Freelance Traveller - The Shipyard - Mongoose Traveller Designs

Murmansk-class Scout Support Tender

This article originally appeared in the August 2013 issue.

Murmansk-class Scout Support Tender (type SD)	TL-15
40,000dt	close structure w/scoops, fuel purifier (High Guard design)
Jump Drive (5)	Jump-5
Maneuver Drive (1)	1-G (Agility 0 / Emergency agility 1)
Power Plant (5)	(energy=2000)
Fuel = 22,000 tons	Cargo = 850 tons
Computer	Model 6fib (CPU-15/ Storage-35)
Vehicles	2 Shuttles 2 Cutters / 2 extra modules (typically 2 passenger and 2 cargo) 100 ton Assembly/Maintenance Deck
Docking facilities for:	15×100 ton type S & S(b) Scoutships 10×150 ton type S(k) Scoutships
Crew:	(126 Staterooms) Command Captain 1st Officer/Relief Pilot Communications Engineering Chief Engineer 50 Ratings Flight Navigator 4 Small Craft Pilots 4 Small Craft Nav/Gunners 60 Ground Crew Medical Chief Medical Officer Senior Doctor or Nurse Orderlies from Ground Crew or Engineering Ratings as needed Medical Facilities include 4 Autodocs (16 total capacity) and 5 Emergency Low Berths

The Murmansk-class Type SD Scout Tender is designed to provide a mobile support base for scout ships operating wherever intensive intelligence gathering may be needed. The ship carries enough supplies and has the facilities to repair and maintain 100-ton Type S and S(b) and 150-ton Type S(k) scout ships, and also acts as a transport to carry the shorter ranged scouts rapidly to areas where they are to be deployed.

In addition to intelligence gathering, when sufficient resources are available, Murmansks may be deployed as coordinating bases in areas where detailed stellar surveys are to be conducted, including beyond the demarked borders. In such cases, although they cannot provide the same level of comprehensive support as for the smaller ships, provisions for supporting some of the larger survey scout ships are made, and on occasion, two SDs may operate in tandem as a single support base.

The vessels are considered fleet tenders and not armed, but since they carry up to 25 scouts and are not considered a warship of the line they don’t need to be. The ships carry entertainment and relaxation facilities for the scout crews, and are available for use by “detached” scouts on a limited, first-come basis.