Achilles (DropShip class)
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| 191px | |
| Achilles | |
| Production information | |
| Manufacturer | Galileo Instruments Rashpur-Owens Incorporated |
| Production Year | 2582[1] |
| Use | Assault Ship |
| Type | Military Aerodyne |
| Tech Base | Inner Sphere |
| Technical specifications | |
| Mass | 4,500 tons |
| Structural Integrity | 16 |
| Length | 125 meters |
| Width | 37.4 meters |
| Height | 23 meters |
| Drive System | Xevex-12 |
| Safe Thrust | 4 g |
| Max Thrust | 6 g |
| Fuel (tons) | 300 tons |
| Fuel (days) | 163 days |
| Armament | 6x PPCs 3x AC/20s 2x AC/10s 4x AC/5s 1x LRM-10 6x LRM-20s 4x Large Lasers 12x Medium Lasers |
| Armor | 60 tons Standard Fore: 29 Sides: 26 Aft: 17 |
| Crew | 60 |
| Escape Pods/Life Boats | 4/1 |
| Heat Sinks | 124 |
| BV (1.0) | 6,744 [2][3] |
| BV (2.0) | 8,118[citation needed] |
Contents
Description
Relatively rare, the Achilles-class Assault DropShip is a deadly threat to DropShips and AeroSpace Fighters alike.
The design of the non-atmospheric craft is relatively simple, with over half of the ship's mass taken up by the extremely powerful Xevex-12 drive system. This drive system is capable of unleashing up to 6Gs of thrust and gives the Achilles surprising agility, even against AeroSpace fighters. But this excellent performance comes at a price, as the Xevex-12 requires much more frequent and diligent maintenance than most drive systems. Despite the well-engineered drive dampening and isolation mounting surrounding the Xevex-12, thrust levels higher than 4G's can create vibrations that shake the craft so violently that prolonged flight at that rate can cause serious harm to both the crew and the ship, especially the ammunition feeding mechanisms and the drive system itself. Sixty tons of armor and one hundred twenty-four Heat Sinks combined with its three hundred tons of fuel give the craft reasonable endurance for its role.[2][4]
Much like the lighter Avenger, the Achilles forms the vanguard of planetary assault fleets, a role which led to attrition rates much higher than production during the Succession Wars. The single largest user of the Achilles in the Inner Sphere is the Draconis Combine, though the loss of Galileo Instruments of Schuyler to Clan Smoke Jaguar prior to its recapture during Operation Bulldog has only made the design even rarer in modern fleets.[2][4]
Armament
Incredibly well-armed, the Achilles was the closest thing to a WarShip in the technological decline of the Succession Wars. Two PPCs and two LRM-20s, plus two Large and Medium Lasers mounted in the nose allow the craft to unleash blistering fire upon enemies in its forward arc. Each "wing" mounts a single PPC and Autocannon/20 supported by a pair of Autocannon/5, LRM-20s and Medium Lasers facing forward, with another PPC, Autocannon/10, Large Laser and another two Mediums Lasers pointed rearward. Directly aft, the Achilles mounts a third AC/20, two more Medium Lasers and an LRM-10. Four tons reloads for each of the smaller Autocannons, eight for the mammoth AC/20's and a total of seventeen tons of long range missiles allow the craft to engage seemingly at will.[2][4]
Cargo
Due to the focused role of the class, the Achilles boasts a minimal two-hundred and fifty tons of cargo capacity. The bulk of its free space is instead devoted to two AeroSpace Fighter bays and two Small Craft bays for Marine boarding operations.[2][4]
Variants
- Upgrade
- Coming as somewhat of a shock given that no Capellan or Marik facility produced the Achilles previously, an upgraded version first emerged from the facilities of Rashpur-Owens Incorporated above Capella in 3055. Replacing all of the standard heat sinks with Double Heat Sinks, the upgraded Achilles has greatly improved endurance. The PPCs and Large Lasers are upgraded to extended range models, the standard mediums are replaced with Medium Pulse Lasers and Artemis IV FCS is added to each LRM launcher. The four AC/5s have been dropped entirely and replaced with two Gauss Rifles and five tons of reloads. The two AC/10s share five tons of shells, the three AC/20's share six tons of shells, and a combined fifteen tons of missiles are shared by the LRM racks. These upgrades halved the previous amount of cargo space[2][4]. BV (1.0) = 10,010[2][5], BV (2.0) = 10,331[citation needed]
- 3088 Upgrade
- This version of the Achilles was overseen by the Draconis Combine Admiralty[6] and carries double heat sinks. It also carries four Heavy PPCs, six LRM-20s with Artemis IV FCS, three ER Large Lasers, twin ER PPCs, four ER Medium Lasers, five Gauss Rifles, and two Ultra AC/20s. It also has a bay for a single squad of battle armor, but the main piece of equipment is the Naval C3 System that coordinates fire among friendly naval units. BV (2.0) = 12,207[7]
Named Vessels
(See Category:Individual Achilles-class DropShips)
Gallery
Original illustration of the Achilles from DropShips and JumpShips
- Achilles.gif
Achilles from TRO:3057
References
- ↑ MUL online date for the Achilles (DropShip class)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Technical Readout: 3057, pp. 36-37, "Achilles DropShip Profile"
- ↑ AeroTech 2 Record Sheets, p. 228
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Technical Readout: 3057, pp. 38-39, "Achilles DropShip Profile"
- ↑ AeroTech 2 Record Sheets, p. 229
- ↑ Technical Readout: 3145, p. 213
- ↑ Record Sheets: 3145 New Tech, New Upgrades, p. 217