SPECIFICATIONS

GOVERNMENT:UN Soviet Solar Empire
TYPE: Interplanetary Space Frigate
MODEL: Byzantine class SDDG-59 (Ironclad Mark-I)
DATE INTRODUCED: 2159 AD
LENGTH:  260 feet (79.2 meters)
WIDTH:  120 feet (36.6 meters)
HEIGHT:  120 feet (36.6 meters)
MATERIAL: Composite Alloy
POWER PLANT: 3x Hensai Energy Fusion Reactor
OUTPUT:  10,000 megawatts each (30,000 total)
ARMOR TYPE: Composite Alloy
ARMOR THICKNESS: 3 inches
DISPLACEMENT:  3500 tons
CREW: 54 (16 Gunners, 18 Engineers, 4 Electricians, 4 Technicians, 4 Operators, 3 Medical, 5 Officers)

PROPULSION
             PRIMARY:
             4x Eurospace ES-IE-3500 Ion Engines
             SPEED: 76,000 mph each ( 304,000 mph total)

            SECONDARY:
            6X Eurospace ES-IE-1500 Ion Engines
            SPEED: 32,604 mph each (195,624 mph total)

WEAPONS:
             PRIMARY (OFFENSIVE):
             4x Lithgear LG-LC-120 120 megawatt dual laser cannon (60 Mw each) turret; Effective Range:  miles; Payload: unlimited with nuclear battery clutch recharged from the vessel's main reactor; ROF: up to 6 blasts per minute in cycles of 1 dual blast per 10 seconds.

             SECONDARY (OFFENSIVE):
             3x Lithgear LG-STL-800 space torpedo tubes; Missile Type: UNSST-01 short-range 800-pound television-guided space torpedo; Effective Range: 5.4 miles; Payload: 20 torpedoes each tube.  ROF: up to 1 torpedo per two seconds each launcher.

            ASSAULT:
            1x Lithgear 500 megawatt PHELAC cannon barbette; Effective Range:  miles; Payload: unlimited with nuclear battery clutch recharged from vessel's main reactor; ROF: 1 blast every 6.9 seconds for a total of 9 blasts per minute.

ELECTRONICS:
              1x Microwave Radio Communications array with a 100 AU range.
              1x LADAR array with a range of 220,000 miles.
              1x Passive EMS array with a range of 500,000 miles.
              1x Active EMS array with a range of 50,000 miles.
              1x Gravitational/Antigravity Control Unit; Effect: Provides artificial lift, g-force compensation, and enhanced maneuverability.

DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS:
             6x Cydonia Research CR-DF-100 omnidirectional LEVEL-1 Gravitonic deflector field generator; Range: 100 feet from hull; Power Requirement: 100 megawatts each; Output: 18,000 gigajoules with a regeneration of 1800 gigajoules every ten seconds.

HANGAR BAYS:
             1x 1171.35 yd3   Bay holds sixty Type-39D-60 UNSC Exosuits, plus 151.35 cubic yards of additional cargo (usually weapons, fuel, and ammo for the exosuits).


From Great War Era Space Shuttles to "Ironclads"

Having enjoyed near total solar-supremacy after the Earth had been ravaged by the asteroid impact of 2156 AD, the UN Solar Empire fell into a state of complacency fueled by the continued unearthing of alien ruins all over the solar system. The research of the alien data took the highest priority above all other considerations and the resources of the Solar Empire were diverted to support this endeavor, with specific emphasis on finding a way to launch a successful mission to the Alpha Centauri star system.
UNOOSA (United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs) was charged with the development of an advanced spacecraft design in late 2158 AD using the then new, and experimental plasma drive systems.
This saved the agency from extinction due to the massive budget normally given to the UN Space Corps.
Naturally the resource budget for UNOOSA was inflated considerably from where the agency had been only a few years prior (2155), and thus the UNSC budget reduced down to pre-Great War levels.
During the development phase of the new craft, it became clear to the spacecraft engineers of UNOOSA that the maximum speed their new "interstellar shuttle craft" would be able to travel was a meager .09C (9 percent light speed) and thus would require 52.8 years to travel to Alpha Centauri.
When these findings were presented to the Supreme Soviet Council, the project was scrapped. Immediately UNOOSA put forward a new and radical proposal. This new idea was that of an FTL engine designed using the data garnered from Doctor Xiang's findings at Cydonia on Mars, in order to "jump" to Alpha Centauri.
The Supreme Soviet approved the idea and the Intersection Drive project began.
The scrapped ship design that the UNOOSA research team created did capture the attention of the UNSC Venus force commander. This commander was Grand Admiral Kolchak, and in 2159 he requisitioned for the new craft to be modified into what he called an "Ironclad" style of warship. He chose the name because he wanted a fleet of ships that would give him an ironclad guarantee of continued control of the Inner Sphere of Sol.


* * *

The Byzantine class (pre-Ironclad Prototype)

With their shuttle fleets being decimated within the L1 LaGrangian Point of the Earth Sphere at the battle of the planetoid 'Midway' in 2159 by a force of United States Space Navy Juno class and Type-59 type "Space Cruisers", Admiral Kolchak demanded a warship more powerful than the AS-03. He was convinced that the Solar Empire's continued obsession with pouring resources into what he called "flights of interstellar fancy" would allow the USSN to build up a formidable space fleet.
The Supreme Soviet Council was not amused, nor did they appropriate funds to construct the vessels he had deemed an absolute necessity.
He therefore took matters into his own hands and ordered the Venus shipyards at Hidalgo to begin construction of a vessel he dubbed the Byzantine class heavy assault shuttle.
The design incorporated everything the Venus Commander felt would give them the advantage against the USSN fleet. A 3500 ton space frigate scale vessel armed with five 120-megawatt laser cannon turrets mounted in strategic positions allowing any three turrets to fire simultaneously port, starboard, or aft and four turrets firing forward: giving the ship an advantage over the Juno. Three forward mounted Lithgear LG-STL-800 tubes with a total of sixty space torpedoes for close combat and planetary bombardment. A 500-megawatt forward firing PHELAC cannon barbette mounted just below the torpedo tubes, and used for anti-warship/space station purposes with emphasis on destroying the Juno. Four main high yield ion engines with a maximum velocity of 304,000 miles per hour, and six secondary High Yield Ion Engines with a maximum velocity of 195,624 mph; giving the Byzantine a combined maximum speed of 499,624 mph.  The main defense of the ship were six nuclear dampener generators that were a knock-off of the USSN version used on the Juno. This combination of weapons, armor, propulsion units, and defense shields made the vessel extremely powerful (for it's time), it also set the standard for all subsequent Ironclad type warships.
Pleased, Admiral Kolchak had the Byzantine class under production by the end of 2159 with an output of twelve vessels per year.
In December of 2159 the USSN attempted to capture a fuel and food supply depot some 350,000 miles on the sun-side of the Earth. The Battle of Roselin station ensued and proved the worth of the Byzantine class when three of these new vessels destroyed the USSN battle group of eight Kentucky class assault shuttles, four Type-59s, and one Juno.
The success of the Byzantine class was short lived as the second battle of Roselin station in early 2160 saw the introduction of the USSN Saturn class heavy frigate. One Byzantine was destroyed and three others damaged before the UNSC flotilla was forced to withdraw and surrender the space station.
When news of this defeat reached Admiral Kolchak, he had the Byzantine design team set to work on a new, and larger design.