Most minesweeper designers are based off of corvette or destroyer designs. This is because the are small, easy to convert, and relatively easy to replace as well. There have been some experimental minesweeper design that are large ships with massive point defense. These have been successful but are very expensive. The Grey wolf class is similar to an older Wolven minesweeper design called the Predator and both are based on the Hunter class destroyer. New Coventry's Grey Wolf is very capable and several other modern navies have copied the class. The Human Alliance Forces Navy is thinking about adopting this class as well. Their ships based on the Ferret are getting old and the department of shipbuilding wishes to replace them.

There are three basic classes of mines in the Three Galaxies. These are missile platforms, energy weapon platforms, and simple mines. The first two are very self explanatory and the third type are almost short range missiles with heavy warheads themselves. For these reasons, point defense and comparatively short range but very power sensor systems are the most important systems for a minesweeper. All the heavy weaponry is stripped from the ship and long range sensors are reduce to the point that the ship has long range sensor capacity only equal to civilian sensor system levels. The central particle beam is replaced by a sensor array that includes radar, neutrino sensors, gravitic sensors, and tachyon based sensors. The system has a range of only about 2.5 million kilometers but gives better reading in a narrow cone than the sensors mounted in a battleship have. For weapon systems, all systems have all been modified to strike smaller targets. The cruise missile launcher has been replaced by a four tube long range missile launcher. It launches rapidly and volleys can even be linked to form larger volleys. The main problem with all minesweepers is that there is no weapon designed to take out small platforms yet outranges a cruise missile. It is hoped when designing the point defense of a minesweeper that is capable of taking out cruise missiles at they come in. The outer particle beam mounts are replaced by medium range missile launchers making the total number of medium range missile launchers four. The inner point defense weaponry are identical to those on a standard New Coventry Hunter. This is four point defense laser turrets, two GR-1000 rail guns, and two tachyon scatterguns. The ship also does normally carry two pepper box launchers but loaded into them are normally decoys to help protect the ship from missile strikes.

The ship has all the marines eliminated from the compliment but does carry four storm eagle starfighters for patrol and point defense. Occasional, they are used to assist in mine sweeping as well. The elimination of the marines does increase the space for the crew to some extent although quarters are still cramped and the support for the fighters still are assigned to the ship

This starship design uses modified starship speed and ranges. See Revised Starship Rules for Phase World for more details.

Model Type: GR-12SW
Vehicle Type: Mine Sweeper (modified Frigate Combat Ship)
Crew: 27
Troops: 10 fighter pilots.

Vehicle, Robots, and Power Armors:

4

SF-101I-LR Storm Eagle medium interceptor

M.D.C. By Location:

	Central Sensor Suite (Front, built into hull):	800
	Long Range Missile Battery (1, underside):	800
	Medium Range Missile Batteries (4, Top, Bottom, and Sides):	450 each
	Rail Gun Turrets (2):	400 each
	Point Defense Laser Turrets (4):	300 each
	Tachyon Scatter Guns (2):	400 each
	Cruise Missile Launcher (1, underside):	1,000
	Medium Range Missile Batteries (2, Top and Underside):	450 each
	[2] Main Body:	4,500
	[3] Variable Force Field:	1,000 a side (6,000 Total)

Notes:
[1] In reality this is how much damage needs to be done for a weapon to hit the bridge through the ships armor. This ship does not have an auxiliary bridge. Even if the bridges is destroyed, the ship can still be piloted from engineering but ship is -3 to dodge and all weapon systems will be at local control. Weapon hits near the bridge that do not penetrate the ships integrity can injure crew members on or near the bridge.
[2] Depleting the MDC of the main body will put the destroyer out of commission. All internal systems will shut down, including life support and internal gravity. The ship itself will be an unsalvageable floating wreck.
[3] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (300 MDC) per melee

Speed:
Driving on the Ground: Not Possible.
Sublight: Has a special sublight engine that allows the ship to travel up to 60 percent of the speed of light. Star Ship can accelerate/decelerate at the rate of 0.95 percent of light per melee.
Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum speed is Mach 1 (670 mph / 1080 kph), can enter an atmosphere and can leave but is not designed for atmospheric flight
Stardrive: Uses a Gravitonic Drive system that allows the ship to reach a maximum of 4.5 lightyears per hour.
Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by either Drive system. Carries about one year worth of supplies on board.

Statistical Data:
Length: 300 feet (91.4 meters)
Height: 70 feet (21.3 meters)
Width: 80 feet (24.4 meters)
Weight / Mass: 6,000 tons (5443 metric tons)
Power System: Anti-Matter with a 50 year life span
Cargo: The cargo capacity has been reduced so the ship can carry more long range missiles. The cargo hold can carry 100 ton of cargo not including standard compliment of supplies and ammunition. Hold is 10 x 20 x 20 feet in dimensions (3.1 x 6.1 x 6.1 meter).
Market Cost: 420 million for a rebuilt Grey Wolf class minesweeper with new weapon systems and sensor systems. The Black Market or the Kreegor would offer several times it's value for an undamaged completely working ship.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. Two (2) GR-1000 Large Gravity Rail Gun Turrets: Since the GR-1000 rail gun is the standard weapon that most New Coventry ships carry, two of the rail guns carried in the standard Hunter destroyer have been replaced by GR-1000 Rail Guns. The other two rail guns were replaced by Tachyon Scatterguns. They are used as an anti-Starfighter and missile weapon and against targets that are impervious to energy. Each Rail Gun is in a Turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. Projectiles come out of launchers at close to the speed of light. Cannon uses a 30 mm projectile.
   Range: 16 miles (26 km) through atmosphere and 1,600 miles (2,575 km) in space.
   Mega-Damage: 40 round burst does 4d6x10 M.D.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the Gunner (usually 4 or 5).
   Payload: 10,000 Rounds (500 Bursts) each cannon.
2. Four (4) Point Defense Lasers in Ball Turrets: This system is an unaltered from a standard Hunter class destroyer. This is the star ships primary anti-starfighter, anti-robot, and anti-missile defense system.. Each laser is in a Turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire
   Range: 200 miles (320 km) in space and has a range of 4 miles (6.4 km) in an atmosphere.
   Mega Damage: 2D6x10 MDC each.
   Rate of fire: Equal to gunners hand to hand (Usually 4 or 5).
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
3. Two (2) Tachyon Scatter Guns: Replaces two of the rail gun turrets. The other two are replaced by more powerful rail guns. The main purpose of this system is as an anti-missile point defense. They do this by firing a wide blast that effects all targets in a cone 6.2 miles long and 3.1 miles wide in an atmosphere (Quatrupled in space) that can destroy whole volleys of missiles before the strike the ship. This system has an interesting property that the system can actually be used at FTL speeds because Tachyons travel faster than the speed of light.. Each Tachyon Scatter Gun is in a Turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire.
   Range: 24.8 miles (40 km) with a width of 12.4 miles (20 km), range and width is one quarter in atmosphere.
   Mega Damage: 2D4x10 MDC each.
   Rate of fire: Maximum of four (4) times per melee each.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
4. One (1) Long Range missile Battery: This battery consist of four long range missile tubes and replaces the standard Hunters cruise missile launcher. Missile has a top speed of Mach 20 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 8% of light per turn (faster than any starship). Since star ships will no longer engage at rock throwing distances, whether weapons can be shot down is calculated from the speed of target, launcher, and missile. When drive goes dead, missile will still cruise unless set to self destruct but has very low odds of hitting star ships (Great for hitting bases and planets because target does not move and missile when dead at -25% to detect.) Long range missiles do not have minuses to hit small targets unlike cruise missiles and are all considered smart missiles. Each battery can launch on multiple targets each. While missile are only launched at the rate of one at a time per tube, the ships computer has special software that allows all the missile to hit a target at the same time for the purpose to make point defense of a target is more easily overwhelmed. This is done by slowing down the acceleration of missile and by setting some for delayed activation and target must be a least 30 seconds away. Missile are then considered to only have an acceleration of 5% of light for the first turn.
   Range: Missile range is 3400 miles (5470 km) in an atmosphere and 1,800,000 miles (2,89700 km/9.7 light seconds) in space.
   Mega-Damage & Properties: See Phase World Missiles (Fusion does 2D4x100 MDC).
   Rate of fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2 or 4 per launcher, per melee attack (special software allows 16 to 24 missile to be launched as one volley depending on gunners hand to hand attacks).
   Payload: 200 long range missiles total
5. Four (4) Medium Range Missile Batteries: Two of the launchers are original and the other two mounts replace the ships outside particle beam mounts. Weapon system is used for incoming missiles and to take out weapon platforms as well. Like other Phase world systems, weapon system range and speed has been greatly increased compared to Rifts Earth systems. Missile has a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light per turn. Each Battery can launch on multiple targets.
   Mega-Damage: varies with medium range missile type (See Phase World Missiles).
   Range: 160 miles (257.5 km) in an atmosphere and 80,000 miles (128,750 km/0.43 light seconds)
   Rate of fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, or 8 missiles per launcher.
   Payload: 160 per launcher for a total of 640 medium range missiles.

Sensor System of Note:

• High Powered Mine Hunting Sensor System: This system replaces the ships central particle beam. This system includes radar, neutrino sensors, gravitic sensors, and tachyon based sensors. This is an active sensor system with a range of 1,550,000 miles (2,500,000 km / 8.34 light seconds) and covers a 15 degree radius cone. As stated, the system is an active system and is easily detected but gives a bonus or +20% to read sensory rolls to detect targets and a +4 on weapon systems when aiming at targets with the cone. Targets that are invisible but the invisibilty is not specific to gravity sensors will also be detected. The other ships sensors are at civilian level except the ships close range fire control sensors.

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By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

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