CAN-161 Concord class Gun Cruiser:
The Concord class cruiser was the first United States naval vessel class
to be laid down that incorporated into her design the new super strong
alloys and composites that were being developed. Like the previous Ticonderoga
class guided missile cruisers, this class was mostly named for battles.
While the vessels carried a large number of missiles, the ships were
designed as gun platforms and were designated gun cruisers instead of missile
cruisers. Still, the design is fully multi-role and is capable of anti-submarine
warfare and missile defense. One of the intended secondary roles for the
Concord class cruiser was to escort Amphibious vessels and needed to be
able to perform all the roles of a normal escort vessel. There was an advanced
destroyer design derived from the DD-21 program had been designed to address
the problem but the vessel simply did not carry enough firepower to do
a good job of offshore troop support. The idea of reactivating the remaining
Iowa class battleships or building a new battleship class were discussed
but ultimately these solutions were rejected. The Iowa class battleships
would be too crew intensive even if automation was added and were by this
time over eighty years old. The development of a new Battleship class was
considered prohibitively expensive. It was decided that a gun cruiser design
using mostly existing weapon, propulsion, and sensor systems would be the
most cost effective solution. As many systems as possible were pulled from
previous designs including the previous destroyer designs and advanced
missile cruiser designs. The origin of these classes was with the DD-21
program, known as the Zumwalt class destroyer originally, which became
the DD(X) in later development.
The Concord class gun cruiser was designed was developed in only a year
and a half and construction was started on the first of the class just
two years after the request for the ship was first written. The class was
a fairly limited in numbers compared to other classes with only sixteen
built but remained in service until the coming of the Rifts. With the new
Cold War that dominated the later part of the Twenty First Century, the
gun cruisers were often called on to keep the peace where the events did
not seem to support the deployment of a carrier. None of these ships are
known to have been recovered but the vessels were built of incredibly strong
alloys and composites that were virtually corrosion free and could very
well remain intact.
Just before the coming of the Rifts, a new gun cruiser design was under
development. This design carried the same basic weaponry layout as the
Concord class but would have carried powerful 200 mm electro-thermal cannons
as the main battery. This vessel class was a trimaran design. None of the
new class were ever completed but the first vessels of the class were under
construction at Litton-Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula Mississippi.
These ships were armed with the same basic 155 mm cannon carried on
the destroyer class that proceeded the concord but new triple barrel versions
were developed. One was mounted forward on the bow of the vessel and the
other was mounted aft on the vessel behind the vessel's helicopter flight
deck. Two Strategic Mk-41 missile Vertical Launch Systems were carried
on the forward and aft of the ship. One was mounted behind the forward
turret on a slightly raised platform to partially protect the launcher
cells from the blast of the heavy cannons. The second was mounted in the
rear hanger in the same fashion as the flight IIA Burke class carried its
rear Mk-41 missile launcher. The Mk 59 vertical launch system was still
under development and could not later be retrofit into the vessel. Initially,
it was planned that the ship would carry two Tactical Mk-41 VLS on either
side of the ship as defensive missile launchers but these were replaced
by Mk-55 automatic reloading vertical launch systems while the Concord
was still under construction. These missile launchers had been initially
designed for the Ranger class carrier but were found to be useful replacements
for the MK-49 VLS system and the small MK-41 VLS system. These ships initially
carried 4 RAM missile launchers but these were replaced with combination
missile and rail gun defense systems later in the ship's service lives.
The ship carried a four tube torpedo launcher on either side mainly for
use against submarines but can be used against surface vessels as well.
The ship's propulsion was electric which was initially powered by four
powerful gas turbines engines that could drive the ship up to 33 knots
at full power. Later these engines were replaced by fusion turbines developed
for aircraft. These engines increased the cruiser top speed to 36 knots.
The ship used variable pitch screws and could maneuver radically. This
was found to be very useful when making sharp turns to bring both the forward
and after main guns to bear on a target. The ship was fitted with stabilizers
to make the ship a more steady platform but the ship was wide hulled and
was already surprisingly stable. The hull and propellor were designed with
bubble masking systems and the ship design was surprisingly quiet for its
size. The ship was designed using with a radar reducing cross signature
and used radar absorbent materials in many places.
The ship carried a phased array radar that while surprisingly capable
was not as powerful as those mounted on later vessel classes. The vessel
also carries both an advanced hull mounted sonar and towed array sonar
for anti-submarine operations.
Like most of the ship design of the time, the Concord class was designed
with automation designed to reduce crew requirements. The Concord class
manning is 245 crew members. The United States Navy had just a few years
previously go to vessels with much lower manning but this was rethought.
There were concerns about damage control parties and manning the ship if
many crew members were injured. It was also found that under wartime conditions
that the with the lower crew manning, the ships simply did not large enough
crews to stay at full performance and fatigue became a problem after a
few weeks of wartime sailing.
Initially the ship was designed to be able to carry forty marines in
addition to the crew but marines were rarely carried until after the New
Cold War began in the late Twenty-First Century. At this time, the gun
cruisers began carrying 30 marines with 20 of them in power armors. The
Concord class were designed to be able to carry two helicopters or other
vertical take off aircraft.
Model Type: CAN-105 class Cruiser
Vehicle Type: Ocean, Gun Cruiser
Crew: Normal of 245; 28 officers, 22 Chief Petty officers, and
195 enlisted (Has a high degree of automation and can be run effectively
by 125 crew members)
Troops: 4 Helicopter / VTOL Pilots, 8 Pilots for SAMAS, 12 pilots
for Semper Fi Power Armors, and 20 soldiers in body armor that are retained
on board the ship
Robots, Power Armors, and Vehicles:
| 6 | PA-04A SAMAS |
| 10 | Semper Fi Power Armors |
| 2 | Helicopters or other VTOL Aircraft |
M.D.C. by location:
| Bridge: | 650 |
| [1] Phase Array Radar Panels (4, Superstructure): | 200 each |
| 155 mm Cannon Barrels (6): | 100 each |
| Triple Turret 155 mm Cannons (2, Forward and Aft): | 500 each |
| Combination Anti-Missile Defense System (4, Superstructure): | 200 each |
| Mk 41 64 Cell Vertical Missile Launchers (2, Forward and Aft): | 440 each |
| Mk 55 Eight Cell Vertical Medium Range Missile Launchers (2): | 300 each |
| Torpedo Launchers (2, sides): | 40 each |
| Chaff Launcher (2, Superstructure): | 10 each |
| Hanger (Aft): | 400 |
| [2] Main Body: | 3,200 |
Notes:
[1] Destroying Phase Array radar panels will destroy the ship's fire
control systems but guns have backup systems and panels can compensate
for each other.
[2] Destroying the main body causes the ship to lose structural integrity,
causing the ship to sink. There are enough life preservers and inflatable
life boats to accommodate everyone on the ship.
Speed:
Surface: 41.5 mph (36 knots/ 66.7 kph)
Range: Unlimited due to fusion engines (needs to refuel every
20 years and requires maintenance as well). Ship carries six months of
supplies on board.
Statistical Data:
Length: 660 feet (201.2 meters)
Draft: 30.5 feet (9.3 meters) including sonar dome
Width: 80 feet (24.4 meters)
Displacement: 14,820 tons standard and 17,750 tons fully loaded
Cargo: 800 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 ship's spaces
are taken up by extra ammo, armor, troops, weapons, and engines.
Power System: Nuclear Reactor, average life span is 20 years
Market Cost: Not for sale but if found on the black market would
probably cost 600 million or more credits.
WEAPON SYSTEMS:
- Two (2) Triple Barrel 155 mm Naval Guns:
One turret is mounted
in the front of the vessel and the other turret is mounted on the rear.
Based on the gun carried by the DD-21 class destroyer and shared similarities
to army artillery weapons. The weapon is more powerful than the previous
127 mm cannon carried on many destroyers and cruisers. The weapon mount
if heavily automated and is capable against other ships, against ground
targets, and against aircraft. The weapon can use special artillery rounds,
rocket assisted rounds, and can even fire Extended Range Guided Munitions.
The turret can rotate 360 and has a 90 arc of fire.
Maximum Effective Range: 13.7 miles (11.9 nautical miles / 22
km) for standard projectiles, 23.5 miles (20.4 nautical miles /
36.4 km) for rocket propelled rounds, and treat Extended Range
Guided Munitions as medium range missiles (Go to Revised
bomb and missile table).
Mega-Damage: Standard Projectiles: 2D6x10 to a blast
radius of 25 ft (7.7 m) for High Explosive, 3D6x10 to a blast radius of
6 ft (2 m) for High Explosive Armor Piercing, and 4D6x10 to a blast radius
of 25 ft (7.7 m) for Plasma. Rocket projectiles: 2D4x10 to a blast
radius of 20 ft (6.1 m) for High Explosive, 2D6x10 to a blast radius of
4 ft (1.2 m) for High Explosive Armor Piercing, and 3D6x10 to a blast radius
of 20 ft (6.1 m) for Plasma. Extended Range Guided Munitions: Treat
as medium range missiles (Go to Revised
bomb and missile table).
Use the statistics for 155 mm artillery warheads (Go to
Battlefield
Artillery for Rifts for more information - standard or rocket assisted
as appropriate) when using artillery rounds.
Rate of Fire: Normal Projectiles: Up to four single shots
per barrel per melee (Can fire up to 12 shots per turret per melee or up
to 24 shots with both turrets). Extended Range Guided Munitions
can be fired at the rate of one shot per barrel per melee (Can fire up
to 3 shots per turret per melee or up to 6 shots with both turrets).
Payload: 3,000 rounds total (1500 per turret) - Each Extended
Range Guided Munitions round takes up space for 2 normal rounds.
- Four (4) Combination Anti-Missile Defense Systems:
One system
is on the front of the superstructure, one system on the rear of the superstructure,
and one is on either side of the superstructure. This anti-missile defense
system combines both a rapid fire rail gun and a short range missile launcher.
While mounted in one system, both defense systems have separate tracking
systems. The short range missile launchers can target up four targets and
can fire a volley up to twice per melee. The rail gun is capable of destroying
any missile or inflicting serious damage on aircraft. The rail gun can
fire on automatic at up to six targets per melee (Has +3 to strike missile
and +2 to strike aircraft). The rail gun is very similar to those carried
on the Sea King Cruiser and it is likely that the Sea Kings rail guns came
from a prototype of this system. The system also can be used against other
ships and ground targets. The system has a 360 degree rotation and can
elevate up to 90 degrees to fire at targets directly overhead.
Maximum Effective Range: Rail Guns: 11,000 feet (2 miles
/ 3.2 km). Short Range Missiles: As per short range missile type
(Go to Revised
bomb and missile table).
Damage: Rail Guns: 3D4x10 MD per burst of 40 rounds (Can
only fire burst). Short Range Missiles: As per short range missile
type (Go to Revised
bomb and missile table).
Rate of Fire: Rail Guns: 6 attacks per melee. Short
Range Missiles: 2 attacks per melee, can fire one at a time or in volleys
of two or four.
Payload: Rail Guns: 8000 rounds (200 burst) each. Short
Range Missiles: 16 short range missiles each.
- Two (2) Strategic MK 41 Vertical Launch Missile Launchers:
Both
launchers have 64 cells for the provision of missiles due to the forward
part of the ship having more room than on the Burke class destroyer. These
are the longer strategic version of the missile launcher and can carry
the longer cruise missile. From the beginning, the launchers have been
found to be very flexible and adaptable. The launcher was originally design
for the Tomahawk and Standard SM-2 Missile. On Rifts Earth, the launchers
have been adapted to hold one cruise missile, two long range missiles,
or four medium range missiles per cell. Cruise missiles are usually used
against hardened fixed targets, long range missiles are normally used against
aircraft and other large targets, and medium range missiles are normally
used against closer targets such as incoming missiles. Normally, the launchers
carry all cruise missiles and long range missiles. For close defense, medium
range missiles are carried in the Mk-55 missile system
Maximum Effective Range: As per cruise, long range, or medium
range missile type (Go to Revised
bomb and missile table).
Mega Damage: As per cruise, long range, or medium range missile
type (Go to Revised
bomb and missile table).
Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, 16, or 32
for both launchers per melee and can be fired at multiple targets at the
same time.
Payload: 64 cells missiles in forward VLS launcher and 64 cells
for missiles in aft VLS launcher (possible total of 256 long range missiles).
One cruise missile, two long range missiles, or four medium range missiles
may be carried per cell. Ship carries no reloads.
- Mk 55 Vertical Medium Range Missile Launchers (2):
Unlike
most vertical launch systems, these launchers fire the missiles on a 6
degree angle to the side. This is because the system was initially designed
for carriers and is to prevent a missile that fails on its launch from
crashing into aircraft on the flight deck. The missiles are arranged in
an 2 by 4 pattern, and each launch cell has six reloads. One launcher is
mounted on either side of the hull of the cruiser and require much less
space than a Mk-41 or MK-49 VLS. Each system can launch up to 8 missiles
simultaneously each and the launcher is automatically reloaded. These launchers
often act as the ships middle point defense and are normally used to engage
incoming air targets and missiles.
Maximum Effective Range: As per medium range missile type (Go to Revised
bomb and missile table).
Mega Damage: As per medium range missile type (Go to Revised
bomb and missile table).
Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of two, four, or eight
(Each launcher operates independently)
Payload: 8 missiles in each launcher, with 48 missiles in each
magazine for automatic reloads, for a total of 112 Medium Range Missiles
including missiles in launcher.
- Two (2) Medium Torpedo Launchers:
Mainly design for anti-submarine
warfare but can be used against surface targets. There is one launcher
on each side of the ship with four tubes each. The tubes have an automatic
reloading system and can be fired quickly. The ships carries a total of
80 torpedoes for reloads. Treat warheads as medium range missile warheads.
Maximum Effective Range: 20 miles (32 km)
Mega Damage: By Medium torpedo warhead type (See Revised Rifts Torpedoes).
Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2 or 4 per side,
launcher can fire a maximum of two volleys per melee each launcher
Payload: Has 80 torpedoes for reloads
- Chaff Launcher (2):
Located on the superstructure of the
ship, they are designed to confuse incoming missiles. Both launchers must
be operated or effects will be reduced. Reduce effects of launchers by
50% per launcher not used. Rifts Earth decoy 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 48
- Advanced Towed Decoys (4):
The vessel carries four advanced
towed decoy drones. They are each a small automated vehicle that creates
a false sonar image designed to mimic the vessels. The decoy is dragged
behind the destroyer using a cable. If decoys are not destroyed, they can
be recovered and repaired. Rifts Earth decoy systems are assumed to not
operate against Phase World weapons due to technological difference.
M.D.C.: 20
Effects: The decoy has an 80% chance of fooling ordinary non
military sonars and non smart guided torpedoes, the decoy has a 50% chance
of fooling military level sonars (like those of the Coalition), and the
decoy has a 25% chance of fooling advanced military sonars (Like those
of the New Navy and Triax) and smart torpedoes.
Range: Not Applicable
Rate of fire: One can be deployed at a time and requires 2 minutes
to deploy (Reel Out) another decoy
Payload: 4 Decoys.
Special Systems:
The ship has all systems standard on a robot vehicle plus the following
special features:
- SPY-3H Three Dimensional Search Radar System: While not as powerful
as those systems design for true missile cruisers, the system is still
quite effective. The system is a powerful and flexible phased array radar
system that is comprised of four panels that each emit radar waves. If
allowed by the horizon, the system can track out to 250 miles (402.3 km)
and can simultaneously track and identify up to 512 targets at one time.
The system controls missile launched from the long range missile launchers
and the system track and guide each individual missile to an individual
target for up to 128 targets. If a target is eliminated, missiles are automatically
guided to a new target. The system can also control missiles launched from
other linked vessels as well and can also act as fire control for gun mounts.
The system gives a +10% to read sensory rolls, +2 on initiative, and +1
to strike.
- Advanced Hull Sonar: Mounted under the bow of the ship. Range of
25 miles (21.7 nm / 40.2 km). This hull sonar system has both a passive
and active system built in. Sonar system can track up to 32 targets at
one time
- Advanced Towed Array Sonar System: The system is basically a long
and very sensitive sonar system carried behind the ship on a long cable.
Range of 100 miles (86.9 nm / 160.9 km). This towed array sonar system
has both a passive and active system built in. Sonar system can track up
to 64 targets at one time.
- Sonar Masking System: The Ship uses water bubbles to form a barrier
against sonar as well as a shrouded propellor and sound absorbing materials.
Gives a -20% penalty to any Read Sensory Instrument rolls to detect this
ship using sonar.
- Radar Defeating Profile & Radar Absorbing Materials: The ship
superstructure is designed so that the radar profile of the ship is reduced
and the ship is covered with radar absorbing materials. Because of this,
attempts to detect the ship using radar are made with a -20% penalty to
read sensor rolls when attempting to detect this ship. Go to
General Detection
Penalties for more information on penalties and bonuses to use with stealth.
- Combination Radar Detectors and Active Jamming System: Combination
of radar detection system (ESM) and an active jamming system. The system
can detect another radar system at 125% of the range of the transmitting
radar. In jamming mode, causes -25% to detection but when it is active,
other vehicles/ bases can detect that it is jamming, and some missiles
will home in on jamming signals. Jamming also causes a -4 penalty to all
radar guided weapons.
[Golden Age Weaponsmiths 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.]
Image drawn and copyrighted by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ) & Mischa (E-Mail Mischa). Click on line drawing for a better view.
By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).
Copyright 2001 & 2002 Kitsune. All rights reserved.
