As the New Cold War began in earnest, the Sovietskiy was faced with a serious naval problem. This was that they had a total lack of large Amphibious Assault Ships.

At this time they had a total of eight aircraft carriers in commission. The first two were of Ski-Jump type but the rest were of steam catapult type which were fully comparable to those of the United States Navy before the United States went to electromagnetic catapults. All of the Soviet carriers had much more powerful offensive firepower than the Americans. The only place the Soviet vessels lagged behind the American ones was in aircraft handling and that was considered marginal with the last two Soviet carriers. Of course, this did not consider the Ticonderoga class amphibious carriers and Saratoga class stealth carriers which were under secret development at that time.

The Soviets had a few tiny vessels comparable to the American Army LCU-2000 class utility landing craft. These could be used for some small operation such as commando raids or operations in confined areas. Such vessels were operating on the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, to quickly transport Soviet troops to trouble spots or to invade the Islamic League Nations, while others were on the Baltic Sea fleet. These ships could not support any major assault. The lack of large amphibious ships was caused by a concentration on surface combatants and it left them with no equivalent of the United States Wasp class amphibious assault ships or San Antonio class amphibious transport docks. It was decided that the Soviet Navy had the necessity to be capable of invading other nations, including, if necessary, Alaska in the USA in case of a major war. A crash program for the development of such amphibious vessels was begun, and they took precedence over any additional carriers (The Komsomolets class was already in the planning stages, and surface carriers were thought to be obsoleted by the submersible carriers and would likely not be constructed any more).

However, a second need was quickly realized; The need for effective long-range bombardment of a beach head before the troops came ashore, and the ability to cruise in close to shore and provide long range fire support. They needed a ship with big guns, to be precise, a Battleship. Though the age of the Battleship was long dead for more common roles, the Soviets grasped on the idea of a general purpose vessel capable of serving as a carrier escort and a fire support ship.

The initial proposal was to simply use the basic 12 inch / 62 caliber model 1948 gun intended for the Stalingrad class Battlecruiser which was never built and had been canceled soon after Joseph Stalin died. It was decided that an electro-thermal cannon would be designed instead and while smaller than many of the battleship cannons developed for World War 2, it was almost as powerful and had a much longer range. Various rapid firing loading systems were attempted to be developed but it was eventually settled on a rate of fire of four rounds per minute. This rate of fire is still pretty incredible compared to most guns if the caliber and have heavy automation to maintain this rate of fire. The ship was built around four turrets for these guns, each one holding four electro thermal cannons, split into two "turret halves" for survivability, and heavily armored for additional survivability. One limitation is that both barrels in a turret half are in the same mounting and must be raised and lowered together. The ship's armor scheme was designed around protecting from missile strikes at very long ranges and from bomb and torpedo attacks. Protection from other big guns was deemed not as important, as the largest guns then afloat were those of the USN, merely 8 inch/55 caliber, Which the Sovietskiy Soyuz class, as it was then designated, considerably outranged.

It is important to not that the Americans were considering constructing their own class of advanced gun battleships just before the coming on the Rifts. Designs were still under development and congress had not approved funding. It was considered by many senior US Navy officers that gun bombardment could be done just as well by smaller guns and long range missiles were far more effective otherwise. It was felt that the construction of new battleships would reduce the funds available for other vessels including the Kearsarge class battlecruiser and submersible carriers.

Two ships of the Sovietskiy Soyuz class were to be built; One, the Sovietskiy Soyuz herself, was completed and sent to join the Pacific fleet. She began operations with the Pacific fleet only two months before the coming of the Rifts. The location and/or fate of the Sovietskiy Soyuz is unknown.

The second ship of the class, the Sovyetskaya Ukraina, was still under construction and undergoing outfitting in Odessa during the coming of the Rifts. Her stern was blown off by an unknown force during that time, but her internal bulkheads were not compromised and the hull remained afloat in Odessa harbor. Warlord Orloff used her as a parts source for the other ships of his Black Sea Flotilla, and, anchored in place, her main guns and Pod Hunter AEGIS radar served as a floating battery to defend the harbor, coupled with the main reactor, still intact and used to provide power; No attempt to rebuild the stern of the ship and finish outfitting it was ever made.

Altogether, these vessels are quite simply awesomely powerful surface combatants with an ability to turn a beach into a living hell. They also have excellent capabilities in terms of defending themselves against aircraft and submarines, and the ability to deploy commandos and small strike forces against inland targets through the use of two carried hovercraft stored on the fantail with a quick-launching and recovering crane system, six helicopters, and almost a hundred flight capable Combat Power Armors. The ship also has two mini submarines with one to each side of the ship stored on davits.

Model Type: Sovietskiy Soyuz class Battleships.
Vehicle Type: Heavy bombardment Battleship.
Crew: 789; 58 officers, 731 petty officers and enlisted crew members.
Troops: One Battalion of Soviet Marines (640) and 148 Power armor pilots only; Also, 32 pilots and aircrews for six helicopters and support/maintenance personnel.

Robots, Power Armors, and Vehicles:

	96	Flight-capable Power Armors
	12	Submersible Power Armors.
	6	Helicopters or other VTOL Aircraft (Usually to ASW)
	2	Hovercraft
	2	Mini-subs

M.D.C. by location:

	Bridge:	800
	[1] Armored Central Elevator/Missile Citadel:	4,400
	[2] "Pod Hunter" Soviet AEGIS system (Superstructure):	200
	300 mm Electro-thermal Quadruple Turrets Turret Halves (4):	1200 each
	300 mm Electro-thermal Cannon Barrels (16):	400 each
	Particle / Plasma Cannon (4, 2 port, 2 starboard - Twin Barrel):	800 each
	Combination Anti-Missile Defense System (8):	200 each
	Long Range missile batteries (2):	500 each.
	Medium Range Missile Pepperbox Launchers (4, midships):	300 each
	Quintuple mount type torpedo launchers (4, Sides):	100 each
	Killer Dart Launchers (4):	50 each
	Chaff Launchers (12, Superstructure):	10 each
	[3] Main Body:	22,000

Notes:
[1] The central armored "Citadel" is an above-deck structure which, on the upper level, houses all of the long range missile launchers, and the four medium range "pepperbox" missile launchers and their reloads. The lower level has doors opening onto the flight deck, and inside is an elevator leading to the hangar deck; This can accommodate 24 Power Armors, or two helicopters, or two VTOL jets with folding wings simultaneously, and quickly transfer them from the hangar to the flight deck, which can handle the simultaneous takeoff or landing of two VTOL aircraft or helicopters, and a large number of Power Armors.
[3] Though there are only four turrets, each is separated by a central bulkhead that allows one half of the turret to be destroyed while the other half continues to fight unimpaired.
[4] Destroying the main body destroys propulsion and power systems, disabling the ship. The ship is fitted with advanced polymer armors that allow the ship to withstand up to -4000 MDC before losing structural integrity and sinking. There are enough life preservers and inflatable life boats to accommodate everyone on the ship.

Speed:
Surface: 33 knots (38.0 mph / 61.1 kph)
Range: Unlimited due to fusion engines (needs to refuel every 25 years and requires maintenance as well). Ship carries one year of supplies on board.

Statistical Data:
Length: 925 feet (281.9 meters)
Draft: 32 feet (9.8 meters)
Width: 118 feet (36.0 meters)
Displacement: 61,000 tons standard and 78,000 tons fully loaded.
Cargo: 1,500 tons of nonessential equipment and supplies. Each enlisted crew member has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Ships officers have more space for personal items. Most of the ships spaces are take up by extra ammo, armor, troops, weapons, and engines.
Power System: 4 Nuclear Fusion Reactors, average life span is 25 years
Market Cost: Not for Sale but if found on the black market would probably cost at least 20 billion credits.

Weapon Systems:

1. Sixteen 300 mm (11.8 inch) Electro-Thermal Naval Cannons: These incredibly powerful weapons are mounted in four quadruple turrets. Two turrets are mounted on the ship forward of the superstructure ship and two turrets are mounted behind the ships superstructure. The barrels can be elevated up to 45 degrees and the turrets can rotate 280 degrees. The projectile is loaded into the barrel, behind which there is a "propellant", which is a plug of light metal. A powerful electromagnetic force is applied to the metal, which causes its atoms to "switch" directions. This happens so violently that the metal turns to plasma, and this expanding gas then drives the projectile forward. The barrels had to be made out of special high strength alloys to withstand this. Because of the high velocity of the rounds, these rounds are only slight less powerful than those designed for the Coalition Chi-Town class vessel Hybrid carriers and have a longer range. Most naval ships on Rifts Earth with be destroyed by just a few shots from these cannons. While the heavy cannons are very effective in ground bombarding roles they are too large to be effectively used against aircraft. The cannons can also use rocket assisted projectiles for extended range.
   Maximum Effective Range: Standard Projectiles: 40.4 miles (35.1 nautical miles / 65 km). Rocket projectiles: 80.8 miles (70.2 nautical miles / 130 km).
   Mega-Damage: Standard Projectiles: 4D6x10+20 to a blast radius of 45 feet (13.7 meters) for High Explosive, 6D6x10+40 to a blast radius of 10 feet (3 meters) for High Explosive Armor Piercing, and 1D4x100+100 to a blast radius of 50 feet (15.2 meters) for Plasma. Rocket projectiles: 3D6x10+10 to a blast radius of 20 feet (6.1 meters) for High Explosive, 4D6x10+10 to a blast radius of 6 feet (2 meters) for High Explosive Armor Piercing, and 5D6x10+20 to a blast radius of 40 feet (12.2 meters) for Plasma. Cannons can also use special purpose warheads, increase statistics by 1.5 for standard shells over those for 203 mm shells, and keep them the same (Except range) for rocket-propelled shells (Go to Battlefield Artillery for Rifts for more information - standard or rocket assisted as appropriate).
   Rate of Fire: Once every melee or four shots per barrel per minute (Can fire up to 16 shots per turret per minute or up to 64 shots with all four turrets).
   Payload: 3,200 Rounds (800 per turret), usually carries 1,600 HE and 1,600 Plasma, evenly split between standard and rocket-propelled, though the payload can vary considerably. Ship will carry special rounds when employed in artillery roles.
2. Particle Bolt / Plasma Burst Cannons (4 turrets of 2 Barrels): The plasma burst cannons, alternately referred to as "Particle Bolt" cannons, can be used both for anti-ship and anti-aircraft purposes, and are the standard Soviet energy weapon for all of their mega-damage surface warships of the 21st century. The weapons are mounted with two barrels in a single turret, for a total of four turrets; Each turret has a 160 degree firing arc, with one port forward, one port aft, one starboard forward, one starboard aft.
   Maximum Effective Range: 10 miles (16 km)
   Mega Damage: 6D6x10 per blast (12D6x10 per twin blast)
   Rate of Fire: 3 attacks per melee round, per barrel
   Payload: Effectively unlimited.
3. Kashstan CADS-N-8 CIWS Systems (8): Combination Anti-Missile Defense Systems. Two forward and to the port, two forward and to the starboard, two aft and to the port, two aft and to the starboard. These weapons are mounted on the superstructure. This anti-missile defense system combines both a rapid fire laser and a mini-missile launcher. While mounted in one system, both defense system have separate tracking systems. The mini-missile launchers are designed to blanket fire a pattern of fragmentation mini-missiles to explode in the path of incoming missiles and/or aircraft and rip them apart with a wall of flak; The laser cannon is capable of destroying any missile or inflicting serious damage on aircraft.
   Maximum Effective Range: Laser Cannons: Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters). Mini-Missiles: As per mini-missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Damage: Laser Cannons: 1D4x10 MD. Mini-Missiles: As per mini-missile type (Usually fragmentation) (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Rate of Fire: Laser Cannons: 6 attacks per melee. (+2 to strike aircraft; +3 to strike missiles.) Mini-Missiles: 1 attack per melee round only; Fires volleys of eight missiles per attack (+8 to strike because of number.) (+2 to strike aircraft; +3 to strike missiles.)
   Payload: Laser Cannons: Effectively unlimited. Mini-Missiles: 32 Mini-missiles each mount.
4. Long Range Missile launchers (2): The launchers are mounted in the upper level of the "Citadel", a large central structure that houses both these missile launchers and the elevator down to the Power Armor hangar deck. These missile launchers fire volleys of long range fragmentation missiles, principally anti-aircraft. They are designed to engage and destroy incoming aircraft and power armors at a far greater range than the lighter batteries principally tasked with bringing down incoming missiles; And they can also be used to inflict damage on ships at great range.
   Maximum Effective Range: As per long range missile type - Normally Fragmentation (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Mega Damage: As per long range missile type - Normally Fragmentation (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Rate of Fire: Each launcher can fire a volley of as many as 4 missiles per attack and can be fired 4 times per melee for and a total of 16 missiles per round. (A combined total of 32 missiles per round for both launchers.)
   Payload: 64 missiles per launcher (128 total). An additional 128 missiles are stored in the cargo hold.
5. Medium Range Missile Pepperbox launchers (4): These launchers are mounted on the upper section of the Citadel, and designed for firing salvoes of anti-aircraft missiles though they have secondary functions against other targets. They can launch on either ground, surface, or air targets. The launchers can launch at multiple targets simultaneously.
   Maximum Effective Range: Varies with medium range missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Mega-Damage: Varies with medium range missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volley of any amount up to 16 for each launcher (64 missiles total) in any combinations and at multiple target at the same time. Once all sixteen ready missiles in a launcher have been used, it takes two melee rounds to reload another sixteen into the launcher.
   Payload: 192 medium range missiles total (48 missiles per launcher)
6. Four (4) Quintuple Torpedo Launchers: Mainly design for anti-submarine warfare but can be used against surface targets as well. There are two launchers on each side of the ship with five tubes each. The tubes have been modified to use an automatic reloading system and can be fired quickly. These are modern, variable option torpedoes that are about 25% faster than the latest US designs of the time period. These torpedoes are also slightly larger than the standard US torpedo launchers. (These torpedoes are considered the equivalent of smart missiles and have advanced tracking and avoidance systems that give them a +5 to strike, +4 to dodge, and 2 attacks per melee until they strike their target or run out of fuel.)
   Maximum Effective Range: 40 miles (64 km)
   Mega Damage: Uses super heavy warheads that inflict 2D4x100 MD (By Heavy torpedo warhead type - See Revised Rifts Torpedoes). Alternatively, a 5kt tactical nuclear warhead may be fitted. The torpedo can be used, either with a conventional or nuclear warhead, as the warhead of a P-2000 heavy anti-ship missile.
   Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 3, 5 per launcher (2 launchers per side), launcher can fire a maximum of two volleys per melee each launcher.
   Payload: Each tube has one reload available for a total of 40 torpedoes.
7. Killer Dart Launchers (4): These so called "Killer Darts" are a Russian interceptor torpedo, designed primarily for intercepting and hitting incoming torpedoes, with a secondary function against small submersibles and submersible power armors. In surface application they are used like a homing version of the old style Soviet anti-submarine rockets, and can be used against large submarines. The Killer darts are considered smart missiles and have +5 to strike against any target. They are a larger and more powerful version of the killer darts normally fitted to submarines, thanks to less space concerns and different operational requirements. Two are mounted on the forward end of the vessel and two are mounted near the rear of the vessel.
   Maximum Effective Range: 7 miles (11.2 km); The Killer Darts can stop before their propellent runs out, using internal systems to sink to virtually any submarine's operational depth or drift with a current, and then power back up for a final home-in on target.
   Mega-Damage: 2D4x10
   Rate of fire: Each launcher can fire salvos of up to eight killer darts per melee.
   Payload: 64 Killer Darts per launcher (256 total)
8. Chaff Launcher (12): Located on the superstructure of the ship, they are designed to confuse incoming missiles. Only four launchers must be operational for the full effects. Reduce effects of launchers by 50% per launcher below 4 not used; For any launcher knocked out, another can be brought in until more than eight have been disabled. Rifts Earth decoys systems are assumed to not operate on Phase World missiles due to technological difference. Reduce effects by 20% against smart missiles (Add +20% to rolls for smart missiles.)
   Range: Around Ship
   Mega Damage: None
   01-35 Missile or Missile volley detonates in chaff
   36-60 Missile or Missile volley loses track of target, may lock onto another target
   61-00 No Effect; Missile Still on target
   Payload: 24 each for a total of 288.

Special Systems:
The ship has all systems standard on the most advanced of modern robot vehicles, but with their relative short range, are designed only as tertiary sensor systems. The primary and secondary systems are as follows:

Primary:
The ship has all systems standard on a robot vehicle plus the following special features:

• "Pod Hunter" Soviet AEGIS: Can identify and simultaneously track up to can simultaneously track and identify up to 400 targets at one time. The system controls missile launched from the missile launchers and the system track and guide each individual missile to an individual target for up to 100 targets. Range: 312 miles (498.5 km). The system can also control missiles launched from other linked vessels as well and can also act as fire control for gun mounts. Not as advanced as the American pre-rifts Aegis systems.
• Towed Array Sonar: Standard towed sonar array: Range of 180 miles (157 nautical miles / 350 km). This towed array sonar system has both a passive and active system built in. Sonar system can track up to 72 targets at one time.
• ESM: This system is mounted in mounted in the superstructure and can detect another radar system at 125% of the range of the transmitting radar.
• Long-Range Communications: Range is 500 miles/ 804.5 km; wide band and directional, plus coordinated multi-com system. Notes: Ships were designed for G.P.S. and Satellite communications hookups, but neither exist on Rifts Earth today, of course.

Built into the hull as protection, the secondary sensor systems are all essentially the same as the primary sensor systems, but reduce both range and the number of targets they can track by 75%.

[New Navy, New Sovietskiy, and TRIAX are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

by Marina O'Leary (LusankyaN@aol.com ) and by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

Copyright © 2000 & 2001, Marina O'Leary & Kitsune. All rights reserved.