SPECIFICATIONS

GOVERNMENT: Jovian Defense Forces/Jupiter Space Navy (JSN)
TYPE: Interplanetary Spacecraft Carrier Vessel (SCCV)
MODEL: J.H. Narberth Shipyards, Lord Nelson class
DATE INTRODUCED: 2077 AD
LENGTH: 851 feet
WIDTH: 190.2 feet
HEIGHT: 93.5 feet
MATERIAL: Crystal Composite
POWER PLANT: Macrotechnologies IPFF-150K Ion Plasma Fusion Furnace
OUTPUT: 150,000 megawatts
ARMOR TYPE: Crystal Composite
ARMOR THICKNESS: 1 inch
DISPLACEMENT: 30,000 tons
CREW:   343 + 80 Mecha Pilots (46 Gunners, 30 Engineers, 30 Electricians,30 Technicians, 30 Operators, 37 Officers, 20 Medical, 80 Flight, 100 Security, 20 Science)

PROPULSION:

             PRIMARY (Main Engine):
             2x Io Heavy Industries IHI-EMD-27K electromagnetic drive
             SPEED: KiloMach 10 (7,600,000 mph/.01C each, 15,200,000 mph/.0227C total)

             SECONDARY (Combat Speed Engines):
             4x Io Heavy Industries IHI- FT-4500 fusion thrusters
             SPEED: 38,000 mph each (152,000 mph total)

WEAPONS:

             PRIMARY (OFFENSIVE):
             4x Lunar Dynamics LD-PC-600 dual 300-megawatt PHELAC turrets; Effective Range: 2400 miles; Payload: unlimited with nuclear battery clutch system; ROF: 3 blasts every twenty seconds with a cyclic rate of 9 blasts per minute.

             SECONDARY (OFFENSIVE):
             12x Republic Arms RA-STL-02A1 space torpedo tubes; Missile Type: MST-01M 1000-pound computer-guided medium-range space torpedo; Effective Range: 7111 miles; Payload: 20 space torpedoes each in an autoloading torpedo tube; ROF:  1 torpedo per two seconds with a cyclic rate of 30 torpedoes per minute.

             PRIMARY (ASSAULT):
             2x MMI EMPAC-10M electromagnetic particle accelerator cannon; Effective Range: 50,000 miles; Payload: unlimited with nuclear battery clutch; ROF: one blast per ten seconds.  However, due to the enormous amount of heat the beam of the weapon generates, it can be safely fired only once every twenty seconds, or else damage to the cannon will ensue.

ELECTRONICS:

             1x Microwave Radio Communications array with a 1000 AU range.
             1x LADAR array with a range of 220,000 miles.
             1x Passive EMS array with a 1,000,000-mile range.
             1x Active EMS array with a range of 100,000 miles.
             1x Laser Communications array with a 1000 AU range.
             1x Gravitational/Antigravity Control Unit; Effect: Provides artificial lift, g-force compensation, and enhanced maneuverability.

DEFENSE SYSTEMS:

             6x Nippon Military Industries NMI-DF2000 2000-megawatt deflector shield generators; Effect: has an output of 200 gigajoules and a regeneration rate of 20 gigajoules per 10 seconds.

HANGAR BAY:

             Bay holds forty 20-ton SF-03 spacefighter/bombers (or equivalent), forty 35-ton HBR-01 space battlerobots (or equivalent), ten 100-ton shuttles, and up to 13,800-yd3 of additional cargo and/or ordinance for the spacefighters.

Description/Overview:
         With the war against the UN Solar Empire over, and the conflict between the Earth SpaceNavy and the former Earth spacemarines now in full swing, the new Jupiter Federal Colonies needed a hard-hitting spacecraft that could deliver not only spacefighters, but also space battlerobots into combat quickly and in larger numbers than their EFSN counterparts could.  It was during this dark period that the Lord Nelson Class was conceived.
         The ship was essentially a JFC copy of the ruined UNSC Saint Petersburg class of heavy spacecraft carrier.  However, that 50,000-ton warship wreck was now the property of the newly formed Saturn Defense Forces at Titan who were guarding the spoils of the 1st Interplanetary War, including NoWhere Station, the alien spacefleet, and the Golden Goose.  Under their agreement with the Union of Solar Republics, the former EFSM 3rd SpaceNavy split into two allied factions.  One at Jupiter to guard, upgrade, and inhabit the old UN colonies on Jupiter’s moons, and the other at Saturn to ensure that the Earth Federal Republic and Ceres forces would not get their hands on the valuable items given to the EFSM by the USR.
      The Lord Nelson was built to help the Jupiter colonies keep that agreement.  The LN class was envisioned as the perfect battlecarrier capable of acting as both a mainline battleship and spacecraft carrier vessel.  The final production model did not excel at either task, although it was adequate in both roles.  Overall, the ship was considered a success, as it met the challenge of guarding Jovian space numerous times over its fifty-eight year period of service.
      The initial production run of the Lord Nelson class of SCCV was only seventy ships.  These were constructed off of 140 former Anapolis class hulls from the wrecks of 1st and 2nd SpaceNavy warships that met their doom during the Battle of the Vesta Kirkwood gap in 2076.  The “twin-hull” design literally consisted of a pair of the obsolete EFF cruisers mated to a central support spine that ran the length of the ship.  This was done to expedite the construction of the new craft and allow the use of as many existing systems as was possible.
         The Lord Nelson class of Spacecraft Carrier Vessel (SCCV) was the first ship to use the newly developed Io Heavy Industries IHI-EMD-27K electromagnetic drive.  This drive system was superior to the ion plasma fusion drives used by the older EFSM warships in that it did not require radioactive fuel to act as a propellant for the engine.  Instead, the new engine provided thrust by a high yield burst of electromagnetic energy.  A pair of these new drives were installed on the ship to provide the Lord Nelson class with as much speed as the designers could muster: this duo of EMD was able to propel the ship at speeds of up to .023C or 2.3% the speed of light.
         In addition to the pair of new EMD engines, a quad set of standard fusion thrusters were added to provide combat and orbital speeds for the ship.  A quartet of four Io Heavy Industries IHI-FT4500 fusion thrusters provided the ship with a combined maximum speed of 152,000 mph.  Each of these engines was able to propel the ship at 38,000 mph each.  This was an average velocity for ships of its day.
         The weapon systems of the ship were identical to that of the Warspite class of battlecruiser.  Only the number of weapons was different.  The Lord Nelson class mounted two Militia Military Industries EMPAC-10M electromagnetic particle accelerator cannons at the bow of the warship.  These maw-guns were useful against enemy capital ships and spacestations and were ordinarily fired individually allowing one gun to cool off while the other discharged.  It was not uncommon for these ships to fire “both barrels” during desperate situations.
         The main batteries of the Lord Nelson were four Lunar Dynamics LD-PC-600 dual PHELAC turrets mounted on the sides and bottom of the flattop carrier.  These cannons provided medium offensive capability for the vessel in ship-to-ship combat.
         Lastly, the LN class used twelve Republic Arms RA-STL-02A1 space torpedo tubes.  These missile weapons were used primarily against other capital warships, planetary bases, and spacestations.
         A major difference between the Lord Nelson class of SCCV and the other ships of the former EFSM 3rd SpaceNavy was the addition of the UN-style deflector field generators in place of the ion field dampeners found on the lesser vessels of the Jovian space fleet.
         Six Nippon Military Industries NMI-DF2000 deflector field generators were used on the LN class as its main defense.  These deflectors provided ample protection against most kinds of weaponry found during the mid to late 21st century.  However, by the mid-22nd century, the ship’s defense systems were clearly obsolete.
         The Jupiter Federal Colonies produced an additional 350 of the Lord Nelson class ships for their SpaceNavy during the 2080s.  These craft served with distinction in the Ceres Conflict and were the last line of defense during the events of 2135 AD. None of these ships survived the 2135 AD incident.