U.S. Navy Seal LSS-22 "Guppy" Seal Infiltration Submersible:

The first effective submersible assault craft entered American service in the beginning of the Twenty-First Century. These craft had a crew of two and could carry up to eight soldiers. These soldiers were normally seals or other special forces personnel. The craft could not come as close to the shore as more traditional landing craft but had the advantage of much greater stealth.

The Guppy was designed to replace previous submersible assault craft designs and has far more space than previous designs. This was done by making the design very wide and makes the design larger than the previous designs. The Guppy is designed to take up the same amount of space as an LCAC but can only be deployed from craft that have a wet landing craft deck. The Guppy was designed to be primarily deployed from the U.S.S. Ticonderoga. In the New Navy, these craft are operated from underwater bases and the Ticonderoga.

The guppy has a large door in the front to be able to unload soldiers and equipment. The main bay of the submersible is designed to be able to carry up to 80 soldiers in normal body armor, 50 soldiers in light or medium power armor, and up to 20 soldiers in heavy power armor. Instead of troops, the craft can carry four light trucks or one armored personnel carrier. Cargo can also be carried. The craft is designed to be able to carry up to forty tons of cargo. There is no space for long term occupation by the crew and the craft depends on a support craft or support facility for the crews. These craft have been used as special purpose long distance transports when a larger submarine was not available but are very uncomfortable for such long distance cruises.

The Guppy is armed to deal with opponents but is much lighter armed than the Crab class landing craft. The craft has two tubes on each side of the craft. These launchers are designed to be able to fire medium torpedoes while submerged and medium range missiles when on the surface. To back up the special tubes, the craft carries three light ion pulse cannons. These are mounted on top of the craft and can be retracted but can be used when the craft is underwater as well as on the surface. The submersible does not carry decoys or noisemakers like larger submarine designs but does have a sonar absorbing outer layer and shrouded water jets to reduce the submersible's noise level. The submersible is powered by two small but powerful fusion reactors. Like the thrusters, the reactors are designed to be very quiet. The Guppy is not as fast as the Crab assault craft but can reach up to 12 knots either under water or on the surface. The submersible is not designed for deep depths and the diving depth is only about 200 meters. The Guppy does not carry a towed sonar system but does have an advanced hull sonar mounted on the sides of the hull. The Guppy is not meant to engage other craft if at all possible but is still fairly capable of defending itself.

In appearance, the control station is in the rear quarter of the hull in the middle. Forward of the bridge are the landing doors which open like clam shells. From the top, the hull appears to be almost squared off in the front and back of the craft but from the sides, the craft is angled to a point in the front. On the two sides of the craft are the main ballast tanks with the center area up front being the troop compartment and the rear being the propulsion section of the craft. The submersible has retractable bow planes of each side. When the craft is on the surface, these are fully retracted so that they cannot be destroyed and so reduce the craft's underwater performance.

Model Type: LSS-22
Vehicle Type: Landing Craft, Submersible
Crew: 8 (Pilot, Communications, 2 Engineers, Commander, and 3 Gunners)

Troops / Vehicles: Up to 40 tons can be carried in cargo or vehicles. The amount of cargo or vehicle that can be carried in one load is affected by available space as well as weight of the cargo. Below is a list of possible individual loads

	80	Infantry with standard equipment
	50	Soldiers in light ground power armor
	20	Heavy Power Armors
	1	Armored Personnel Carriers
	4	Light Trucks

M.D.C. by location:

	Light Ion Cannon Mounts (3, top):	45 each
	Medium Range Missile / Torpedo Launchers (2, Sides):	80 each
	[1] Bow Planes (2):	60 each
	[2] Pump Jet Thrusters (2)	100 each
	Cargo Bay Doors (1, Front):	120 each
	Pilots Compartment (Rear Middle):	120
	Troop / Vehicle Compartment:	150
	[3] Main Body:	400

Notes:
[1] Destroying the submarines bow planes will reduce the submarine's ability to change depths but will not eliminate it. It also makes it difficult for the submarine's crew to control the submarine giving a penalty of -25% to all piloting rolls.
[2] Destruction of one of the submersible's thruster units drops top speed by half. Destroying both of the Guppy's Pump Jet Thrusters causes serious problems. The submarine will no longer be able to use forward momentum and the bow planes to keep the submarine level. It is recommended that ballast takes are immediately blown so submarine comes to surface.
[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body destroys the submersible's structural integrity, causing it to sink. If the submersible is underwater, the entire crew will die unless protected by environmental armors that can withstand the pressure that the submarine is under. If on the surface, there are enough flotation devices and inflatable life rafts to accommodate everyone aboard.

Speed:
Water Surface: 12 knots (13.8 mph/22.2 kph)
Underwater: 12 knots (13.8 mph/22.2 kph)
Maximum Depth: 656 feet (200 meters)
Maximum Range: Effectively unlimited.

Statistical Data:
Height: 25 feet (7.62 meters)
Width: 45 feet (13.7 meters)
Length: 86 feet (26.2 meters)
Weight: 210 tons (190.5 metric tons) empty, 240 tons (217.7 metric tons) fully loaded.
Power Source: Nuclear with 20 year fusion reactor.
Cargo Capacity: The cargo compartment can carry up to 40 tons (72.6 metric tons) fully loaded.
Market / Black Market Cost: 155 million for a new and undamaged version of the LSS-22 Guppy

Weapon Systems:

1. Pulse Ion Cannon Mounts (3): The submersible has three retractable ion cannon mounts. One is mounted in front of the superstructure / pilots compartment and the other mounts are positioned to either side. Each mount is controlled by a separate gunner. The weapon mounts are primarily used for defense against missiles and torpedoes but can be used against other vessels, aircraft, and even against ground vehicles and infantry.
   Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,200 meters)
   Mega-Damage: 1D6x10 per pulse.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
2. Medium Missile/Torpedo Launchers (2): These side-mounted launchers can fire either regular medium-range missiles or special amphibious missiles (can be used as missile or torpedoes, have the same damage as equivalent missile, double cost, but can travel to underwater targets and are +2 to strike). Missile speed underwater is 120 mph (192 km) and have a range of 20 miles (32 km). The New Navy usually carries only the special purpose amphibious missiles in the launchers.
   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 2, 4, or 8 missiles.
   Payload: 32 total; 16 per missile launcher.

Sensory Equipment:
The hover craft carries all standard equipment of a robot vehicle plus this special equipment:

• Radio/ Video Communications: Long range, directional, has a range of 500 miles with short range directional radio of 5 miles.
• Advanced Hull Sonar System: Sonar system has a range of around 16 nautical miles (18.4 miles / 29.7 km). This hull sonar system has both a passive and active system built in. Sonar system can track up to 16 targets at one time.
• Full Life Support: This submarine has an enhanced like support system when compared to most other vehicles because it is designed to operate underwater for extended periods of time. The submarine has an incredible air recycling system that allows the crew to recycle air for five weeks before the atmosphere is too stale to breath. The submarine also has a 72 hour supply of oxygen to support the recycling system.
• Spotlight: Range: 600 feet (182.9 meters)
• Thermo-Imager: Range: 2,000 ft (609 m). Finds the infrared radiations of things that are warm. Also enables pilot to see in smoke, shadows and darkness.
• Nightvision Optics: Range: 2,000 ft (609 m). Uses light amplification to make a picture. Emits no light but will not work in absolute darkness. System can be dazzled by sudden bright lights but does not physically blind the pilot.
• ESM: This system is mounted in mounted in the superstructure and is extended in a similar manner to a periscope. The antenna is very hard to detect both visually and by radar. Can detect another radar system at 125% of the range of the transmitting radar.

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By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

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