Comitatus
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Comitatus | |
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Production information | |
Manufacturer | unknown (Clans) |
Use | JumpShip Fighter carrier |
Tech Base | Clan |
Cost | ? |
Introduced | 2995 (original version) 3002 (downgraded freighter) 3036 (final fighter carrier version) |
Technical specifications | |
Mass | 250,000 tons |
Length | 680 meters |
Sail Diameter | 1150 meters |
Fuel | 460 tons (1,150) |
Burn Rate | 39.52 |
Top Thrust | 0.1 g |
Sail Integrity | 4 |
KF Drive Integrity | 5 |
LF Battery | None |
Armament | 6 ER Large Lasers, 6 ER Medium Lasers, 2 ER PPCs, 6 Large Pulse Lasers, 6 Medium Pulse Lasers, 12 Anti-Missile Systems, 2 Gauss Rifles, 2 Ultra AC/20, 12 LRM-20 with Artemis IV FCS, 6 Streak SRM-6. |
Armor | 119.5 tons (Improved Ferro-Aluminum Armor) |
DropShip Capacity | 1 |
Crew | 45 crew |
Grav Decks | 1 x 95 meters diameter |
Escape Pods/Life Boats | 4 Life Boats |
Heat Sinks | 122 (244) |
Structural Integrity | 1 |
BV (1.0) | 6,354[1] 6,384[2] |
BV (2.0) | ??? |
Description
The Comitatus-class fighter carrier JumpShip was devised by Clan Jade Falcon pilot Vishnu Folkner in 3035 by modifying a flawed Clan Snow Raven design for an armed freighter originally conceived in 2995.[3][1][4] He suggested turning the freighter into a fighter carrier that could defend jump points in the fashion of a light WarShip. This concept of a mobile firebase proved very successful, and became the new standard configuration for the Comitatus. Within ten years, the majority of all existing older Comitatus class vessels were converted over to the new specifications.[3][1]
Armament
The Comitatus blurs the distinction between a civilian JumpShip and a WarShip. Although it technically falls into the former category, it outguns some corvettes or smaller destroyers and its ferro-aluminum armor is exceptionally heavy for a JumpShip. As a designated fighter carrier it is equipped with 20 fighter bays holding two Stars of OmniFighters, and five assault shuttles in a separate shuttle bay.[1][3]
Cargo
The Comitatus design can carry 778.5 tons of cargo.[1] It can accommodate twenty aerospace fighters and 5 small craft (or 25 fighters), and a Star of battle-armored Elementals.[3][1]
The design change created very cramped conditions for the crew and pilots, not enough to carry a full complement of technical support personnel. This in turn limits the ability of a Comitatus to keep its fighter complement in good repair.[3][1]
Variants
There is no known variant of the Comitatus class since its design was finalized as a fighter carrier. However, some of the earlier Comitatus incarnations with either four hardpoints, or two hardpoints and increased cargo capacity, might still exist:
The original 2995 "4 Hardpoint"[4] concept was a heavily armed and armored trader with four docking hardpoints for DropShips, though the aft two hardpoints suffered from a seriously flawed hydraulics system.[3][1]
A stopgap "Cargo" solution implemented from 3002 on[5] was to remove the two aft hardpoints entirely, and replace them with cargo space.[3][1]
Named Vessels
(See Category:Individual Comitatus-class JumpShips)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Technical Readout: 3057 Revised, pp. 114-115, "Comitatus"
- ↑ AeroTech 2 Record Sheets, p. 272
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Technical Readout: 3057, pp. 114-115, "Comitatus"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 MUL entry for "Comitatus JumpShip (4HP)"
- ↑ MUL entry for "Comitatus JumpShip (Cargo)"