Freelance Traveller

Archer-class Planetary Defense Missile Submarine (TL11)

designed by Richard Perks

This article originally appeared in the September 2011 issue of the downloadable magazine.

The Archer-class Planetary Defence Missile submarine is currently being produced by several Private Ownership Bloc nations on Porozlo and can be seen as a typical example of such vessels.

It is rumoured that the Archer is an unlicensed modification of the Riptide attack submarine converted to the planetary defence role, but as it is not currently being sold off-world, it has avoided any legal complaints.

The Archer is primarily a covert missile launching platform used to engage starships in orbit or within the atmosphere whilst remaining undetected. It is designed to survive initial orbital bombardment by remaining undetected and provides its owners with a retaliatory strike capability.

Its main armament is three standard starship missile turrets supported by an extended magazine. Missiles can be launched from 100m below the surface and guided to their targets using extensive passive sensor arrays. The use of passive sensors, EM masking and the cloaking effects of the water ensure that the submarine remains undetected between launches.

A limited self-defence armament is retained, including two remote beam laser turrets for close-in laser defence against torpedoes, a small anti-submarine missile system, and long range anti-aircraft missiles. These are primarily designed to protect the submarine against grav vehicles and small attack submarines engaged in anti-submarine work. The hull has been slightly strengthened to increase the maximum dive depth to allow the submarine to flee attack submarines and orbital return fire.

Given the long duration of patrol cruises, each crew member is assigned a small stateroom, and sufficient fuel and supplies are carried for up to 90 days cruising.

Craft ID:  Archer Planetary Defence Missile Submarine,
           TL11, MCr198.6357
Hull:      270/675, Disp=300, Config=Submarine, Armor=53E,
           SurfUnl=3904.4tons, SurfLoad=3939.8tons, SubmLoad(Max)=4139.8tons
Power:     2/4, Fusion=150Mw, Duration=90/270, Cons=0.07kl/h
Loco:      2/4, StdAntiGravThrust=930tn, SurfSpd=104kph, SubmSpd=140kph,
           MaxAccel=20kph, MaxDecel=40kph, MaxDirChg=180°, MaxDive=795m
Commo:     LaserComm×2 (Plan), MaserComm×2 (Plan), Radio×2 (Plan), radio mast.
Sensors:   AEMS×2 (Reg), ActSonar (VDist), PEMS×2 (InterS), PasSonar (Cont),
           1GW Neutrino Sensor, LoPen Densiometer,EMSJam (Reg), EMMask,
           periscopes (night, attack), sensor mast.
           ActObjScan=Diff; ActObjPin=Diff; PasEngScan=Rout; PasEngPin=Form; 
           PasObjScan=Form; PasObjPin=Imp
Off:       2×0.5MW Beam lasers w/TL11 weapon stabilization,
           PD targeting, in remote turrets,
           Eight-cell sub-launched anti-submarine missiles (ASM)
             in vertical launch racks,
           Quad sub-launched heavy long range surface-to-air missiles (SAM)
             in vertical launch ranks,
           3×Starship triple missile turrets F2.
Def:       +7DM
Control:   Comp=Mod5Fib×2, Panel=DynLink×67, HUD×9,
           Environ=BasicEnv, BasicLS, ExtLS, airlocks×3
Accomm:    Crew=106 (Bridge=8, Deck=21, Sensors=18, Gunners: Beam Lasers=2,
           ASM=1, SAM=1, Starship Missiles=3, Engineering=50, Stewards=2),
           Stateroom=Large×1, Small×105.
Other:     ASM×8, Heavy SAM×4, Starship Missiles×189 (21 Battery Rounds per turret),
           Fuel (hydrogen)=162kl, ExtDur Food & Water Supplies=19.1kl, Cargo=5kl,
           Lead Ballast=22kl, Ballast Tanks=200kl, 3×100kl/h pumps (for ballast tanks),
           Spare CP=0.87, Spare MW=21.485, 
           ObjSize=Avg, EMLevel=None.
Weapons:
    Beam Laser 0.5MW:
        Range=Dist (2.5km), Pen=5/2, Dam=4, Sig=High, ROF=40.
    ASM:
        Speed=2880kph, Range=Reg (960km), Pen=32, Dam=16.
    Heavy SAM:
        Speed=880kph, Ceil=30,000m, 
        Range=Reg (200km), Pen=26, Dam=32.