yard, Terra Meridiani Shipbuilding, Planitia Orbital

### Built

25 (20 in active service, 1 fitting out, and 4 under construction)

## General Characteristics

### Displacement

49000 tonnes (standard) 56000 tonnes (full load)

### Height

70m (as built) 73m (Flight II/2200 refit)

### Installed Power

1x 3TW Westinghouse C6AM-W or 3.1 TW Genesis Drives C4AM-D Matter/Antimatter reactor, 2x 150GW GE A-C9F-G fusion reactors

### Propulsion

2x Nuclear-ion sublight engines, 2x Linear Alcubierre Warp Drive Nacelles

### Speed

.75c (Sublight) 1c (Supercruise) 200kc (Max continuous FTL) 228kc (emergency)

### Armaments

18x Mk.8, Class VI Phased Particle Accelerators in twin mounts, 4x 700mm torpedo tubes firing Mk.10 torpedo casings.

### Armor & Shields

25pj/s rated Mk. 9 "Second Skin" shields, Moderate composite armor in vital areas

### Auxiliary Craft

10x F-54E/F Tomcat II Space Superiority Fighters (2187), 10x F-89B Vipers (as of 2206)6 Mk.5 personnel shuttles2 Mk.5 VIP shuttles12x Mk.7 "Worker Bee" maintenance craft

### Auxiliary Craft Facilities

1 Main Hangar Bay w/ EM catapult for atmospheric launches2 auxiliary bays in aft quadrant of Saucer section

The Armstrong Class, named for Neil Armstrong, is a class of 25 Heavy Cruisers designed in the mid 2170s and built from the early 2180s to the late 2210s. They are 305 meters long, 141 meters in beam, and have a very distinct silhouette. The design consists of two primary hulls, linked together by a “neck” section. The primary hull with all of the ship’s living quarters and much of her weaponry was roughly saucer shaped, and the secondary hull, which contained the ship’s engineering section, fuel storage and primary hangar, was more bullet shaped. The warp Nacelles are connected via a pylon for each, going up and astern from the engineering hull at a 45 degree outboard angle. Although the exterior shape would appear to be identical to the parent class, there are significant structural, interior, payload, and weaponry differences, making them an entirely different ship. Another major difference is the inclusion of 3 hangars, two small ones in the aft edge of the Saucer section and a large primary one linked to the hold at the Fantail of the ship, wheras the Constitution class only has the one main one.

The 25 examples built are currently still in active service. Despite having a 25 year age gap between the eldest vessel and the newest one, the two eldest ships in the fleet have an estimated 80 years left on their keels before retirement is to be thought of. BSS Armstrong (CA-62) and BSS Constitution (CA-005-A) are widely regarded as the most prestigious postings in the fleet, as both ship’s commanding officers (CAPT. Julius Grant and FADM Thomas Bane respectively) are highly decorated, and their respect and tutelage is seen well by command.

# Design Background

The design of the Armstrong Class sprang from the Hancock Incident of 2150, when BSS Constitution was saved from the mutineers aboard BSS John Hancock by the United Federation of Planets starship USS Constitution, which was currently in the hands of a group of 21st century military personnel and civilians, after being stranded in that century by a warp drive malfunction. During the short-lived alliance between the two ships, FADM Thomas Bane made away with a copy of Constitution’s blueprints.

Although the blueprints were presented to the Federation, they were rejected on two grounds, 1) that the technology needed to build the ship did not yet exist, and 2) that the whole incident was to be covered up and buried, to avoid messing up both the timeline and to avoid causing another Cavoda Event. Bane kept a secret second copy of the blueprints for another time, in case they were ever needed.

After the tragic end of the Second Solar War, the small corps of loyal sailors and marines that escaped the Phoenix Empire under Thomas Bane began development of what would become the Armstrong Class based on those blueprints.

The need, at the time, was for a heavy cruiser able to outfight the BSS Constitution and other constitution class ships, while in a similar size form and weight class. The preceding Constitution Class had always suffered from poor arcs of fire on its main battery, especially as upgrades made the ship heavier and less able to maneuver to take advantage of the strong areas in its offenses. The blueprints, which were regularly modified to turn a long range exploration & deterrence vessel into a frontline combat machine, fit the bill already, although the design was criticized for its narrow and relatively unprotected dorsal strut connecting the upper and lower hulls. This was the single greatest point of contention in the design, and was stiffened and strengthened significantly, making it one of the most obvious visual differences between the Armstrong and UFP Constitution Classes.

Crew work load, was also specified to be improved. BSFN investigation into automation allowed the standard crew size to be less than 250 people, as compared to USS Constitution’s standard crew size being 400 officers and men. The removal of most scientific equipment and spaces from the blueprint’s exploratory roots allowed for the removal of over 125 positions, and improvements in automation cut down on the workload for Engineering and Weapons systems, with most monitoring systems for the ship’s systems being lead to either a single console on the Bridge or in Main Engineering. This of course, was theory, and when the ships were put into service they usually had full crew loads to be closer to 300 people.

With these specified improvements, the blueprints were continually modified between 2158 and 2175, until the final design was placed on Bane’s desk, where he ordered construction of two ships, BSS Armstrong and BSS Aldrin.

All now that was needed was a drydock to construct the ships in, and when Drydocks 4 and 5 at Bane’s shipyard Nova Stella Shipbuilding were complete, the keels of the first two ships were laid in January 2176 and August, respectively. Final detail design led to small individual changes at the yard for each vessel.

# Ship’s Specifications

### General Characteristics

The Armstrong Class cruiser is 305m long and 141m of beam. As built, they have a height of 70 meters, although this was increased to 73m in 2200, when there was a significant addition to their sensor suites, adding multiple antennas above the bridge. However, the hull is separated into two sections, the primary and secondary hulls. The primary (or upper) hull is the disk-shaped section where the primary sublight thrusters, bridge, living spaces, and a majority of the PPA battery are located. The secondary (lower) hull contains the primary hangar, the navigational shield emitter, the antimatter reactor hall, and the Hold, along with the support pylons for the warp nacelles. The Primary Hull is 147m long and 141m of beam, and is 35m tall, while the secondary hull is 112m long, 35m wide, and 35m tall. Utilizing an unconventional layout for a Blue Star Federation built ship, the pylons and struts connecting the hulls and nacelles are actually highly reinforced.

## Armament

### Main Battery

The main battery of the Armstrong Class Cruiser is made up of 18 Mk. VIII Class VI Phased Particle Accelerators. These dome-type emitters are highly efficient compared to the previous type, and despite their 48GW power requirements, they are capable of effective fire out to 250 thousand kilometers, a 50 percent increase over their Mk. VII predecessors. Additionally, they have multiple fire modes; a “beam” mode which is comparatively inefficient but maintains long range hitting power better than the “Pulse Repeat” mode, which is highly efficient and more effective against shields.

The Phased Particle Emitters are placed in twin emitters such that ½ of the ship’s main battery can be brought to bear 90% of the time, a part of the original UFP Constitution design that Bane mandated be kept. Unlike on the UFP Constitution, the emitters, despite being set next to each other in pairs, are “Two Gun,” not “Double” as they can set Elevation and Windage independently of their partner. Each emitter pair is [placeholder wide by placeholder long], and served by a combined power delivery and distribution system, housed in the Turret Control Room directly below the emitters.

The Power Distribution/Control rooms in the Upper Hull service 4 Phased Particle Emitters each, and are served power directly from the main reactor. The PD/C rooms for the main battery have individual controller stacks for the PPA turrets, but a single power distributer, capable of handling over 300GW of power. These rooms are heavily armored and shielded, and each has its own auxiliary shield generator for added protection, making them some of the best defended regions of the ship. In case of critical damage to the power distributers in these rooms, the 40 crewmembers serving the compartment have 45 seconds to evacuate before the compartment is sealed off and vented into space, in order to prevent radioactive contamination from spreading.

Fire control for the main battery is performed by the ship’s two Mk. X firing/Targeting computers, which work in tandem with each other to convert sensor information into targeting information that the guns can use, taking into account flight time for a given range, relative target velocity, target range, gravitational distortion, and other parameters. The 2 Mk. X computers can accurately hit sub-targets on an enemy ship at ranges within 80,000km, and accurately hit enemy ships at ranges to 500,000km, which also allows the computer to serve the Federation’s larger, longer range guns as well.

The Mk. VIII PPA turrets can fire in two modes, an extremely long range, highly accurate, but inefficient “beam” mode, where the weapon fires an uninterrupted beam for a somewhat long duration, and a slightly shorter range, harder hitting, but less accurate “Pulse Repeat” mode, where pulses of particles are fired rapidly. This is much more efficient and easier on the weapon, but has the downside of being somewhat less accurate and with a shorter effective range. However, within its effective range, the Pulse Repeat mode hits far harder, and is the go to for most Armstrong Class tactical officers.

### Torpedo Battery

The Armstrong Class’ secondary weapons system is its four torpedo tubes and associated systems. Although a highly effective weapons system, an Armstrong class cruiser usually holds torpedoes as a last resort due to the limited arsenal and high cost of each weapon. The Armstrong Class utilizes Mk. X torpedo casings, which can be loaded with a variety of warheads. The four torpedo tubes are located in pairs, with two at the base of the Dorsal Strut and two located aft, underneath the Primary Vehicle Bay. The tubes have a “ready magazine” system which allows torpedoes to be fired rapidly, with up to four at a time, per tube, much as the magazine of a gun feeds rounds into the chamber.

Torpedo guidance functions as follows. The targeting computer gets a firing solution for a given target, based on the ship’s velocity, the targets velocity, obstacles, ship’s heading, and range. The torpedo is in “Remote Guidance” mode at launch. Once the torpedo is either a certain distance to target, or looses connection to the ship, it goes into “terminal guidance” where its onboard computers allow it to update the firing solution continuously, and much more quickly. If it suffers an onboard sensor failure, it will self destruct or inert itself. The torpedo guidance computer is part of the Mk. X fire control computer system.

The torpedo rooms are broadly similar to each other, despite their wildly disparate locations. The two forward torpedo rooms, and two after torpedo rooms are mirrors of each other, separated by a bulkhead running between each pair. The largest difference between the fore and aft torpedo rooms is the presence of the amidships airlocks at the aft end of the Forward torpedo room. Torpedoes are loaded from the magazines above (in the case of the Fore torpedo bays) or forwards (in the case of the aft torpedo rooms). A small ready supply of 20 torpedoes per tube is kept, and unarmed shells of torpedoes can be fitted with warheads if needed. Spare parts and casings are kept in the hold, and unused warheads are kept in the Central Magazine, which is deep within the ship, well defended, and with many, many, preventative measures in place.

Generally crewed by 8-10 crewmembers nominally, each torpedo room can run completely automatically, however it is preferred to have humans do some more of the work, a well-oiled torpedoman team can actually prep, load, and fire a torpedo faster than the computer in the heat of combat.

The torpedoes themselves have 10 thrusters, which use extremely small amounts of matter and antimatter as propellant, allowing them to travel at speeds approaching 90% of the speed of light (C), as well as providing maneuver control. In general, the two aft thrusters propel the torpedo, while the other 8 provide directional control. The torpedo has both a warhead and fuel tanks, part of the switch to terminal guidance nominally is balancing fuel so that the torpedo detonates at the appropriate yield, and using as much fuel as possible as to reach that goal. Maximum yield torpedo shots are rare, as most COs consider them to be both a waste of resources and overkill.

### Point Defense

The Armstrong Class Cruiser has a pretty limited Point Defense system, as most short range combat can also be carried out by the main battery, however there are 4 high-intensity lasers aboard the ship that serve the purpose of Point Defense, two along the keel centerline at the bottom of the ship, and two along the spine of the ship.

These highly nimble, and highly powerful laser turrets are most useful at extremely short ranges against high velocity targets, like drones, torpedos, missiles, and light fighters. Other defense is carried out by the ship’s onboard fighter complement, the primary battery, or escorting starships.

## Propulsion

The primary powerplant of the *Armstrong-Class* consists of a 3 Terawatt Westinghouse C6AM-W Matter/Antimatter reactor core, or a 3.1tw Genesis Drives C4AM-D Matter/Antimatter reactor. The primary reactor supplied energy in the form of a plasma coolant to the ship’s Warp Nacelles, Sub-light Engines, and other ship’s systems. The reactor produces enough energy for the Warp Nacelles to accelerate the ship to a standard maximum speed of 200kc, although the ship has an emergency flank speed of 228kc but is limited to sustaining these speeds for only 1 hour and after accelerating to these speeds the Nacelles and Power Conduits must be torn down extensively. The planned mid-life refit looks to extensively rebuild the propulsion systems to raise emergency speed to 300kc. Generally, the ship cruises between 25kc and 90kc, for economical reasons. Even though these speeds are significantly slower than the ship's maximum speed, they are reasonable speeds for most travel within Federation space. On long distance cruises, the ships generally cruise at 100-120kc.

The ship’s Sub-light drives are powered by either the main reactor’s plasma coolant exhaust when the warp nacelles are not being used, or powered by the auxiliary fusion reactors during Supercruise. The sub-light engines use power from the main reactor to power superconducting electromagnets, which accelerate plasma to extremely high velocities and pressures, generating astronomical amounts of thrust with high efficiency. The sub-light drives at full power generate 156 meganewtons of thrust, allowing the ship to accelerate to .75c, the highest possible “safe speed” before time dilation sets in.

All Federation starships built after 2186 are capable of “supercruise.” Supercruise is a combined propulsion state where the sub-light drives work with the warp drive to exceed .5c. Using supercruise, the Armstrong Class Cruiser can obtain any speed between 0 and 1c. In essence, the Warp Field is partially active, which results in a semi-stable stasis field around the ship, while the sub-light engines provide propulsion. Although hard on the engines, supercruise is extremely useful for tactical maneuvering. In most shipboard nomenclature, it is referred to as “Flank Power.” This is different from “Flank Speed,” which is the maximum sub-light speed an Armstrong Class Cruiser can achieve, in the neighborhood of .75c.

## Electronics/Sensors

### Computers

The Armstrong Class Cruiser has an extensive electronic system, beginning and ending with its triple-redundant central computers. These powerful quantum computers assist with targeting, navigation, control sensors, automate many of the Ship’s functions, and regulate power systems. In terms of location, the primary computer is located in the central stalk running through the upper hull beneath the bridge, and takes up 3 decks in the center of the upper hull (Decks 5-7). It is in one of the best protected areas around the ship, and surrounded by Medical, the Upper Armory, and the Ship’s Vault. The secondary computers are both located in the lower hull one deck below the main reactor hall (Deck 18) and lined along the centerline of the ship. In both situations, the Computer is directly attached to one of the ship’s primary sensor suites, a command/control center, and is in some of the best defended areas of the ship.

The three computers are further subdivided into various focuses, for example the Primary Computer has a dedicated subdivision for Life Support, another for Engine Control and Monitoring, among other things. This subdivision allows the main computers (in reality a networking of many smaller computers) to partition themselves and work effectively if another section is offline.

### Sensor Suites

There are three different primary sensor suites. Long range, low resolution scanning is carried out by a space-time/GRavitational Navigation and Ranging equipment (GRNAR) set which uses gravitational waves to navigate and get a general idea of the surroundings, as well as tracking incoming vessels at high rates of speed and great distances.

The Scientific sensor suite is a combination of different sensor technologies, for different purposes. LIDAR is used for planetary mapping, there is a spectrometry suite for determining content of atmospheres, as well as a combination of imaging units, temperature sensors, radars, gravitational sensors, and magnetic sensors. This suite allows the ship to carry out its scientific obligations when on assignment and explore effectively.

The third external sensor suite is the targeting and fire control sensors, which use Gravitational sensors, LIDAR, RADAR, and various camera and laser equipment to effectively control, guide, and manage the ship’s various weapons in any combat situation. This sensor suite is also used for determining what form of countermeasures the ship will use during any stage in combat.

### Communications

Communications is carried out via sub-spacetime (subspace) communications which send signals through tiny, extremely high speed wormholes, allowing near instant communications so long as both transmitters are communicating their locations to each-other. In essence, the transmitters both generate openings to micro wormholes which operate at a specific frequency, thus the two ends can find each other. A radio signal containing the information is then transmitted through the wormhole.

## Defenses

Countermeasures

The ship has 2 basic types of countermeasures. Passive defense is carried out with signal jammers, which jam RADARs, LIDARs, and Gravitational sensors; and Active Defense is carried out with consumables, similar to the Chaff and Flares used by aircraft and ships in the 20th and 21st centuries. Consumables used against RADAR and LIDAR are highly reflective micro drones which can maneuver to shield the ship from RADAR and LIDAR. Defense against thermally guided/IR weapons is carried out by long duration, high intensity flares which have maneuvering units on them so that they can also control their velocity and direction to best protect the ship. The various countermeasures dispensers spread throughout the ship can be refilled easily, however they require a spacewalk to do so and thus cannot be replenished during combat.

Energy countermeasures involving jamming transmit waves across multiple frequencies to mask the existence of the ship from the eyes of the enemy’s receiver. These waves cancel out the other transmitter/receiver’s energy, effectively eliminating the visibility of the ship. Although these countermeasures function well against weapons that need complex tracking, such as guided munitions and ballistics, they do not work against energy weapons, and jammers in some cases actually interfere with their own ship’s radar, which is a clear but manageable drawback.

### Shields

The Armstrong Class is equipped with a comprehensive Mk. IX second skin shield system. This system takes kinetic impacts, particle beams, and other forms of attack and converts it to energy, where it can either be introduced as a form of power boost for the ship’s systems, or dumped overboard as waste heat through radiators located on the nacelle pylons, underneath the fantail, or on the aft edge of the dorsal strut.

The shields are capable of absorbing up to 25 petajoules/s of energy when all energy systems are directed toward their optimum function. When confronted with energy income at a greater rate than 25pJ/s the shields begin to decrease in capacity, as the energy “buffer” of the shield system is slowly being taken up faster than energy can be dissipated.

The 300 physical shield emitter units are spread about the skin of the ship, and network together to make a shielding layer that is projected approximately 2m away from the outer hull. Every other emitter’s coverage overlaps, such that if only half of the emitters were functioning they would still be able to protect the ship to some effect.

The shields are able to stop up to 5.9mt of TNT equivalent explosives without a scratch. The high resistance to incoming attacks is made possible by the extremely high energy dissipation rates of the shielding system. It is rare for any ship to be hit by weapons that release energy less than 25pj/s, and in combat the shields have to be able to withstand hits that are sometimes 2-4x

### Armor

Although the Armstrong Class relies heavily on its shielding systems, they do have some armor in vital areas of the ship. Most armor is extremely lightweight but effective composite armor which is most effective as a final line of defense against guided munitions. The rest of the armor is the regular external hull plating, which is designed to spread impacts as widely as possible.

The single most armored areas of the ship are the Engineering/Reactor bay, the Dorsal Strut, and the saucer’s inner core. The added layer of protection in these areas allows the ship to operate with its visually flimsy profile against most enemies.

### Point Defense

A large portion of the ship’s defenses against incoming torpedoes, missiles, mines and other projectiles is the ship’s point defense network. These 4 laser units are able to track and eliminate most fast moving projectiles with ease.

The point defense turrets are 4 high powered lasers on 2 axis gimbals with 210 degrees of motion in any direction. They are networked in with the Fire Control Computer and have their own independent LIDAR systems which allows them to track and kill targets autonomously. The Weapons console on the bridge is used to select the sector with incoming targets, and then the Fire Control LIDAR and Fire Control Computer work together with the turret’s FCLs to lock, guide, and fire on the incoming targets

The Armstrong Class’s PDLs (Point Defense Lasers) need less than 2 seconds on each target in order to eliminate it. This combined with the capability of tracking targets when they are more than 1 minute out makes the PD systems of the Armstrong Class very effective.