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Reathach-class carrier: Difference between revisions
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* 1x Primary Fire Control RADAR | * 1x Primary Fire Control RADAR | ||
* 2x Secondary FCR | * 2x Secondary FCR | ||
* | * 1x SONAR pod | ||
|Ship EW= | |Ship EW= | ||
|Ship armament= | |Ship armament= | ||
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The '''Reathach-class carrier''' (Aen. ''Modern'') | The '''Reathach-class carrier''' (Aen. ''Modern'') is a two-vessel class of warship produced for the [[Office of the National Army (Faneria)|Fhainnin Army Naval Forces]] in the 1980s. ''Reathach'' and its sister ship, ''Meon'' (Aen. ''Zeitgiest'', loosely). Designed as hybrid cruiser-carriers, the two vessels acted as twin flagships of the Fhainnin navy until the introduction of the X class carrier. The class would serve as an inspiration for the founding of the modern Joint Carrier Development Program between [[Faneria]] and [[Kiravia]], as producing an aviation warship was laid down as a prerequisite for the program to proceed during negotiations in the 1970s. | ||
==Design and Construction== | ==Design and Construction== | ||
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The actual role of the class, aside from jump-starting the Fhainnin military's naval reconstruction program and testing new technologies, was to act as a missile-cruiser/carrier hybrid. The ships were constructed similarly to small carriers with the bow ski jump replaced by conventional missile armaments, leaving reduced space for an air wing in exchange for allowing the ships to act as somewhat independent squadron leads. This mean that while the two ships would never be able to carry an equivalent air group to a proper carrier, they could act as long-range, largely independent warships with a degree of naval aviation capabilities, which had since the 1950s been nonexistent in the ANF. The limits of the Barefield class (particularly in terms of the severe cost-saving measures taken during construction) relegated them to a role as mobile helicopter bases, as well as limiting their ranges severely. In contrast, the ''Reathach'' and ''Meon'' were constructed to a competitive standard, as the two were expected to not be replaced until the 2010s. | The actual role of the class, aside from jump-starting the Fhainnin military's naval reconstruction program and testing new technologies, was to act as a missile-cruiser/carrier hybrid. The ships were constructed similarly to small carriers with the bow ski jump replaced by conventional missile armaments, leaving reduced space for an air wing in exchange for allowing the ships to act as somewhat independent squadron leads. This mean that while the two ships would never be able to carry an equivalent air group to a proper carrier, they could act as long-range, largely independent warships with a degree of naval aviation capabilities, which had since the 1950s been nonexistent in the ANF. The limits of the Barefield class (particularly in terms of the severe cost-saving measures taken during construction) relegated them to a role as mobile helicopter bases, as well as limiting their ranges severely. In contrast, the ''Reathach'' and ''Meon'' were constructed to a competitive standard, as the two were expected to not be replaced until the 2010s. | ||
====Systems==== | |||
The class primarily functioned as an aircraft carrier, fielding up to twenty aircraft at a time, which could consist of up to sixteen fixed-wing fighters; however, both ships usually carried eight fighters. Originally, the design was intended to carry sixteen fighters and twelve helicopters, but instead internal hangar space was reduced to fit more powerful generators, a larger water filtration plant, and additional fuel and stores to extend their range and allow for greater independence of operation. Other armament consisted of twelve long-range, heavy anti-ship missiles and one-hundred and forty anti-air missiles, forty of which were stored for reloading the five launchers. Two eight-inch naval guns were added instead of extending the missile armament to sixteen ASHMs, with ''Meon'' seeing one turret removed and the originally planned count of heavy missiles restored in 2002. The ships bore navigational, combat control, and dedicated missile defense radars, as well as a bow SONAR pod. Both ships included a small rear well deck, allowing for ease of travel between ships via small craft. | |||
==Service Life== | ==Service Life== | ||