Shrike class

Name: Shrike class Type: Light attack craft Affiliation: Star Kingdom of Manticore Date Introduced: 1912 PD Mass: 20,250–21,250 tons Length: 71–72 m Beam: 20 m Draught: 20 m Acceleration: ~ 508 G (~ 635 G maximum) Crew: 10

The Shrike class was the first of a new generation of light attack craft of the Royal Manticoran Navy, built during the First Havenite-Manticoran War with major input from the Grayson Space Navy.

Armament

Shrike-A

• Chase:
  • 1 1.5m aperture graser fore
  • 4 revolver missile tubes fore (20 missiles total)
• Defensive weapons:
  • Countermissile tubes: 4 (52 missiles total)
  • Point-defense Laser clusters: 6
• Mass: 20,250 tons
• Dimensions 71 m × 20 m × 20 m
• Accelerations 636 G (6.237 kps²)
• 80% Accel 508.8 G (4.989 kps²)
• Forward 4 M, 1 G, 4 CM, 6 PD
• Service Life 1912–1917

Shrike-B

• Chase:
  • 1 1.5m aperture graser fore
  • 4 revolver missile tubes fore (20 missiles total)
• Defensive weapons:
  • Countermissile tubes: 8 (100 missiles total)
  • Point-defense Laser clusters: 12
• Mass: 21,250 tons
• Dimensions 72 m × 20 m × 20 m
• Accelerations 635 G (6.232 kps²)
• 80% Accel 508.4 G (4.986 kps²)
• Forward 4 M, 1 G, 4 CM, 6 PD
• Aft 4 CM, 6 PD
• Service Life 1912–present

Design notes

Shrike-A

Shrike-class LAC basic design

The designers of the Shrike-A-class LAC took advantage of several innovations to produce this deadly little craft. It was the first ship to be outfitted with Beta-squared nodes allowing it to have sidewalls only seen in light cruisers before. It also was the first ship to possess a bow wall, closing off its fore aspect.

Another innovation is its power plant, a fission pile that can power the craft for 18 years. This, like the Beta-squared nodes, saves space to cram in the outsized grazer and missile tubes.

Its offensive and defensive weapons all face forward so its tactical doctrine emphasises oblique approaches, under stealth when possible, and only activating the bow wall once the LACs are committed. This is necessary because a ship can only change its vector with reaction thrusters once the bow wall is up.

The Shrike-A only fought in the Second Battle of Hancock and was replaced by the Shrike-B before the start of Operation Buttercup. (HH8)

Shrike-B

This is the version of the Shrike that was used in Operation Buttercup. It trades in the original Shrike's internal hangar for its own small cutter/lifeboat for four more countermissile launchers, a half dozen fire control links, and six more laser clusters designed to cover its stern.

And also unlike the Shrike-A it was provided with LAC-sized missiles and drones from the Ghost Rider program. (HH9)