Avenger (DropShip class)

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Avenger-class dropship
Production information
Manufacturer Aldis Industries[1], Dynamico Limited[1], Rashpur-Owens Incorporated, Defiance Industries[1]
Production Year 2816[2]
Use Military Aerodyne
Type Assault
Tech Base Inner Sphere
Technical specifications
Mass 1,400 tons
Structural Integrity 12
Length 50.5 meters
Width 42 meters meters
Height 11.9 meters meters
Drive System Star League V450
Safe Thrust 3.5 g
Max Thrust 5.5 g
Fuel (tons) 160 tons
Fuel (days) 87 days
Armament 2 x PPCs
1 x AC/20
6 x AC/5s
1 x AC/2
4 x LRM-20s
2 x Large Lasers
8 x Medium Lasers
Armor Standard
Fore: 23
Sides: 20
Aft: 18
Crew 15
Escape Pods/Life Boats 2/0
Heat Sinks 70
BV (1.0) 4,320[3]
BV (2.0) 5,203[citation needed]


Description

One of the smallest DropShips still in use, despite its size the Avenger class features firepower rivaling that of a Union Class, armor almost the equal of a Overlord class, and speed and maneuverability surpassing both. Found mostly in the navies of the Successor States, Avengers are typically reserved for major planetary assaults, forming the vanguard of the initial attack and clearing the path for the transport DropShips that follow it. Given its position at the forefront of the largest battles, their attrition rates are quite high.[4][3][5] To support troops on the ground, they can also be used for strafing and bombing runs.[5] A special bomb bay beneath the engineering compartment in the ship's rear was mentioned.[4]

The Avenger is also notable for being one of the few aerodyne craft built for planetary operations which doesn't feature a secondary transit drive, just the single rear maneuvering drive. On the ground this means "up" is toward the vertical stabilizer, while under thrust "up" is towards the nose. This requires an exotic layout, with long corridors on the ground becoming lift shafts in space, and each room and its furniture being designed to be quickly switched between either orientation.[4][3][5]

Armament

Given its first strike role, the Avenger is impressively armed on all angles. In the nose weapons bay are two AC/5s, an AC/20, a LRM-20, two large and two medium lasers. In each wing are a single PPC, a pair of AC/5's, an LRM-20 rack and two medium lasers. Facing the rear are an AC/2, an LRM-20 and two medium lasers. The Avenger's large ammo bays, especially for its LRM racks, allow it to keep up a steady rate of attack.[4][3][5]

Cargo

The Avenger features a single 93 ton capacity cargo bay, mounted near the drive to the rear of the craft. This dual purpose bay can also be used as bomb bay during planetary bombing and strafing runs, and is generally split between this purpose and carrying 15 marines.[4][3][5]

Variants

  • Upgraded Version 
    The Avenger class was the first Inner Sphere DropShip design to be refitted with rediscovered Star League technology as a result of the rediscovery of the Helm Memory Core, and the only one in actual production before the Clan Invasion disrupted similar upgrades for other classes. The first upgraded vessel slipping its mooring at Dynamico in 3048. The primary changes are a switch to Double Heat Sinks and updating of its weaponry. Each set of twinned AC/5s in the nose and wings have been replaced by a single Gauss Rifle, the large lasers have been upgraded to extended range variants and the medium lasers have been switched for new pulse counterparts. The LRM launchers have all been upgraded with Artemis IV FCS, the only weapon removed completely being the sole rear facing AC/2.[5][3] BV (1.0) = 5,501[3], BV (2.0) = 6,154[citation needed]

Named Vessels

(See Category:Individual Avenger-class DropShips)

Avenger Ship Gallery

Notes

  • Technical Readout: 3057, Revised dropped the observation found in previous sources (namely, DropShips and JumpShips and Technical Readout: 3057) that the Avenger can provide ground support in the form of strafing and bombing runs, presumably due to changes in the game rules. However, the earlier, unrevised book remains fully canonical. Line Developer Herbert A. Beas had expressly clarified that an omission like this in a follow-up product would not automatically constitute a retcon or de-canonisation.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Dropships and Jumpships, p. 15, "JumpShip and DropShip Manufacturers"
  2. MUL online date for the Avenger (DropShip class)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Technical Readout: 3057, pp. 8-9, "Avenger Profile"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Dropships and Jumpships, pp. 44-45, "Avenger Ship Profile"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Technical Readout: 3057, pp. 10-11, "Avenger Profile"

Bibliography